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Eating at a fried chicken restaurant is not the best health choice, especially if you’re on a low-carb diet. However, if you’re in a pickle, keto at KFC (aka Kentucky Fried Chicken) is possible.
The best low carb KFC options are grilled chicken pieces or salad. However, even with these options you’ll want to avoid too much sauce, dressing, corn, and croutons.
To eat low carb at KFC of course you’ll also have to stay away from sides like cornbread, macaroni salad, coleslaw, and fries.
Here are the top 12 KFC keto options. We’ll tell you what to include, what to avoid, and exactly how to place your order.
Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast
KFC offers grilled chicken options! Take advantage! Turns out there are KFC keto options. One piece of Kentucky grilled chicken breast contains 210 calories, 7g fat, 0g carbs, and 38g protein.
Make sure to hold the starchy side dishes and sugary dipping sauces. You can enjoy a small amount of parmesan Caesar dressing or eat them as they come to keep your carbs at 0 grams!
How to order: ask for a few pieces of grilled chicken from the World Famous Chicken menu. If you’re ordering online, then look for the grilled chicken under the ‘chicken on the bone’ section.
Double Crunch with Bacon and Cheese (No Bun)
A Double Crunch sandwich with bacon and cheese includes two pieces of crispy bacon, Monterey jack and pepper jack cheese, mayo and spicy sauce and two Extra Crispy white meat chicken fillets.
Without the bun your meal will contain 430 calories, 29g fat, 17g carbs (16g net carbs), 1g fiber, and 25g protein.
However, if you swap the extra crispy chicken for grilled you can cut out most of these carbs for a keto-friendly meal.
How to order: ask for a Double Crunch sandwich with bacon and cheese minus the bun. Also ask for grilled instead of breaded chicken.
Kentucky Grilled Chicken Drumstick
A Kentucky grilled chicken drumstick contains 80 calories, 4g fat, 0g carbs, and 11g protein.
Enjoy a bucket of these or order a few pieces as a snack. Ranch dipping sauce contains 2 grams of carbs per serving while the buttery spread contains 0 grams of net carbs.
How to order: ask for a bucket of Kentucky grilled chicken drumsticks or order them by the drumstick. Hold the potato salad (sub for green beans or side salad).
Kentucky Grilled Chicken Thigh
One Kentucky grilled chicken thigh contains 150 calories, 9g fat, 0g carbs, and 17g protein.
You can enjoy these with a lemon juice packet, which contains 1 gram of carbs. If you like spicy food, then try a hot sauce packet at 0 grams of carbs.
How to order: ask for a few pieces of Kentucky grilled chicken thighs with buttery spread, lemon juice, or hot sauce. Opt for a side salad, Caesar side salad or small order of green beans as a side dish.
Kentucky Grilled Chicken Wing
One Kentucky grilled wing contains 70 calories, 3g fat, 0g carbs, and 9 g protein. This officially constitutes a keto meal.
You can enjoy these with a low-sugar dipping sauce, such as lemon juice, butter, ranch, or hot sauce.
How to order: ask for a bucket of Kentucky grilled wings. Enjoy with a small side salad or an order of green beans.
Nashville Hot Grilled Chicken Breast or Thigh
If you don’t want a plain piece of grilled chicken, then try the Nashville hot grilled chicken. One thigh contains 180 calories, 12g fat, 0g carbs, and 17g protein.
One breast contains 260 calories, 12g fat, 1g carbs, and 38g protein.
Per the nutrition information, the Nashville hot flavors contain wheat, soybean oil, and sugar.
However, you can stay within the limits of the keto diet by keeping your portions to one or two breasts.
How to order: ask for two or three pieces of the Nashville hot grilled chicken thighs or breasts. You will likely not need dipping sauce. If you do, stick with ranch.
Nashville Hot Grilled Drumsticks or Wings
Chicken wings and drumsticks are fattier than breasts. This makes them a good choice for a high-fat diet.
A Nashville hot grilled drumstick contains 100 calories, 6g fat, 0g carbs and 11g fat. Each wing contains 90 calories, 6g fat, 1g carbs, and 9g protein.
How to order: ask for a bucket of Nashville hot grilled drumsticks or wings. You can get a combination of each.
Small Caesar Salad
A small Caesar salad from KFC without any dressing or croutons contains 40 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs (1 gram of net carbs), 1 gram of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
Marzetti Light Italian dressing will add 15 calories, 0.5g fat, and 2g carbs or you can add Creamy Parmesan Caesardressing for an extra 260 calories, 26g fat, 4g carbs, and 2g protein.
Avoid the ranch dressing and salads that contain corn.
How to order: ask for a small side Caesar salad as a side dish to your chicken. Hold the croutons.
House Side Salad
A house side salad from KFC without any dressing or croutons contains 15 calories, 0 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbs (1 gram of net carbs), 1g protein, and 2g fiber.
You can add Heinz Buttermilk Dressing for an extra 160 calories, 17g fat, and 1g carbs orMarzetti Light Italian dressing for 15 calories, 0.5g fat, and 2g carbs.
Avoid the ranch dressing and salads that contain corn.
How to order: ask for a small house side salad as a side dish to your grilled chicken. Hold any croutons.
Green Beans
You can safely enjoy a small order of green beans from KFC on a low-carb diet.
Other side options, including biscuits, sweet corn, macaroni and cheese, potatoes, and coleslaw, are off-limits because they contain too many carbs.
One small order of green beans contains 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbs (2 grams net carbs), 3 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.
How to order: ask for a side of green beans to accompany your grilled chicken.
Crispy Colonel’s Sandwich
A crispy Colonel’s sandwich from KFC features breaded chicken meat. This means you will need to remove as much of the breading from the chicken as possible.
You will also need to order this sandwich without the bun. The breaded chicken, lettuce, and pickle contains 340 calories, 14 grams of carbs, <1 gram of fiber, and 20 grams of protein.
How to order: ask for a crispy Colonel’s sandwich minus the bun. You can also ask for a grilled piece of chicken instead of breaded.
Extra Crispy Tenders
The chicken tenders at KFC are breaded. You will need to remove as much of the breading as possible if you order them.
One breaded tender contains 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbs, and 10 grams of protein. However, you can reduce these carbs by picking off the breading!
How to order: ask for a few pieces of extra crispy chicken tenders and pick the breading off.
Conclusion
It’s best to avoid eating at fast food restaurants when you are on a low-carb diet. If eating at KFC is unavoidable, then go with grilled chicken instead of fried and breaded. Choose from wings, thighs, breasts or drumsticks.
You can dip your chicken in buttery sauce or hot sauce to keep it low-carb. Enjoy with a side salad or a small order of green beans. Avoid the biscuits, corn, potatoes, and other starchy side dishes. Stick with water or unsweetened tea as your beverage.
More Keto Restaurant Guides:
- Keto at Wingstop
- Keto at Wendy’s
- Keto at McDonald’s
*Photo by mrsiraphol – depositphotos & denvit-pixabay
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