Keto at Zaxby's: What to Order + Full Macro Breakdown

If you thought eating Keto at Zaxby's was impossible, think again!

This southern-based chain is known for it's crispy chicken fingers and delectable dipping sauces. While these foods may not typically be associated with the ketogenic diet, I was shocked to discover the amount of low carb meal options available.

Overview: Keto at Zaxby's

• Avoid the obvious carb sources -- Texas toast, buns, crinkle cut fries, and sugary sauces.
• Despite being breaded and fried, the chicken fingers at Zaxby's aren't super high in carbs. The boneless wings are a separate story -- they're loaded with carbohydrates.
• Some locations may let you order the chicken fingers without breading. This information isn't listed on the website, but it may be a good option if you want to keep your carbs super low.
• Amp up your chicken fingers by ordering them tossed in buffalo sauce. This adds a negligible amount of calories, but a ton of flavor! It's even better paired with ranch to dip.
• The side/appetizer options are somewhat unique at Zaxby's. In addition to celery sticks, where else can you get buffalo chicken dip or chicken salad in a drive-thru?

What fast food can I eat on a Keto diet?

The beauty of a ketogenic diet is that you can make it work just about anywhere. Some of my favorite Keto fast food meals include:

• Buffalo Chicken Tenders from Zaxby's (below)
• Blackened Tenders from Popeyes
• Bacon Burger Bowl from Five Guys (+ learn how to get FREE bacon!)
• Bunless Baconator from Wendy's
• Chicken Piccata from Olive Garden
• Italian Night Club Unwich from Jimmy John's

Through the years, I've compiled a collection of eating out guides for some of my favorite spots. This makes it super easy to reference and helps me make a smart choice on the go. The list can be found at the bottom of this post.

Salads

Picking up a salad at Zaxby's is one of the easiest ways to order.

Garden Salads

• Garden House Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (170 calories, 11g fat, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 9g protein) 4g NET
• Garden Cobb Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (290 calories, 19g fat, 8g carbs, 3g fiber, 19g protein) 5g NET
• Garden Caesar Zalad /w dressing, no croutons
  (170 calories, 9g fat, 5g carbs, 2g fiber, 15g protein) 3g NET

Grilled Chicken Salads

• Grilled Caesar Zalad /w dressing, no croutons
  (330 calories, 13g fat, 7g carbs, 2g fiber, 46g protein) 5g NET
• Grilled House Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (330 calories, 15g fat, 9g carbs, 3g fiber, 40g protein) 6g NET
• Grilled Cobb Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (450 calories, 22g fat, 10g carbs, 3g fiber, 50g protein) 7g NET

Fried Chicken Salads

• Fried Caesar Zalad /w dressing, no croutons
  (470 calories, 23g fat, 15g carbs, 4g fiber, 49g protein) 11g NET
• Fried House Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (470 calories, 25g fat, 17g carbs, 5g fiber, 43g protein) 12g NET
• Fried Cobb Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (590 calories, 33g fat, 18g carbs, 3g fiber, 53g protein) 15g NET

Blue Chicken Salads

Blue salads come with a generous helping of blue cheese.

• Garden Blue Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (140 calories, 10g fat, 6g carbs, 4g fiber, 8g protein) 2g NET
• Blackened Blue Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (460 calories, 14g fat, 8g carbs, 4g fiber, 40g protein) 4g NET
• Buffalo Blue Zalad, no Texas toast or fried onions
  (460 calories, 24g fat, 19g carbs, 6g fiber, 42g protein) 13g NET

Side Salads

• Side Salad, no dressing
  (15 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g protein) 2g NET
• Caesar Side Salad, no croutons or dressing
  (100 calories, 6.5g fat, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 8g protein) 3g NET

Salad Dressings

• Caesar
  (90 calories, 8g fat, 2g carbs, 2g protein)
• Ranch
  (120 calories, 13g fat, 1g carbs, 1g protein)
• Blue Cheese
  (140 calories, 15g fat, 2g carbs, 1g protein)
• Thousand Island
  (230 calories, 24g fat, 3g carbs, 0g protein)
• Lite Ranch
  (90 calories, 8g fat, 3g carbs, 1g protein)
• Mediterranean
  (140 calories, 14g fat, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g protein) 3g NET
• Honey Mustard
  (110 calories, 9g fat, 6g carbs, 0g protein)
• Lite Vinaigrette
  (30 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs, 0g protein)
• Honey French
  (150 calories, 12g fat, 9g carbs, 0g protein)

Sandwiches

There are plenty of bunless sandwich options as well!

• Chicken Salad Sandwich, no bread
  (440 calories, 40g fat, 5g carbs, 1g fiber, 15g protein) 4g NET
• Cajun Club Sandwich, no bun
  (410 calories, 24g fat, 5g carbs, 42g protein)
• Chicken Finger Sandwich, no bun
  (270 calories, 13g fat, 9g carbs, 2g fiber, 31g protein) 7g NET
• Chicken Finger Sandwich, no bun or Zax sauce
  (300 calories, 14g fat, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 34g protein) 9g NET
• Southern T.L.C. Sandwich, no bun
  (450 calories, 33.5g fat, 10g carbs, 28g protein)
• Zaxby's Club Sandwich, no bread
  (620 calories, 45g fat, 13g carbs, 2g fiber, 43g protein) 11g NET
• Kickin Chicken Sandwich, no bread
  (450 calories, 27g fat, 14g carbs, 2g fiber, 35g protein) 12g NET
• Southern Sweet & Smoky Sandwich, no bun
  (420 calories, 29.5g fat, 14g carbs, 28g protein) 14g NET

Chicken Fingers

The chicken fingers are breaded and fried. As mentioned earlier, some locations may let you order them fried without breading for an even lower carb count. Unfortunately, I don't have the nutritional information for those.

• Chicken Finger, 1 piece
  (80 calories, 4g fat, 3g carbs, 0g fiber, 9g protein)
• Chicken Fingers, 4 piece
  (400 calories, 19g fat, 14g carbs, 3g fiber, 45g protein) 11g NET
• Chicken Fingers, 5 piece
  (420 calories, 20g fat, 16g carbs, 0g fiber, 45g protein)
• Chicken Fingers, 6 piece
  (600 calories, 33g fat, 24g carbs, 5g fiber, 56g protein) 19g NET

Buffalo Chicken Fingers

• Buffalo Chicken Finger, 1 piece
  (100 calories, 6g fat, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 9g protein)
• Buffalo Chicken Fingers, 4 piece
  (400 calories, 19g fat, 14g carbs, 3g fiber, 45g protein) 11g NET
• Buffalo Chicken Fingers, 5 piece
  (510 calories, 28g fat, 18g carbs, 0g fiber, 46g protein)
• Buffalo Chicken Fingers, 6 piece
  (600 calories, 33g fat, 24g carbs, 5g fiber, 56g protein) 19g NET

Traditional Wings

For low carb wing options, stick with the traditional wings only.

• Traditional Wings, 5 + no sauce
  (380 calories, 23g fat, 0g carbs, 42g protein)
• Traditional Wings, 10 + no sauce
  (580 calories, 38g fat, 0g carbs, 60g protein)
• Traditional Wings, 20 + no sauce
  (1160 calories, 76g fat, 0g carbs, 120g protein)

The boneless wings are loaded with extra carbohydrates. In other words, they aren't a great choice for Keto.

Sides

I highly recommend the buffalo chicken dip if you can fit it into your macros.

• Chicken Salad
  (230 calories, 17g fat, 3g carbs, 1g fiber, 15g protein) 2g NET
• Celery, side
  (10 calories, 0g fat, 2g carbs, 0g protein)
• Side Salad, no dressing
  (15 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g protein) 2g NET
• Caesar Side Salad, no croutons or dressing
  (100 calories, 6.5g fat, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 8g protein) 3g NET
• Celery, side + ranch dip
  (200 calories, 20g fat, 4g carbs, 2g protein)
• Celery, basket
  (20 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbs, 0g protein)
• Celery, basket + ranch dip
  (400 calories, 40g fat, 8g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein) 6g NET
• Coleslaw
  (140 calories, 10g fat, 13g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g protein) 11g NET
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
  (330 calories, 26g fat, 9g carbs, 2g fiber, 14g protein) 7g NET

Dipping Sauces

Ranch is your best bet for dipping sauces at Zaxby's because the other sauces have quite a bit more sugar.

• Ranch
  (150 calories, 16g fat, 2g carbs, 1g protein)
• Zestable
  (190 calories, 19g fat, 5g carbs, 1g protein)
• Zax Sauce
  (150 calories, 15g fat, 4g carbs, 0g protein)
• Honey Mustard Sauce
  (130 calories, 11g fat, 7g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein)

Source: Zaxby's

What's your favorite Keto meal at Zaxby's?