Applebee’s is a family-friendly casual dining restaurant that offers chicken, seafood, pasta, fajitas, salads, steaks and ribs, and more.
You can eat low-carb here by opting for a steak and steamed veggies, a salad with low-carb dressing, or a burger without the bun and sauce. You can also get the fajitas without the tortilla shells. Just remember – no mashed potatoes!
Here are the top 10 low carb and keto-friendly options you can order at Applebee’s in order from lowest to highest carbs, based on the website’s nutritional calculator.
Bacon Cheddar Grilled Chicken Sandwich
This sandwich comes with bacon, BBQ ranch dressing, grilled chicken breast, lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and fries on a bun.
If you hold the fries, bun, and BBQ ranch sauce, it will contain 460 calories, 24 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs (<3 grams net carbs), <1 gram of fiber, and 58 grams of protein.
Opt for a side house salad with ranch dressing and no croutons instead of fries.
What to order: the bacon cheddar grilled chicken sandwich minus the bun and BBQ ranch sauce. Order a side house salad with ranch and no croutons in place of fries.
Brunch Burger
The brunch burger comes with bacon, a fried egg, hash browns, ketchup, lettuce, pickles, onion, tomatoes, American cheese, fries, and a beef patty on a bun.
If you hold the fries, ketchup, bun, and hash browns, it will contain 730 calories, 56 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs (5 grams net carbs), 2 grams of fiber, and 53 grams of protein.
You can enjoy this burger with a side house salad and low-carb dressing, such as ranch, but it will add to your total carbs.
What to order: the brunch burger minus the bun, ketchup, hash browns and fries. Enjoy a side house salad with no croutons and ranch dressing instead.
Turkey Lover’s Sandwich
The turkey lover’s sandwich comes with sliced turkey breast, Swiss cheese, tomato slices, onions and herb mayo on a bun with fries.
If you order it without the bun and fries, it will contain 530 calories, 37 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs (<6 grams net carbs), <1 gram of fiber, and 45 grams of protein.
Ask for a side house salad with Caesar, ranch or Bleu cheese dressing instead of the fries.
What to order: the turkey lover’s sandwich without the bread and fries. Opt for a side house salad instead.
Grilled Chicken Salad
The grilled chicken salad comes with grilled chicken, tomatoes, a hardboiled egg, salad mix, seasoning, cheese, and honey mustard dijon. It also comes with a breadstick.
If you hold the breadstick and honey mustard dijon, it will contain 520 calories, 26 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs (7 grams of net carbs), 5 grams of fiber, and 62 grams of protein.
You can add a low-carb dressing instead, such as ranch, Caesar, or Bleu cheese, but this will contribute to a few grams of carbs.
What to order: the grilled chicken salad without the breadstick and honey mustard dijon. Ask for a low-carb dressing instead, such as ranch, Caesar, or Bleu cheese.
12 Ounce Ribeye
The 12 ounce Ribeye comes with your choice of two sides.
If you get it with steamed broccoli and a side Caesar salad, it will contain 1120 calories, 87 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbs (14 grams net carbs), 5 grams of fiber, and 68 grams of protein.
You can reduce the carbs by holding the croutons on the salad.
What to order: the 12 ounce ribeye with steamed broccoli and a side Caesar salad without the croutons.
Grilled Chicken Breast
You can get a grilled chicken breast at Applebee’s that comes with your choice of two sides.
We recommend choosing steamed broccoli and a side house salad with lemon olive oil vinaigrette. It will contain 550 calories, 33 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbs (14 grams net carbs), 5 grams of fiber, and 49 grams of protein.
What to order: the grilled chicken breast with steamed broccoli and a side house salad with lemon olive oil vinaigrette. Hold any croutons that come on the salad.
Double-Glazed Ribs
You can get a full-slab or half-slab of ribs at Applebee’s, but the trick is to hold the glaze. This dish comes with your choice of two sides.
If you get the half order of the double-glazed baby back ribs with NO sauce, steamed broccoli, and a side Caesar salad, this dish will contain 950 calories, 79 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbs (14 grams net carbs), 5 grams of fiber, and 44 grams of protein.
What to order: the half-slab order of ribs with NO sauce, steamed broccoli, and a side Caesar salad without the croutons.
Top Sirloin Steak
The top sirloin steak at Applebee’s comes in two sizes: 6 ounce and 8 ounce. It also comes with your choice of two sides.
If you get an 8 ounce steak with steamed broccoli and a side house salad with ranch dressing, it will contain 650 calories, 40 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbs (15 grams of net carbs), 5 grams of fiber, and 55 grams of protein.
You can reduce the carbs by holding the house salad and ordering double steamed broccoli instead. If you order the salad, make sure it does not contain croutons.
What to order: the top sirloin steak (6 or 8 ounce) with double steamed broccoli or a side salad with ranch.
Blackened Cajun Salmon
The blackened cajun salmon comes with your choice of two sides.
Go with steamed broccoli and a side house salad with lemon olive oil vinaigrette, and this dish will contain 610 calories, 41 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbs (16 grams net carbs), 6 grams of fiber, and 44 grams of protein.
Be sure to hold any croutons that come on the salad. This may save you a few grams of carbs.
What to order: the blackened cajun salmon with steamed broccoli and a side house salad with lemon olive oil vinaigrette and no croutons.
Chicken Or Steak Fajitas
The bourbon street chicken or steak fajitas can be a good low-carb option if you customize your dish to include meat, fajita vegetables, and low-carb toppings only, such as sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.
For example, if you order the steak fajitas minus the fajita sauce, flour tortillas, Spanish rice, and queso dip, it will contain 1,000 calories, 70 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbs (22 grams net carbs), 10 grams of fiber, and 63 grams of protein.
It might seem like you’re holding a lot of food, but your meal will still come with Chipotle lime seasoning, cilantro, fajita vegetables, guacamole, lettuce, a lime wedge, Pico de Gallo, shredded cheese, sirloin steak, bacon, and sour cream.
What to order: the chicken or steak fajitas minus the sauce, tortillas, rice, and queso dip.
Conclusion
Applebee’s serves a variety of food, but you’ll need to modify almost all dishes to meet your low-carb needs. We recommend going with a grilled chicken sandwich or burger without the bun and sauce. Opt for a side house salad instead of fries. Even the whiskey bacon burger or classic bacon cheeseburger, without the bun or whiskey sauce, is better than some alternatives! If you want to play it really safe, order a grilled shrimp skewer or two!
You can also get a salad with low-carb dressing, such as ranch, Bleu cheese, Caesar, or lemon olive oil vinaigrette, or a steak with steamed broccoli. This rule applies for all drive-through restaurants.
The steak or chicken fajitas minus the tortillas, sauce, and rice is another good option. Stick with water, coffee, or unsweetened tea as your choice of beverage.
*Featured Photo by jetcityimage2/depositphotos
