Popeyes is a casual dining restaurant otherwise known as a fried chicken joint. It does not specialize in low carb eating! It’s best to avoid eating here if you can as most of their options are breaded.
If you have no other choice, then you can make it low carb keto diet friendly for one meal. Popeyes offers two chicken options that are not breaded. This includes their blackened and naked chicken tenders.
Here are the low carb diet options you can order at Popeyes in order from the lowest carbs to highest, based on the nutrition calculator. We will also show you what to say when ordering. Here’s a hint: Say ‘no’ to mashed potatoes!
Naked Chicken Tenders
The Popeyes website does not list the nutrition information for their naked chicken tenders but you can imagine they are more low carb keto diet friendly than breaded chicken breasts. However, per the allergy information, the naked chicken tenders are gluten-free.
This means that they are probably not breaded like many of the other chicken options are.
You can enjoy these without the starchy sides, such as biscuits and fries. You will also want to avoid sugary dipping sauces. The ranch is fine to use on a keto diet in moderation.
How to order: ask for a 3, 5, or 8 piece order of naked chicken tenders. Meals are available as a dinner, combo, or platter. Hold all side dishes, biscuits, and sauces that come with them.
Blackened Chicken Tenders
The blackened chicken breast at Popeyes also appear to be unbreaded. You’ll want to make sure before ordering or pick the breading off if they are.
According to the website, a 3 piece order of the blackened chicken tenders contains 170 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs, and 26 grams of protein.
A 5 piece order contains 283 calories, 3 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbs, and 43 grams of protein.
How to order: ask for a 3 or 5 piece order of the blackened chicken tenders. Hold the sides and ask for blackened ranch dressing or no dipping sauce at all.
Green Beans
Green beans might be the only side dish that you can order at Popeyes on a low-carb diet.
Per the nutrition information, a regular order of green beans contains 55 calories, 2 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs (5 grams net carbs), 2 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
A large order of green beans contains 167 calories, 6 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.
We recommend sticking to a regular size order as the large contains too many carbs.
How to order: ask for a regular size order of green beans as a side to your naked or blackened chicken tenders.
Bonafide Chicken Leg
One whole bonafide chicken leg contains 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbs (4 grams of net carbs), 1 gram of fiber, and 14 grams of protein.
These appear to be breaded, which means you will want to remove the breading before eating.
How to order: ask for a 2, 4, or 6 piece order of chicken legs without any sides or sauces. Remove the breading before eating the chicken.
Bonafide Chicken Wing or Thigh
One whole chicken wing contains 210 calories, 14 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbs (7 grams net carbs), 1 gram of fiber, and 13 grams of protein.
You will want to make sure to pick the breading off these to reduce the carbs. You can also order a chicken thigh, which contains 280 calories, 21 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs (6 grams net carbs), 1 gram of fiber, and 14 grams of protein per piece.
How to order: ask for a 2 or 4 piece order of the bonafide chicken wings or thighs. You will need to pick your desired flavoring, including mild or hot. Hold all sides and remove the breading from the meat.
Egg and Sausage Biscuit
The egg and sausage biscuit contains 690 calories, 45 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, and 20 grams of protein.
We assume many of these carbs are from the biscuit, which you will need to hold when ordering.
How to order: ask for an egg and sausage biscuit minus the biscuit. Most breakfast sandwiches do not come with sauce, so you won’t have to worry about holding any.
Sausage or Bacon Biscuit
We doubt that the sausage in a sausage biscuit is breaded, which would make it a good low-carb option.
A sausage biscuit contains 540 calories, 36 grams of fat, 41 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, and 13 grams of protein.
The bacon biscuit contains 400 calories, 25 grams of fat, 37 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.
You can reduce almost all of these carbs by asking for no biscuit.
How to order: ask for a sausage biscuit minus the biscuit. Ask to add bacon or egg if desired. It does not appear that Popeyes offers cheese, but you can inquire!
Classic Chicken Sandwich
You can order a classic chicken sandwich minus the bun and sauce. From here, you will need to remove the breading from the chicken.
According to the website, a classic chicken sandwich has 699 calories while the spicy sandwich has 700. Both sandwiches contain around 50 grams of carbs, which is likely due to the bun and breading.
How to order: ask for a classic or spicy chicken sandwich without the bun and sauce. Remove all breading from the chicken before eating.
Handcrafted Chicken Tenders
If you have to choose between chicken tenders or nuggets, then go with the tenders.
These tend to contain bigger pieces of chicken, which makes it easier to pick the breading off of than a small nugget.
Three pieces of the chicken tenders contain 445 calories, 21 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, and 38 grams of protein.
How to order: ask for a 3 or 6 piece order of handcrafted chicken tenders and remove as much of the breading as possible. Hold the sides and dip in ranch or use no sauce at all.
Cajun Catfish Filet
The cajun catfish appears to be breaded just like the chicken. It contains 380 calories and 37 grams of carbs for every three pieces.
If ordering in sandwich form, be sure to hold the bun and sauce. You will also need to remove the breading.
How to order: ask for a cajun catfish filet sandwich without the bun or sauce. Remove as much of the breading as you can.
Conclusion
The Popeyes menu specializes in fried chicken. For this reason, we recommend avoiding it if you’re on a strict keto diet because of the breading.
The naked chicken tenders and blackened tenders do not appear to be breaded, which makes them the best option if you are eating low-carb.
Get these with a regular size order of green beans instead of biscuits or fries as your side dish. You can get ranch dressing as your dipping sauce or ask for no sauce at all.
Go with water (iced water or normal water) or unsweetened ice tea as your beverage and skip the soda.
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