In-N-Out Low-Carb Guide

For low-carb/keto dieters, In-N-Out is a great fast food option. After all, we only care about the burger patties, and these are In-N-Out’s specialty. Read on to become more familiar with the restaurant’s protein-style burgers and to find out which of their offerings come out on top. 

Overall Assessment

In-N-Out is definitely a low-carb friendly fast food joint. They offer a variety of protein-style options that are filling and tasty. 

• Low-carb friendly? Yes.
• Low-carb entrees available on the menu?  Yes. Protein Style, lettuce-wrapped burgers.
• Satiety level of low-carb options? Above average.
• Taste of low-carb options? Above average.
• Price / value of low carb entrees?  Well above average.
• Overall customer experience? Well above average. The staff provides manager-level service and attention. The restaurant is clean and has a pleasant ambiance. The employees are friendly. 

Low-Carb Protein Burgers

Bunless 4×4 Protein Style or the Quad Quad Protein Style Burger – a Secret Menu Offering

• What you’ll get: 4, small beef patties; 4 slices of American cheese; hand-leafed lettuce; 2 tomato slices; special dressing; your choice of onions. This usually comes with a bun, which you can do away with; you can also skip the tomatoes and the dressing to further cut down on the carbs.

• Price: $6.30
• Estimated macros: 900 calories, 8 net carbs, and 63g protein

Bunless 3×3 Protein Style or Triple Triple Protein Style Burger – a Secret Menu Offering

• What you’ll get: 3, small beef patties; 3 slices of American cheese; hand-leafed lettuce; 2 tomato slices; special dressing; your choice of onions. This is similar to the Quad, but with one less patty. Again, skipping the bun is optional. You can also request for a bed of lettuce, instead of having the patties lettuce-wrapped. 
• Price: $5.10
• Estimated macros: 710 calories, 8g net carbs, and 48g protein

Lettuce-Wrapped Double Double Protein Style

• What you’ll get: 2, small beef patties; 2 slices of American cheese; 2 tomato slices; special dressing; and your choice of onions. When you ask for the “Protein Style,” you’ll get a standard lettuce-wrapped burger, instead of buns. 

• Price: $3.90
• Estimated macros: 520 calories, 8g net carbs, and 33g protein

Lettuce-Wrapped Protein Style Cheeseburger

• What you’ll get: single beef patty; a slice of American cheese; 2 tomato slices; special dressing; and your choice of onions, all wrapped in hand-leafed lettuce. This is more of a snack, as it’s not filling enough to be a complete meal. 

• Price: $2.70
• Estimated macros: 330 calories , 8g net carbs, 18g protein

Bunless “Animal Style” Hamburger – a Secret Menu Offering

• What you’ll get: a single beef patty fried in mustard; a slice of tomato; pickles; dressing; and grilled onions. Take note that the grilled onions more or less amount to about 3g net carbs added to the overall macros. 

• Price: $2.40
• Estimated Macros: 260 calories, 11g net carbs, and 14g protein

Recommended Customized Protein Style Burger:

• Multi-patty cheeseburger with mustard; one tomato slice; light dressing; and grilled onions, on a bed of lettuce or wrapped in lettuce. 
• Estimated Macros: 6g net carbs

Additional Remarks

• In-N-Out only uses mustard, ketchup, and their special dressing on their burgers. 
• The special dressing is a mix of mayo, Thousand Island, and relish. Nutritional values for the special dressing are not provided by In-N-Out. 
• Based on the nutrition facts published for their online menu, the best macros estimate for one serving of the dressing is: 40 calories, 4g net carbs, and 1g protein. 

What You Should Not Order

On a low-carb diet, buns, fries, and shakes must be avoided. You should also skip the ketchup, as you may be adding about 4g net carbs to your meal every time you add ketchup to your protein style In-N-Out burger. To further reduce the net carbs, you can also do away with the tomatoes and go light on the dressing.