Carl's Jr. under 500 calories: 19 orders, ranked
Of the 61 Carl's Jr. items we track, 19 are single orders at or under 500 calories — 31% of the menu. The most protein in one item under 500 is the Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (5 pieces), 41 g for 440 calories; the most filling by protein and fiber per calorie is the Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (3 pieces) (25 g protein, 2 g fiber, 260 cal). 9 entrées fit under 500; 31 do not.
Source: Carl's Jr. nutrition guide (official) · Data refreshed
- 19 orders under 500
- 41g most protein in one item
- 41g protein in a full meal
- 31 entrées over 500
As of September 2026, 19 of the 61 Carl's Jr. items we track fit under 500 calories, and the most protein in a complete Carl's Jr. meal under 500 is 41 g (A Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (5 pieces) and a water).
Three complete Carl's Jr. meals under 500 calories
Under 500, the most-protein entrée — the Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (5 pieces), 440 cal — leaves 60 calories for a side. Entrée first, then a side, then a drink if there is room — the same greedy order the MinMax app uses (water unless a shake adds 10 g of protein). All 3 differ from the meals under 400.
Most protein
- Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (5 pieces)440 cal · 41g
- Water0 cal
440 of 500 cal · 41 g protein
What to say at the counter: “A Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (5 pieces) and a water — 440 cal, 41 g protein.”
Get it at the nearest Carl's Jr. →Most filling
- Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (3 pieces)260 cal · 25g
- Hash Rounds® - Small240 cal · 2g
- Water0 cal
500 of 500 cal · 27 g protein
What to say at the counter: “A Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (3 pieces), a Hash Rounds® - Small, and a water — 500 cal, 27 g protein.”
Get it at the nearest Carl's Jr. →Lightest
- Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (3 pieces)260 cal · 25g
- Chocolatey Chip Cookie170 cal · 1g
- Water0 cal
430 of 500 cal · 26 g protein
What to say at the counter: “A Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (3 pieces), a Chocolatey Chip Cookie, and a water — 430 cal, 26 g protein.”
Get it at the nearest Carl's Jr. →Build your own Carl's Jr. order under 500 calories → Swap any item, add a side, share the link.
Every Carl's Jr. order under 500 calories, ranked by protein
Single orders only — no kids' meals, combos, sauces or toppings — by grams of protein, then calories. The median order under 500 is 370 calories and 9 of the 19 are entrées. Figures as Carl's Jr. published them (how we check them).
| # | Item | Calories | Protein | Protein / 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (5 pieces) | 440 | 41g | 9.3g |
| 2 | Charbroiled BBQ Chicken™ Sandwich | 440 | 35g | 8.0g |
| 3 | Bacon, Egg & Cheese Burrito | 470 | 26g | 5.5g |
| 4 | Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (3 pieces) | 260 | 25g | 9.6g |
| 5 | Double Cheeseburger | 370 | 19g | 5.1g |
| 6 | Chicken Stars (6 pieces) | 270 | 14g | 5.2g |
| 7 | Spicy Chicken Sandwich | 490 | 14g | 2.9g |
| 8 | Jalapeno POPPERS® Bites 6 piece | 370 | 9g | 2.4g |
| 9 | Biscuit 'N' Gravy™ | 500 | 8g | 1.6g |
| 10 | Waffle Fries | 380 | 5g | 1.3g |
| 11 | Natural-Cut Fries - Large | 450 | 5g | 1.1g |
| 12 | Fried Zucchini | 310 | 4g | 1.3g |
| 13 | Natural-Cut Fries - Medium | 400 | 4g | 1.0g |
| 14 | Hash Rounds® - Large | 450 | 4g | 0.9g |
| 15 | Natural-Cut Fries - Small | 280 | 3g | 1.1g |
| 16 | Chocolate Cake | 290 | 3g | 1.0g |
| 17 | Hash Rounds® - Medium | 320 | 3g | 0.9g |
| 18 | Hash Rounds® - Small | 240 | 2g | 0.8g |
| 19 | Chocolatey Chip Cookie | 170 | 1g | 0.6g |
What 500 calories buys at Carl's Jr.
Going from 400 to 500 calories adds 7 orders: Charbroiled BBQ Chicken™ Sandwich (440), Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ (5 pieces) (440), Hash Rounds® - Large (450), Natural-Cut Fries - Large (450), Bacon, Egg & Cheese Burrito (470), Spicy Chicken Sandwich (490) and Biscuit 'N' Gravy™ (500).
What doesn't fit under 500
31 of 40 Carl's Jr. entrées are over 500 calories; the lightest of them, the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, misses by 10 calories at 510. With more room, see Carl's Jr. under 600. Tighter budget: Carl's Jr. under 400. Closest misses: Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit (510), Jalapeño Double Cheeseburger (510), California Classic Double Cheeseburger (520), Grilled Cheese Breakfast Sandwich (Bacon) (530) and Steak & Egg Burrito (530).
Eat at Carl's Jr. without blowing your cap
MinMax finds the best Carl's Jr. meal under your calorie goal — at the location nearest you — and lets you swap items to hit your protein. Free on iPhone.
Download MinMax — free What the app doesMore at Carl's Jr.
- Carl's Jr. calories & nutrition (all 61 items)
- Carl's Jr. under 400 calories (12 orders)
- Carl's Jr. under 600 calories (28 orders)
- High-protein Carl's Jr. orders (13 items)
- Carl's Jr. calorie calculator (build an order under your cap)
Under 500 calories at other chains
The same cap at 3 Burgers chains, or the cross-chain pillar: fast food under 500 calories.