In-N-Out protein style means your burger comes wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, which is the easy way to eat low carb at the chain. There is more to a keto order than that, though. The spread, the shake, and the fries are where the carbs hide. Below is exactly what to order and the net carbs for each.
I'm sorry everyone, but the combination of the time change and the fact that we are moving in less than a month has turned my life upside down. Today I was out running errands until 2pm and I realized that I completely forgot to stop for lunch. As much as I love cooking, on crazy days like this I have no choice, but to pick up something to eat. In-N-Out is my go to Low Carb friendly savior when I need something to eat in a flash. Their burgers are freshly made and if you simply say to make it "protein style" they will happily wrap your burger in lettuce. Many other fast food spots have copied this trait, but I have found that few are truly capable of wrapping a burger so you can actually pick it up. The next time you're stuck running errands, like me, grab a yummy In-N-Out protein style burger for lunch.
How to order keto at In-N-Out
Every order below skips the bun. The net carbs come from nutrition databases, rounded, so treat them as close and check In-N-Out's own nutrition page if you count tightly.
| Order | Net carbs | What you get |
|---|
| Flying Dutchman | about 0 g | Two patties, two slices of cheese, no bun |
| Double-Double, protein style, no spread | about 4 g | Lettuce-wrapped, add mustard and onion freely |
| Double-Double, protein style, with spread | about 8 g | The spread, ketchup, and tomato add the carbs |
| Animal style (add-on) | adds about 2 g or more | Extra spread plus grilled onions |
For the cleanest plate, the Flying Dutchman is hard to beat: two patties, two slices of cheese, no bun, and effectively no carbs. If you want the full burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, order it protein style and decide what to do about the spread.
The spread is the carb lever
The single biggest swing on the burger is the spread. A Double-Double protein style runs about 8 grams of net carbs with it and about 4 grams without, because the thousand-island style sauce is built on ketchup and carries sugar. Asking for mustard instead, or for a mustard-grilled patty, keeps the tang and drops the carbs. Tomato and onion add a gram or two more, so leave them off if you are counting to the edge.
What low-carb regulars order
There is no old-world version of this to borrow from, since In-N-Out is a California chain and the protein-style lettuce wrap it made famous has only spread to other US burger spots. So the useful guidance comes from how low-carb regulars actually order. Most land on one of two tickets: the Flying Dutchman, or a Double-Double protein style with no spread, often with grilled onions and a mustard-grilled patty added. The burger is rarely the problem. The real trap is the drink, since a shake carries the better part of a day's sugar and the lemonade is not far behind. Stick to water, unsweetened tea, or a diet soda and the meal stays on plan. When you do want a burger at home instead, my bunless chili cheese burger and chicken lettuce wraps scratch the same itch, and my eating out guide covers the rest of the menu board.
Sources
In-N-Out Burger, published nutrition information, 2026.
Carb Manager and Fast Food Nutrition, In-N-Out protein style and Flying Dutchman data, 2026.
Keto fast-food dining guides (hip2keto, nobunplease), In-N-Out ordering notes, 2026.
