The Fast Food Burger With The Most Protein

For good or for bad, there's no denying the fact that protein has become a dietary focus. And though good nutrition and fast food don't usually belong in the same sentence, if you want to hit those macros, it pays to know where to order.

Comparing standard menu items, Fatburger's XXXL Triple Kingburger comes in at the top with a whopping 129.5 grams of protein. The chain is known for its thick beef patties, and with three of them for a total of 1.5 pounds of meat, you can see where all that protein comes from. 

Next in the list of American burger chains, though trailing a decent way behind, is Burger King with a Triple Whopper containing 81 grams of protein. Shake Shack has a few high protein options, namely the Avocado Bacon Burger Triple with 81 grams of protein, and the Bacon Cheese Burger Triple and Triple SmokeShack, both with 80 grams.

Of course, you can always up the protein content for any burger by adding an extra meat patty. The protein content of these will also vary by chain. Unsurprisingly the Fat Burger patty size gives them an edge here with 28 grams of protein, while Shake Shack beef patties contain just 19 grams, and Wendy's patties have 17 grams. 

What you've probably noticed here is that all that extra protein is achieved by increasing the serving size, at least when it comes to the meat element. So while you might be hitting your protein goals, you're not necessarily getting the healthiest fast food burger. The Fat Burger XXXL contains an incredible 1686 calories and 96.5 grams of fat — and that's before you add sides and a drink.

If your goal is balance rather than just the amount of protein, look for items that offer a high protein density for the calories they contain. Ordering off the standard menu, one of the best high-protein fast food burgers is a Triple Hamburger from Shake Shack. Yes, it only contains 63 grams of protein, but it's also proportionately low in calories, at 750. This means that almost 34% of the calories in this burger come from protein. Freddy's Triple Steakburger without cheese comes in a close second, with a protein density of 33%, from 63 grams of protein and 760 calories.

Ordering your burger protein style will put these percentages right up, though a lettuce wrap doesn't offer quite the same satisfaction as a burger bun. The same Freddy's burger without the bread has a protein density of almost 42%, with 60 grams of protein and just 580 calories.