76 Fast-Food Burgers, Ranked By Calories
Ground beef patty. Lettuce. Tomatoes. Bun. Maybe some cheese. Most hamburgers are comprised of only a handful of components, yet when it comes to their nutritional make-up, all burgers are not created equally. In fact, depending on which hamburger you order, you can be biting into a snack-sized slider or a mega-burger with over half a day's worth of calories.
And hey, we don't blame you for wanting to indulge every once in a while. Instead of denying those fast-food cravings completely, just aim to try and choose your burger wisely. So to help you out, we've ranked every burger option at your favorite fast-food restaurants from the burgers with the most calories to the burgers that are your best bet as they're the lowest in calories. The next time the drive-thru starts calling your name, take a glimpse at this list so that you can enjoy your burger without letting all dietary guidelines fall by the wayside. Just be sure you're keeping things balanced and are stocking up on The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now, too!
McDonald's
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
The burger with the most calories at McDonald's is none other than the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. It is interesting to note that the Golden Arches doesn't have a burger that clocks in at 1,000 calories, something that is sadly far too common at fast-food restaurants.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese Bacon
One thing to note about adding bacon to a burger—you can count on the amount of sodium you're getting to be higher compared to other options.
Big Mac
You might be surprised to uncover that the Big Mac isn't the Mickey D sandwich packing the most calories! Still, it's not really anything to brag about, as it's loaded up with three slices of bread…
Quarter Pounder with Cheese
This burger has 220 calories less than that of its Double Quarter pounder counterpart.
Double Cheeseburger
Two patties and two slices of cheese result in this burger coming in at 450 calories.
McDouble
We know, this looks quite like the Double Cheeseburger. But there is a key difference! The McDouble just has one slice of cheese instead of two, resulting in a lower calorie option.
Cheeseburger
When that cheeseburger craving hits, be sure to just order the plain version.
Hamburger
You really can never go wrong with a classic hamburger. If you want to see how other menu items at Mickey D's fare, we've got you covered with The Best & Worst Menu Items at McDonald's, According to RDs.
Wendy's
Pretzel Bacon Pub Triple
This over-the-top burger is a newer addition to Wendy's menu, but three patties smothered in cheese, bacon, and crispy fried onion in between a pretzel bun is just trouble. This one burger by itself has nearly an entire day's worth of calories.
Big Bacon Triple
Sensing a theme here with the triple burgers? Three times the amount of meat results in a burger that is not only high calories, but it's also high in fat, harmful trans fats, and sodium.
Pretzel Bacon Pub Double
Sorry, but going with the double version of the Pretzel Bacon Pub burger isn't really much better.
Dave's Triple
Another triple burger! Wendy's really is trying to make these happen, aren't they? (And if you're looking for more helpful tips, your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here.)
Baconator
This burger is loaded up with six pieces of bacon. Sorry, but sometimes there is such a thing as too much bacon…
Big Bacon Classic
Here, a quarter-pound of beef, is topped with Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo, and onion on a toasted bun. Seems like a typical burger, but it is large and at more than 900 calories, there are much better options you can get instead.
Dave's Double
This burger is described as "more meat means more to love." That also means more bad news for your waistline!
Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger
When it comes to the pretzel bacon pub burgers, you should just simply stay away from them.
Son of Baconator
The smaller version of the Baconator is still loaded up with too much bacon!
Dave's Single
This is the burger founder Dave Thomas always wanted to serve up, and it falls in the middle of the pack as not the worst or best option, calorie-wise.
Bacon Double Stack
Double Stack
Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger
This burger is said to be "a favorite of bacon lovers everywhere" and is the lowest in calories compared to all the other bacon-based burgers.
Jr. Cheeseburger
The basic cheeseburger is one of the least harmful Wendy's menu items.
Jr. Hamburger
Yes, this hamburger is a lot smaller than others on the menu, but it's the no-frills option you can enjoy, guilt-free.
Burger King
Texas Double Whopper Sandwich
The fact that this sandwich from Burger King has nearly an entire day's worth of calories is scary, but it's packing more than 3,000 milligrams of sodium, too. The American Heart Association recommends the average person consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. You're blowing way beyond that here!
Triple Whopper with Cheese
There is no reason for one person to be eating a Triple Whopper. If you order this, we hope you're sharing it with some friends!
Bacon King Sandwich
It shouldn't be that surprising that a burger called the "Bacon King" is coming in at more than 1,100 calories.
Double Stacker King
There really isn't anything redeeming about the Double Stacker King burger.
Big King XL
The name of this burger alone signals that it's going to be a high-calorie option!
Double Whopper Sandwich
We've finally gotten below 1,000 calories, but the Double Whopper packing 900 calories isn't really much better.
Double Quarter Pounder King
And the fact that the Double Quarter Pounder King has the same amount of calories? Another skip!
Whopper Sandwich
The Whopper is Burger King's most iconic menu item, but it does have 600 calories, so it's not something you want to eat often.
Impossible Whopper Sandwich
The Impossible Whopper is just slightly less in calories than the OG version and actually has more sodium.
Bacon Double Cheeseburger
Bacon and double? You already can tell this burger isn't necessarily going to be the healthiest…
Double Cheeseburger
While slightly lower in calories than the Bacon Double Cheeseburger, there are still a few menu items that are better options than the Double Cheeseburger.
Rodeo Burger
The Rodeo Burger features a patty that is topped with a BBQ sauce and two onion rings.
Bacon Cheeseburger
Finding a burger topped with bacon for under 400 calories is a solid win!
Whopper Jr.
If you really want to munch on a Whopper, you're best bet is going for the Whopper Jr.
Cheeseburger
Hamburger
For 40 fewer calories than the cheeseburger, you have the classic hamburger. Even at BK, this is the burger you can never go wrong choosing.
Hardee's
Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Two patties are loaded up with two slices of cheese, two onion rings, all smothered in a tangy BBQ sauce. It's no wonder this burger is more than 1,000 calories!
Super Star with Cheese
The Super Star burger at Hardee's features two patties that are covered in slices of cheese and are slathered in a special sauce.
The Big Hardee
The Big Hardee is also clocking in at 920 calories. Big yikes.
Original Thickburger
When ordering the Original Thickburger, you're eating a 1/3 pound beef patty. That's a pretty big piece of meat!
Western Bacon Cheeseburger
The Western Bacon Cheeseburger isn't much better than its double version counterpart.
Bacon Cheese Thickburger
Hardee's "Thickburgers" are signature staples, but keep in mind, all of these burgers are high-calorie. And the Bacon Cheese version is further proof.
Frisco Thickburger
This burger is served up between a sourdough bun, but it's loaded with cheese and bacon. So this combination all makes for a burger that is 760 calories and more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium.
Famous Star with Cheese
The Famous Star burger lives up to its name, as it's one of the most commonly known Hardee's burgers.
Mushroom and Swiss Thickburger
This cheese and mushroom sauce-covered burger clocks in at 620 calories.
Big Cheeseburger
Hardee's Big Cheeseburger has just 10 calories more than the double cheeseburger option. Even though there is just one patty here, it is a big burger…
Double Cheeseburger
Adding another patty to the classic cheeseburger option tacks on 230 calories.
Small Cheeseburger
The calorie difference between a small cheeseburger and small hamburger is small so if you really are in the mood for cheese, go for this option.
Small Hamburger
Like most other fast-food restaurants on this list, keeping things simple is best when you're at Hardee's.
White Castle
The Double Cheese Slider
White Castle sliders are very small compared to other fast-food burgers, so the double version seems harmless. Still, it's the highest calorie option and it has as much sodium as you get from 60 Lay's Classic Potato Chips.
The Impossible Slider with Smoked Cheddar Cheese
White Castle entered the plant-based game with the introduction of the Impossible Slider, which doesn't really mimic the taste of the actual beef patty.
Bacon Cheese Slider
You can put bacon on just about anything, and that includes White Castle's signature mini burgers.
The Cheese Slider
Adding a slice of cheese to the basic Slider adds 20 more calories and 130 milligrams of sodium.
The Original Slider
The classics are beloved for a reason! When in doubt, stick with the OG White Castle Slider.
Carl's Jr
Triple Fiery Famous Star
This burger made its way to menus in January 2021 and so far, Carl's Jr. has only shared how many calories it's packing. That's enough to know, as it's coming in at more than 1,000. Skip!
The Guacamole Bacon Angus Thickburger
Guacamole is a great addition to a burger instead of going for a sauce that is (most likely) loaded up with hidden sugars or sodium. But at Carl's Jr., the Guacamole Bacon Angus Thickburger is another example of taking a good thing too far that it can't even save this burger.
The Big Carl
If "Big" is in the title of a burger name, just know it's nothing but trouble.
The 1/3 Jalapeño Thickburger
This burger comes with a kick—and a whopping 830 calories.
Beyond Famous Star with Cheese
For those who are plant-based or just want to try something different, the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese is on the lower end of the calorie-count at Carl's Jr. But it's still actually quite high and is packing in sodium so just make this a once-in-a-while treat.
Big Hamburger
It's safe to say most of the Carl's Jr. burgers are high-calorie compared to other options you could order from different fast-food chains. The Big Hamburger is one of the least offensive options coming in at 480 calories.
Jack in the Box
Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger
This burger is close to the 1,000 calorie mark and has the most sodium out of all the Jack in the Box options.
Bacon and Swiss Buttery Jack
Anything with "buttery" in the name sounds mouth-watering, but this bacon and swiss cheese topped burger is one to skip.
Classic Buttery Jack
And the classic version is only 30 calories less.
Quad Bonus Jack
This four-patty burger is just excessive. There's no need for this much meat in one sitting!
Ultimate Cheeseburger
This burger features two patties, and two types of cheese, American and Swiss.
Double Jack
Again, any burger labeled "double" is one you're going to want to avoid!
Triple Bonus Jack
While we thought this burger made up of three patties would actually have more calories, coming in at 700 is still far too much.
Sourdough Jack
A burger between two pieces of toasted sourdough sounds rather fancy for a fast-food sandwich, but this option is also coming in at 700 calories.
Spicy Sriracha Burger
This burger is topped with bacon, jalapeños, cheese, and a spicy, creamy sriracha sauce, packing more than 600 calories.
Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger
This burger not only costs you 600 calories, but it has nearly 1,000 milligrams of sodium. Scary stuff!
Jumbo Jack
Junior Bacon Cheeseburger
Even though this burger is a "junior," the bacon and cheese ramp up the sodium content here.
Junior Jumbo Jack
Even the most innocent of the Jack in the Box burgers isn't necessarily the healthiest of fast-food options. If you just can't resist, be sure to go for the Junior Jumbo Jack.
