Quick Answer
At Burger King, sodium is the number that matters more than calories. A single chicken sandwich runs 1,100 to 1,700mg — half to three-quarters of the FDA’s 2,300mg daily limit — before fries or a drink. The Original Chicken Sandwich is 660 calories and 1,170mg sodium; a Whopper is roughly 660 to 700 calories and 1,000 to 1,100mg.
- Lowest sodium real option: 4-piece nuggets at 495mg, or a plain hamburger.
- Highest sodium sandwich: TenderCrisp at roughly 1,730mg, about 75% of a day in one item.
- The milkshake is the biggest single hit: a medium vanilla carries 85g of sugar, more than most people should have in a whole day.
- A 16-piece nugget order is around 1,980mg sodium on its own, close to the full daily limit.
Chicken Nuggets Nutrition Facts
Per 4 pieces (68g):
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 193 |
| Total Fat | 12.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 27.2 mg |
| Sodium | 495 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 11.3 g |
| Protein | 9.2 g |
Scaling up: 8 pieces is roughly 531 calories and about 990mg sodium; 16 pieces is roughly 968 calories and about 1,980mg sodium — close to a full day’s sodium limit in the largest nugget order alone.
Chicken Sandwich Nutrition Facts
| Sandwich | Calories | Sodium | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Chicken Sandwich | ~660 | ~1,170 mg | ~40 g |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | ~700 | ~1,140 mg | ~42 g |
| Spicy Ch’King Sandwich (hand-breaded) | ~950 | ~1,400–1,700 mg | ~50 g |
| Spicy Royal Crispy Chicken | ~760 | ~1,580 mg | ~47 g |
| TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich | ~780 | ~1,730 mg | ~43 g |
Even the “moderate” Original Chicken Sandwich carries about 51% of a day’s sodium limit on its own, before fries or a drink. Burger King’s hand-breaded Ch’King line and the Royal Crispy line run noticeably higher on both calories and sodium than the Original. Menu formulations change periodically, so treat these as close approximations and check the official Burger King nutrition menu for exact current figures on a specific item.
For comparison, Chick-fil-A’s Original Chicken Sandwich is lower in calories at around 440 but similar in sodium at roughly 1,350mg — a useful reminder that fewer calories does not mean less salt.
Claims We Corrected on This Page
Earlier versions of this page listed the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Original Chicken Sandwich at over 1,200 to 1,400 calories and roughly 4,500 to 4,800mg of sodium. Those figures do not match Burger King’s published nutrition data or any independent nutrition database, and were between three and four times the real values. They have been replaced with figures consistent across multiple sources and re-verified since. We are naming the correction rather than quietly deleting it.
Impossible Burger (Plant-Based Patty) Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 626 |
| Total Fat | 32.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9.5 g |
| Cholesterol | 16.8 mg |
| Sodium | 1,343 mg |
| Protein | 28 g |
Plant-based does not mean low sodium here: at 1,343mg the Impossible Whopper carries more salt than the Original Chicken Sandwich. The same trade-off shows up across the category, as our Beyond Meat nutrition breakdown covers in more detail.
Milkshake and Fries Nutrition Facts
Vanilla Milkshake (medium, ~392g):
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 583 |
| Total Fat | 15.3 g |
| Sugars | 85.2 g |
| Sodium | 404 mg |
| Protein | 13.6 g |
85g of sugar is more than most people should have across an entire day, in one drink.
Classic Fries (small, ~160g):
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 406 |
| Total Fat | 17.7 g |
| Sodium | 735 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 58.7 g |
Building a Lower-Sodium Order
The practical lever here is the sandwich choice, not the side. Swapping a TenderCrisp for a plain hamburger saves roughly 1,200mg of sodium in one decision, more than skipping fries entirely would. A grilled TenderGrill sandwich runs around 1,180mg, lower than the crispy options but not low in absolute terms. Water or a diet drink instead of a milkshake removes 85g of sugar without touching the food. If you are managing blood pressure, plan around the sandwich first.
Frequently Asked Questions
A plain hamburger with a side salad instead of fries, a grilled (TenderGrill) chicken sandwich instead of a crispy one, or the Impossible Burger without cheese or mayo are the lower-calorie, lower-sodium picks on the menu. Skipping a milkshake in favor of water or a diet drink removes the biggest single sugar hit on the menu.
Yes. A single chicken sandwich commonly carries 1,100 to 1,700mg of sodium, roughly half to three-quarters of a full day’s 2,300mg FDA limit, before fries or a side. A full combo meal can approach or exceed the daily limit.
A standard Whopper is roughly 660 to 700 calories with about 1,000 to 1,100mg sodium, before cheese, bacon or extra toppings, which each add calories and sodium on top of the base sandwich.
A 4-piece order is about 193 calories and 495mg sodium. An 8-piece is roughly 531 calories and 990mg sodium, and a 16-piece is roughly 968 calories and 1,980mg sodium, which is close to a full day’s sodium limit from nuggets alone.
Not straightforwardly. The Impossible patty has no cholesterol from meat and slightly different fat composition, but at roughly 1,343mg it carries more sodium than several of the chicken sandwiches and comparable calories to a standard Whopper. Plant-based is not the same as low sodium or low calorie.
Related Reading
- Chick-fil-A Nutrition Facts — the closest direct comparison on chicken sandwiches.
- Beyond Meat Nutrition Facts — the plant-based sodium trade-off in full.
- Wendy’s Chili Nutrition — a lower-calorie fast-food option compared.
- Fast Food & Brand Nutrition Facts: The Complete Guide — how every major chain compares.
Sources
- Burger King interactive nutrition menu (official data, served via Nutritionix). nutritionix.com/burger-king
- US FDA — Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (basis for the 2,300mg sodium reference). fda.gov
Figures cross-checked against multiple independent nutrition databases in August 2026. Menus and formulations vary by region and change over time, so verify current values on Burger King’s own nutrition page before relying on them. Written and fact-checked by the HealthCoachJP editorial team, following our editorial process. No clinician has reviewed this article. This page is general nutrition information, not medical advice. Last updated: August 2026.
