Applebee's Nutrition Facts and Calories

Applebee's Calories at a Glance: Lightest vs. Heaviest

Every figure in this box comes from the 30 items in the tables below — no outside estimates. The gap between the lightest and heaviest dish on the menu is 1,580 calories.

The salad swing is the one to watch: the House Salad (160) and the crispy Oriental Chicken Salad (1,560) are 1,400 calories apart, so the word "salad" tells you almost nothing about the calories. The full tables below give every item's fat, sodium, carbs, sugar and protein.

Applebee's Calories and Prices by Category

The cheapest and most expensive item in each category, with the calorie range next to it — computed from data/menu.ts, so these ranges can never drift from the menu data. Tap a category to jump to its block in the full calorie chart below, which lists every item.

Prices are the typical US menu prices tracked on this site and vary by restaurant.

Calories by Band: Where the 30-Dish Set Actually Sits

Counted from the 30 dishes with full nutrition data — not the whole menu. Most of the set sits above 1,000 calories, which is why the light orders on this page are built from parts. Lighter lunch-sized builds are also on the lunch menu page.

The shape matters more than any single number: only 7 of 30 dishes sit under 500 calories, and the three heaviest are a salad, a burger and a fish plate — not three versions of the same thing.

The Number That Matters Most at Applebee's Isn't Calories

Most people read calories first. At Applebee's, read sodium first.

Boneless Wings in Classic Hot Buffalo sauce are 1,080 calories. That's a lot, but it's a shared starter. The sodium is 4,720mg, and the FDA's Daily Value is 2,300mg. One appetizer holds more than two days of sodium.

It isn't a one-off. Fiesta Lime Chicken has 3,630mg. Brew Pub Pretzels & Beer Cheese Dip, 3,540mg. Hand-Battered Fish & Chips, 3,500mg. Bourbon Street Steak, 3,430mg. Sodium on this menu follows the sauce, the glaze and the cheese, not the calorie count.

So the lightest item isn't always the least salty. Steamed Broccoli is 100 calories and 200mg. The House Salad is 160 calories and 610mg. Both are light, and one has three times the sodium of the other. If you're managing blood pressure, read the sodium column before the calorie column.

The Saltiest Dishes at Applebee's, Ranked

Every dish in the 30-dish set that clears 3,000mg of sodium — each one alone exceeds the FDA's 2,300mg Daily Value. The prose above names the pattern; this table is the checkable list.

Note the spread: the saltiest dish (1,080 calories) is lighter than the fourth-saltiest (1,680). Sodium follows the sauce, glaze and cheese — not the calorie count.

Applebee's Calorie Chart: Every Menu Item

The tables above carry the full macro breakdown — fat, sodium, sugar, protein — for the dishes at the top of this page. This chart covers the whole menu: 93 items across 20 categories, with the two numbers every item has, calories and price. Both sets of figures come from the same published data this site compiles, so an item that appears in both places reads the same in each.

Prices are the typical US menu prices tracked on this site and vary by restaurant. The full menu shows the same items category by category, with descriptions and photos.

Where Allergens Hide on the Applebee's Menu

The allergens to watch here are milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and tree nuts. None of the dishes listed flag peanuts or sesame, the other two FDA major allergens, so ask the kitchen about those directly. For a filterable table, use the allergen menu.

Milk

The most common one. Beyond the obvious cheese dishes, both Top Sirloin steaks flag milk even though they read as plain grilled beef. Don't assume an order modification removes it. Ask the kitchen what carries the milk.

Soy

The one people miss. It's in almost everything, including dishes with no obvious soy in them. The half rack of Baby Back Ribs lists soy as its only allergen, and Classic Fries flag it too.

Wheat

In every breaded appetizer, every bun and every pasta. The Hand-Battered Fish & Chips carries it along with fish, soy and milk.

Fish, shellfish and tree nuts

Three dishes catch people out. The Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad flags fish, from the dressing. Bourbon Street Chicken & Shrimp flags shellfish in what reads like a chicken plate. And the crispy Oriental Chicken Salad contains tree nuts. With a nut allergy, skip that salad rather than asking for it without nuts.

Eggs

Less common. The Garlic Parmesan Boneless Wings flag eggs and the Classic Hot Buffalo version doesn't, so the sauce is the difference.

If your allergy is serious

Applebee's kitchens share grills, fryers and prep surfaces. Ask for the manager, say plainly that it's an allergy and not a preference, and ask for clean utensils and a clean pan. With celiac disease, treat anything fried as exposed to wheat unless the kitchen tells you its fryer is dedicated.

Vegetarian and Vegan Options at Applebee's

Vegetarians have more to work with than at most steak-and-burger chains. Here are the vegetarian-flagged items, compared by calories:

Vegans have one flagged item: the House Salad with fat free Italian, at 160 calories. Steamed Broccoli and Garlicky Green Beans list none of the major allergens, so they're the obvious sides to add, but ask how they're cooked before you count them as vegan.

Calories in the Items People Ask About Most

These are the dishes searched for by name more than any others on the menu, with the number that actually matters for each one. Each entry opens with the full macro line — listed price, calories, protein and sodium per standard serving, all from our nutrition data. Menu prices vary by location.

How many calories are in Applebee's Boneless Wings?

$12.99 | 1,080 Cal · 40g protein · 4,720mg sodium (Classic Hot Buffalo). The Garlic Parmesan / Bleu Cheese version runs 1,260. The calories are the smaller story: the Classic Hot Buffalo version carries 4,720mg of sodium, which is more than twice an adult's daily value, while Garlic Parmesan has 2,010mg less.

How many calories are in the Oriental Chicken Salad?

$14.99 | 1,560 Cal · 40g protein · 1,650mg sodium (crispy), which is more than any burger on the menu, and 900 with grilled. Asking for it grilled is the single biggest calorie saving on the salad menu.

How many calories are in the Three-Cheese Chicken Penne?

$15.99 | 1,350 Cal · 77g protein · 2,720mg sodium. The protein is the real headline — 77g is the most of any single menu item — but it travels with 40g of saturated fat, so this is a high-protein pick, not a light one.

How many calories are in the Triple Chocolate Meltdown?

$8.99 | 910 Cal · 12g protein · 640mg sodium, with 87g of sugar. The Brownie Bite is the same idea at 330 calories and 34g of sugar, which is why it's the dessert to order if you're already full.

How many calories are in a Quesadilla Burger?

1,620 with fries, the heaviest burger Applebee's sells. Swapping the fries for Steamed Broccoli takes 300 off without touching the burger itself.

What is the lowest calorie meal at Applebee's?

Built from parts: a 6 oz. Top Sirloin (760), a House Salad with fat free Italian (160) and Steamed Broccoli (100) comes to 1,020 calories with 52g of protein. The lightest single entrée is the Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl at 710.

Highest and Lowest Calorie Items at Applebee's

Behind the Fish & Chips, the heaviest entrées are the Quesadilla Burger (1,620), Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders (1,610), the Whisky Bacon Burger (1,590) and the crispy Oriental Chicken Salad (1,560). A salad in the top five is the one that surprises people.

How to Order at Applebee's for Your Goal

These are menu numbers, not medical advice. If you're managing a condition, take them to your doctor or dietitian.

High protein

Start at the grill. The 8 oz. Top Sirloin has 55g of protein for 830 calories and the 6 oz. has 43g for 760. The Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad reaches 57g at 950 calories, but carries 2,200mg of sodium. For high protein with less salt, the half rack of Baby Back Ribs has 44g and 1,300mg.

Fewer calories

Build the plate from parts instead of hunting for a light entrée. A 6 oz. Top Sirloin (760), House Salad (160) and Steamed Broccoli (100) come to 1,020 calories and 52g of protein. That's fewer calories than most single burgers, with three dishes on the table. Don't trust the word "salad": the crispy Oriental is 1,560.

Watching sodium

The hardest goal on this menu. Almost every sauced entrée lands above 2,000mg. The lowest-sodium choices are the Brownie Bite (190mg), Steamed Broccoli (200mg), Garlicky Green Beans (550mg), House Salad (610mg), Classic Fries (800mg), Tomato Basil Soup (1,260mg) and the Baby Back Ribs (1,300mg). Get sauces and dressings on the side.

Managing blood sugar

Read carbs and sugar, not calories. The Four-Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Tenders has 160g of carbohydrate and 44g of sugar, the most carbs on the menu. The 8 oz. Top Sirloin has 45g of carbs and 7g of sugar. Add Steamed Broccoli for another 7g of carbs, and unsweetened iced tea from the drinks menu for none.

Counting points or macros

Every tracking app scores food its own way, so use the raw numbers above. Four words on this menu reliably mean more fat, more sugar or both: crispy, hand-battered, glazed and loaded.

Watching the bill as well

A calorie target and a budget can share a table: the 2 for $25 calories and best combos breakdown shows what the deal's pairings cost nutritionally, and current Applebee's deals tracks every promotion running now.

Most Protein per Dollar at Applebee's

Ranked from the 30 dishes with full published macro data in the tables above, divided by the tracked menu price for the same dish. Dishes whose price varies by location are left out — a ratio needs a real number — and the two Boneless Wings sauce variants count once, as the single menu dish they are.

Protein and prices come from the same published data as the tables above; prices vary by restaurant, so your local ratio moves a little with them.

Applebee's Kids Menu Nutrition

The kids menu items below run from 90 calories for applesauce to 510 for macaroni and cheese. The Kids Classic Cheeseburger, not in this table, is 680.

Order the Kids Grilled Chicken. It has 32g of protein for 180 calories, which is more protein than the Kids Chicken Tenders (24g) at less than half their 420 calories.

Watch the mac and cheese. At 1,350mg of sodium it's 90% of the 1,500mg daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8, in one bowl. And the drink matters more than the entrée: swap the soda for milk or water and you remove more sugar than any food swap would.

Applebee's Drink and Cocktail Calories

Drinks are the easiest way to add a second meal without noticing, especially from the cocktail menu.

A frozen Mucho Margarita is 650 calories with 75g of sugar. That's 12g short of the Triple Chocolate Meltdown, in a glass. The Oreo Cookie Shake, at 840 calories, is heavier than the 8 oz. Top Sirloin.

A 16 oz Miller Lite draft is the lightest alcoholic drink here at 130 calories and no sugar. Blue Moon is 220. Frozen and blended drinks are where the numbers jump.

Applebee's Nutrition FAQs