When you have the correct information, eating Keto at Pollo Tropical is absolutely doable. Pollo Tropical offers 30 keto-friendly items with 20g of carbs or lower. The meat at Pollo Tropical is a solid bet. But sides like rice and beans or tostones will rack on the carbohydrates.
Pollo Tropical is not your typical fast-food restaurant with burgers, fries, and unhealthy pizzas! They are well-known for their fire-grilled, tropically seasoned chicken. But, can you make your own Pollo Tropical keto menu while on a low carb diet?
There is good news! This Caribbean-inspired restaurant offers a variety of keto menu options to suit your palate! So be prepared to explore those items.
Pollo Tropical Keto Menu with Low Carbs
Pollo Tropical’s chicken is keto-friendly because it has ZERO carbohydrates. This is true for all types of chicken EXCEPT boneless chicken breast (having 5g carbs per piece). The Mojo Roast Pork is also carb-free. But watch out for the extra toppings, such as sautéed onions.
When you’re out and about, do you get a craving for fast food? Stay along to take a look at all of the keto-friendly options available at Pollo Tropical!
Easy Strategies For Ordering Pollo Tropical Keto Menu
The first Pollo Tropical opened for business in 1988. Larry (one of the founders) began experimenting with their backyard grill after studying several cookbooks on Latin American food. They soon decided to create a restaurant that serves authentic Caribbean-style chicken!
Pollo Tropical is sometimes referred to be Miami’s Chick-fil-a. But nothing can be further from the truth!
When we want authentic chicken in Florida, we go directly to Pollo Tropical! The long lines witness to the quality of their delicious fire-grilled chicken! If you want to have authentic Caribbean-style chicken, this is the place to go!
Pollo Tropical now offers much more than simply fire-grilled chicken. There is a variety of chicken, pig, and shrimp dishes, as well as delicious sides and desserts. Not to forget their legendary signature sauces!
As chicken is naturally low in carbs, eating keto at Pollo Tropical is a breeze! All you have to do is select a protein, add few toppings, and drizzle with low-carb sauces!
Follow these simple strategies for a quick Pollo Tropical Keto order when you’re in a hurry:
- Create your own bowl by combining low-carb ingredients.
- Mojo Roast Pork, bone-in fire-grilled chicken, and Shrimp Skewers are keto-friendly protein options.
- Avoid eating dinner rolls or wheat tortillas.
- Plantains, tostones, and yucca bits are out of these charts!
- You can eat as much Curry Mustard as you like (there are no carbohydrates!).
- Stick to Unsweet Tea, Mango Tea, Diet Coke, or Coke Zero for drinks.
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As a general guideline, avoid all types of “crispy” chicken while dining out on keto. That extra breading adds a lot of extra carbohydrates!
How To Make Your Own Low Carbs Pollo Tropical Keto Bowl
This keto bowl makes the keto diet much easier to follow! It’s the same as making your own bowl at Chipotle. You have complete control over what you put in your bowl!
Combine these keto-friendly ingredients to make a low-carb keto bowl:
1. Protein Option
Thankfully, the meat options at Pollo Tropical are mostly keto-friendly. They are not polluted with sweet sauces that increase your carb count!
- Grilled Chicken Breast: 5g net carbs
- Mojo Roast Pork: 0 net carbs
- Churrasco Steak: 4g net carbs
- Shrimp Skewer: 0.2g net carbs
Instead of boneless chicken, try the bone-in chicken. The latter is often mixed in various sauces and served with breading (high in carbohydrates!).
You can also read: Publix Rotisserie Chicken Nutrition, Carbs and Calories
2. Choose a Base
The next step is to select a bowl base. And if you’ve been on the keto diet for a long, you already know the obvious answer: lettuce! The leafy greens may not taste as good as Mac and cheese. But that’s the rule of the keto game!
3. Toppings
Toss in some freshness and crunch to your bowls
- Diced Tomatoes: 1g net carbs
- Sauteed Onions: 2g net carbs
- Sauteed Pepper Topping: 2g net carbs
4. Low-Carb Sauces & Condiments
Pollo Tropical is quite proud of its sauces! They have a variety of low-carb options:
- 1 oz. Fresh Salsa: 2g net carbohydrates
- 1 oz. Garlic Sauce: 2g net carbohydrates
- 1 oz. Chipotle Mayo: 2g net carbohydrates
- 1 oz. Curry Mustard: 0 carbohydrates
- Caesar Dressing (1.75 oz per salad): 1 g net carbohydrates
- 1 oz. Cilantro Garlic Sauce: 2g net carbohydrates
- 1 oz Spicy Poyo-Poyo: 2g net carbohydrates
- 1 oz. Jalapeno Slices: 1g net carbohydrates
- 1 oz. Diced Onions: 2g net carbohydrates
The sauces are very tempting, but you must resist temptation. An extra tablespoon of Salsa will deduct 2 grams from your carb limit! If you’re not careful, these numbers can quickly mount up.
Guava BBQ sauce and Pineapple Rum Sauce are two of the worst sauces. They are, as the title suggests, high in sugar.
Pollo Tropical Nutrition Facts
It’s not difficult to get low-carb and keto-friendly meals at Pollo Tropical. Despite the abundance of sugary drinks, bread, and other high-carbohydrate foods, you can discover keto-friendly items.
The item with the lowest net carbs is the 1/4 Chicken White Meat (No Skin) (0g net carbs). And the item with the highest net carbs is the Chicken Quesadilla Salad (49g net carbs).
Read on to find out all the Pollo Tropical nutrition facts of keto-friendly foods:
1. Cuban Wrap – 1 wrap
- Calories: 400
- Net Carbs: 26g
- Protein: 27g
- Fat: 21g
2. 1/4 Chicken White Meat (without Skin) – 1 serving
- Calories: 230
- Net Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 41g
- Fat: 7g
3. Classic Chicken Sandwich – 1 Sandwich
- Calories: 480
- Net Carbs: 43g
- Protein: 33g
- Fat: 18g
4. Caesar Salad (Side) – 1 salad
- Calories: 210
- Net Carbs: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Fat: 19g
5. Boneless Chicken Breasts (6 oz) – 2 breasts
- Calories: 240
- Net Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 51g
- Fat: 3g
6. Chicken Caesar Salad – 1 salad
- Calories: 650
- Net Carbs: 11g
- Protein: 59g
- Fat: 40g
7. Chicken Quesadilla Wrap – 1 wrap
- Calories: 370
- Net Carbs: 26g
- Protein: 28g
- Fat: 17g
8. 1/4 Chicken Dark Meat – 1 serving
- Calories: 291
- Net Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 32g
- Fat: 18g
9. 1/4 Chicken White Meat – 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Net Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 47g
- Fat: 17g
10. Kernel Corn – 1 serving
- Calories: 240
- Net Carbs: 27g
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 7g
Is Pollo Tropical Healthy?
Pollo Tropical, which refers to “Tropical Chicken,” is a Caribbean restaurant chain. It is best known for its grilled and marinated chicken dishes paired with side dishes such as black beans and rice. It seems good, but are these meals really healthy?
Luckily, the large number of Pollo Tropical’s menu choices are easily integrated into a healthy lifestyle. Naturally, this fresh and fit chicken is trans-fat-free. Pollo Tropical also serves slow-roasted mojo pork, beef, grilled shrimp, and other protein options.
Pollo Tropical Restaurants made changes to the ingredients in the food it serves in Florida. According to the company, the whole menu is now “hormone-free.” The restaurant serves a signature marinated chicken dish as well as roast pig, ribs, grilled shrimp, and steak.
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Pollo Tropical’s fire-grilled chicken has no carbohydrates! Other meat alternatives include pork roast and prawns, both of which are keto-friendly.
However, the boneless and crispy chicken options should be avoided.
So yeah, Pollo tropical is the healthiest option for you and your family if you are on a keto diet.