High-Protein Breakfast Options at Sonic Drive-In (Under 500 Calories)
Sonic breakfast reality check
Sonic has plenty of protein, but most of it lives in huge breakfast burritos and toasters that blow past 500 calories:
SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito: around 600 calories
Ultimate Meat & Cheese Breakfast Burrito: about 860 calories
Sausage Breakfast Toaster: roughly 570–720 calories, depending on the source
Great protein, but not great if you’re trying to stay under 500 calories.
To hit that goal, you need to focus on:
Jr. size burritos
Regular-size burritos that sit just under 500 calories
A couple of all-day chicken options that work as a “protein breakfast” even if they’re not officially on the breakfast board
What counts as a “high-protein” breakfast?
Most nutrition guidance frames a high-protein breakfast as roughly 20–30 grams of protein. That range helps with:
Better appetite control
Muscle maintenance
More stable energy through the morning
Sonic doesn’t always hit that range perfectly under 500 calories, but some items come close, and a few are legit high-protein for the calories.
Best Sonic breakfast items under 500 calories
These are actual Sonic breakfast menu options that come in under 500 calories and give you a meaningful bump in protein.
1. Jr. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito
Multiple nutrition databases and Sonic-focused breakdowns agree that the Jr. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito is surprisingly reasonable:
Calories: about 270
Protein: about 13 g
Carbs: ~22–26 g
Fat: ~13–14 g
Why it’s good:
Clearly under 300 calories.
13 g of protein from egg, bacon, and cheese is solid for the size.
Keeps you well under your 500-calorie cap, leaving room for coffee or even a second small snack later (somewhere else).
If you want a quick Sonic breakfast that doesn’t crush your calories, this is an easy go-to.
2. Jr. Breakfast Burrito (sausage, egg & cheese)
If you prefer sausage, the Jr. Breakfast Burrito without the bacon is in a very similar ballpark. Databases list it around:
Calories: roughly 280–290
Protein: about 12 g
Fat: ~16–17 g
Carbs: ~23 g
Why it works:
Still under 300 calories.
Gives you low-double-digit protein in a compact, handheld form.
Like the bacon version, this is a “light but decent” option that you can build on later with more protein in your day.
3. Bacon Breakfast Burrito (full-size)
When you step up from the Jr. burritos to the full Bacon Breakfast Burrito, calories go up—but you also finally get into true high-protein territory while still staying under 500.
Nutrition breakdowns show:
Calories: about 480–490
Protein: about 24 g
Why it’s one of the best “real” high-protein picks:
24 g of protein is right in the middle of that 20–30 g breakfast sweet spot.
You’re just under 500 calories, so you’ll want to pair it with a zero-calorie drink to keep the whole meal in range.
This is the item to order if you want one single Sonic breakfast item that feels big and actually hits high-protein numbers.
4. Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito
The Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito runs a bit lighter than some of the other full-size burritos. Sonic nutrition listings and trackers put it around:
Calories: about 460
The protein is not always listed, but based on the bacon burrito (24 g protein at ~490 cal) and typical ham/egg/cheese ratios, you can reasonably expect low-20s grams of protein from this burrito (inference from similar items).
Why it’s worth considering:
Under 500 calories with a solid protein hit.
Leaner protein source (ham) compared to sausage-heavy options.
Paired with black coffee or diet soda, it fits the high-protein under-500 framework nicely.
5. Bacon Breakfast Toaster (borderline, but Sonic lists it under 500)
The Bacon Breakfast Toaster is one of those items where sources disagree a bit. Some third-party nutrition trackers list bacon breakfast toasters in the 520–600 calorie range.
However, Sonic’s own menu description notes the Bacon Breakfast Toaster (eggs, bacon, cheese, Texas toast) at about 470 calories.
From independent nutrition breakdowns, we also know:
Protein: around 23–27 g for the bacon toaster and similar builds.
Why it’s “borderline but attractive”:
If you go by Sonic’s 470-calorie figure, this is a genuinely great high-protein breakfast under 500 calories, with mid-20s grams of protein.
If your portion runs large or your regional version is closer to the 520–600 range, it may technically overshoot your 500-calorie target.
If you treat “around 500” as close enough, this is a very satisfying, protein-rich sandwich for a one-and-done breakfast.
Non-breakfast Sonic items you can use as “protein breakfast”
Sonic also has all-day items that can function as a high-protein breakfast if you’re okay being a little unconventional.
6. 3-Piece Crispy Tenders
A low-calorie Sonic guide calls out the 3 Piece Crispy Tenders as a great high-protein option:
Calories: about 350
Protein: about 21 g
Why they’re useful:
For 350 calories, 21 g of protein is pretty solid.
Paired with black coffee, diet soda, or unsweetened tea, you’re comfortably under 500 calories.
It’s not “breakfast traditional,” but as a first meal of the day, it absolutely qualifies as high-protein.
High-protein Sonic breakfast combos under 500 calories
The simplest rule:
Pick one high-protein item and pair it with a zero-calorie drink.
Here are some specific combos that work.
Combo 1: Jr. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito + Black Coffee
Jr. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Burrito: ~270 calories, ~13 g protein
Black coffee / diet soda / unsweet tea: ~0–5 calories
Total: about 270–275 calories, 13 g protein
Why it’s good:
Light, fast, and easy to digest.
Leaves you tons of room later in the morning for a high-protein snack (Greek yogurt, protein shake, etc.) while keeping the Sonic portion clearly under 500 calories.
Combo 2: Jr. Breakfast Burrito + Zero-Cal Drink
Jr. Breakfast Burrito (sausage, egg & cheese): ~280–290 calories, ~12 g protein
Black coffee / unsweet tea: ~0–5 calories
Total: about 285–295 calories, 12 g protein
Why you’d choose it:
You like sausage more than bacon.
You want roughly the same macro profile as combo 1, just different flavor.
Combo 3: Bacon Breakfast Burrito (full-size) + Zero-Cal Drink
Bacon Breakfast Burrito: ~480–490 calories, ~24 g protein
Water / diet soda / black coffee: ~0–5 calories
Total: about 480–495 calories, 24 g protein
Why this is one of the best “true high-protein” Sonic breakfasts:
You comfortably hit that 20–30 g protein window in one item.
The calories land just under or right at your 500-calorie cap, so you don’t have to micromanage anything else—just pick a zero-cal drink and go.
Combo 4: Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito + Black Coffee
Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito: ~460 calories, low-20s grams of protein (based on similar burritos)
Black coffee / unsweet tea: ~0–5 calories
Total: about 460–465 calories, ~22–24 g protein (estimated)
Why it’s a strong choice:
Slightly lighter than some sausage/bacon-heavy options but still high in protein.
Leaves a tiny bit of wiggle room if you want a splash of milk in your coffee.
Combo 5: 3-Piece Crispy Tenders + Coffee
3 Crispy Tenders: ~350 calories, 21 g protein
Black coffee / unsweet tea: ~0–5 calories
Total: about 350–355 calories, 21 g protein
Why this works well:
This is a very macro-efficient “first meal”, especially if your goal is weight loss or muscle maintenance.
You can easily add a piece of fruit or some carbs later in the morning and still stay on track.
Combo 6 (borderline): Bacon Breakfast Toaster + Zero-Cal Drink
If you go with Sonic’s own calorie listing:
Bacon Breakfast Toaster: ~470 calories, around mid-20s grams of protein
Black coffee / diet soda / unsweet tea: ~0–5 calories
Total: about 470–475 calories, ~23–27 g protein
If your store’s portions line up with the higher numbers from independent trackers, it might be more like 520–600 calories, so treat this one as “best if you’re okay with approximate under-500” rather than a precise macro-controlled choice.
How to customize Sonic breakfast so it stays high-protein and under 500
Even if you never look at a nutrition guide again, these rules keep you in a good spot.
1. Skip the big burritos and platters
As tasty as they are, things like the SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito and Ultimate Meat & Cheese are simply too big:
SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito: ~600 calories
Ultimate Meat & Cheese Breakfast Burrito: ~860 calories
They absolutely count as high-protein, but they do not fit into an under-500 plan.
2. Treat tots and fries as “bonus,” not default
Sonic combos love adding tater tots or fries, but a medium tot order can easily add 200–300 calories with almost no protein.
If your focus is high-protein under 500:
Order the main item alone, not the full combo.
If you really want tots, keep it to the smallest size you can and understand you’re trading away room in your calorie budget.
3. Make drinks essentially calorie-free
Almost none of your breakfast protein is coming from drinks at Sonic, so:
Choose: black coffee, diet soda, unsweet iced tea, or water.
Avoid: large sugary sodas, sweet tea, shakes, or slushes.
Those can add 150–400+ calories with zero extra protein.
4. Don’t randomly “double up” sandwiches
Two Jrs might sound small, but:
2 × Jr. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Burritos = about 540 calories, ~26 g protein.
That’s good protein, but now you’re over 500 calories before you even add a drink.
If you want more protein, it’s better to:
Eat one Sonic item,
Then add a high-protein snack later (Greek yogurt, protein shake, cottage cheese) rather than stacking Sonic items.
5. Think of Sonic as one piece of your morning, not the whole thing
Realistically, even the best Sonic choices will give you:
Around 12–13 g protein for a Jr. burrito, or
Around 21–24 g protein for a full Bacon Breakfast Burrito or 3-piece tender order
You can easily hit your 20–30 g breakfast goal by:
Using Sonic for the main part, and
Adding a small protein boost later (shake, yogurt, eggs at home).
That makes your overall morning high-protein without forcing you to overeat at Sonic.
Quick Sonic high-protein breakfast cheat sheet
If you don’t want to think at the drive-in, here are simple “just say this” orders that fit the high-protein under-500 theme:
Light but decent protein
“Jr. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Burrito and a black coffee.”
≈ 270–275 calories, ~13 g protein.
Sausage version
“Jr. Breakfast Burrito and an unsweet iced tea.”
≈ 285–295 calories, ~12 g protein.
Best one-item high-protein breakfast
“Bacon Breakfast Burrito and a diet drink.”
≈ 480–495 calories, ~24 g protein.
All-day high-protein option
“3 Crispy Tenders and a black coffee.”
≈ 350–355 calories, 21 g protein.
Borderline but big and satisfying
“Bacon Breakfast Toaster and a water.”
≈ 470–475 calories, mid-20s grams of protein (depending on location).
Use these as your default orders and you’ll consistently get higher-protein Sonic breakfasts that stay under 500 calories, instead of accidentally crushing your calorie budget before 10 a.m.
