Arby's High Protein Menu: The Best Picks by Grams and Price

Arby's builds nearly its whole menu around sliced and seared meat, and the official nutrition data shows how much protein that adds up to. Roast beef, seasoned chicken, smoked turkey, and steak all show up in serious portions, which makes Arby's one of the easier drive thrus for hitting a protein goal.

This guide ranks Arby's high protein menu items three ways: total grams, protein per dollar, and protein per calorie. The Arby's cheesesteak menu dominates the first two lists, while a bunless steak order wins the third by a mile.

We pulled prices from one Arby's in Austin, TX, so the dollar figures shift a bit at your nearest store. The protein ranking stays the same everywhere, and the per dollar order should hold close as long as prices move together.

Highest Protein Items at Arby's

Three sandwiches share the top spot. The Half Pound Chicken Cheesesteak, Half Pound Deluxe Cheesesteak, and Half Pound Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak each deliver 88 grams of protein, built on a half pound of seasoned chicken with white American Cooper cheese and caramelized onions on a toasted sesame seed sub roll. The plain version has the fewest calories of the three at 1,040 cal.

The beef cheesesteaks trail well behind. The Half Pound Spicy Angus Cheesesteak has 67 grams and the Half Pound Cheesesteak has 66 grams, and both carry more calories than the chicken version. For the biggest protein number at Arby's, chicken beats Angus on every count.

Below the half pound cheesesteaks, a group of regular sandwiches clusters near the same mark. The Deluxe Chicken Cheesesteak has 50 grams, the Half Pound Beef 'n Cheddar has 49 grams, the Half Pound Roast Beef has 48 grams, and the Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich has 46 grams.

Turkey fans get two strong limited time options. The Deep Fried Turkey Club Sandwich gives 40 grams, and the Deep Fried Turkey Gobbler Sandwich gives 36 grams with a quarter pound of deep fried turkey, Swiss cheese, stuffing, cranberry spread, mayo, and crispy onions on a toasted Artisan sub roll. Both outrank every regular chicken sandwich on protein.

Most Protein Per Dollar on the Arby's Menu

Divide protein by price and the Arby's Chicken Cheesesteak comes out on top. It costs $7.49 in Austin and delivers 49 grams, more protein per dollar than any other item Arby's sells. The Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak at $7.99 ranks second, and the Half Pound Chicken Cheesesteak at $14.48 ranks third.

After the Deluxe Chicken Cheesesteak, the next tier mixes turkey, chicken, and beef. The Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich at $7.89, the Chicken Tenders 5PC at $6.99, the Deep Fried Turkey Club Sandwich at $7.29, and the Double Roast Beef at $6.99 all land close together. The Double Roast Beef, with 38 grams, gives the best protein per dollar of any roast beef sandwich.

On the value board, the Ranch Chicken Wrap and Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap each give 16 grams for $2.99. That beats every slider on protein per dollar, and it beats the Classic Roast Beef too. The Steak Nuggets sit near the bottom of this list, since their price climbs faster than their protein.

The same math explains why the Angus line falls behind. The Angus Cheesesteak costs $8.49 for 38 grams, so it asks more money than the Chicken Cheesesteak and returns less protein. The Spicy Angus Cheesesteak at $8.99 repeats the pattern with 39 grams.

Most Protein Per Calorie at Arby's

Calories change the picture completely. The Steak Nuggets 9PC holds 36 grams in only 240 cal, nearly matching the Angus Cheesesteak on protein at roughly a third of its calories. The Steak Nuggets 5PC, with 20 grams in 140 cal, ranks second. Nothing else on the menu comes close to either one. Both sizes appear on the Arby's Steak Nuggets menu.

After the nuggets, the Half Pound Chicken Cheesesteak ranks next on protein per calorie, ahead of the Chicken Tenders 2PC with 13 grams in 160 cal. The Half Pound Roast Beef follows, and it beats both smaller roast beef sandwiches on this measure.

Some high protein orders carry a heavy calorie load. The Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Sandwich has strong protein but 800 cal, and the Corned Beef Reuben has 37 grams in 680 cal. The Steak 'n Mac Bowl gives 37 grams with 680 cal, a weaker ratio than an order of plain Steak Nuggets.

High Protein Sides and Add Ons at Arby's

Most Arby's sides are starch first, but a few add real protein. A 4-Pc order of Mozzarella Sticks has 19 grams, the most of any side. The White Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese follows with 17 grams, and a Chicken Tenders 2PC added to any sandwich brings another 13 grams.

Fries do little here. A Large Curly Fries has only 6 grams, so swapping fries for a second protein item makes more sense on a high protein day. From the kids menu, a Low Fat Milk adds 8 grams for $2.29.

Shakes carry more protein than you might expect, with 23 grams in a Large Vanilla Shake. The cost is steep, though: 870 cal, far more than a Steak Nuggets 9PC that delivers more protein.

Two medium items often beat one huge one. A Double Roast Beef with a Chicken Tenders 2PC on the side adds up to more protein than a Half Pound Roast Beef by itself, and the pair still costs less than most combo meals on the board. It also splits the order into two flavors, which helps on a long road trip.

Is Arby's Worth It for a High Protein Meal?

Yes. Arby's is one of the stronger fast food stops for protein, and the Chicken Cheesesteak is the order we would point most people to first. It pairs a top protein number with a moderate price, and it beats the Angus Cheesesteak on protein while costing less.

The trade off is sodium. The half pound cheesesteaks rank among the saltiest items on the menu, so the Steak Nuggets 9PC is the better daily pick for anyone watching sodium as well as protein. Add up your order in the Arby's nutrition calculator, pick the protein target you want to hit, and build your next tray around it.