Burgers · Updated July 2026
Wendy’s Baconator
The short answer
The Baconator is two quarter-pound beef patties, six strips of applewood-smoked bacon, two slices of American cheese, ketchup and mayonnaise on a toasted bun. It carries 890 calories and 59g of protein, the most of any item on the Wendy’s menu, alongside 1,580mg of sodium, about 69% of the recommended daily limit. It is listed here at $9.29. Local prices vary. If you want protein without the calories or the price, the Double Stack is the more efficient buy.
Price
$9.29
Varies by restaurant
Calories
890
58g fat
Protein
59g
6.6g / 100 cal
Sodium
1,580mg
69% daily
By Sarah Jenkins · Wendy's Data & Menu Editor
Nutrition figures checked by Sarah Jenkins
What is on a Wendy’s Baconator?
Six things, and no more: two fresh quarter-pound beef patties, six strips of applewood-smoked bacon, two slices of American cheese, ketchup and mayonnaise on a toasted bun. There is no lettuce, tomato or onion, and that is deliberate. Wendy’s designed it as a bacon-and-beef sandwich rather than a garden burger, which is why it reads shorter than most signature burgers on any menu board.
You can add the salad toppings at no charge if you want them, and most people who order it modified are adding onion rather than lettuce. The beef is the same fresh, never-frozen patty Wendy’s uses across its burger lineup, at double the standard quarter-pound weight.
How many calories are in a Baconator?
890 calories in the sandwich alone. Ordered as a combo with a medium fry and a soft drink, a full Baconator meal runs past 1,400 calories, which is most of a day for many people. The calorie load comes mostly from fat: 58g, against 59g of protein.
- Calories890Sandwich only
- Protein59gHighest on the menu
- Total fat58gBacon and cheese
- Sodium1,580mg69% of daily limit
Compare against other items on the full nutrition table, or explore the protein-per-calorie ranking.
How much protein is in a Baconator?
59g, the highest of any item Wendy’s sells. That is the number driving most of the searches for this sandwich, and it holds up: no other burger, chicken sandwich or salad on the menu comes close on the total.
Per calorie it is a different story. At 6.6g of protein per 100 calories, the Baconator sits behind chili and the grilled chicken wrap, which deliver more protein for fewer calories. Per dollar it works out to about 6.4g of protein, which is competitive but not the best on the board. If you want maximum protein in one sandwich, this is the order. If you want the most protein per calorie, it is not.
What is the difference between the Baconator, Son of Baconator and Breakfast Baconator?
Four items carry the Baconator name and they are genuinely different products, not sizes of the same thing. The full Baconator is the original: two quarter-pound patties and six strips of bacon. The Son of Baconator scales down to two junior patties and four strips. The Breakfast Baconator replaces the beef entirely with a sausage patty and a fresh-cracked egg, and adds a cheese sauce the others do not have. Baconator Fries are a side, not a sandwich, and the only one of the four you would order alongside something else.
| Item | Price | Cal | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BaconatorTwo 1/4 lb patties, six bacon | $9.29 | — | — | — |
| Son of BaconatorTwo junior patties, four bacon | $5.89 | — | — | — |
| Breakfast BaconatorSausage patty, egg, bacon | $5.99 | 730 | — | — |
| Baconator FriesFries, cheese sauce, bacon | $4.29 | 530 | — | — |
Is the Baconator bigger than the Big Bacon Classic or Dave’s Double?
All three use the same fresh beef, and the differences are in patty count and toppings. The Baconator leads on protein. The Big Bacon Classic adds lettuce, tomato and onion, which the Baconator deliberately omits. Dave’s Double is the plainer two-patty burger without the six-strip bacon load.
| Burger | Price | Cal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baconator | $9.29 | 890 | 59g |
| Big Bacon Classic | $7.14 | — | — |
| Dave’s Double | $8.09 | — | — |
Should you order the Baconator as a combo?
It depends what you are optimising for. Ordered on its own, the Baconator is the densest protein order on the menu. Ordered as a combo, the fries and drink add roughly 500 calories and around 550mg of sodium without adding meaningful protein, pushing the meal past a full day’s sodium allowance.
If you want volume and value together, the Biggie Deals menu is cheaper per item, though it does not include a Baconator at any tier. If you want the sandwich without the full calorie load, the Son of Baconator is the same build at roughly two-thirds the size.
On the sides, swapping fries for a small chili adds protein rather than empty calories, though it also adds sodium to an order that is already high in it. Nuggets alongside a Baconator push the meal past 1,300 calories, so that pairing only makes sense if you are sharing. A Jr. Frosty is the cheapest way to finish the meal without doubling the calorie load.
Baconator questions
How much does a Baconator meal cost?
The combo adds a fry and a drink to the sandwich, typically three to four dollars more than the Baconator alone depending on your market. That puts a full Baconator meal in the eleven to thirteen dollar range in most states, and higher in Alaska, Hawaii and airport locations.
How many patties are on a Baconator?
Two, each a quarter pound of fresh, never-frozen beef, so half a pound of beef in total. That is the same beef weight as Dave's Double. What separates the Baconator is the six strips of bacon and the absence of lettuce, tomato and onion.
What are Baconator Fries?
Wendy's natural-cut fries topped with cheese sauce, shredded cheese and chopped applewood-smoked bacon. They are 450 calories with 14g of protein and 1,000mg of sodium, which makes them one of the few sides on the menu carrying meaningful protein. They are a side, not a sandwich.
Is the Baconator spicy?
No. The standard Baconator has no heat at all: the only sauces are ketchup and mayonnaise. Wendy's has run a Spicy Baconator as a limited-time item in some markets, but it is not a standing national menu item, so what you get by default is the mild original.
What sauce is on a Baconator?
Ketchup and mayonnaise, nothing else. There is no signature Baconator sauce despite the name suggesting one. The Breakfast Baconator is the version that carries a cheese sauce, which is where most of the confusion about a Baconator sauce comes from.
Is the Baconator worth it?
It depends what you want from the order. On protein it is unmatched: 59g in one sandwich, more than any other item Wendy's sells. On price per gram of protein it is competitive. On sodium at 1,580mg and fat at 58g it is one of the heaviest things on the menu, so it earns its place as an occasional order rather than a regular one.
Does the Baconator come with lettuce and tomato?
No, and that is deliberate. Wendy's builds it as a bacon-and-beef sandwich, so it ships with only cheese, ketchup and mayonnaise. You can ask for lettuce, tomato and onion at no extra charge, and most locations will add them without comment.
Was the Baconator discontinued?
The Baconator appears on Wendy's current national menu and has been sold since 2007. Availability can still vary by restaurant, and this guide does not predict whether any menu item will remain permanently.
How does the Baconator compare to a Dave's Triple?
Dave's Triple carries three quarter-pound patties against the Baconator's two, so it wins on beef volume and calories. The Baconator wins on bacon, with six strips against the Triple's none by default. If you want maximum beef, order the Triple; if you want the bacon-forward build, the Baconator is the one.