Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of vegan options at Chili's. Chili's is an American restaurant chain that serves burgers, steak, seafood, and chicken as well as some Mexican food including tacos and fajitas. While they do not have a vegan menu or main course, there are some decent vegan options as long as you order with modifications. So what are the vegan options at Chili's? Read on to find out.
All nutritional and allergen information can be found on the Chili's website as well as the following disclaimer:
"Vegan (VG) items contain no animal-derived products. Because we use shared fryers and grills in our restaurants, fried or grilled foods are exposed to animal product during the cooking process (e.g., French Fries cooked in same oil as Chicken Crispers)."
Chili’s Vegan Options
Appetizers
There are some decent appetizers to choose from that are basically tortilla chips with dips. But, their fried pickles are vegan! This is great news as many places have dairy in the batter. Just make sure to order it without the ranch.
- Bottomless Tostada Chips & Salsa
- Dip Trio with Chips and Guacamole and Salsa
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips
- Fried Pickles without Ranch Dressing
Sizzling Fajitas
There are no vegan fajitas as served as the Black Bean & Veggie Fajita contains egg and milk. But you can make modifications to it to become vegan. The following fajita components are also vegan.
- Black Bean & Veggie Fajita - Order it with NO chipotle butter, cheese, sour cream, or black bean patty.
- Flour Tortillas
- Corn Tortillas
- Side Mexican Rice & Beans
- Guacamole
Vegan Sauces
- Apple BBQ Sauce
- House BBQ Sauce
- Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce
Burgers
- Unfortunately there are no vegan burger options. Their Black Bean patty contains egg and milk.
Fresh Mex
- Even if you take out the animal protein, all Fresh Mex Bowls and Quesadillas still contain dairy products and most also contain egg.
Kids Sides
The vegan kids sides are similar to the side dishes on the regular menu with one addition - Mandarin Oranges.
- Corn on the Cob
- Fries
- Mandarin Oranges
- Steamed Broccoli
Salads
As written, all salads contain at least dairy. But you can ask for modifications to make them vegan.
- House Salad - order with no garlic croutons or cheese. Order with the citrus balsamic vinaigrette.
Salad Dressings
There is only one vegan salad dressing:
- Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
Soups and Chili
- All soups and chilis contain animal products.
Vegan Sides
Just a reminder that because of the shared fryer, there is a risk of cross contamination with their fried items as well as their grilled options.
- Black Beans
- Fries
- Mexican Rice
- Roasted Asparagus
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sweet Corn on the Cob
Extras
- Avocado Slices
- Burger Buns
- Fresh Guacamole
- Pickles
- Salsa
Desserts
- There are no vegan dessert options. This is definitely an area that Chili's needs to improve on.
Drinks
- Coke
- Diet Coke
- Coke Zero
- Sprite
- Dr. Pepper
- Minute Maid Lemonade
- Unsweetened Tea
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Half Tea/Half Lemonade
- Blackberry Iced Tea
- Mango Iced Tea
- Apple Juice
- Orange Juice
- Cranberry Juice
- Pineapple Juice
- Coffee
Best Vegan Options
Here are some meal ideas if you're going to Chili's.
- Start with the chips and guacamole, order a side salad (no cheese or croutons), fries, black beans and Mexican rice.
- Order the veggie fajitas with NO chipotle butter, cheese, sour cream, or black bean patty.
- Make your own vegan fajitas with flour or corn tortillas, black beans, Mexican rice, guacamole and get an order of roasted asparagus on the side.
- Make a vegan meal of side dishes! Rice and beans, corn on the cob, fries, broccoli and asparagus.
FAQ
When and where was the original Chili's opened?
According to Chili's, the first location was opened in 1975 in Dallas, TX.
Is the Roasted Street Corn vegan?
No, unfortunately it contains milk and egg. The regular corn on the cob is vegan.
Is Chili’s Black Bean Burger vegan?
No, the Black Bean Burger contains milk and egg.
Are the veggie fajitas vegan?
Unfortunately, no the veggie fajitas are not vegan as they contain egg and milk. Without modifications they would make a good vegetarian meal though. To make them vegan, order with no chipotle butter, cheese, sour cream or black bean patty.
Do they have a vegetarian chili?
No, they do not have that option yet.
Do they have plant-based vegan burgers?
If you are looking for an Impossible Burger or a Beyond Burger, they do not have those yet.
What happened to the Caribbean Salad?
The Caribbean Salad used to be a good vegan salad with modifications. If you ordered it without the meat and got the Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette, it was a good vegan option. However, it is no longer listed on the menu so I'm assuming it's been discontinued. Your only salad option now is the house salad without cheese or croutons.
Are Chili's chips vegan?
Yes. Enjoy them with guacamole or salsa.
Summary
While there are no strictly vegan meals at a Chili's restaurant, there are some pretty good options with modifications. A good choice is their Black Bean and Veggie Fajita with no chipotle butter, cheese, sour cream or black bean patty. Or you can order a bunch of vegan side dishes. While it's not a great restaurant for vegans, if you find yourself at a Chili's you definitely won't leave hungry.
Wondering what's vegan at other chain restaurants? Check out:
Leave a Reply