Updated January 2023! I think you’ll be happy to discover how many popular items at Chili’s are actually dairy free. Sure, they use cheese on and in quite a few dishes. But burgers, ribs, chicken crispers, and several other entrees and sides are on this special diet menu. As an added bonus, we’ve labeled items that are also gluten-free and have included a vegan menu in this post.
Chili’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Custom, Allergen, and Vegan Notes
Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks. Please note that this guide is for the U.S. locations. Options may vary in other countries.
Fryer Note: Fried items at Chili’s may be cooked in a fryer that other items containing milk are cooked in. Fried items do include their house tortilla chips. Be sure to ask for non-fried options cooked separately from common cooking spaces if you are concerned about potential cross-contamination. Chili’s uses soybean oil for frying.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All of the items listed below are made without egg, peanut, and tree nuts, unless otherwise noted. We have also labeled the gluten-free options below. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Appetizers
- Bottomless Tostada Chips & Salsa (gluten-free)
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips (gluten-free)
- Fried Pickles (no ranch dressing) (contains egg)
Heads Up! All flavors of Chili’s Bone-In and Boneless Wings contain milk.
Chicken Crispers
- Crispy Chicken Crispers (no ranch)
- Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers (no ranch)
Dairy-Free Side Sauces: Original BBQ, Honey-Mustard
Salads
- House Salad with Grilled Chicken, Shrimp, or Ancho Salmon (no croutons, no cheese) (gluten-free)
- Santa Fe Chicken Salad (no ranch dressing) (gluten-free) (contains egg)
- Santa Fe Crispers Salad (no ranch dressing) (gluten-free) (contains egg)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard (contains egg), Santa Fe (contains egg), Thousand Island (contains egg) (all are gluten-free)
Heads Up! As noted, the croutons at Chili’s do contain milk.
Soups
- The Original Chili (no cheese) (gluten-free)
Heads Up! All other soups offered at Chili’s do contain milk.
Burgers & Sandwiches
- Alex’s Santa Fe Burger (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Bacon Avocado Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no cheese, sub brioche bun) (contains egg)
- Bacon Rancher (no ranch, no cheese)
- BBQ Brisket Burger (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Big Mouth Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Big Bacon BBQ Burger (no cheese)
- Chili’s Secret Sauce Burger (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Just Bacon Burger (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Oldtimer Burger
Dairy-Free Add-Ons: Applewood Smoked Bacon, Avocado Slices, The Original Chili
Gluten-Free Option: You can order all of the above burgers without a bun (lettuce optional) to make them gluten-free.
Heads Up! The Sautéed Mushrooms, Black Bean Patty, Cilantro-Pesto Mayo at Chili’s contain milk. But we confirmed that the the Secret Sauce, Garlic Aioli (when available), and Sautéed Onions are made without dairy. And yes, the Brioche Burger Buns at Chili’s are dairy-free! But make sure your location doesn’t butter them.
Other Entrees
- Ancho Salmon (no cheese, no cilantro pesto) (gluten-free)
- Chipotle Fresh Mex Bowl with Chicken or Shrimp (no cheese, no pesto, no ranch – sub dairy-free sauces)
- Fajitas with Chicken, Shrimp, or Steak (no chipotle garlic butter, no cheese, no sour cream)
- Margarita Grilled Chicken (gluten-free)
- Spicy Shrimp Tacos (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Texas-Size Baby Back Ribs in Original, Dry Rub, Honey-Chipotle, or House BBQ (gluten-free)
Heads Up! The steaks at Chili’s are cooked with butter. You might be able to order them dairy-free (the classic ribeye and sirloin are gluten-free). The Veggie Fajitas are served with their black bean patty, which contains milk.
Kids Menu
- Burger Bites
- Grilled Chicken Bites
- Crispy Chicken Crispers (with dairy-free dip)
- Grilled Chicken Dippers (no ranch) (gluten-free)
- Corn on the Cob (gluten-free)
- Fries (gluten-free)
- Mandarin Oranges (gluten-free)
- Steamed Broccoli (gluten-free)
Sides & Other Extras
- Black Beans (gluten-free)
- Coleslaw (gluten-free) (contains egg)
- Fries (gluten-free)
- Guacamole (gluten-free)
- Mexican Rice & Black Beans (gluten-free)
- Roasted Asparagus (gluten-free)
- Shrimp (gluten-free)
- Steamed Broccoli (gluten-free)
- Sweet Corn on the Cob (not the Street Corn) (gluten-free)
- Tortillas, Corn (gluten-free)
- Tortillas, Flour
- Tostada Chips & Salsa
Heads Up! The Roasted Street Corn and Garlic Toast do contain milk.
Sauces
- Apple BBQ Sauce (gluten-free)
- Buffalo Sauce (gluten-free)
- Honey Chipotle Sauce (gluten-free)
- Honey Sriracha (gluten-free)
- House BBQ Sauce (gluten-free)
- Mango Habanero Sauce (gluten-free)
- Santa Fe Sauce (gluten-free) (contains egg)
- Spicy Teriyaki
Chili’s Vegan Menu Guide
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips
- Tostada Chips & Salsa
- House Side Salad with Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette (no croutons, no cheese)
- Chipotle Fresh Mex Bowl (no meat, no cheese, no pesto, no ranch – sub dairy-free sauces)
Other Vegan Sides & Extras
- Avocado Slices
- Fries
- Mandarin Oranges
- Mexican Rice & Black Beans
- Pickles
- Roasted Asparagus
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sweet Corn on the Cob
- Tortillas, Corn
- Tortillas, Flour
Vegan Sauces & Dressings
- Apple BBQ Sauce
- Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
- House BBQ Sauce
- Mango Habanero Sauce
- Salsa
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
Where to Find Chili’s
This Tex-Mex bar & grill chain has over 1500 locations worldwide. The bulk of their restaurants are in the U.S., but they do have outposts in Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. See their website below for locations, hours, and online to-go ordering.
Website: www.chilis.com
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What Others Are Saying ...
Fried pickles!!!!
Always love it when the whole fam can enjoy the fried picks😊 chicken crispers toooo
Eh.
I used to like this place. Vegan now, they definitely need to up their game with the times. All the coupons and such, no vegan deserts, etc.. Such a slim vegan menu. They really need to get it together and add some vegan burgers and vegan variety. We can do so much with such simple additions like those and it would bring in so much more business for them and the future.
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
13 Comments
The citrus balsamic vinaigrette is not vegan. I asked an employee and she said it has dairy in it.
I’m not sure where that employee gathered this information, but according to Chili’s most recent allergen menu, the Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette is dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan. You can see the direct link in my post to verify. You might want to ask to see the allergen menu next time. I’ve had Chili’s employees give me inaccurate information in the past.
Theres no point in even wasting your time at chilis if youre vegan (which i am) their menu just makes me wanna pull my hair out.. Never eating at this place
The fried pickles are NOT vegan at Chili’s. I asked an employee and they checked the nutrition facts. ?
I’m not sure what they were looking at, but as of April 9, 2019 (their last allergen update),the Fried Pickles WITHOUT ranch dressing (as noted above) are dairy-free by ingredients, and they’re actually vegan, too. If you told them you were dealing with a severe food allergy, then they might have told you they were off limits since they are fried in a shared fryer. You can see the allergen note on this in my post above.
I am currently eating at Chili’s and the waiter told me that the black beans are cooked in lard (ew) so not vegetarian or vegan!
I’m not sure if they have a chef going rogue at that location, but according to Chili’s, the beans are vegan and vegetarian.
https://allergysafemenus.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Chilis-Allergy-PDF.pdf
New link for allergy menu..
Thank you Mia!
The online menu says the burger buns don’t have milk. I wonder if that’s true or if it changed since writing this article.
Recent menu change makes the allergen menus online outdated. However they do have their allergy menu on table at the Ziosk.
Your blog was a blessing for me. My baby is allergic to soy and dairy and I was clueless!
I’m so glad I can help you Norva.