Updated February 2024! 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 have included additional allergen notes and 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, gluten / wheat, peanut, and tree nuts, unless otherwise noted. Chili’s calls the items without gluten “gluten-friendly” rather than gluten-free since many items are at risk for potential cross-contamination. If concerned about cross-contamination in the kitchen, always speak to the staff about preparation before ordering. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Wings
- Bone-in Wings – Plain or with Dairy-Free Sauce (no ranch)
- Boneless Wings – Plain or with Dairy-Free Sauce (no ranch) (contains egg, gluten)
Dairy-Free Sauces: Buffalo, Honey Chipotle, Honey Sriracha, House BBQ, Mango Habanero, Santa Fe (contains egg), Sweet Chili Zing (contains gluten)
Heads Up! The wings at Chili’s are dairy-free by ingredients, but they come with a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Make sure to say no to the dip or request one of the dairy-free sauces in place of the ranch or blue cheese. The Nashville Hot Sauce does contain milk. Please note that the wings might be cooked in shared fryers with other items containing milk. Be sure to ask if you are concerned about potential allergen cross-contamination in the fryer.
Other Appetizers
- Bottomless Tostada Chips & Salsa
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips
Heads Up! The tortilla chips at Chili’s are reportedly fried in-house. Be sure to ask if you are concerned about potential allergen cross-contamination in the fryer.
Chicken Crispers
- Crispy Chicken Crispers (no ranch) (contains gluten)
- Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers (no ranch) (contains gluten)
Dairy-Free Side Sauces: Original BBQ, Honey-Mustard (contains egg)
Heads Up! The Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers do contain dairy in the sauce.
Salads
- House Salad with Grilled Chicken, Shrimp, or Ancho Salmon (no croutons, no cheese)
- Santa Fe Salad with Grilled Chicken, Shrimp, or Ancho Salmon (no ranch dressing) (contains egg)
- Santa Fe Crispers Salad (no ranch dressing) (contains egg, gluten)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard (contains egg), Santa Fe (contains egg), Thousand Island (contains egg)
Heads Up! As noted, the croutons at Chili’s do contain milk.
Soups
- The Original Chili (no cheese)
Heads Up! All other soups offered at Chili’s do contain milk.
Burgers & Sandwiches
- Alex’s Santa Fe Burger (no cheese) (contains egg, gluten)
- Bacon Avocado Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no cheese, sub brioche bun) (contains egg, gluten)
- Bacon Rancher (no ranch, no cheese) (contains gluten)
- BBQ Brisket Burger (no cheese) (contains gluten)
- Big Mouth Crispy Chicken Sandwich (contains egg, gluten)
- Double Oldtimer Burger (no cheese) (contains gluten)
- Just Bacon Burger (no cheese) (contains egg, gluten)
- Oldtimer Burger (no cheese) (contains gluten)
- Secret Sauce Burger (no cheese) (contains egg, gluten)
Dairy-Free Add-Ons: Applewood Smoked Bacon, Avocado Slices, Black Bean Patty (contains gluten), 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 at Chili’s contain milk. But we confirmed that 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)
- 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) (contains gluten)
- Margarita Grilled Chicken
- Texas-Size Baby Back Ribs in Original, Dry Rub, Honey-Chipotle, or House BBQ
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 Shrimp add-on with the steaks is made without dairy. You can custom order the Fajitas with corn tortillas to make them gluten-free by ingredients.
Kids Menu
- Burger Bites (contains gluten)
- Grilled Chicken Bites (contains gluten)
- Corn on the Cob
- Fries
- Mandarin Oranges
- Steamed Broccoli
Sides & Other Extras
- Black Beans
- Fries
- Mexican Rice
- Roasted Asparagus
- Shrimp
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sweet Corn on the Cob (not the Street Corn)
- Tortillas, Corn
- Tortillas, Flour (contains gluten)
- Tostada Chips & Salsa
Heads Up! The Roasted Street Corn and Garlic Toast do contain milk.
Sauces
- Buffalo Sauce
- Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Honey Chipotle Sauce
- Honey Mustard (contains egg)
- Honey Sriracha
- House BBQ
- Mango Habanero Sauce
- Salsa
- Santa Fe Sauce (contains egg)
- Secret Sauce
- Sweet Chili Zing (contains gluten)
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 chicken, no cheese, no pesto, no ranch – sub dairy-free sauces and black bean patty)
- Fajitas with Black Bean Patty (no chipotle garlic butter, no cheese, no sour cream)
- Oldtimer Burger (sub black bean patty)
Other Vegan Sides & Extras
- Avocado Slices
- Black Beans
- Fries
- Mandarin Oranges
- Mexican Rice
- Pickles
- Roasted Asparagus
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sweet Corn on the Cob
- Tortillas, Corn
- Tortillas, Flour
Vegan Sauces & Dressings
- Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
- House BBQ Sauce
- Mango Habanero Sauce
- Salsa
- Sweet Chili Zing
Heads Up! Some vegan sites state the mushrooms at Chili’s are vegan, but they are not vegan-friendly. They are cooked with dairy. The Buffalo Sauce is made without butter, but it contains fish.
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
So helpful
This website/ article is so helpful for my family. Always accurate. Trustworthy.
Thank you for what you do.
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.
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.