Chili’s isn’t the worst place to eat as a vegan. It’s better than a steakhouse! But it can still take a minute to sort out the situation for vegans. Lucky for you, I did all the work for you!
Vegan options at Chili’s:
- Bottomless Tostada Chips and Salsa (Or Guac)
- Mexican Rice & Beans
- Corn on the Cob
- Fries
- Fried Pickles (w/o Ranch Dressing)
- Steamed Broccoli
- Roasted Asparagus
- Garlic Dill Pickles
- Fresh Pineapple
- Mandarin Oranges
- Caribbean Salad (w/o Meat and Dressing)
- House Salad (w/o Dressing, Croutons, and Cheese)
- Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Make Your Own Taco, Burrito, or Wrap
Below, I’ll explain exactly how to order these items vegan, and I’ll answer common questions like whether Chili’s black bean burger is vegan. I’ll end with a whole-food-plant-based guide to Chili’s for those of you avoiding fried and processed food, too!
Chili’s doesn’t have any fully-vegan burgers or mock meats yet, but they still actually have a decent amount of vegan options overall.
They also have an actual vegetarian and vegan guide on their website. This is not common for chain restaurants, so I appreciate this. It makes it much easier to quickly see what’s vegan.
1. Salads
Chili’s has two salads that can easily be ordered vegan:
- Caribbean Salad (w/o Meat and Dressing): Greens, pineapple, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, red bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro.
- House Salad (w/o Dressing, Croutons, and Cheese): Greens, tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers.
The only vegan salad dressing you’re likely to see is Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette. So I’d recommend asking for that. Or you can ask what other options they have at your location.
2. Chips
There are two vegan menu items for chips at Chili’s:
- Bottomless Tostada Chips & Salsa: Pretty exciting that these are bottomless! Tostada chips = tortilla chips, by the way.
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips: If you prefer guacamole over salsa, you can order chips and guacamole, and they’re vegan, too!
3. Mexican Rice & Beans
This is just a side dish—but you could always order multiple if you want to fill up on it. Beans and rice is the type of meal you can fill up on and not feel nasty about afterward.
You can also get a side of just Black Beans alone.
4. Corn on the Cob
Chili’s has corn on the cob! Fun! The website says this comes vegan, but I’d double-check that your location doesn’t add butter or any other dairy products.
5. Fries
French fries are the typical vegan safe haven at chain restaurants, and they’re definitely an option here at Chili’s, too.
6. Fried Pickles (w/o Ranch Dressing)
The fried pickles at Chili’s are vegan—the breading doesn’t contain egg! Just be sure to order without ranch dressing—it contains both egg and dairy.
7. Vegetable Sides
If you want more veggies, Chili’s has several vegan vegetable sides:
- Steamed Broccoli
- Roasted Asparagus
- Garlic Dill Pickles
8. Fruit Sides
Two vegan fruit sides are available at Chili’s:
- Fresh Pineapple
- Mandarin Oranges
9. Make Your Own Taco, Burrito, or Wrap
I haven’t seen anyone else suggest this as a vegan option, but it should be a possibility. The Chili’s website notes that both their tortilla options are vegan:
- Flour Tortillas
- All-Natural Corn Tortillas
They also have a number of other ingredients that could be used to build a taco, burrito, or wrap:
- Black Beans
- Rice
- Lettuce
- Avocado Slices
- Salsa
- Pico
- Guacamole
- BBQ Sauce
- Tortilla Strips
- Fries
Note: The burger buns at Chili’s are not fully vegan, likely due to honey. So I wouldn’t advise putting together your own sandwich with those. They’re likely to have bread slices on hand, though, and I’d expect those to be vegan.
10. Sauces and Toppings
These vegan sauces and extras should be available to add to whichever dish you’re having:
- Original BBQ Sauce
- House BBQ Sauce
- Salsa
- Avocado Slices
- Guacamole
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Hot Sauce
11. Beverages
Plenty of vegan beverages to choose from:
- Coca-Cola
- Coke Zero
- Diet Coke
- Dr. Pepper
- Lemonade
- Sprite
- Coffee
- Apple Juice
- Cranberry Juice
- Orange Juice
Alcoholic Drinks: Chili’s will typically have some alcoholic drink options, including beer and wine. Many of these will be vegan, but maybe not all. My go-to resource for checking whether alcohol is vegan is Barnivore.
But What About…
You might be wondering about some other Chili’s menu items that weren’t included above. Here are the explanations behind why these are not vegan:
- Chili’s Black Bean Patty is vegetarian but not vegan. It contains both milk and eggs.
- Chili’s Black Bean & Veggie Fajitas are vegetarian but not vegan. They contain both milk and eggs.
- Chili’s Chipotle Bowl can be made vegetarian (w/o Protein) but not vegan. It contains both milk and eggs.
- Chili’s Roasted Street Corn is vegetarian but not vegan. It contains both milk and eggs.
- Chili’s Awesome Blossom Petals are vegetarian but not vegan. They contain both milk and eggs.
- Chili’s Chile-Garlic Toast is vegetarian but not vegan. It contains both milk.
- Chili’s Coleslaw is vegetarian but not vegan. It contains eggs.
- Chili’s Burger Bun is vegetarian but not vegan. The website doesn’t list the offending ingredient, but I’m guessing it’s honey.
- Chili’s Southwestern Eggrolls are not vegan or vegetarian. They contain both milk and eggs, and they likely contain meat, too.
Is Chili’s Veggie Burger Vegan?
Chili’s veggie burger (black bean patty) is not vegan. It contains both milk and eggs.
Is Chili’s Rice Vegan?
Chili’s rice is confirmed vegan. The vegetarian and vegan guide on Chili’s website states that their Mexican Rice is vegan and does not contain milk or eggs.
Are Chili’s Chips Vegan?
Chili’s chips are confirmed vegan. The vegetarian and vegan guide on Chili’s website states that their Tostada Chips and Salsa and their Fresh Gaucamole and Chips dishes are both vegan.
Whole-Food Plant-Based Options
With each of my vegan guides to restaurants, I like to include a list of whole-food plant-based (WFPB) options, too. This list is for you if you’re vegan for health and trying to strictly avoid fried and processed food in addition to animal products.
Here are the clearly WFPB options at Chili’s:
- Caribbean Salad (w/o Meat and Dressing)
- House Salad (w/o Dressing, Croutons, and Cheese)
- Black Beans
- Steamed Broccoli
- Garlic Dill Pickles
- Fresh Pineapple
- Mandarin Oranges
These options may also be WFPB, or they’re close anyway:
- Corn on the Cob: Be sure to order without butter, oil, or dairy.
- Roasted Asparagus: Likely roasted with some oil.
- Mexican Rice: Likely contains white rice and may contain some oil.
For WFPB beverages, I’d ask if they have club soda, black coffee, or unsweetened tea. If not, I’d go with water.
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