Eating plant-based food at Chili’s can be easier than you think. You’ll find plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. This guide highlights the top choices and simple hacks to customize your meal. Learn how to avoid hidden meat and dairy while enjoying flavorful dishes.
The guide separates vegan and vegetarian items clearly, so you can quickly pick the right meal for your diet.
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If you’re curious about vegan and vegetarian options at other chains, check out our guides for Panera, Subway, and Sonic.
Vegan Options at Chili’s
Chili’s does not have a dedicated vegan menu, but you can build a full meal using sides and simple modifications. You can make most items vegan by skipping meat, butter, and cheese, swapping dressings, and asking the staff for simple modifications.
Vegan Appetizers
- Bottomless Chips & Salsa
- Chips and Salsa
- Dip Trio with Chips (fresh salsa and house-made guacamole) No ranch or queso
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips
Vegan Sides at Chili’s
Chili’s offers a wide range of vegan-friendly sides. Their serving size is so generous, and the flavors are simply amazing. You can combine a few of them with a drink to make a complete meal.
- Mexican Rice & Beans
- Black Beans
- Tostada Chips & Salsa
- Flour Tortillas
- All-Natural Corn Tortillas
- Side of Guacamole
- Steamed Broccoli
- Grilled Asparagus
- French Fries
- Sweet Corn on the Cob
- Side Salad (Order without croutons or cheese with Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette)
- Mandarin Oranges
- Fresh Pineapple
- Garlic dill pickles
All fried items share the same fryer and oil as meat products. Order only if cross-contact doesn’t bother you.
Personally, I still choose fried items since they don’t directly add to animal harm. If we avoid everything due to shared fryers, the options become very limited.
Big Mouth Burgers
Chili's lets you turn any Big Mouth Burger into a vegan one by choosing the black bean patty and their bun in naturally vegan, then leaving out cheese, burger sauce and mayo. You can add ketchup or BBQ sauce for extra flavor. My top picks are
- Veggie Santa Fe Burger: A black bean patty topped with house-made guacamole, red onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, pickles, and cilantro. Skip cheddar and Senta Fe sauce.
- Mushroom Swiss Burger: Black bean patty with sautéed onions, mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato (no Swiss sauce and Mayo).
- Oldtimer: Pickles, lettuce, tomato, onions, and mustard swap the beef with the black bean patty.
- Alex’s Santa Fe Burger: Guacamole, jalapeños, tomatoes, pickles, cilantro, and onions (no cheddar or Santa Fe sauce).
Fajitas
Order the chicken fajitas and swap the chicken for a black bean patty. It comes with tortillas, Mexican rice, black beans, grilled peppers and onions, and pico de gallo. Skip cheese and sour cream, and add guacamole for an extra cost.
Salads
Salads at Chili’s are simple and fresh, though a bit basic without cheese, croutons, or protein. The only vegan-friendly dressing is the citrus-balsamic vinaigrette.
- House Salad – Skip the croutons and cheese.
- Santa Fe Salad – Skip chicken, cheese, ranch, and Santa Fe sauce.
- Santa Fe Crispers Salad – Skip chicken, cheese, ranch, and Santa Fe sauce.
Dressing and Sauces
Enjoy a bunch of yummy vegan sauce, drizzle on fajitas, pile on your Big Mouth Burger, or jazz up any side!
- BBQ Sauce
- House-made BBQ Sauce
- Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Ketchup
Beverages
- Blue Lagoon, Kids
- Chili's Premium Blend Coffee
- Fountain Drinks
- Half Tea | Half Lemonade
- Iced Tea (Black berry, Strawberry, Watermelon)
- Juice (Cranberry, Pineapple, Apple, Orange)
- Lemonade (Mango, Strawberry, Watermelon)
- Brewed tea
Vegetarian Options at Chili’s
If you’re transitioning from vegetarian to vegan or just vegetarian, you’ll be happy to know there’s plenty to try at Chili’s. Vegetarians can also enjoy everything from the vegan options list.
Feeling hungry? Let’s dive right into the Chili’s vegetarian menu.
Vegetarian Appetizers
- Triple Dipper
- Bottomless Chips & Salsa
- Chips and Salsa
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips
- Dip Trio with Chips (Southwestern Queso, House-Made Ranch, Salsa and Guacamole)
- Fried Mozzarella (Nashville Sauce, Honey Chipotle)
- Texas Cheese Fries (Order without bacon)
- Southwest Queso & Chips
Vegetarian Sides at Chili’s
Chili’s offer a wide range of sides that are suitable for vegetarians. Their serving size is so generous, and the flavors are simply amazing. You can combine a few of them with a drink to make a complete meal.
- Grilled Asparagus
- Black Beans
- Bowl of Loaded Street Corn
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Homestyle Fries
- Mashed Potatoes
- Mexican Rice
- Steamed Broccoli
- White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
- Flour and Corn Tortillas
- Guacamole
💡 Top Tip
Make Your Own Tacos or Wraps
Order two or three sides along with some tortillas and make your own tacos or wraps, top with your favourite sauce, and indulge in some amazing, cruelty-free flavour experience.
Kids Menu
- The Kids’ Menu at Chili’s has plenty of vegetarian options, perfect for little eaters who love tasty, plant-friendly meals.
- Cheese Pizza
- Kraft Marconi and Cheese
- Apple Sauce
- Corn Kernels
- Milk
- Chocolate Milk
Big Mouth Burgers
Veggie Santa Fe Burger
Try this mouthwatering vegetarian burger at Chili’s: a black bean patty topped with house-made guacamole, cheddar, red onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, pickles, and cilantro, all drizzled with spicy Santa Fe sauce.
Vegetarians can turn any Big Mouth Burger into a plant-based delight by swapping the beef for a black bean patty. My Top picks are
- Mushroom Swiss Burger: Black bean patty with sautéed onions, mushrooms, lettuce, and tomato with swiss cheese sauce and Mayo.
- Oldtimer: Pickles, lettuce, tomato, onions, and mustard with the black bean patty.
- Alex’s Santa Fe Burger: Guacamole, jalapeños, tomatoes, pickles, cilantro, and onions with cheddar cheese and Santa Fe sauce.
Fajitas
Order the chicken fajitas and swap the chicken for a black bean patty. It comes with tortillas, Mexican rice, black beans, grilled peppers and onions, and pico de gallo. Vegetarians can have shredded cheese and sour cream also.
Salads
At Chillis only house salad is vegetarian friendly but you can customise other salads by skipping meat . You can also swap meat with black bean patty with some additional cost.
- House Salad
- Santa Fe Salad – Skip chicken
- Santa Fe Crispers Salad – Skip chicken
💡 Top Tip
Add some crunch and flavor with fried pickles, black beans, steamed broccoli, or chips to make your salad more exciting.
Dressing and Sauces
Enjoy a bunch of yummy vegetarian sauces, drizzle on fajitas, pile on your Big Mouth Burger, or jazz up any side!
- Buffalo Ranch
- Honey Mustard
- House BBQ Sauce
- Ranch
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Ketchup
Salad Dressings
- Avocado Ranch
- Blue Cheese
- Santa Fe Sauce
- Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Thousand Island
Dessert
All desserts at chili's are vegetarian-friendly. They have egg and dairy in them thus not suitable for vegans. These vegetarian desserts are
- Molten Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Beverages
Vegetarians at Chili’s can enjoy all the vegan beverages listed above. Kids also have two extra options
- Kids Milk
- Chocolate Milk
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Chili’s Veggie Burger is not vegan as it usually contains cheddar cheese and Santa Fe sauce that has dairy. You can make it vegan by removing all dairy ingredients.
No, the soups at Chili’s are neither vegetarian nor vegan because they contain dairy or meat broth.
Mexican at chili's are suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Yes, Chili’s Mozzarella Sticks are vegetarian. They contain cheese and no meat, but they are not vegan because of dairy.
Note: They are fried in shared oil with meat products, so cross-contamination may occur.
Ask to remove cheese, butter, sour cream, and mayo.
Swap meat for the black bean patty when possible.
Choose only citrus balsamic vinaigrette as your dressing.
Confirm ingredients with staff, especially sauces.
We gathered all the information above from Chili's official website and its Interactive Nutrition Menu. Use the filters to remove animal products and quickly find suitable items. You can also search any menu item to view its nutrition details. It’s a handy way to check whether new dishes are vegan or vegetarian.
Wrapping Up
Eating plant-based at Chili’s doesn’t have to be tricky. With this guide, you can easily navigate both vegan and vegetarian options, from appetizers and sides to burgers, fajitas, and salads.
Disclaimer:
Menu items, ingredients, and preparation methods may change without notice. Always confirm ingredients and cross-contact concerns with the restaurant staff before ordering. This guide is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available sources.
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