Complete Guide to Everything Vegan at Chili’s in 2024
Creating a delicious, animal-friendly Tex-Mex meal at Chili’s is super-easy with just a few customizations. Chili’s menu in 2024 offers numerous vegan options, such as bottomless chips and salsa, a black bean burger, fajitas, and a number of sides that will keep you full and happy. And if you like, you can wash it all down with a Chili’s margarita or strawberry lemonade. Keep reading for the full list of vegan options at Chili’s.
Vegan Starters at Chili’s
Kick off your meal with one of Chili’s vegan appetizer options—to us, doing this is nonnegotiable.
Bottomless Chips
- Fresh Guacamole & Chips
- Bottomless Tostada Chips & Salsa
Vegan Sides at Chili’s
Many of the sides at Chili’s are vegan as is, and you can make a filling meal by ordering a few of them along with the bottomless chips:
- Tortillas (Flour and Corn)
- Black Beans
- Fries
- Roasted Asparagus
- Side Mexican Rice & Beans
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sweet Corn on the Cob
Salads
The only salad at Chili’s that can be made vegan is the side House Salad if you request it without cheese and croutons. The Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette is the only vegan dressing. This salad is a crisp, fresh, and delightful way to start your vegan feast at Chili’s.
Sides That Are NOT Vegan at Chili’s
- The Original Chili contains beef.
- The Garlic Butter Mushrooms, mashed potatoes, Roasted Street Corn, and White Cheddar Mac N Cheese all contain dairy.
- The Loaded Baked Potato Soup at Chili’s contains dairy and can’t be made vegan.
Vegan Sauces
- House BBQ Sauce
- Mango Habanero Sauce
- New House BBQ Sauce
- Sweet Chili Zing Sauce
Vegan Entrées at Chili’s
Black Bean Burger With Fries
As of 2024, the black bean patty at Chili’s is vegan. Simply swap the beef patty in the Oldtimer Burger for a black bean patty and request no cheese. You can also add avocado slices and House BBQ Sauce as well as a second patty to make the burger even heartier.
Veggie Fajitas
You can easily modify Chili’s signature Sizzling Fajitas to be animal-friendly. Simply order them with a black bean patty or black beans instead of chicken, steak, or shrimp and without cheese or sour cream. This will leave you with a satisfying platter, complete with Mexican rice, black beans, and a choice of corn or flour tortillas. Don’t forget the guac!
Chipotle Bowl
To make Chili’s Chipotle Bowl vegan, just ask for no meat, cheese, chipotle pesto, or ranch. Add black beans to boost the fiber and flavor and Mango Habanero Sauce if you want some spice.
Why Choose Vegan at Chili’s?
Every animal is someone—not something—and when you order vegan at Chili’s (or any other restaurant), you help spare the lives of countless individuals exploited and killed by the meat, egg, and dairy industries.
Pigs are playful, intelligent animals who show love to other pigs and humans by nudging them with their nose. Cows are devoted mothers who will chase after their babies when dairy industry workers separate them. They form complex relationships with other members of their herd and even grieve when their friends or family members die. You’re saving pigs and cows whenever you decide to order a veggie burger instead of the Baby Back Ribs or a beef burger at Chili’s.
In addition to helping animals, ordering vegan is better for the planet and your health. Animal agriculture is one of the leading drivers of the climate catastrophe, contributing to air pollution, water contamination, and land erosion. Going vegan also reduces your risk of developing many of the most common health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Is It Easy to Order Vegan at Chili’s?
Yes. It’s super-simple! Although Chili’s doesn’t offer any mains that are vegan as is (yet), the menu is easily customizable, whether you’re ordering in person or online. In person, let your server know you’re vegan and would like to remove all animal-derived ingredients from the dish you’re choosing. They should be happy to help. For pickup or delivery, Chili’s offers an easy online ordering system that allows you to customize different items. The chain’s allergen/vegetarian/vegan guide can also help you order your meal with confidence—just look for the green “VG” letters that designate the vegan options.
FAQs for Ordering Vegan at Nonvegan Chain Restaurants
What if the vegan options are cooked alongside animal products?
We encourage vegans not to insist that their food be cooked on equipment separate from that used to cook meat. Doing so doesn’t help any additional animals and only makes restaurants less inclined to offer vegan choices (which, again, hurts animals). Being vegan is about helping animals and reducing suffering, not personal purity, so you shouldn’t be too concerned about cross-contamination or trace amounts of animal-derived ingredients.
Is alcohol vegan?
Many alcohol brands are vegan. Our vegan wine and vegan beer guides can help, and you can search Barnivore.com. Chili’s lists many of the liquor brands used in its famous margaritas, so you can find out whether your favorite one is made without any animal-derived ingredients or filtration methods. (The Casamigos Marg is a good choice). Just remember to always drink responsibly.
I know what’s vegan at Chili’s now, but what’s vegan at ________?
Almost every fast-food or chain restaurant offers something animal-friendly, whether it’s an item that’s vegan as is or requires modifications. To learn more about what’s vegan at your favorite spots, check out our handy guide:
How can I encourage my favorite chain restaurant to offer more vegan options?
The best way to request more vegan options is to provide polite feedback on the restaurant’s website or social media accounts. Send Chili’s a comment saying that you’d love to see more options on the menu that are vegan without any modifications.
Please, go vegan today to help cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, and all other animals. Our free vegan starter kit can help you make the transition:
