Texas Roadhouse grilled chicken is sold as Grilled BBQ Chicken, a marinated chicken breast grilled over an open flame and basted with the chain’s signature BBQ sauce. It lists at $16.99 and 300 calories, and it includes two sides.
What Grilled BBQ Chicken actually is
Grilled BBQ Chicken is a boneless chicken breast that sits in a marinade before it hits the grill, then gets brushed with BBQ sauce during the last minutes of cooking. It is a single-protein plate, not a stacked or smothered entree.
That distinction matters because most of the chicken section at Texas Roadhouse is built on toppings. Herb Crusted Chicken adds a seasoning crust and caramelized lemon. Smothered Chicken buries the breast in onions, mushrooms and either cream gravy or jack cheese. Portobello Mushroom Chicken piles on portobello sauce, jack cheese and parmesan. Grilled BBQ Chicken is the plain one, and that is exactly why people order it.
| What it is | Marinated boneless chicken breast, grilled and basted with signature BBQ sauce |
|---|---|
| Category | Chicken entrees (Country Dinners / chicken section, depending on menu printing) |
| Menu price | $16.99 (varies by market) |
| Calories | 300 for the chicken as listed |
| Portion | Single breast; weight is not printed on the menu the way steak ounces are |
| What’s included | Choice of two sides, plus the free unlimited rolls and cinnamon butter for dine-in |
| Cook method | Open flame grill, sauce applied at the end |
| Doneness choice | None. Chicken is cooked through; only steaks take a temperature order |
How it’s cooked
The breast is marinated ahead of service, grilled to order on the same open flame grill the steaks run on, and basted with BBQ sauce near the end so the sugars char rather than burn off. Nothing is fried and nothing is finished in a pan.
Two things follow from that. The char you taste is grill char plus caramelized sauce rather than a rub, so if you dislike sweet BBQ this is the wrong chicken plate. And because it shares grill space with the steaks, it lands with the rest of the table’s food instead of trailing it.
If you have seen it called grilled BBQ chicken rather than grilled chicken, it is the same plate under both names. There is no separate unsauced grilled chicken entree on the printed menu, though kitchens will usually hold the sauce if you ask.
Price and what’s included
Grilled BBQ Chicken lists at $16.99. That price includes two sides and the free rolls, which is the part people forget when comparing it against a fast-casual chicken plate that charges separately for everything.
| Component | Included? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled BBQ Chicken breast | Yes | Base menu price $16.99 |
| Two sides | Yes | Sides run $2.99 each a la carte, so roughly $6 of value |
| Rolls and cinnamon butter | Yes, dine-in | Free and unlimited; takeout portions are counted out |
| Loading a potato | No | Typically about $1.29 extra |
| Drinks | No | Soft drinks are around $2.99 with refills |
Regional pricing is real: city-center and coastal locations sit above that figure, smaller inland markets below it. Two stores an hour apart can differ by a couple of dollars on the same plate, so check yours before you budget.
Calories and nutrition
The menu lists Grilled BBQ Chicken at 300 calories. That figure covers the chicken and its sauce only. Your two sides, the rolls and the cinnamon butter are all counted separately, and they are where the real total comes from.
| Item | Counted in the 300? |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast and BBQ sauce | Yes |
| Side one | No |
| Side two | No |
| Rolls (roughly 230 calories each) | No |
| Cinnamon butter | No |
At 300 calories the chicken is one of the lightest center-of-plate options in the building, close to a 6oz sirloin at 250 and well under the breaded Chicken Critters at 480. If calories are why you picked it, the sides move the number far more than the entree does. Full nutrition tables are published by the chain and worth checking directly if you track closely.
Grilled chicken salad and other grilled chicken options
Grilled chicken shows up in more than one place on the menu, and the Texas Roadhouse grilled chicken salad is the one people most often confuse with this entree. At most locations the salad is its own line item topped with grilled chicken, not the BBQ entree served over greens.
The distinction is worth knowing before you order. The salad version is a smaller portion of chicken over lettuce with your dressing choice and does not come with two sides. The entree version is a full breast with sides. If you want the entree but lighter, ordering the chicken with a house salad and steamed vegetables as your two sides gets you close for a similar price.
Salad sections vary between stores and limited-time builds come and go, so ask when you sit down rather than trusting a menu photo you found online.
How to order it well
There is no doneness choice on chicken, so the levers you control are sauce, sides and add-ons. Those three cover almost every reasonable customization of this plate.
- Sauce on the side. Ask for it if you want grill flavor without the sweetness, or if you are watching sugar. Kitchens handle this routinely.
- Extra sauce. Also usually free, worth asking for if you want it reaching the sides too.
- Sides that balance it. BBQ sauce is sweet, so green beans, fresh vegetables or a house salad cut through it. Sweet potato plus applesauce doubles down on sugar.
- Rolls timing. Dine-in rolls are unlimited and free. Ask for a second basket early rather than after your entree lands.
- Takeout. Sauce-basted chicken holds up in a container better than a steak, making this a safe pickup order.
Is it worth it vs the other chicken plates
Grilled BBQ Chicken is the cheapest full chicken entree in the section and the lightest, which makes it a good value if you actually want plain grilled chicken. If you want a treat, the money is better spent elsewhere.
| Item | Price | Calories | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled BBQ Chicken | $16.99 | 300 | Lightest option, simplest flavor |
| Herb Crusted Chicken | $18.49 | 260 | Savory instead of sweet, still light |
| Smothered Chicken | $18.99 | 430 | Onions, mushrooms, gravy or cheese |
| Portobello Mushroom Chicken | $19.49 | 430 | Richest of the four |
The honest comparison outside the chicken section is the 6oz sirloin, which lands at a similar price and similar calories and is the more interesting plate on value alone. Choose the grilled chicken when you specifically want chicken, and want it simple.
Where this page can be wrong
This is an independent guide, not the restaurant. Prices and calorie figures come from location menus verified in July 2026 and they move without notice. Three things in particular vary and should be confirmed with your store rather than trusted from any third-party page.
- Price. Regional differences of 10-15% are normal, and airport or resort-area locations can sit further outside that range.
- Portion weight. The menu does not print an ounce weight for the chicken breast the way it does for steaks, so we do not state one.
- Salad and lunch availability. Whether grilled chicken appears on the salad section or a smaller lunch portion depends on the location and the current menu printing.
To confirm any of it, open your store on the official Texas Roadhouse site or in a delivery app, where live pricing shows. Calling the location works too.
FAQ
Does Texas Roadhouse have grilled chicken?
Yes. Grilled BBQ Chicken is the standing grilled chicken entree, listed at $16.99 and 300 calories, and it comes with two sides. Most locations also offer grilled chicken as a salad topping.
How much is grilled chicken at Texas Roadhouse?
Grilled BBQ Chicken lists at $16.99 including two sides. Expect a 10-15% swing by region, so check your specific store before assuming that number applies locally.
How many calories are in Texas Roadhouse Grilled BBQ Chicken?
300 calories for the chicken and sauce. Your two sides, the rolls and the cinnamon butter are all counted separately and are not part of that figure.
Does Grilled BBQ Chicken come with sides?
Yes, two sides of your choice, plus free unlimited rolls with cinnamon butter for dine-in guests. Sides ordered a la carte run about $2.99 each.
Can you order the grilled chicken without BBQ sauce?
Usually yes. Ask for the sauce on the side or held entirely. Because the sauce is applied at the end of cooking rather than mixed in, kitchens can accommodate this easily.
Is the grilled chicken breast or thigh meat?
It is a boneless chicken breast, marinated before grilling. There is no thigh option listed on the standard menu.
Does Texas Roadhouse have a grilled chicken salad?
Most locations offer a grilled chicken salad as its own menu item, separate from the entree. Portion sizes and available dressings vary by store, so confirm when you order.
Is grilled chicken available at lunch?
Lunch menus and portion sizes differ by location and by day. Some stores run a smaller lunch chicken portion at a lower price, others serve the full entree all day.
Related guides
- Texas Roadhouse menu with prices across every section
- smaller midday portions and lunch pricing
- early dine deals worth planning around
- what travels well for pickup