Herb crusted chicken at Texas Roadhouse costs $18.49 and comes in at 260 calories for the chicken itself. It is a grilled chicken breast seasoned with a herb-and-spice blend, finished with caramelized lemon, and served with two sides.
What the herb crusted chicken actually is
Texas Roadhouse herb crusted chicken is a boneless, skinless chicken breast rubbed with the chain’s herb-and-spice blend, grilled, and topped with a caramelized lemon half you squeeze over the meat at the table. It is the lightest-tasting chicken entree on the menu and one of the lowest-calorie mains, period.
The caramelized lemon is the detail people miss. It is not garnish. The lemon half gets charred cut-side down on the grill, which softens the acidity and concentrates the juice. Squeezing it over the hot chicken is what makes the dish taste finished instead of like plain grilled breast. If yours arrives without the lemon, ask; it belongs on the plate.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Grilled chicken breast, herb-and-spice crust, caramelized lemon |
| Portion | Single breast portion (one size, no half/full option) |
| Price | $18.49 (varies by location) |
| Calories | 260 (chicken only, before sides) |
| What’s included | Two sides of your choice, plus fresh-baked rolls and cinnamon butter at the table |
| Category | Chicken entrees (Country Dinners section on most menus) |
Herb crusted chicken price
The herb crusted chicken runs $18.49 at the locations we checked in July 2026, and that price includes two full sides plus the unlimited rolls every dine-in table gets. Expect roughly $16.99 to $20.49 depending on your market; coastal and big-city stores sit at the top of that range.
| Item | Typical price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Herb Crusted Chicken | $18.49 | Two sides, rolls & cinnamon butter (dine-in) |
| Loaded potato upgrade | Small upcharge | Cheese, bacon, sour cream on a baked or sweet potato |
| Caesar salad swap | Small upcharge at some stores | In place of house salad |
Since each store sets its own numbers, treat $18.49 as the anchor, not a promise. Your location’s exact price is on its online menu; pick your store on the official site or in the app and the figures update to that address.
What’s in the herb crust
The crust is a dry seasoning blend, not a breading. Texas Roadhouse doesn’t publish the recipe, but the flavor profile reads as garlic, black pepper, dried herbs along the thyme-and-parsley line, and salt, applied heavily enough to form a savory bark on the grill. There is no flour coating and nothing is fried, which is how the calorie count stays at 260.
Two practical notes. First, the seasoning leans salty, as most things at this chain do, so if you watch sodium this is not automatically the “safe” pick just because the calories are low. Second, despite the word crusted, the dish is gluten-friendly at most locations since there’s no breading, but cross-contact rules vary by kitchen. Tell your server about any allergy and they’ll check against the store’s allergen guide rather than guessing.
Calories and nutrition
The herb crusted chicken is 260 calories as listed on location menus, making it one of the two or three lightest entrees Texas Roadhouse serves. That figure covers the chicken and lemon only; your real plate total depends almost entirely on the two sides you pick.
Here’s how side choices move the math, using the chain’s published menu calorie labels as the guide:
| Build | Approx. total calories |
|---|---|
| Chicken + green beans + house salad (dressing on side) | ~600-700 |
| Chicken + seasoned rice + buttered corn | ~800-900 |
| Chicken + loaded baked potato + Caesar salad | ~1,100+ |
Full macros (protein, sodium, fat) aren’t printed on the menu, only calories, as required for chains. A grilled breast this size typically carries 40-50g of protein, which is why this dish is the default order for anyone at Texas Roadhouse who lifts or tracks. For exact numbers, the calorie figures printed on your store’s menu are the authoritative source since they reflect that location’s current portions.
How to order it well
Order the herb crusted chicken with one starchy side and one green one, squeeze the whole caramelized lemon over the breast the moment it lands, and eat it hot; grilled breast tightens up fast as it cools. That’s the whole playbook, but a few refinements help.
- Ask for it “not dried out.” Chicken breast is unforgiving on a busy grill. Servers hear this request constantly and the kitchen generally honors it. If it arrives chalky, send it back; they’ll refire without drama.
- Best side pairings: seasoned rice catches the lemon and juices better than fries do, and green beans (cooked with bacon here, worth knowing if you’re avoiding pork) cut the salt. The house salad with ranch is the classic move.
- Use the rolls strategically. Every dine-in table gets unlimited fresh rolls with cinnamon butter. They’re free, they’re 230 calories each, and they will fill you up before the entree arrives. One roll, then wait.
- Sauce option: a side of cream gravy or brown gravy costs little or nothing and turns this into a heavier, comfort-food plate if the lemon-herb thing feels too light for you.
- To-go note: it travels better than most grilled chicken because the crust holds seasoning through the ride, but ask for the lemon uncut so it doesn’t go bitter in the box.
Is it worth it? Herb crusted vs. the other chicken plates
Worth it if you want the lightest real entree on the menu: $18.49 for a seasoned grilled breast, two sides, and unlimited rolls is fair value, though the flashier chicken dishes cost only about a dollar more. Here’s the honest comparison.
Vs. Smothered Chicken ($18.99, 430 cal): same grilled breast, but buried under sauteed onions, mushrooms, and your choice of cream gravy or jack cheese. For fifty cents more you get a much richer plate. If flavor-per-dollar is the metric, the smothered version wins. If you’re keeping the meal light, herb crusted wins by 170 calories before the toppings even start.
Vs. Grilled BBQ Chicken ($16.99, 300 cal): the cheaper sibling, basted in the house BBQ sauce. It’s sweeter and $1.50 less. The herb crusted tastes more like an actual seasoning job and less like a sauce delivery system; most repeat customers who order chicken here land on herb crusted as the better-executed plate.
The short version: herb chicken at Texas Roadhouse is the pick for anyone eating clean-ish at a steakhouse, the smothered is the pick for indulgence, and the BBQ is the budget option. Nobody orders wrong here, but they’re three different meals wearing the same protein.
What we can’t verify from here
This is an independent guide, not an official Texas Roadhouse page, and a few things genuinely vary store to store. The $18.49 price is what location menus showed as of July 2026; franchise-adjacent market pricing means your store may run higher or lower, so confirm on your location’s own menu page or in the app before you drive. The exact seasoning recipe is unpublished; our description of the crust is based on the menu listing and how the dish presents, not an ingredient sheet. Portion weight isn’t printed on the menu, and allergen handling (including gluten cross-contact on the grill) is a per-kitchen question your server can answer from the store’s allergen guide. When anything here conflicts with what your local menu says, the local menu wins.
Herb crusted chicken FAQ
What is the herb crusted chicken at Texas Roadhouse?
It’s a grilled boneless chicken breast rubbed with a herb-and-spice blend and served with a caramelized lemon half to squeeze over the top. It comes with two sides and is one of the lightest entrees on the menu at 260 calories.
How much is the herb crusted chicken at Texas Roadhouse?
It’s $18.49 at the locations we checked in July 2026, including two sides. Prices vary roughly 10-15% by region, so expect anywhere from about $16.99 to $20.49 depending on your store.
How many calories are in Texas Roadhouse herb crusted chicken?
The chicken itself is 260 calories as printed on location menus. Your full plate depends on sides: with green beans and a house salad you’re around 600-700 calories; with a loaded potato you can pass 1,100.
Is the herb crusted chicken breaded or fried?
No. The “crust” is a dry seasoning rub that forms a bark on the grill, not a breading. Nothing is fried, which is why it’s often the go-to for gluten-conscious diners, though you should still confirm cross-contact practices with your server.
What comes with the herb crusted chicken?
Two sides of your choice, plus the unlimited fresh-baked rolls and cinnamon butter every dine-in table receives. Loading a potato or swapping to a Caesar salad costs a small upcharge at most stores.
Is the herb crusted chicken spicy?
No. The seasoning is savory and herb-forward with black pepper and garlic, not chili heat. If you want heat, ask for a side of Cajun sauce or hot sauce; the dish itself is mild.
Is the herb crusted chicken healthy?
By steakhouse standards, yes: 260 calories and high protein with no breading or frying. The caveat is sodium; the rub is salty, so it’s a light choice on calories but not automatically a low-sodium one.
Can you order the herb crusted chicken to go?
Yes, it’s available for takeout and holds up well since the flavor is in the rub, not a sauce. Ask for the caramelized lemon on the side so it doesn’t turn the chicken bitter in the box. Rolls are included with to-go entrees at most stores.
Related guides
- Browse the full Texas Roadhouse menu with current prices for every section.
- Ordering before 6pm? The early dine window discounts several entrees, including chicken plates, at participating stores.
- See what takeout orders actually look like before you order this dish to go.
- Feeding a group? Family meal packs are usually cheaper per person than individual entrees.