chicken critter salad texas roadhouse is a full-size dinner salad topped with the same hand-breaded fried chicken tenders sold as the Chicken Critters entree. Expect roughly $11.99 to $14.99 depending on your region, since salad pricing is set locally.
What the Chicken Critter Salad actually is
It is a chilled house salad built on mixed greens and topped with sliced hand-breaded fried chicken tenders, cheese, tomato, egg and sometimes bacon, served with your choice of dressing. The “critters” are the fried tenders, not a separate protein.
The name confuses first-timers. Chicken Critters is the restaurant’s in-house term for its hand-breaded chicken tenders, which appear in three places on the menu: as a starter portion, as a full dinner with two sides, and on this salad. Order the salad and you get the same breaded strips, cooked to order in the fryer, sliced and laid across cold greens. Because they hit the plate hot on a cold base, the breading softens fast, which is the single biggest thing that separates a good version of this salad from a soggy one.
| What it is | Dinner-size salad topped with hand-breaded fried chicken tenders |
|---|---|
| Protein | Chicken Critters (breaded tenders), typically 3 to 4 strips sliced |
| Base and toppings | Mixed greens, cheddar/jack cheese, tomato, egg, croutons; bacon at some locations |
| Size / portion | Full entree portion, not a side salad |
| Typical price | About $11.99 to $14.99; set by the individual restaurant |
| Calories | Not published as a single verified figure; commonly lands well above 700 before dressing |
| What’s included | Choice of dressing plus the free unlimited rolls with cinnamon butter (dine-in) |
| Comes with two sides? | No. Salads are self-contained; only entrees include two sides |
| Menu category | Salads (chicken cluster) |
Price and what you actually pay
There is no single national price. Texas Roadhouse lets individual restaurants set menu pricing, so the same salad can differ by two or three dollars between a rural store and a metro one. Budget $11.99 to $14.99 and confirm before you order.
Use the store locator, pick your address, and pull up that location’s own menu page. That figure is the only one that matters. Third-party delivery apps show inflated prices, usually 15 to 25 percent above the in-store number, so do not use DoorDash or Uber Eats as your price reference.
| Item | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken Critter Salad | $11.99 – $14.99 | Regional; no sides included |
| Chicken Critters (dinner) | $15.99 | Verified listing, 480 cal, includes two sides |
| House salad (side) | $2.99 | Counts as one of your two entree sides |
| Add-on side, a la carte | $2.99 | If you want fries or a potato with the salad |
That comparison exposes something useful. The salad is cheaper than the Critters dinner, but the dinner includes two sides worth about $6 together. If you were going to eat sides anyway, the entree is the better math. The salad only wins on price if you genuinely want greens instead of starch.
Calories and nutrition
Texas Roadhouse does not publish a widely mirrored calorie count for this specific salad, so treat any number you find on aggregator sites as unverified. The printed in-store menu and the location’s online menu are the authority. Check there before assuming.
What you can reason about honestly: the Chicken Critters dinner portion is listed at 480 calories for the tenders alone. Add cheese, egg, croutons and a full dressing cup and the plate climbs quickly. Ranch and honey mustard are the heaviest dressings on the rack; a full ladle can add 200 to 300 calories on its own. This is a fried-chicken plate served on lettuce, not a light option, and it is worth going in with that expectation rather than being surprised by it.
If you want the calorie load down without changing the order much, ask for dressing on the side and use half, skip the croutons, and skip the honey mustard in favor of a vinaigrette if your location stocks one.
How to order it well
Ask for the chicken to come out on the side or on a separate small plate, and ask for dressing on the side. Those two changes fix the two failure modes of this dish: soggy breading and a drowned, over-dressed base. Both requests are free.
- Chicken on the side. Fried tenders sitting on cold wet greens lose their crunch in a few minutes. Kept separate, they stay crisp and you control the ratio.
- Dressing on the side. Kitchens ladle generously. You will usually use about half.
- Add the honey mustard or BBQ cup. The dipping sauces from the Chicken Critters entree work here and are normally free on request. Honey mustard on breaded chicken over greens is the combination most regulars land on.
- Rolls still come free. Salads do not disqualify you from the unlimited fresh-baked rolls and cinnamon butter at dine-in. Ask for a fresh batch rather than accepting whatever is sitting at the table.
- Grilled swap. Most locations will swap the breaded critters for grilled chicken if you ask, which turns it into the grilled chicken salad at a similar price. If you want fried, say fried explicitly, because some servers default to grilled for salad orders.
- Extra cheese or bacon is usually an upcharge of a dollar or two, and it varies by store.
Chicken Critter Salad vs. the Critters entree and grilled chicken salad
Choose the salad if you want a lighter base and no sides, the Chicken Critters dinner if you want the same chicken with two sides for a few dollars more, and the grilled chicken salad if your goal is actually cutting calories rather than adding lettuce to fried food.
| Option | Chicken | Sides included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Critter Salad | Breaded, fried, sliced | None | Wanting fried chicken without a plate of starch |
| Chicken Critters dinner ($15.99) | Breaded, fried, whole tenders | Two | Best value per dollar; bigger overall meal |
| Grilled chicken salad | Marinated, grilled breast | None | Genuinely lighter; fewer calories |
People searching for chicken critter texas roadhouse are usually trying to work out whether the salad and the entree use the same chicken. They do. The difference is presentation, portion and what comes alongside.
Is it worth it
It is worth it if you want the fried tenders but not two heavy sides, and if you order the chicken and dressing separately. It is poor value if you were going to eat a potato and fries anyway, because the full entree costs only a few dollars more.
The honest weakness is portion perception. A salad priced within a few dollars of a full entree with two sides can feel thin, and several diners report the chicken quantity varies noticeably between visits. If you are hungry, the Critters dinner is the safer order. If you want something that eats lighter after a long day, this does that job while still tasting like a roadhouse meal.
Ordering it to go
Order it through the restaurant’s own site or app rather than a delivery service, and specifically request dressing and chicken packed separately. Takeout is where this salad degrades most, since it steams inside a closed container during the drive home.
Curbside pickup at most locations means calling on arrival from a marked spot. Rolls come with to-go orders at most stores but not all, and it is worth asking when you place the order rather than discovering the omission at home.
Where this page can be wrong
This is an independent guide, not the restaurant. Three things here carry real uncertainty and you should verify them at your own location.
- Price. No verified national figure exists for this item, so the range above is inferred from the salad category and nearby chicken listings, not quoted from a menu. Your store’s own online menu is the answer.
- Calories. Not published in a form we could confirm. The in-store printed menu lists calories in most states; use that number, not ours.
- Composition. Toppings such as bacon and egg, and whether a vinaigrette is stocked, differ by market and by menu revision. Ask your server.
Anything that changes by location, we say so rather than guessing. If a figure on this page conflicts with what you see on the menu in front of you, the menu in front of you is right.
FAQ
What is a chicken critter at Texas Roadhouse?
A Chicken Critter is the restaurant’s hand-breaded fried chicken tender. The same tenders are used in the Chicken Critters starter, the Chicken Critters dinner and the Chicken Critter Salad.
How much is the Chicken Critter Salad at Texas Roadhouse?
Roughly $11.99 to $14.99 depending on your location. Texas Roadhouse sets prices per restaurant, so check your specific store’s online menu for the exact figure.
Does the Chicken Critter Salad come with two sides?
No. Only entrees include two sides. Salads are served on their own with your choice of dressing, though the free unlimited rolls and cinnamon butter still apply at dine-in.
Is the chicken on the Chicken Critter Salad fried or grilled?
Fried and hand-breaded by default. Most locations will substitute grilled chicken on request, which effectively makes it the grilled chicken salad.
How many calories are in the Chicken Critter Salad?
There is no reliably published figure. The tenders alone are listed at 480 calories in the dinner portion, and cheese, egg, croutons and dressing add substantially. Check the calorie count printed on your location’s menu.
What dressing goes best with it?
Honey mustard and ranch are the common picks and pair well with breaded chicken. Ask for dressing on the side so the greens do not sit in it while the chicken cools.
Can I order the Chicken Critter Salad for takeout?
Yes. Order through the restaurant’s own app or site, and ask for the chicken and dressing packed separately so the breading does not steam in a sealed container.
Is the salad cheaper than the Chicken Critters dinner?
Usually by a few dollars, but the dinner includes two sides worth about $6 together. If you want sides, the dinner is better value; if you want a lighter plate, the salad is the right call.
Related guides
- Texas Roadhouse menu with full prices by category
- smaller midday portions and lunch pricing
- how the early dine discount works
- what to expect ordering to go