Texas Roadhouse healthy options center on the 6 oz Hand-Cut Sirloin at 250 calories, Herb Crusted Chicken at 260, Grilled BBQ Chicken at 300, the 6 oz Dallas Filet at 270 and 5 oz Grilled Salmon at 410, paired with plain vegetable sides.
What are the healthy options at Texas Roadhouse?
The healthy options at Texas Roadhouse are the grilled proteins: sirloin, filet, herb crusted or grilled BBQ chicken, and grilled salmon, all between 250 and 410 calories as listed, served with vegetable sides instead of loaded potatoes or fried starters.
There is no dedicated “light” or “under 500” menu section at Texas Roadhouse, so the work falls on you. The good news is that the steakhouse format is genuinely friendly to a lighter meal: the protein is grilled rather than breaded, portions are sold by ounce so you can pick a smaller cut, and every side is ordered separately rather than bundled. The bad news is that the same menu contains a 2,250-calorie appetizer, so the gap between the lightest and heaviest orders is enormous.
One thing to be clear about before reading any table: the calorie figures published for entrees describe the entree as listed, not the full plate. A 250-calorie sirloin is 250 calories of steak. The sides, the butter, the rolls and the drink are all on top.
Which entrees have the lowest calories?
The lowest-calorie entrees are the 6 oz Hand-Cut Sirloin at 250 calories, Herb Crusted Chicken at 260, the 6 oz Dallas Filet at 270 and Grilled BBQ Chicken at 300. Grilled salmon, pork chops and shrimp sit in the 410 to 670 range.
| Entree | Calories | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand-Cut Sirloin 6 oz | 250 | $16.99 | Lowest-calorie full entree |
| Herb Crusted Chicken | 260 | $18.49 | Grilled, not breaded |
| Dallas Filet 6 oz | 270 | $26.99 | Leanest cut, highest price |
| Grilled BBQ Chicken | 300 | $16.99 | Sauce adds sugar |
| Hand-Cut Sirloin 8 oz | 340 | $18.99 | +90 cal over the 6 oz |
| Dallas Filet 8 oz | 360 | $29.99 | |
| Grilled Salmon 5 oz | 410 | $15.99 | Best value lighter pick |
| Smothered Chicken | 430 | $19.49 | Cheese and onions included |
| Grilled Pork Chops (single) | 440 | $15.99 | |
| Grilled Salmon 8 oz | 560 | $21.99 | |
| New York Strip 12 oz | 640 | $22.99 | Fattier cut than sirloin |
| Filet 6 oz + Grilled Shrimp | 630 | $32.99 | Lightest combo plate |
| Grilled Shrimp | 670 | $17.49 | Butter-basted |
Two comparisons are worth internalising. First, the 6 oz sirloin at 250 calories costs $16.99 while the 6 oz filet at 270 calories costs $26.99, so the sirloin is the better calorie-per-dollar choice unless you specifically want the filet texture. Second, stepping a sirloin from 6 oz to 8 oz costs 90 calories, while stepping from a 12 oz ribeye (960) to a 6 oz sirloin saves 710. Cut choice matters far more than portion size.
Which sides keep the plate light?
Green beans, fresh vegetables, a plain baked potato and the house salad are the lighter sides. Texas Roadhouse sides are $2.99 each and range roughly from about 120 to 500 calories, so exact figures should be checked in the official nutrition guide before you count them.
Practical notes that matter more than the exact numbers:
- Baked potato: lightest when ordered plain. Butter, sour cream and cheese are what turn it into a heavy side, and they are usually added by default.
- Fresh vegetables and green beans: the two most reliably light choices, but both are commonly finished with butter, and green beans at many locations are cooked with pork or bacon. Ask.
- House salad: light until the cheese, croutons and a full ladle of ranch go on. Dressing on the side is the single highest-leverage change on this menu.
- Skip: loaded sides, mac and cheese (280 calories in the kids’ portion alone), fries and anything described as loaded or cheesy.
Which menu items blow the calorie budget?
The Cactus Blossom at 2,250 calories is the highest-calorie item on the menu and exceeds a full day’s intake for many adults. Tater Skins (1,320), Cheese Fries (1,240), a full slab of ribs (1,450) and the Big Ol’ Brownie (1,290) are the other main traps.
| Item | Calories | Price | Lighter swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cactus Blossom | 2,250 | $8.99 | Share, or skip the starter |
| Ribeye 12 oz + Ribs | 1,510 | $29.99 | Sirloin 6 oz (250) |
| Full Slab Baby Back Ribs | 1,450 | $24.99 | Half slab (900) |
| Tater Skins | 1,320 | $11.99 | House salad |
| Ribeye 12 oz + Grilled Shrimp | 1,320 | $28.99 | Filet 6 oz + shrimp (630) |
| Big Ol’ Brownie | 1,290 | $7.99 | Split four ways |
| Cheese Fries | 1,240 | $11.99 | Fried Pickles (550) |
| Country Fried Sirloin | 1,180 | $17.49 | Sirloin 6 oz (250) |
| Ft. Worth Ribeye 14 oz | 1,120 | $27.49 | NY Strip 12 oz (640) |
| Granny’s Apple Classic | 1,110 | $6.99 | Share or skip |
| Fried Catfish 3-piece | 990 | $19.49 | Grilled salmon 5 oz (410) |
| Beef Tips | 960 | $16.99 | Herb Crusted Chicken (260) |
Notice the pattern: breading and cheese, not meat, drive the biggest numbers. Country Fried Sirloin is 1,180 calories against 250 for the same protein hand-cut and grilled. That single swap is worth more than any amount of side-dish discipline.
Do the free rolls ruin a light meal?
Rolls run about 230 calories each plain and roughly 300 to 330 with cinnamon butter. They are free, unlimited and arrive before you order, so three rolls with butter can reach 900 to 1,000 calories, more than most entrees on the menu.
The rolls are white-flour yeast bread, so they are close to pure refined carbohydrate at roughly 30 g each. The cinnamon butter is whipped butter with honey, cinnamon and powdered sugar at about 110 calories per serving. If you want a light meal, the honest options are to ask the server not to bring the basket, to take one roll and have the rest boxed immediately, or to eat one plain and count it. Willpower at a table with an unlimited free bread basket is not a plan.
How do you build a meal under 600 calories?
Pair a sub-300-calorie entree with vegetable sides and skip the rolls. A 6 oz sirloin with green beans and a plain baked potato realistically lands in the 500 to 700 range depending on side preparation, so verify side figures before treating any total as exact.
| Build | Entree calories | Add-ons | Approximate total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 oz Sirloin + 2 vegetable sides, no rolls | 250 | Sides vary 120-500 each | ~490-750 |
| Herb Crusted Chicken + house salad, dressing on side | 260 | Salad varies | ~400-600 |
| Grilled Salmon 5 oz + green beans | 410 | One vegetable side | ~530-700 |
| 6 oz Sirloin + 1 plain roll, no butter | 250 | Roll 230 | ~480 |
| Grilled BBQ Chicken + 3 rolls with butter | 300 | Rolls ~900-1,000 | ~1,200-1,300 |
The last row is the point of the table. A carefully chosen 300-calorie entree gets erased four times over by the bread basket. Order the light entree and manage the rolls, or the light entree does nothing.
How do you order a lighter plate?
Ask for the steak plain or lightly seasoned, dressing on the side, no butter on the vegetables, and a plain baked potato with toppings served separately. Every one of these is a normal request that the kitchen handles routinely.
- Say “no butter finish” explicitly. Steaks and vegetables are commonly buttered at the pass, and the published figures may not reflect what your plate gets.
- Order the sides as sides. At $2.99 each you can build a plate of vegetables without an entree at all.
- Box half at the start. The 8 oz cuts are 90 to 110 calories more than the 6 oz versions; if only the larger size is available, split it before you begin.
- Watch the drink. Sweet tea and margaritas are not counted in any entree figure on this page.
- Sauces are sugar. BBQ sauce, glazes and honey mustard add up quickly; ask for them on the side.
What if you have allergies or a medical diet?
Texas Roadhouse has no dedicated allergen-free fryers or prep areas, so cross-contact is possible on every item regardless of ingredients. Tell your server and ask for the manager, request the current in-store allergen guide, and confirm preparation at your specific location.
This matters for lighter ordering too. The steak seasoning blend contains multiple ingredients, so ask for no seasoning if you are avoiding a specific one or watching sodium. Fries share a fryer with breaded meat items. Green beans are frequently cooked with pork at many locations. Nothing on this page should be read as a statement that an item is safe for a severe allergy — no dish at a shared-kitchen restaurant can be described that way honestly.
If you are managing a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease or celiac, confirm preparation details with the restaurant and check your plan with your own clinician. This is a consumer menu guide, not dietary or medical advice.
How accurate are these numbers?
The calorie figures here come from published chain nutrition data and were verified in July 2026. Chain restaurants are required to post calorie information for standard menu items, but figures describe a standard preparation, not the plate you personally receive.
Specific limitations worth knowing:
- Entree figures are entree-only. They exclude sides, rolls, butter, sauces and drinks unless the item name says otherwise.
- Side calories are given as a range (roughly 120 to 500) because individual side figures are not confirmed here. Check the official nutrition guide published on texasroadhouse.com for exact per-side numbers; we link to it rather than reproducing it.
- Hand-cut steaks vary. Steaks are cut in-house, so actual weight and trim differ slightly plate to plate.
- Preparation varies by location. Butter finishing, seasoning and whether vegetables are cooked with pork are kitchen-level practices that differ between restaurants.
- Prices vary by market and are shown for comparison, not as a quote.
- We are independent. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by Texas Roadhouse. For binding nutrition and allergen data, use the official guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the healthiest thing to order at Texas Roadhouse?
The 6 oz Hand-Cut Sirloin at 250 calories with two vegetable sides and no rolls is the strongest all-round choice. Herb Crusted Chicken at 260 calories and the 5 oz Grilled Salmon at 410 are close alternatives, and salmon at $15.99 is the best value of the three.
What is the lowest-calorie steak at Texas Roadhouse?
The 6 oz Hand-Cut Sirloin at 250 calories, followed by the 6 oz Dallas Filet at 270. Both are far lighter than the 12 oz Ft. Worth Ribeye at 960 calories or the 23 oz Porterhouse T-Bone at 1,040.
How many calories are in a Texas Roadhouse roll?
About 230 calories plain, and roughly 300 to 330 with cinnamon butter. The butter alone is around 110 calories per serving. Three buttered rolls total roughly 900 to 1,000 calories, comparable to a full slab of ribs.
Can you eat at Texas Roadhouse on a diet?
Yes, more easily than at most casual chains, because the proteins are grilled and sides are ordered separately. A sub-500-calorie plate is achievable with a 6 oz sirloin or grilled chicken plus vegetables. The variable that decides the outcome is the free bread basket.
What is the highest-calorie item on the Texas Roadhouse menu?
The Cactus Blossom appetizer at 2,250 calories. The Ribeye and Ribs combo (1,510), a full slab of Baby Back Ribs (1,450), Tater Skins (1,320) and the Big Ol’ Brownie (1,290) follow.
Are Texas Roadhouse sides healthy?
The vegetable sides can be, but preparation decides it. Sides are $2.99 each and range from roughly 120 to 500 calories. Vegetables are often finished with butter and green beans are commonly cooked with pork at many locations, so ask before assuming.
Does Texas Roadhouse have a low-calorie or light menu section?
No. There is no dedicated light menu. Calories are printed on the menu as required for chain restaurants, so you can compare items directly, but you have to assemble the lighter meal yourself from grilled entrees and plain sides.
Is grilled chicken a better choice than steak here?
Not automatically. Herb Crusted Chicken is 260 calories and the 6 oz sirloin is 250, so the sirloin is marginally lighter. Breaded chicken is a different story: Country Fried Chicken is 780 calories and Chicken Critters are 480.