Eating out / Burgers & American / Chili's

What I'd Order at Chili's to Lose Weight

I treat the fajita platter as a protein plate and leave the tortillas and chips for the dinner carb meal.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

My Chili's orders

Grilled Chicken Fajitas without tortilla

Lunch style

Skip the tortillas, eat the chicken and peppers first

511calories63gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 28% of your calories and 60% of your protein for the day.

Guiltless Grill Margarita Grilled Chicken

Carb meal

As served, protein first, rice last

651calories55gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 36% of your calories and 52% of your protein for the day.

Classic Ribeye plus steamed broccoli

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 59 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The rule at Chili's: the lunch style order is built on protein, fat and fiber. The carb meal is the one you have when this is your dinner, or the one meal of the day you're spending your carbs on.

Skip these at Chili's

Crispy Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers & Waffles2,603 cal
Quesadilla Explosion Salad1,411 cal

Numbers from Chili's's published nutrition data via fastfoodnutrition.org. Menus change, so check before you order.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including Chili's. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the best high protein order at Chili's?

Grilled Chicken Fajitas without tortilla: Skip the tortillas, eat the chicken and peppers first. It comes to about 511 calories and 63g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at Chili's to lose weight?

It depends on your goal weight. I use goal weight x 12 for daily calories, so a 150 lb goal is 1,800 calories a day and a lunch around 500 to 800 of them. The grilled chicken fajitas without tortilla is 28% of that day with 60% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

What should I avoid at Chili's if I'm trying to lose weight?

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Crispy Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers & Waffles (2,603 calories), Quesadilla Explosion Salad (1,411 calories).

Can I eat Chili's and still lose fat?

Yes. I've never told a client to stop eating out. Build the order around protein, keep the carbs for one meal a day, and Chili's fits fine. I treat the fajita platter as a protein plate and leave the tortillas and chips for the dinner carb meal.