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

Ask for the entree with rice and beans on the side, eat the chicken first, and skip the chip basket until the 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 Chuy's orders

Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom Enchiladas

Lunch style

Entree only, rice and beans on the side (not counted)

540calories43gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 30% of your calories and 41% of your protein for the day.

Chicken Tacos Al Carbon with Rice

Carb meal

Chicken tacos al carbon plus a side of Mexican rice

740calories50gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 41% of your calories and 48% of your protein for the day.

Tortilla Soup Bowl

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 Chuy'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.

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 Chuy'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 Chuy's?

Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom Enchiladas: Entree only, rice and beans on the side (not counted). It comes to about 540 calories and 43g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at Chuy'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 chicka-chicka boom-boom enchiladas is 30% of that day with 41% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

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

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Chicken Fajita Panchos (1,780 calories), Chicken Quesadilla (1,240 calories).

Can I eat Chuy'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 Chuy's fits fine. Ask for the entree with rice and beans on the side, eat the chicken first, and skip the chip basket until the carb meal.