Texas Roadhouse Changed This Fan-Favorite Item Years Ago — And People Still Aren't Over It

It may be a beloved steakhouse chain first and foremost, but Texas Roadhouse has many delicious menu items that aren't steak at all. And a fan-favorite dish that customers raved about were the chicken critters. At least, until Texas Roadhouse changed the recipe. As a Reddit user stated, "The old, crispy Critters from Texas Roadhouse back before 2017-2018... were fresh, scalding hot, and [...] were untouchable in the chain restaurant game." Indeed, another Redditor proclaimed they were their favorite tenders, hence why a third user acknowledged they were "so disappointed when I ordered [a while] back and they were regular breaded tenders you can get anywhere." Sadly, the chicken critters have fallen from grace, becoming one of the worst things about Texas Roadhouse, according to customers. 

To that effect, a Change.org petition laid out the grievance that countless fans have expressed, arguing, "Texas Roadhouse decided to give the middle finger to its loyal customers and change the recipe to their chicken critters. They replaced the crunchy and tasteful chicken with new bland, grease soaked crud." In fact, you might be better off buying frozen tenders to crisp up in an air fryer instead. While Texas Roadhouse hand dips the chicken in buttermilk batter for a moist and juicy interior, customers can't get past the disappointingly heavy, thick texture and flavorless taste of the exterior. Consequently, tons of petitions have been set up to revive the old recipe, garnering hundreds of signatures.

While Texas Roadhouse vowed to make some big changes in 2026, including implementing service improving technology and selling more branded products like Texas Roadhouse's iconic store-bought rolls. But customers hope that their calls to bring back the chain's original chicken critters recipe result in it turning back the clock to the good ol' days. This may be a distinct possibility, but in the meantime, Reddit users have taken to the internet to share copycat recipes for the original chicken critters. A purported former Texas Roadhouse employee provided a step-by-step recipe that he followed to make the chicken critters back in their glory days. According to this Redditor, the chicken critter recipe starts with "a citrus based marinade they have, then they add hot sauce and pickle juice." 

The marinade has a buttermilk foundation with plenty of spices that include garlic, onion, seasoned salt, and paprika. That said, pickle juice could just be the unusual flavor that makes Texas Roadhouse chicken tenders taste so good. The same marinade spice blend is used to season the breading flour too. However, the way the original tenders come out so shatteringly crunchy and light is still a mystery. Some surmise that the tenders are hand-dipped in a tempura-like batter made with the seasoned flour and a dash of club soda to create that light and airy crisp before being thrown into the deep fryer, which would account for the big change. Using a deep fryer comes with plenty of tips of its own too.