I Tried And Ranked 5 Texas Roadhouse Chicken Dinners

Texas Roadhouse is one of the more affordable steakhouses out there — $100 will get you pretty far. That's likely one reason people line up outside right when it opens, or why there's a 20-minute wait at 5 p.m. on a Saturday — I've witnessed both firsthand. But perhaps you've held back from frequenting the chain because you aren't in the mood for something heavy like steak. Well, the steakhouse restaurant actually has several chicken dinners on the menu. I tested five of the global menu items (every one that my location had). But you might find a regional option at your store — mine actually had two regional dishes, which I excluded from this review.

I decided to base my ranking on overall flavor, seasoning, and the chicken's texture. Value comes up a couple of times, too. All dishes come with two sides that the customer can choose; they are not factored into this ranking, as choices may vary. (They can, however, affect the overall flavor and satiety of the meal). Therefore, I'm judging the chicken dinner solely on the meat itself. 

I found that a lot of the rankings vary by personal preference, so don't take offense if my least favorite is your favorite. I actually have some insights about that since I visited with a few people, which I will share when relevant. Next time you go to Texas Roadhouse and want something other than steak, consider snagging one of these chicken dinners.

The Grilled BBQ Chicken lives up to its name, but it just feels a bit boring to me. It features ½ pound of marinated chicken breast dripping in the Texas Roadhouse BBQ sauce and two sides. The grilled part is the most exciting, offering a welcome touch of smokiness that I always appreciate for chicken. The barbecue sauce is fine and flavorful, with a tomatoey touch and hints of smoke and sweetness. 

Still, I feel like this is one of the easier dishes to make, so I don't think I'd want to brave the Texas Roadhouse wait time for it. The chicken has a great, easy-to-eat texture, but overall, the dish didn't inspire me. However, two people in my party said this was among their favorites, so it's clearly a winner for some. I'm not typically a barbecue sauce adorer — it's good, but not my favorite sauce of all time — so that's probably a contributing factor. 

However, you can top your chicken with blue cheese crumbles or smother it with sautéed mushrooms and onions for an extra charge, so I'd likely go with the latter if I were to order it again. I feel like the Killer Ribs appetizer (which I tried when I ranked all the apps) is a bit more interesting for a BBQ item, with a better flavor and fall-off-the-bone texture.

Chicken tenders are a staple; it's something many folks fall back on if nothing else on a restaurant menu sounds good. Therefore, it's a welcome option for Texas Roadhouse to include. I have to say, they are really good. While the Grilled BBQ Chicken was fine, the Chicken Critters stand out more for their quality. They're wonderfully crisp and fresh, without seeming excessively oily like other tenders I've had. Rather than wiping grease off my fingers, I cleaned off tiny, flavorful breading crumbs. They are peppery and go beyond the floury exterior of a dull frozen tender.

Additionally, the chicken is fantastic — supple, but at the midpoint between dry and juicy. At Texas Roadhouse, the white meat tenders are served with your choice of dipping sauce, from honey mustard to ranch. This can certainly further enrich the experience with more dynamic flavor and even some moistening qualities. I'd get these creatures — excuse me, Critters — again without question. They're not the most complex of the chicken options I tried, which keeps the ranking low, but they are well-made, and I'd get them any time over the BBQ Chicken. My husband said this was one of his favorites as well — clearly, they are top-tier tendies. You can even transform them into sliders by cutting them into smaller pieces, adding them to one of the chain's iconic soft rolls, and slathering on your desired sauce.

The Country Fried Chicken hits the spot for fried chicken, but with a thinner cutlet. Rather than breaded strips, we get a flattened, hand-breaded fried chicken breast. The overall flavor seems very similar to the Chicken Critters, but the texture sets it apart dramatically. There's a thinner, more delicate piece of chicken that I find feels really nicely balanced with the crisp, breaded exterior. It also has a peppery note, but it's far from dry thanks to the addition of your choice of gravy: cream or brown. They're both pretty good, so you can't go wrong. 

I would say the cream one is considerably thicker and more viscous than the slightly runnier brown sauce. The cream gravy is a little more peppery, whereas the brown has a deep, savory flavor. Your server may be really nice and give you both, as mine did. It was also deemed a favorite by a couple of the people I visited with — if you're sensing a pattern, each item is somebody's favorite, and you can't go wrong. But only you know how you like your chicken. If you prefer a thinner breast with crunchy breading for textural contrast, this is a great way to go. I ranked this over the Critters because the gravy adds plenty of flavor and moisture, making it an even more complex dish. I also prefer the consistency and thinness of the chicken in this dish.

The Herb Crusted Chicken was the only dish that no one else called out as a favorite from my group — I was met with comments such as "but it's just grilled chicken." However, it is a popular dish, beloved by people online, and I have to agree that it's excellent. If you are sensitive to chicken's taste and texture, I think this is a really fantastic option, especially when you don't want something breaded. It is still juicy as you carve into it, but it's easy to cut through. The flame-grilled exterior crust adds a slightly firmer consistency that makes it more compelling to chew on while offering heaps of salty, seasoned flavor. It doesn't need dipping sauces or gravy to make it taste good, whereas the Country Fried Chicken needs gravy, and the Critters are better with a sauce to dunk them in. 

The caramelized lemon that comes with it adds further flavor and moisture, which I think rounds out the dish. I'd consider this more of a seasoning ingredient than a condiment (like gravy or ranch) — similar to how one adds lemon to salmon; it draws out the flavors better. If you prefer the chicken to speak for itself, grab the Herb Crusted Chicken. 

You can dress it up with sauce if you want to add that in or order it smothered (sauteed mushrooms and onions), but the chicken is incredible by itself. It may seem plain, but it's loaded with seasoning and a mouth-watering exterior char. It's even better with whatever sides you pick. However, the next option offers the most flavorsome bite and textural intrigue that makes it my primary pick.

The Smothered Chicken finds itself as my first-place winner, winner chicken dinner, for multiple reasons. The first is because it's almost like getting a full side on top of your chicken; therefore, it feels a lot more satisfying, nourishing, and like a terrific value. It comes with mushrooms and onions, which add plenty of saltiness. You can add melted cheese on top for richness, or opt for the brown or cream gravy. My server was very kind and gave me gravy on the side anyway. 

Another reason I love the dish is that cheese and veggies make every bite thoroughly creamy and savory, which goes beyond breading and sauce alone. The mushrooms' incredibly meaty, chewy texture only further enhances the dining experience. That said, don't underestimate the grilled chicken itself. It has a satisfying smokiness that you can taste in each bite, while the interior remains succulent. 

The Smothered Chicken has the most textural dimension and flavor intrigue, which is the biggest reason it comes in as my top dish. The chicken feels juicy and delectable, which is exactly what I was looking for in this taste test. The Herb Crusted Chicken is a flavorful Texas Roadhouse poultry dish, but the Smothered Chicken has so much more going for it. It'd be the first meal I'd get again. Given how much I enjoyed the mushrooms, I wonder how I'd like the Portobello Mushroom Chicken, one of the chain restaurant's best hidden gems.

I'll be honest: I had a very tough time coming up with this ranking. I felt there was overlap among various chicken dishes, so I ultimately based my ranking on my own opinions. I determined my final rankings based on the chicken's flavors and texture. I was looking for a well-seasoned, slightly thinner piece of chicken that wasn't super thick and chunky. It needed to be juicy and flavorful without any chewy, tendinous bits. I dined in the restaurant to ensure freshness; things like breading and temperature would have been affected if I'd ordered them to go. My table was absolutely packed with the five dishes and therefore 10 sides. I actually wouldn't recommend getting any of them to go, as reheating the chicken dries it out — I did so with the leftovers, if you're wondering.

Additionally, I visited Texas Roadhouse with three other adults, a teenager, and a toddler. I include insights beyond my own, so you have context on who might like certain dishes and whether it is a better option for you or your family. I also included this additional background information to reinforce the idea that people seem to have preferences that would impact the ranking; one is not objectively the worst.