★ Popular$15.49Country Fried Chicken
Tender, white meat chicken breast, hand-battered, golden-fried and topped with choice of gravy. Served with choice of two sides.
500 cal
Texas Roadhouse Chicken Critters
All white meat chicken tenders, golden-fried and lightly crispy. Served with choice of two sides.
About Texas Roadhouse Chicken Critters
Chicken Critters are the Texas Roadhouse name for what other places call tenders, except these are battered by hand and fried when you order them, never pulled from a freezer bag. The dinner runs $14.49 with two sides at 480 calories for the chicken itself, honest numbers for fried chicken done fresh.
The Critters show up all over the menu because they earn it: in the $19.99 combo with sirloin, on the Critter Salad, in the kids Ranger baskets and on most Early Dine cards. The dinner portion with cream gravy for dipping is the full expression, and it converts nugget-hardened adults nightly.
Texas Roadhouse Chicken Critters Calories
480calories
Per standard serving of Chicken Critters ($14.49). A single Chicken Critters is best enjoyed shared or as part of a full meal.
* Calorie values are approximate and may vary by location and preparation.
How to Make Texas Roadhouse Chicken Critters at Home
Buttermilk-soaked chicken strips in a craggy seasoned crust, fried gold. The wet-hand dry-hand method builds the ragged coating the restaurant gets.
Ingredients
4 servings
Chicken
- 1½ lbs chicken tenderloins
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Cream Gravy
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
0 of 5 steps
- 1Soak tenders in buttermilk and hot sauce, 30 minutes to overnight. · 30 min
- 2Season the flour. Drizzle 2 tbsp of the soak into it and rub to make shaggy crumbs. · 3 minTip: Those wet crumbs fry into the craggy shards that make them Critters.
- 3Dredge tenders hard, pressing flour on. Rest 5 minutes so the coating sets. · 8 min
- 4Fry at 350°F, 4 to 5 minutes to golden and 165°F inside. · 10 min
- 5For gravy: cook butter and flour 1 minute, whisk in milk, simmer to thick, pepper heavily. · 5 min
Pro Tips
- Rest the dredged tenders before frying or the crust slides off.
- Fry in batches of four; crowded oil means pale chicken.
- Salt them the second they leave the oil.
Variations
Buffalo Critters
Toss half the batch in buffalo butter sauce for a hybrid basket.
Oven-Fried
Spray heavily, bake at 425°F on a rack 18 minutes, flipping once.
Serving Ideas
- Cream gravy for dipping, mashed potatoes beside, the Roadhouse plate.
- Over waffles when breakfast and dinner collide.
- Cold Critters at midnight need no defense.
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★ PopularFrom $14.49Frequently Asked Questions
How much are Chicken Critters?
The dinner is $14.49 with two made-from-scratch sides. They also appear in combos from $18.49 and kids baskets at $10.99.
How many calories are Chicken Critters?
About 480 calories for the dinner portion before sides and gravy.
What sauce comes with them?
Cream gravy, honey mustard, ranch or BBQ on request. The made-from-scratch cream gravy is the house move.
Are they frozen tenders?
No. The chicken is fresh, hand battered and fried to order, which is why they arrive hotter and craggier than chain tenders.
What is the best Critters order for value?
The Critters & Sirloin combo at $19.99 adds a whole steak for $5.50 more.