What oil does Chili's fry in?
Chili's cooks with soybean oil (confirmed in Chili's ingredient/allergen disclosures).
The 5 cleanest things to order at Chili's
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Sweet Chili Zing | 0.0g |
| Seared Shrimp - Full Order | 1.2g |
| Loaded Baked Potato, Bowl | 1.6g |
| Cup of Terlingua Chili | 2.0g |
| Bowl of Terlingua Chili | 3.0g |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the Chili's report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index.
Frequently asked
Does Chili's use beef tallow?
No. Chili's cooks with soybean oil (confirmed in Chili's ingredient/allergen disclosures), not beef tallow. See which chains fry in real fats on Tallow Watch.