Chili's Triple Dipper has a day's worth of calories and a lot of sodium. How to make the popular appetizer a little healthier, according to dietitians

Updated ·3 min read
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Chili’s Triple Dipper
Chili’s Triple Dipper includes three appetizers and three sauces. (Chili's)

Chili’s Triple Dipper has taken TikTok by storm and is driving sales too. According to the CEO officer of Brinker International, Chili’s parent company, the dish consisting of three appetizers and three sauces accounted for 40% of Chili’s sales growth last quarter.

With options such as Southwest egg rolls, fried mozzarella and sliders, you don’t have to be a nutrition genius to realize that the Triple Dipper is big on calories. But how bad is it really? And is there a way to make it healthier? Here’s what dietitians think.

Chili’s Triple Dipper includes three servings of three appetizers and three sauces of your choosing. Customers can pick from a suite of 12 appetizers, including wings, mozzarella sticks, Southwest egg rolls, sliders and chicken tenders. Sauce options include ranch, honey mustard, blue cheese and house barbecue.

The total calorie content of a Triple Dipper order ranges from 1,740 to 3,920 calories, which is more than a day's calorie intake for many. A quick glance at the nutrition facts also reveals that even the least salty combinations provide roughly 4,500 mg of sodium per order, almost double the daily recommended sodium intake.

Alexandria Hardy, a dietitian and owner of Pennsylvania Nutrition Services, says that the least healthy choices would be the Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers at 1,050 calories and Big Mouth Bites at 850 calories. The Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers are also heavy on calories (900 big ones), saturated fat and sodium and are another choice to skip or swap if you order a Triple Dipper. “Consuming these foods regularly may negatively impact cholesterol and blood pressure,” says Hardy.

If you don’t want to pass up this popular dish, Hardy recommends choosing boneless wings with buffalo sauce (630 calories) or traditional buffalo wings (580 calories) and/or Crispy Chicken Crispers without sauce (590 calories). “These options offer moderate calories, lower sugar and higher protein,” says Hardy. “While sodium remains high, they can fit into a balanced diet when eaten occasionally.”

Splitting the Triple Dipper with others — or at least taking some of it home so you don’t eat it all in one sitting — can also help curtail your calorie, fat and sodium intake from this TikTok-famous menu item. Hardy notes that pairing the Triple Dipper “with lighter sides like salad, asparagus or steamed broccoli can help add color and antioxidants to your meal.” Vegetable sides can add volume and improve satiety.

Melissa Mitri, registered dietitian and owner of Melissa Mitri Nutrition, also recommends being mindful of the sauces you're choosing when ordering a Triple Dipper. “To make these options healthier, you can omit blue cheese or ranch, request your server to go light on the sauce, or ask for sauce on the side so you have control over how much you're adding.”

Chili’s Triple Dipper is undoubtedly an indulgence. While occasionally dabbling in a Triple Dipper with friends is OK for most people, devouring this dish on a regular basis will likely have a negative impact on your health, especially cholesterol levels, blood pressure and weight.

Edwina Clark is a registered dietitian.

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