How many calories are in a Zaxby's Cobb salad? A complete nutritional guide

December 31, 2025 •

4 min read

A Zaxby's Cobb salad can vary significantly in its calorie count, ranging from approximately 530 to over 800 calories depending on whether you choose grilled chicken, fried chicken, or the garden version. The final number is heavily influenced by your choice of protein, toppings, and dressing.

Quick Summary

The calorie count for a Zaxby's Cobb salad is not a single number, but a range influenced by your protein and dressing selections. Understanding the nutritional differences between the grilled, fried, and garden versions is essential for managing your dietary intake.

Key Points

Calories Vary Greatly: The final calorie count of a Zaxby's Cobb salad is not fixed, ranging from around 530 to over 800 depending on the protein choice.
Choose Grilled for Fewer Calories: Opting for grilled chicken over fried is the single most effective way to lower the calorie and fat content of your meal.
Dressing Adds Significant Calories: Creamy dressings like Ranch or Blue Cheese can add over 100 calories per packet, while the Lite Vinaigrette is a much lighter alternative.
Customize Your Toppings: Skipping high-calorie additions like Texas Toast, bacon, and fried onions is a simple strategy to further reduce the total calorie count.
Monitor Sodium Intake: The Cobb salad, especially with fried chicken and creamy dressing, can be high in sodium, which is important to consider for those monitoring their salt intake.
High-Protein Meal: Despite its potential for high calories, a Zaxby's Cobb salad offers a substantial amount of protein, especially with chicken, making it a very filling meal.

Zaxby's Cobb Salad: Calorie Breakdown by Preparation

Zaxby's offers several versions of its signature Cobb salad, or "Zalad," each with a different calorie profile. The primary factors that influence the total count are the type of chicken added and the dressing chosen. To give you a clear picture, let's break down the nutritional facts for each variant based on standard portion sizes which include mixed greens, carrots, red cabbage, cheddar jack cheese, bacon, hard-boiled egg, cucumbers, tomatoes, fried onions, and Texas Toast.

The Fried Cobb Zalad

For many, the appeal of a Zaxby's salad is the classic fried chicken fingers. However, this indulgence comes at a higher caloric cost. The Fried Cobb Zalad is the most calorically dense option. The salad, without dressing, comes in at approximately 820 calories. This version includes fried chicken fingers and fried onions, which contribute significantly to the total fat and calorie count. When a creamy dressing like Ranch is added, the total calorie count can easily exceed 950 or even 1,000 calories.

The Grilled Cobb Zalad

Choosing grilled chicken is a popular way to reduce the calorie and fat content of your meal without sacrificing protein. The Grilled Cobb Zalad, which includes a grilled chicken breast fillet, starts at a much more moderate calorie count. Without dressing, this salad is around 680-700 calories. While still a substantial meal, it represents a significant saving of about 120-140 calories compared to its fried counterpart.

The Garden Cobb Zalad

For those who prefer a vegetarian option, Zaxby's also offers a Garden Cobb Zalad. This version omits the chicken entirely but still includes all the other ingredients, like cheese, egg, bacon, fried onions, and Texas toast. The Garden Cobb Zalad clocks in at around 530 calories before dressing, making it the lightest of the Cobb varieties that still contain the classic fixings.

The Impact of Dressing and Other Toppings

The choice of dressing is one of the most critical decisions when it comes to the final calorie count of your meal. Zaxby's offers a variety of dressings, with widely different calorie values per packet.

Dressing Calorie Comparison (per 1 oz packet)

Ranch Dressing: Approximately 129-150 calories
Blue Cheese Dressing: Approximately 140-180 calories
Honey Mustard Dressing: Approximately 110-150 calories
Lite Vinaigrette Dressing: Approximately 30-35 calories
Zax Sauce: Approximately 150 calories

Choosing the Lite Vinaigrette instead of Ranch can save you over 100 calories per packet. Given that a typical order includes at least one packet, this change adds up quickly. Furthermore, other standard components like the slice of Texas Toast add about 150 calories and 7g of fat, while toppings such as fried onions and cheese also add calories and fat.

How to Customize for a Lower Calorie Meal

If you are mindful of your calorie intake, there are several simple modifications you can make to your Zaxby's Cobb salad order to enjoy a satisfying meal without a heavy calorie load.

To reduce the calorie count, consider these steps:

Choose Grilled Chicken: The simplest and most effective way to save calories is to opt for the grilled chicken over the fried version. This swap alone can cut over 100 calories.
Select Lite Vinaigrette: Ditch the creamy, high-calorie dressings and opt for the Lite Vinaigrette. You can even ask for less dressing or get it on the side to control your portion.
Skip the Texas Toast: The Texas Toast is a delicious side, but it comes with a significant calorie penalty. Opting out will save you around 150 calories.
Limit Toppings: Items like bacon, fried onions, and extra cheese, while flavorful, are not essential. You can easily remove these from your order to trim calories further.

Cobb Salad Comparison Table

Here is a simple table to compare the approximate nutritional values of the main Zaxby's Cobb Zalad variations before dressing:


Zaxby's Cobb Zalad	Approx. Calories (No Dressing)	Total Fat (g)	Protein (g)	Sodium (mg)
Fried Chicken	780	45	55	2,130
Grilled Chicken	680	35	58	1,820
Garden (No Chicken)	530	34	27	910

Note: Calorie counts can vary slightly depending on the source and specific preparation.

A Final Word on Choosing Wisely

While the Zaxby's Cobb salad is not a low-calorie meal by default, it offers a high-protein, filling option for a quick-service restaurant. By making informed choices, you can significantly alter its nutritional impact. Choosing grilled chicken, opting for a vinaigrette over a creamy dressing, and holding the toast can transform the meal into a much lighter fare. This customization allows you to enjoy the fresh ingredients and flavor while staying on track with your dietary goals. For the most accurate and up-to-date nutritional information, it is always best to consult Zaxby's official nutrition portal.

Visit the Zaxby's Nutrition Calculator for specific menu item details

Frequently Asked Questions

The Fried Cobb Zalad at Zaxby's contains approximately 780 calories, before adding dressing or the Texas Toast.

The Grilled Cobb Zalad at Zaxby's has about 680 calories, before accounting for dressing or the Texas Toast.

The Texas Toast served with the Cobb salad adds approximately 150 calories per slice.

Zaxby's Ranch dressing adds a significant number of calories. One 1 oz packet contains between 129 and 150 calories.

For the lowest calorie option, choose Zaxby's Lite Vinaigrette dressing. It contains only about 30-35 calories per packet.

Yes, Zaxby's offers a Garden Cobb Zalad, which is a vegetarian version without chicken, containing about 530 calories before dressing.

The easiest way to reduce calories and fat is to order the grilled chicken version with Lite Vinaigrette dressing, and skip the Texas Toast and fried onions.