Cookout Tray: Price, Calories & What’s Included

If there’s one thing regulars will tell you before your first Cook Out run, it’s this: don’t order off the menu like a tourist. Order the cookout tray. Around $7.69 gets you a full-size entree, two sides, and a large drink — one price, one tray, zero guesswork. It’s been the backbone of the Cook Out menu for years, and with fast food prices climbing everywhere else, the cookout tray might honestly be the best value left in American drive-thru food.

This guide breaks down everything about the cookout tray: the exact price, all ten entree options with real calorie counts, which sides are worth picking, the famous $1 milkshake upgrade, and straight math on whether the tray beats ordering everything separately.

Cookout tray style meal with a burger and fries

What Is the Cookout Tray?

The cookout tray is Cook Out’s signature combo meal, and the ordering logic couldn’t be simpler. You pick one full-size entree from a list of ten, you pick any two sides, and you get a large drink. That’s it. No upsell screen, no “would you like to make it a meal” interrogation — it already is the meal.

What makes the tray different from a normal fast food combo is the freedom. Most combos lock you into fries and a soda. Here, your two sides can be anything from hushpuppies and onion rings to coleslaw and chicken nuggets, and your drink can be swapped for a milkshake for a buck. It’s a combo meal that actually respects your ability to make decisions.

Cook Out has been doing this since 1989, when Morris Reaves opened the first spot in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tray concept is a big part of why the chain grew to 350+ locations across the Southeast — it’s the kind of deal college students tell each other about, and it never really stopped being the deal.

How Much Does the Cookout Tray Cost?

The tray runs about $7.69 at most locations. That’s the headline number, but here’s the honest qualifier: prices vary slightly by location. A tray in a college town in North Carolina might ring up a little differently than one in Virginia or Tennessee, and late-night pricing quirks aren’t unheard of. If you’re budgeting to the dollar, check your local menu board.

For comparison, the smaller Cookout Jr Tray runs about $6.49 with scaled-down entree portions. We’ll get into which one fits you later, but know this: the regular tray is the one most people mean when they talk about “the Cook Out tray.”

Either way, you’re looking at a full meal — entree, two sides, large drink — for under eight bucks. Find me another drive-thru doing that in 2026.

Every Entree Option (With Calories)

Your tray starts with one full-size entree, and there are ten to choose from. Here they are with their calorie counts, so you can pick with your eyes open:

Big Double Burger (330 Cal) — the tray staple. Two patties, the most-ordered entree in the tray lineup. If you’re unsure, start here.
Regular 1/4 lb Burger (330 Cal) — the classic single-patty quarter pounder. Same calories as the Big Double, different eating experience.
Regular Chicken Breast (380 Cal) — char-grilled, not fried. The move when you want the tray but not the grease.
Cajun Chicken Breast (380 Cal) — same grilled chicken with Cajun seasoning. A little kick, no extra calories.
Spicy Chicken Sandwich (450 Cal) — crispy and spicy. One of the heavier chicken picks, and worth it.
BBQ Char-Grilled Chicken (380 Cal) — grilled chicken with barbecue flavor. Tastes like a cookout, fittingly.
3 Chicken Strips or Chicken Sandwich (660 Cal) — the calorie heavyweight of the entree list. Order this when you’re genuinely hungry.
Barbecue Pulled Pork (370 Cal) — North Carolina is barbecue country, and this is Cook Out playing on home turf.
2 Hot Dogs (520 Cal) — two dogs, your choice of style. More food than it sounds like.
2 Quesadillas (440–520 Cal) — the wildcard pick. Cheesy, shareable-adjacent, and a nice break from the burger-chicken rotation.

Notice the range: 330 calories on the light end, 660 on the heavy end. Your entree choice alone can nearly double the meal, so pick with intent — especially if you’re watching the numbers.

Close-up of a char-grilled burger served in a cookout tray

Picking Your Two Sides

Two sides, any two, no wrong answers — but some answers are better than others. Here’s the full side lineup with prices and calories:

French Fries (~$1.99, 350 Cal) — the default. Crispy, salty, does the job.
Onion Rings (~$1.99, 130 Cal) — surprisingly light on calories for a fried side, and genuinely good.
Hushpuppies (~$1.99, 300 Cal) — the Southern pick. If you’ve never had proper hushpuppies, this is your sign.
Homemade Coleslaw (~$1.49, 100 Cal) — the lightest side on the board. Tangy, fresh, and the smart play next to a heavy entree.
Homemade Chili (~$1.49, 170 Cal) — hearty without wrecking your calorie budget.
Chicken Nuggets (~$1.99, 150 Cal) — basically a bonus protein side. Hard to argue with.
White Cheddar Cheese Bites (~$1.99, 190 Cal) — the indulgent pick. Order these when the day calls for it.
Bacon Wrap (~$1.99, 420 Cal) — yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like, and yes, it’s the heaviest side.

My honest recommendation for first-timers: hushpuppies plus fries. It’s the classic tray pairing — one Southern signature, one universal comfort. If you’re going lighter, coleslaw plus onion rings keeps both sides under 250 calories combined.

Prices vary slightly by location, so treat the dollar figures above as typical rather than gospel.

The $1 Milkshake Upgrade

Here’s the trick that turns a great deal into a legendary one. When you order your tray, you can swap the large drink for any regular milkshake for just $1.00 more. Want a fancy shake instead? That’s $1.00 to $1.60 extra depending on the flavor.

Think about that for a second. A standalone regular milkshake costs $2.99–$3.99. As a tray upgrade, you’re getting it for a dollar. Cook Out has 40+ shake flavors — Peanut Butter Banana, Reese’s Cup, Oreo Mint, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Banana Pudding are the fan favorites — and any of them can ride along on your tray for pocket change.

The catch? Calories. Shakes run 510–900 calories, with monsters like Cherry Cheesecake hitting 925. A Big Double tray with a shake upgrade can sail past 1,500 calories without trying. Delicious? Completely. A daily habit? That’s between you and your conscience.

Calories: Build Your Tray Your Way

A tray can be a sensible 700-calorie lunch or a 2,000-calorie event — it all depends on your picks. Here are two sample builds using real numbers:

The lighter build (~780 Cal): Cajun Chicken Breast (380) + coleslaw (100) + chicken nuggets (150) + a zero-calorie drink. You still get the full tray experience — entree, two sides, big drink — for fewer calories than a lot of “healthy” fast-casual bowls.

The go-big build (~1,830 Cal): 3 Chicken Strips (660) + fries (350) + bacon wrap (420) + a regular soda (~290 for a large, though this varies by drink). This is a special-occasion tray. No judgment — just know what you’re signing up for.

The middle path most people land on — a Big Double (330) with hushpuppies (300) and onion rings (130) — comes in around 760 before the drink. That’s a genuinely reasonable dinner.

Inside a Cook Out restaurant where you can order a cookout tray

Is the Cookout Tray Worth It? The Math

Let’s do the arithmetic, because the tray’s reputation is built on it. Bought separately at typical prices: a Big Double Burger ($2.99–$3.99), fries (~$1.99), hushpuppies (~$1.99), and a large drink (~$1.99). Add it up and you’re looking at roughly $8.96 to $9.96.

The tray price: about $7.69 for the same food. That’s $1.27 to $2.27 back in your pocket every single time — a 14–23% discount for ordering the exact same items as a bundle. And that’s before the $1 milkshake upgrade, which is arguably the single best value swap in fast food.

Is there any scenario where the tray loses? Only if you genuinely don’t want two sides and a large drink. If you’d be throwing food away, the bundle isn’t saving you anything. But if you’re eating a full meal — and at Cook Out, you will be — the tray wins on price every time. There’s no secret here, just honest bundle math.

Who Should Order the Cookout Tray?

The tray is built for the hungry. College students stretching a budget, anyone hitting the drive-thru after midnight (most locations stay open until 2 AM, later on weekends), road-trippers who want one order that covers dinner — this is your meal.

Who should think twice? Lighter eaters. If a full entree plus two sides sounds like too much food, you’re not the problem — you just want the Cookout Jr Tray instead. At about $6.49 with smaller entree portions, it’s the same concept sized for smaller appetites and kids. Ordering the regular tray and wasting half of it is the only way to lose money on this deal.

How to Order Like a Regular

Ordering is refreshingly old-school. There’s no official Cook Out app for online ordering, so you’re going through the drive-thru or walking up to the window — which, frankly, is part of the charm. State your entree, name your two sides, pick your drink (or name your shake upgrade), and you’re done.

A few pro tips: have your sides decided before you reach the speaker, because the line behind you has opinions. The menu board is huge — ignore most of it and focus on the tray section. And if you’re ordering for a group, trays are easy to customize per person, which beats the chaos of sharing.

Most locations are open until 2 AM Sunday through Thursday and until 3–4 AM on Friday and Saturday, so the tray doubles as late-night food. Hours vary by location, so check your local spot — especially on holidays.

Cookout Tray FAQs

How much does the cookout tray cost?

About $7.69 at most locations, which gets you one full-size entree, two sides, and a large drink. Prices vary slightly by location, so your local Cook Out might be a little higher or lower.

What comes with the cookout tray?

One full-size entree (10 options including burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, pulled pork, and quesadillas), any two sides from the eight-item side menu, and a large drink. You can upgrade the drink to a regular milkshake for $1.00 or a fancy shake for $1.00–$1.60.

Can you swap the tray drink for a milkshake?

Yes — this is the famous upgrade. Any regular milkshake costs just $1.00 extra with a tray, and fancy shakes run $1.00–$1.60 extra. With 40+ flavors to choose from, it’s one of the best deals on the menu.

How many calories are in a cookout tray?

It depends entirely on your picks. A lighter build (grilled chicken, coleslaw, nuggets) lands around 780 calories before the drink, while a heavy build (chicken strips, fries, bacon wrap) can top 1,800. A typical Big Double tray with hushpuppies and onion rings is about 760 calories plus your drink.

What’s the best cookout tray combo?

My pick: a Big Double Burger ordered Cookout Style (chili, slaw, mustard, onion), hushpuppies, and onion rings, with a Peanut Butter Banana shake upgrade for the extra dollar. It’s the tray the regulars order, and there’s a reason it’s the default answer.

Still hungry for details? Check the Cookout Jr Tray guide if you want a smaller portion, browse the Big Double Burger and Quarter Pound Burger breakdowns to pick your entree, or look up your nearest spot on our Charlotte and Raleigh location pages. And if you’re still deciding, the homepage has the full menu overview.

cookoutmenu.today is an unofficial fan guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Cook Out. Prices, calories, and menu items vary by location and change over time — check your local restaurant for the latest.