Cookout Tray Menu — Combos, Prices, and All Options

What Is a Cookout Tray?

The Cookout Tray is a build-your-own combo meal that has been the chain's signature offering since the late 1990s. The format is simple: you pick one entrée from a list of more than ten options, any two sides from a list of 10, and a large drink. The whole thing comes on a single tray for under $$7.39 — meaningfully cheaper than ordering the same items à la carte.

What makes the Tray genuinely unbeatable is the combination of three things: price (under $$8.39 even with a milkshake upgrade), flexibility (over twenty entrée and side combinations possible), and portion size (a Regular Tray with a Big Double Burger and double hushpuppies pushes 1,500 calories — a full meal, not a snack).

A comparable combo at McDonald's, Wendy's, or Chick-fil-A in 2026 runs $11-$15. Cookout's $$7.39 Regular Tray is the structural reason the chain has built such loyal regional loyalty across the Southeast — and why competitors haven't been able to match the value.

Cookout Tray Sizes — Regular vs. Junior

Cookout offers two tray sizes. The choice between them comes down to how hungry you are and which entrée you want — Junior Tray entrée options are a separate, lighter list.

Pro tip: The price difference is just $$1.00 between Regular and Junior, but the Regular tray's Big Double Burger entrée is significantly more food than any Junior option. Most adults will get better value from the Regular Tray unless they specifically want a smaller portion.

Regular Tray — Entrée Options (10)

All entrée options below are included in the base $$7.39 Regular Tray price. No surcharges between entrée choices — every option is the same price.

Junior Tray — Entrée Options (7)

Junior Tray entrées are smaller portions designed for kids, light eaters, or lunch. All options are included in the base $$6.39 Junior Tray price.

Tray Sides — Pick Any Two

Both Regular and Junior trays include two sides. You can pick two different sides or double up on the same one (two orders of hushpuppies, for example) at no extra charge. All 10 side options are listed below.

Most-doubled side: Hushpuppies. Cookout's hushpuppies are a Southern fried cornbread ball that has earned cult status — many regulars order them as both sides on every tray. The standalone hushpuppy order is also one of the highest-volume items on the side menu.

Tray Drinks — Included With Every Tray

Every Cookout Tray includes one large drink. The default options include sodas, tea, water, and even floats — and you can upgrade to a milkshake for a small extra charge.

Customizing Your Cookout Tray

Free Toppings on Burgers and Hot Dogs

Cookout doesn't charge for standard toppings on tray burgers and hot dogs. The free additions include: mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickles, onion, lettuce, grilled onion, and Cajun seasoning. Order any combination at no extra cost — many regulars get burgers loaded with all of them.

Burger Style Selection

Tray burgers can be ordered in any of Cookout's seven house styles at no extra charge (with one exception):

• Cookout Style — chili, slaw, mustard, onion (the signature build)
• Simple Style — mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle
• Cheddar Style — cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato (+110 cal)
• House Style — mustard, ketchup, onion (lightest build, -65 cal)
• Steak Style — A1 sauce, mayo, grilled onion
• Out West Style — BBQ sauce, bacon, cheddar cheese (+80 cal)
• Nacho Chili Style — chili and nacho cheese (small upcharge applies)

Paid Add-Ons

Beyond free toppings, paid add-ons let you upgrade further. Common ones:

• Cheese slice: +$0.50 (+70 cal)
• Grilled bacon: +$0.95 (+60 cal)
• Homemade chili: +$0.65 (+70 cal)
• Homemade slaw: +$0.50 (+40 cal)
• Cheese sauce (for fries or quesadillas): +$1.00 (+100 cal)

Cookout Tray vs. Other Fast Food Combos

The case for the Cookout Tray is the price-per-portion math. Here's how the Regular Tray ($$7.39) stacks up against comparable combos at major national chains in 2026:

Even with the milkshake upgrade ($$8.39 total), the Cookout Tray with dessert undercuts most chains' base combo without dessert. If you ordered the equivalent items à la carte at Cookout — a Big Double, fries, hushpuppies, and a large drink — you'd pay roughly $$10.76. The Tray saves you about $$3.37 over buying separately.

This is the structural reason Cookout has such loyal regional customers. Other chains can match the food quality. Other chains can match the late-night hours. No other chain matches the price-per-bite math at this scale.

Cookout Tray — Hidden Tips From Regulars

• Order at the window, not the speaker. Tray customizations get fewer mistakes face-to-face with the cashier than over the drive-thru intercom.
• Doubling up beats variety on hushpuppies. If you've never had Cookout hushpuppies, double them up as both sides on your first order. Most regulars don't go back to picking two different sides after this.
• The shake upgrade is the highest-leverage extra. $1.00 to convert a $2.39 Coca-Cola into a $3.99 milkshake is the single best upcharge in fast food. Effective discount of $1.39 on the milkshake.
• Quesadilla as a side is undervalued. The Quesadilla side option is a full quesadilla — essentially a second mini-entrée. Pair with a small sandwich entrée for the most food per dollar of any tray configuration.
• The Cheerwine Float drink option is dessert disguised as a drink. If you want dessert without paying for the milkshake upgrade, swap your drink to the Cheerwine Float (or Coke Float) — included free as a drink option.
• Junior Tray with Quesadilla entrée + Quesadilla side = double quesadilla meal for $$6.39. Two quesadillas plus a drink for under $7. The cheapest full meal on the menu.

Cookout Tray Menu — Frequently Asked Questions