<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000703351-05-000023
<TYPE>4/A
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20050128
<FILING-DATE>20050131
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20050131
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>DOYLE DAVID ROY
<CIK>0001222138
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4/A
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-10275
<FILM-NUMBER>05563308
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>C/O BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC
<STREET2>6820 LBJ FREEWAY
<CITY>DALLAS
<STATE>TX
<ZIP>75240
<PHONE>9729809917
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC
<CIK>0000703351
<ASSIGNED-SIC>5812
<IRS-NUMBER>751914582
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>0630
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>6820 LBJ FREEWAY
<CITY>DALLAS
<STATE>TX
<ZIP>75240
<PHONE>9729809917
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>6820 LBJ FREEWAY
<CITY>DALLAS
<STATE>TX
<ZIP>75240
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>CHILIS INC
<DATE-CHANGED>19910528
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4/A
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>primary_doc.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-01-28</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2005-01-31</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000703351</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>EAT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001222138</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DOYLE DAVID ROY</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>6820 LBJ FREEWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75240</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>SVP - Controller</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-01-28</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>400</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>37.43</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2311</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Owned by each of 4 children.</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The sale of 400 shares by the reporting person's four children was erroneously reported as the sale of 100 shares on the original Form 4.  As of the date of this Amended Form 4, the reporting person indirectly owns 1,111 shares through his four children.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Jay L. Tobin, Attorney-in-Fact for David R. Doyle</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-01-31</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
