<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2011-01-01</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2011-01-04</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001209821</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CROSSTEX ENERGY INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>XTXI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001276010</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MCADEN SUSAN J</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2501 CEDAR SPRINGS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 100</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>V.P. Accounting &amp; CAO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2011-01-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1430</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>8.86</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>11888</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On January 4, 2011, the reporting person filed a Form 4 reporting the withholding of 1,444 common shares instead of 1,430 common shares due to an inadvertent error. This error resulted in the amount of securities beneficially owned following the reported transaction to be underreported by 14 common units in the originally filed Form 4 for this transaction.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">On July 2, 2010, the reporting person filed a Form 4 that reported the amount of securities beneficially owned following the reported transaction to be 24,101 common shares instead of 24,100 common shares due to an inadvertent error. On November 15, 2010, the reporting person filed a Form 4 that reported the amount of securities beneficially owned following the transaction to be 9,779 common shares instead of 19,318 common shares due to an inadvertent error. The errors in the July 2, 2010 and November 15, 2010 Forms 4 together resulted in the amount of securities beneficially owned following the reported transaction to be underreported by 9,540 common shares in the Forms 4 filed for Ms. McAden on the following dates: November 15, 2010, November 23, 2010 and January 4, 2011.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Barry E. Davis, by power of attorney</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-02-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
