Gluten Free at Taco Bell (Your Guide to Menu Options)

Eating out gluten free at Taco Bell can be very challenging. Understanding the ingredients and menu items that are gluten free is only one part of the equation for safe eating. Cross contact is also a serious concern.

Taco Bell has been making efforts to meet the needs of various dietary restrictions, including those related to gluten intolerance or sensitivity. To make it easy to identify what is and isn’t safe to eat gluten free I’ve compiled this Guide to Gluten Free Menu Options at Taco Bell. 

The table of contents can be used to easily navigate to different sections of this guide, or you can read it in full to really get to know how to eat gluten free at Taco Bell. 

The gluten-free guide below is based on personal experience and research.  Always be sure to discuss any medical changes with your doctor for your personal medical needs. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here. 

Is there a gluten free menu at Taco Bell?

Yes, there is a gluten free menu at Taco Bell, however their menu only considers ingredients made without gluten. The odds of experiencing cross contact at Taco Bell are high. In fact, the risk is so high that Taco Bell itself “does not recommend products for customers with Celiac Disease”.

Cross contact occurs when the tools and equipment used to prepare gluten free food are the same tools that were used to prepare gluten containing foods. 

One of the biggest challenges with celiac disease is that while most people understand the need for ingredients to be gluten free, they are completely unaware of the dangers of cross contact. The difference between a gluten allergy or intolerance and a gluten preference can easily be misunderstood, which can lead to someone indicating that food is safe for gluten free consumption when in reality it’s not. 

In a fast food restaurant like Taco Bell, proper training and understanding of gluten free food safety is rare. So while a restaurant might have a great selection of gluten free ingredients, if they are not prepared properly they are no longer gluten free. 

Taco Bell uses shared prep areas and fryers, so anything that has to be prepared or cooked on-site has a high risk of cross contact. Despite their gluten free guide indicating that a menu item such as a hashbrown is gluten free, because they use a shared fryer, it is not safe for gluten free consumption.

Additionally the beef and crunchy tacos both contain oats even though they are labeled gluten free in the allergen tool--these are likely not gluten free oats and this would make the beef & taco shells unsafe for celiac disease.

Is anything at Taco Bell celiac safe?

Are you wondering what can Celiacs eat at Taco Bell? With the risk of cross contact being so high there are not many items at Taco Bell that are celiac safe. I personally consider the drinks & Freezes as well as the hot sauce packets to be the safest things on the menu.

What is Gluten Free at Taco Bell?

There are a number of gluten free menu items listed by Taco Bell. PLEASE NOTE these menu items are gluten free based on ingredients only. Cross contact is a significant concern at taco bell and they do not recommend their products for people with Celiac Disease.

Mains (Tacos and Other Specialties)

These menu items are gluten free based on ingredients only. Food preparation and risk of cross contact is not taken into consideration. It is also important to note that beef and crunchy tacos both contain oats even though they are labeled gluten free. Since these are likely not gluten free oats the beef & taco shells would be unsafe for celiac disease.

• Crunchy Taco 
• Crunchy Taco Supreme 
• Crunchy Taco Specialties
• Kalua Pork Power Bowl
• Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos
• Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Specialties
• Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme
• Power Menu Bowl - Chicken
• Power Menu Bowl - Steak
• Power Menu Bowl - Veggie (vegan)
• Power Menu Bowl - Specialties
• Veggie Power Menu Bowl - Specialties

Sides

The gluten free status of the sides listed below is based solely on the ingredients without consideration of potential cross contact. The hot sauce packets are likely one of the safest things on the menu as they are individually packaged and therefore do have the same risk of cross contact.

• Black Beans & Rice (vegan)
• Black Beans (vegan)
• Diablo Sauce Packet (vegan)
• Hot Sauce Packet (vegan)
• Mild Sauce Packet (vegan)

Breakfast

The breakfast items on this list are gluten free only by ingredient. As previously mentioned, hash browns are cooked in a shared fryer making them unsafe for celiac disease. The potential for cross contact in preparation has not been taken into consideration.

• Cinnabon® Delights™ Coffee
• Hash Brown (vegan)
• Hot Coffee with Creamer
• Orange Juice
• Premium Roast Coffee
• Vanilla Creamer

Drinks & Freezes

Cross contact is not considered in this list of gluten free Drinks & Freezes. These items are gluten free by ingredient only, however of all of the gluten free menu items at Taco Bell, they are probably the least likely to be cross contacted. 

Freezes

• Double Berry Freeze®
• Mtn Dew® Baja Blast Freeze™
• Wild Strawberry Freeze™

Drinks

• Cinnabon® Delights™ Coffee
• Hot Coffee with Creamer
• Lowfat Milk
• Orange Juice
• Premium Roast Coffee

Fountain Drinks

• 7-Up
• Brisk® Dragon Paradise Sparkling Iced Tea
• Brisk® Mango Iced Tea
• Brisk® Unsweetened No Lemon Iced Tea
• Diet Dr Pepper®
• Diet Pepsi®
• Dole Strawberry Lemonade Squeeze
• Dr Pepper®
• G2 - Fruit Punch
• Mtn Dew®
• Mtn Dew® Baja Blast
• Mtn Dew® Baja Blast Zero Sugar
• Mtn Dew® Zero Sugar
• Mug® Root Beer
• Pepsi®
• Pepsi® Wild Cherry
• Pepsi® Zero Sugar
• Starry®

Frequently Asked Questions about Taco Bell & Gluten

Are Taco Bell's crunchy tacos gluten-free?

No, Taco Bell’s crunchy tacos contain oats even though they are labeled gluten free in the allergen tool. Since these are likely not gluten free oats and this would make the taco shells unsafe for celiac disease.

Is the taco Pizza at Taco Bell gluten-free?

No. The pizza shell is made with wheat flour and is not gluten free. 

Are Taco Bell seasoned fries gluten-free?

No, the seasoned fries at Taco Bell contain wheat and are not gluten free.

Is Taco Bell steak gluten-free?

The steak at Taco Bell is gluten free by ingredient only. There is a high risk of cross contact from shared preparation areas. 

Are Taco Bell nachos gluten free?

No, Taco Bell’s Nachos BellGrande® are not gluten free. While the nacho chips themselves are made from gluten-free ingredients like white ground corn, they are fried in shared fryers with gluten-containing foods. Also, Taco Bell's beef mixes, which are commonly used in nachos, contain oats.

Are Taco Bell cinnamon twists gluten free?

No, Taco Bell cinnamon twists are made with wheat and are not gluten free.

More Gluten Free Fast Food Options:

• Exploring the McDonald’s Gluten Free Menu
• Your Guide to Gluten Free Chipotle
• Wendy’s Gluten Free Menu
• Chick-fil-A Gluten Free Options
• Sonic Gluten Free Menu

Thanks for reading this post on Is Taco Bell gluten free?