Randy Chandler
Taco Bell has a limited menu of items without gluten-containing ingredients, but it does not claim to be gluten-free. While some items are gluten-free, they are prepared in a shared kitchen without cross-contamination prevention, so there is always a risk of gluten contamination. The Pintos & Cheese side dish is listed as gluten-free by some sources, but Taco Bell's allergen guide confirms that the cheese sauce is not gluten-free. Therefore, it is not safe for people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Are Taco Bell Pintos and Cheese gluten-free? | Yes, according to a website in 2025 |
| Taco Bell's official stance on gluten-free food | Taco Bell does not claim any of its items are gluten-free, but some items have no gluten ingredients. |
| Risk of cross-contamination | There is always a risk of contamination with gluten-containing foods, as all food is prepared in a shared kitchen. |
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What You'll Learn
Taco Bell does not claim gluten-free food
Taco Bell does not claim that any of its food is gluten-free, and items are subject to cross-contamination in a shared kitchen without cross-contact protocols. However, the company has a limited menu of items that do not contain gluten ingredients.
The following meats are included in Taco Bell's list of items made without gluten: bacon, chicken, sausage crumbles, seasoned beef, and steak. The chain also offers several gluten-free sauces, including hot sauce, mild sauce, diablo sauce, avocado salsa verde, and fire ranch sauce.
Taco Bell's sides without gluten ingredients include black beans, rice, and pinto beans and cheese. However, it is important to note that the nacho cheese sauce is not gluten-free.
The chain also offers gluten-free bowls, such as the Caliente Cantina Chicken Bowl, which includes rice, black beans, iceberg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded purple cabbage, pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole, served with slow-roasted chicken and a Caliente Rojo Sauce.
While some menu items at Taco Bell do not contain gluten ingredients, none are declared gluten-free. It is always recommended to inquire with your local Taco Bell and take caution when ordering if you have a gluten intolerance or allergy.
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The nacho cheese sauce is not gluten-free
Taco Bell has a limited menu of items without gluten-containing ingredients, but it does not make a gluten-free claim. While some menu items do not contain gluten ingredients, none are declared gluten-free. The nacho cheese sauce is not gluten-free. It contains gluten ingredients such as modified food starch and natural flavors, which are often processed in gluten-full environments and are prone to cross-contamination.
Taco Bell's allergen guide confirms that the cheese sauce is not gluten-free. The nacho cheese liquid is also not gluten-free. The nacho cheese sauce is made with nonfat milk, cheese whey, water, vegetable oil (canola oil, soybean oil), modified food starch, maltodextrin, natural flavors, salt, dipotassium phosphate, jalapeno puree, vinegar, lactic acid, cellulose gum, potassium citrate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, citric acid, annatto, and oleoresin paprika. Since wheat flour contains gluten, it is not safe for people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Taco Bell does not recommend any of its food for individuals with celiac disease. While the nacho cheese Doritos Locos Tacos and the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme are safe for a gluten-free diet, the nacho cheese sauce is not gluten-free. It is important to note that there is always a risk of contamination with gluten-containing foods, as all food is prepared in a shared kitchen.
Taco Bell's website provides a list of items made without gluten, including meats such as bacon, chicken, sausage crumbles, seasoned beef, and steak. However, the ground beef is listed as containing oats, which may be cross-contaminated with gluten. It is recommended to inquire with your local Taco Bell and take caution when ordering.
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Some menu items are gluten-free
While Taco Bell does not claim that any of its menu items are gluten-free, some items do not contain gluten ingredients. However, they are prepared in a shared kitchen, so there is always a risk of gluten contamination.
Some of the gluten-free menu items at Taco Bell include:
- Tacos: Crunchy Taco, Crunchy Taco Supreme, Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco, and Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco Supreme. However, the hard tacos and seasoned beef contain oats, which are at high risk of gluten cross-contamination during harvesting and processing.
- Cantina Chicken Menu: Cantina Chicken Bowl and Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco.
- Sides: Black Beans, Rice, Pintos & Cheese, Veggie Bowl, and Hash Brown.
- Sauces: Hot Sauce Packet, Mild Sauce Packet, Diablo Sauce Packet, Avocado Salsa Verde Packet, Fire Ranch Sauce Dip Cup, Bell Sauce Dip Cup, and Jalapeno Honey Mustard Dip Cup.
- Beverages: Midnight Cherry Freeze, Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze, Wild Strawberry Freeze, Dragon Paradise Sparkling Iced Tea, Mango Iced Tea, Unsweetened No-Lemon Iced Tea, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar, Baja Blast, and Baja Blast Zero Sugar.
It is important to note that the Nacho Cheese sauce at Taco Bell is not gluten-free. While potatoes are naturally gluten-free, the Taco Bell fries are seasoned with spices and enriched flour, making them unsafe for people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
If you are looking for gluten-free options, it is recommended to inquire with your local Taco Bell and take caution when ordering.
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Gluten-free bowls are available
Taco Bell does not claim any of its items to be gluten-free, and there is always a risk of contamination with gluten-containing foods as all food is prepared in a shared kitchen. However, the chain does offer a limited menu of items without gluten-containing ingredients, and gluten-free bowls are available.
The Caliente Cantina Chicken Bowl is a gluten-free option for those who enjoy spice. This bowl starts with rice and black beans, and is topped with iceberg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded purple cabbage, pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole. It is served with slow-roasted chicken and topped with a spicy Caliente Rojo Sauce. You can add a crunchy taco shell on the side for some extra flavour and texture, or crumble it over the top of your bowl.
The Power Menu Bowls are also gluten-free and offer a complete meal. These bowls also start with a bed of rice and are topped with black beans, guacamole, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, purple cabbage, iceberg lettuce, sour cream, avocado ranch sauce, and the option to add a protein or leave it as a veggie bowl. The protein options are chicken, slow-roasted chicken, steak, or ground beef, all of which Taco Bell lists as gluten-free. However, it is important to note that oats are listed in the ingredients for the ground beef, which are prone to cross-contamination and could potentially trigger a reaction in someone who is gluten-sensitive.
While the bowls are gluten-free, it is important to be cautious of potential cross-contamination when ordering, as the hard tacos and seasoned beef contain oats, which are at high risk for gluten cross-contamination during harvesting and processing.
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Risk of gluten cross-contamination
While Taco Bell has a limited menu of items without gluten ingredients, it does not claim any of its items to be gluten-free. The risk of gluten cross-contamination is always present, as all food is prepared in a shared kitchen without cross-contamination prevention.
The hard tacos and seasoned beef, for example, contain oats, which are at high risk of gluten cross-contamination during harvesting and processing. Similarly, while oats are listed as an ingredient in the ground beef, they are often processed in gluten-filled environments and are susceptible to cross-contamination. As a result, even though oats are naturally gluten-free, the ground beef may cause a reaction in someone who is gluten-sensitive.
Taco Bell's nacho cheese sauce also contains gluten. The allergen guide on their website confirms this. The gluten may be present in the natural flavors, or less likely, in ingredients like modified food starch.
Taco Bell suggests that the following meats are made without gluten: bacon, chicken, sausage crumbles, seasoned beef, and steak. Additionally, their nacho chips are made without gluten ingredients. Their bowls are also gluten-free, with rice, black beans, guacamole, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, purple cabbage, iceberg lettuce, sour cream, avocado ranch sauce, and the option to add a protein or leave it as a veggie bowl.
If you are looking for gluten-free options at Taco Bell, it is recommended that you inquire with your local Taco Bell and take caution when ordering.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, according to Taco Bell's "Without Gluten Menu", Pintos and Cheese are gluten-free. However, there is always a risk of gluten contamination as all food is prepared in a shared kitchen.
Some gluten-free options at Taco Bell include the Caliente Cantina Chicken Bowl, the Power Menu Bowls, and the Doritos Locos Taco.
Taco Bell's nacho cheese sauce and cinnamon twists contain gluten. Additionally, the ground beef may be contaminated with gluten due to the presence of oats in the ingredients.
No, Taco Bell does not claim that any of its items are gluten-free. While some menu items do not contain gluten ingredients, they are prepared in a shared kitchen without cross-contamination prevention.
