Are you wondering if there's a Taco Bell gluten free menu? The short answer is: not really. They have menu items that don't contain gluten, but they may be cross-contaminated.
Read this complete guide to learn exactly what's safe to have at Taco Bell if you have celiac disease.
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History of Taco Bell
Taco Bell is named after its founder, Glen Bell. The company's story begins in 1946 when Glen Bell started a hot dog stand in San Bernardino and named it Bell's Drive.
Four years later, he opened a hamburger stand in a Latino neighborhood in San Bernardino called Bell's Hamburgers and Hot Dogs.
In the early 1950s, the area around Bell's Hamburgers and Hot Dogs had many similar restaurants, which led Bell to decide to incorporate other menus in order to stay relevant.
He noticed that the Mexican restaurants across the street attracted long lines of customers because of their hard-shelled tacos. Over the next two years, he dined there to reverse-engineer the hard-shelled taco recipes. With time, he became friends with the owners who shared their recipes.
Later, he introduced tacos at his stand, and in no time, they were outselling the hot dogs and hamburgers, which made him focus solely on Mexican food. In 1954, together with a partner, he opened a taco stand which they called Taco Tia.
A few years later, while Taco Tia was a hit and after getting married, Bell moved to Los Angeles and had to sell his shares of Taco Tia to his partner. He later opened El Taco with a group of partners.
The new business was a hit in Southern California, starting with four locations. He later decided to sell his shares to the partners and start from scratch once again.
Combining everything he had learned about fast foods and restaurants, Glen opened a restaurant that served Mexican specialties. A friend suggested he combine his name and passion and call the new restaurant Taco Bell. Therefore, in 1962, the first Taco Bell was opened, a simple 20-foot by 20-foot Spanish-style stucco building.
Just six months later, he opened his second location in Long Beach, and in two years, Taco Bell had opened over seven locations in the area.
In 1965, Glen sold his franchise to Kermit Bekke, and by 1967, over 100 Taco Bells had been scattered throughout Los Angeles.
In 1978, PepsiCo bought Taco Bell for $130,000,000, and from there the chain has grown to thousands. In 1997, PepsiCo spun off its food chains, including KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, into the Kentucky-based Yum! Brands.
Today, Taco Bell serves more than 2 billion customers each year across more than 6,500 restaurants.
Is There Gluten-Free Food at Taco Bell?
Yes and no - unfortunately, it's complicated.
Taco Bell has stated that although some items do not contain gluten, they are prepared in common kitchen areas, including common fryer oil, which increases the risk of gluten exposure.
And so, Taco Bell does not recommend its products for customers with celiac disease. Customers with gluten sensitivity should use their judgment when placing their orders.
This means that there is no guarantee that detectable amounts of gluten fall below 20 parts per million (ppm), as required by the FDA.
Even if the ingredient information suggests that the product is suitable for those with celiac disease, it is important to consider that every cooking utensil and surface may be cross-contaminated.
If you have a gluten sensitivity, there are ways to reduce the risk of exposure. However, if you suffer from an allergy or celiac disease, it is best to avoid eating at Taco Bell altogether.
What Are Celiac-Friendly Options at Taco Bell?
Unfortunately, only beverages are truly celiac-friendly at Taco Bell. These include:
Fountain Drinks
- Pepsi
- Gatorade
- Dole
- Brisk
Freezes
- Island Blue Raspberry
- Island Strawberry
- Mountain Dew Baja Blast
- Wild Strawberry
Coffee
- Black Coffee
- Hot Cinnabon Delights
- Iced Coffee
- Iced Cinnabon Delights
Taco Bell Menu Items Made Without Gluten
As mentioned above, the following menu items do not contain gluten-containing ingredients, but they may be cross-contamination. For this reason, Taco Bell specifically states that they are not considered gluten-free.
Mains
- Power Menu Bowl (Chicken)
- Power Menu Bowl (Steak)
- Power Menu Bowl (Veggie)
- Black beans and rice
- Crunchy Taco
- Crunchy Taco Supreme
- Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco
- Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco Supreme
- Hash brown
- Doritos Locos Tacos
Sides
- Black Beans
- Guacamole
- Refried Beans
- Seasoned Rice
Salsas and Sauce
- Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
- Hot Sauce Packet
- Mild Sauce Packet
- Red Sauce
- Spicy Ranch Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Cheese Blend
- Bacon
- Cheddar Cheese
- Chicken Creamer
- Crunchy Taco Shell
- Nacho Chips
- Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Shell
- Eggs
- Jalapenos
- Lettuce Onions
- Reduced Fat Sour Cream
- Sausage Crumbles
- Seasoned Beef
- Steak
- Tomatoes
- Tostada Shell
Anonymous says
Sure, they say it's gluten-free, but how safe is it really for someone with celiac? Sounds risky.
HealthNut101 says
Exactly my thoughts! Do they have separate prep areas? Cross-contamination is a big deal for us.
SalsaSue says
I enjoy making my own gluten-free salsas at home, but it’s kinda neat Taco Bell has some options. Don’t know if it’s as good as homemade but might give it a try.