If you're looking for gluten free food at Zaxby's, there are a few choices, and Zaxby's does publish a full allergen chart on its official website. It's a shorter list than most people expect.
However, most items on their menu contain gluten.
While they do offer some tasty gluten-free alternatives, I cannot guarantee that there won't be any gluten-related contamination in the facility.
Therefore, if you have a gluten allergy, it's crucial to inform the staff before placing your order.
🍽️ Can you eat gluten free at Zaxby's?
Barely, and not the way most lists tell you. Zaxby's own allergen chart flags wheat and gluten in every Zalad, every sandwich, every Chicken Finger, and every Boneless Wing. The only real food on the menu without wheat or gluten is the bone-in Traditional Wings with most sauces, plus Crinkle Fries, coleslaw, and milkshakes.
And there's a catch on the fries, which I'll get to. Here's exactly what's safe and how to order it.
Verified September 2026 against Zaxby's Nutrition and Allergen Guide, revised November 2025.
Despite the limited options, Zaxby's offers a few gluten-free items that look appetizing and may be worth trying.
Zaxby's Gluten Free Menu
Everything below contains no wheat or gluten, according to Zaxby's November 2025 allergen chart. That's an ingredient statement, not a promise about the kitchen, so read the cross-contamination section before you order anything fried.
✅ No wheat and no gluten listed
- Traditional Wings, the bone-in ones, plain or with Wimpy, Tongue Torch, Nuclear, BBQ, Buffalo Garlic Blaze, or Hot Honey Mustard
- Crinkle Fries, regular, large or the kids' size, with the shared fryer caveat below
- Cole Slaw
- Zax Sauce, Spicy Zax Sauce, Ranch Sauce, Honey Mustard, Tongue Torch, BBQ and Strawberry Sauce in the dip cups
- Blue Cheese, Ranch, Honey Mustard and Lite Vinaigrette dressings
- Lemon Pepper and Garlic Parmesan dry rubs
- All four milkshakes, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and birthday cake
- A slice of cheese or two slices of bacon added to anything
- Every fountain drink, both teas, the lemonades, and the frozen lemonades
Why so much of the Zaxby's menu has gluten in it
Two things explain nearly the whole chart. The first is that Zaxby's hand-breads its chicken in wheat flour. Chicken Fingerz, Boneless Wings, and every sandwich patty go through that breading, so they're out no matter which sauce you pick.
The second is Texas Toast. Every Zalad comes with it, which is why even the Garden Zalads with no chicken on them are flagged for wheat and gluten in Zaxby's chart. That surprises people more than the breading does.
Once you know those two things, the safe list writes itself. Bone-in wings aren't breaded. Fries and slaw don't touch flour. Milkshakes are milkshakes. Almost everything else at Zaxby's is either breaded chicken or served with bread.
Items that surprise people
- Boneless Wings are breaded chicken, not wings. Wheat and gluten in all nine sauces.
- The Garden Zalads have no chicken and still carry wheat and gluten, because of the Texas Toast.
- Tater Chips are listed with wheat and egg. They are not a safe swap for the fries.
- Sweet & Spicy and Teriyaki sauces both contain wheat, so they take the bone-in wings off the safe list.
- Citrus Vinaigrette contains wheat. The other four dressings do not.
- Nashville Hot dry rub contains wheat. Lemon Pepper and Garlic Parmesan do not.
- The Rice Krispie Treat is flagged for gluten even though it isn't flagged for wheat.
💡 Worth knowing: what I had wrong before
This page used to list the Ranchero Zalad, the Caesar Zalad and a side salad as gluten free options, along with sauces like Thousand Island, Zestable and Insane Sauce. None of those are on the current Zaxby's menu, and no Zalad on the menu today is free of wheat and gluten in Zaxby's chart.
It also said "chicken wings" without distinguishing between bone-in and boneless. That one matters. Boneless Wings are breaded and contain wheat, so anyone reading the old list and ordering boneless would have been glutened. I'm sorry about that, and it's fixed.
One more oddity worth naming. Zaxby's lists the Zax Sauce dip cup as egg-only, but the bottled Zax Sauce sold by the container is listed as containing wheat and gluten. I don't know why the two differ, so if you're buying a bottle, treat it as containing gluten.
Zaxby's Allergen Menu
This is Zaxby's own allergen data, item by item. Zaxby's publishes gluten as a separate column from wheat, and it publishes MSG too, which most chains don't. I've bolded the rows with neither wheat nor gluten.
| Menu item | Milk | Egg | Wheat | Soy | Peanut | Tree nut | Shellfish | Sesame | Fish | MSG | Gluten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zalads (all come with Texas Toast) | |||||||||||
| The Grilled House Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| The Fried House Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| The Garden House Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| The Grilled Cobb Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| The Fried Cobb Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| The Garden Cobb Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| The Grilled Asian Zensation Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| The Fried Asian Zensation Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| The Garden Asian Zensation Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| The Grilled Blue Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| The Fried Blue Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| The Garden Blue Zalad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Sandwiches and plates | |||||||||||
| Kickin’ Chicken Sandwich Only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Grilled Chicken Sandwich Only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Nibblerz™ Only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Signature Sandwich Only with Zax Sauce | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Signature Sandwich Only with Spicy Zax Sauce | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Chicken Finger Plate (4) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Big Zax Snack Meal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Boneless Wings & Things | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Traditional Wings & Things | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Add Cheese (1 Slice) | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Add Bacon (2 Slices) | |||||||||||
| Boneless Wings (these are breaded) | |||||||||||
| Boneless Wings (No Sauce) | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Boneless Wings - Wimpy | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Boneless Wings - Tongue Torch | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Boneless Wings - Nuclear | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Boneless Wings - Buffalo Garlic Blaze | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Boneless Wings - HHM | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Boneless Wings - Sweet & Spicy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Boneless Wings - Teriyaki | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Boneless Wings - BBQ | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Traditional Wings (bone-in, not breaded) | |||||||||||
| Traditional Wings (No Sauce) | |||||||||||
| Traditional Wings - Wimpy | |||||||||||
| Traditional Wings - Tongue Torch | |||||||||||
| Traditional Wings - Nuclear | |||||||||||
| Traditional Wings - Buffalo Garlic Blaze | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Traditional Wings - HHM | Yes | ||||||||||
| Traditional Wings - Sweet & Spicy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Traditional Wings - Teriyaki | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Traditional Wings - BBQ | |||||||||||
| Chicken Fingerz | |||||||||||
| Chicken Finger (No Sauce) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Chicken Finger - Wimpy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Chicken Finger - Tongue Torch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Chicken Finger - Nuclear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Chicken Finger - Sweet & Spicy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Chicken Finger - Teriyaki | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Chicken Finger - BBQ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Sides | |||||||||||
| Crinkle Fries - Regular | Yes | ||||||||||
| Crinkle Fries - Large | Yes | ||||||||||
| Coleslaw - side | Yes | ||||||||||
| Tater Chips - Basket | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Texas Toast - 1 slice | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Fried Pickles | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Asian Slaw - side | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Veggie Eggroll - 1 Eggroll | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Fried White Cheddar Bites | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Chicken Bacon Ranch Loaded Fries | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Sauces (dip cups) | |||||||||||
| Zax Sauce® | Yes | ||||||||||
| Spicy Zax Sauce® | Yes | ||||||||||
| Ranch Sauce | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Honey Mustard | Yes | ||||||||||
| Tongue Torch® | |||||||||||
| BBQ | |||||||||||
| Sweet & Spicy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Strawberry Sauce | |||||||||||
| Dressings and dry rubs | |||||||||||
| Blue Cheese | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Lite Vinaigrette | |||||||||||
| Citrus Vinaigrette | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Lemon Pepper Dry Rub Seasoning | Yes | ||||||||||
| Garlic Parmesan Dry Rub Seasoning | |||||||||||
| Nashville Hot Dry Rub Seasoning | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Treats and kids' items | |||||||||||
| Chocolate Chip Cookie | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Fried Cheesecake Bites (No Sauce) | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Handcrafted Vanilla Milkshake | Yes | ||||||||||
| Handcrafted Birthday Cake Milkshake | Yes | ||||||||||
| Rice Krispie Treat | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Goldfish Giant Grahams, Vanilla | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Grilled Cheese Sandwich Only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Kid's Crinkle Fries | Yes | ||||||||||
The full chart, including the catering platters and every drink size, is in Zaxby's Nutrition and Allergen Guide.
Cross-contamination at Zaxby's
This is the part that decides whether Zaxby's works for you, and it's the reason the fries need an asterisk. Zaxby's says in its own guide that menu items are prepared on shared equipment and in a shared facility that also contains items containing wheat, and it does not describe a separate fryer anywhere.
So the Crinkle Fries have no wheat in them and go into oil that's also frying breaded chicken, fried pickles, and cheddar bites. For a gluten sensitivity that might be fine. For celiac disease, I wouldn't risk it, and I'd skip the fries and the fried pickles both.
The wings are the better bet. Bone-in wings are sauced, not breaded, but ask how they're cooked at your location and ask staff to change gloves. Sauce ladles get shared between the breaded items and the bone-in ones, which is a small thing that undoes a careful order.
⚠️ If you have celiac disease
Zaxby's is a fried chicken restaurant with one fryer and no gluten free menu of its own. There's no certified gluten free item here and no dedicated prep area. If you're highly sensitive, the honest answer is that a milkshake and a side of slaw is about as far as I'd go, and I'd eat somewhere else.
How to order gluten free at Zaxby's
If you're going anyway, here's the script that gets you the best version of this menu.
💬 How to order safely
- Say "allergy," not "preference." Staff take allergies more seriously than a diet.
- Ask for the Nutrition and Allergen Guide by name. It's the trifold chart, and most locations have it or can pull it up.
- Order bone-in Traditional Wings, not Boneless. Say the words "bone-in," because "wings" gets you either one.
- Pick your sauce from the safe list. Wimpy, Tongue Torch, Nuclear, BBQ, Buffalo Garlic Blaze, or Hot Honey Mustard. Skip Sweet & Spicy and Teriyaki.
- Ask them to skip the Texas Toast, and to hold the toast off the plate rather than take it off after.
- Ask about the fryer before you order fries. If it's one fryer for everything, and it usually is, get coleslaw instead.
- Ask for fresh gloves and a clean prep surface.
Make it at home instead
Honestly, this is the one chain where I'd rather cook. Breaded chicken is the whole point of Zaxby's, and it's the one thing you can't have there, but it's easy at home with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Best Air Fryer Chicken Wings for the bone-in wings, with any sauce you want
- Air Fryer Chicken Bites when you want something Fingerz-shaped
- Crispy Air Fryer Drumsticks for a whole dinner
- The Ultimate Guide to Gluten Free Breadcrumbs so the breading actually works
Zaxby's Gluten Free FAQs
Are Zaxby's fries gluten free?
Zaxby's Crinkle Fries contain no wheat and no gluten in Zaxby's allergen chart. The complication is the fryer. Zaxby's fries are cooked in the same oil as breaded chicken, fried pickles, and cheddar bites, and Zaxby's doesn't list a dedicated fryer, so the fries are safe by ingredient and risky by cooking method. Gluten sensitive, probably fine. Celiac, I'd skip them.
Are Zaxby's wings gluten free?
The bone-in Traditional Wings are, with most sauces. Plain, Wimpy, Tongue Torch, Nuclear, BBQ, Buffalo Garlic Blaze, and Hot Honey Mustard all come back clean on wheat and gluten. Sweet & Spicy and Teriyaki do not, because both contain wheat.
Are Zaxby's boneless wings gluten free?
No. Boneless Wings are breaded chicken, and Zaxby's lists wheat and gluten in every one of them, sauced or plain. This is the single most common mistake people make with this menu.
Is Zax Sauce gluten free?
The Zax Sauce dip cup is listed as egg-only, with no wheat or gluten. The bottled Zax Sauce sold by the container is listed with wheat and gluten. Same name, different allergen listing, so treat the bottle as off limits.
Is Zaxby's grilled chicken gluten free?
Not as served. Zaxby's doesn't list grilled chicken on its own, and every dish that contains it, the Grilled Zalads and the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, is flagged for wheat and gluten. The Zalads pick it up from the Texas Toast and the sandwich from the bun.
Are the Zalads gluten free?
No. All twelve Zalads on the current menu are flagged for wheat and gluten, including the Garden versions without chicken, because every Zalad is served with Texas Toast.
Does Zaxby's have a gluten free menu?
Not a separate one. Zaxby's publishes a Nutrition and Allergen Guide with a wheat column and a gluten column, which is more detail than a lot of chains give, but there's no gluten free menu and no certified gluten free item.
What can I eat at Zaxby's if I'm gluten free?
Bone-in Traditional Wings with a safe sauce, coleslaw, a milkshake, and Crinkle Fries if the fryer situation at your location works for you. That's the honest list.
More Gluten Free Restaurant Guides
- Popeyes Gluten Free Menu
- Chick-fil-A Gluten Free Menu
- Sonic Gluten Free and Allergen Menu
- Jack in the Box Gluten Free Menu
Karen Kelly
Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated food and travel writer, founder of Seasonal Cravings, and co-founder of The Roam Report. She develops approachable seasonal recipes and covers travel and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including Yahoo, Taste of Home, Apple News, NBC, FOX, and other national and regional publications.
critic_karen says
While it's commendable that Zaxby's is expanding their gluten-free options, it's disheartening to see the lack of plant-based choices. In 2024, one would expect more from such chains.
BillyBoi83 says
gluten free at zaxbys huh? idk man, sounds cool but wonder if it tastes as good. anyone tried it yet?
Sam says
I'm about to try some things. I'll let you know, if you are interested.