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Ultimate Pei Wei Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025

If you’re craving some bold Asian flavors and spices, let our Pei Wei gluten-free guide walk you through which bowls, entrées, and shareables are celiac-safe.

When it comes to Asian cuisine, they are often quite challenging for us celiacs and those of us cursed with gluten intolerance, as most of their core ingredients are naturally glutenous. 🥡

Basic components and staples like soy sauce, rice vinegar, dumplings, noodles, and an array of sauces and items are made with wheat and gluten in mind, though there are exceptions. 🍜

Quite a few Asian restaurant chains have made significant adjustments to cater to us celiacs and folks sensitive to gluten, and one of the best examples of this is Pei Wei Asian Kitchen. 🥢

Serving made-to-order Pan-Asian dishes from Mongolian Chicken to Kung Pao Shrimp, they’re a haven for lean-forward meals and celiacs, and they even go beyond the call of duty. 🍚🍤

There’s a slew of items that celiacs like us could munch on from the Pei Wei gluten-free menu, and far beyond, as a generous chunk of Pei Wei’s menu contains gluten-free dishes, too. 🍱

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, so let us guide you past all the soy-based sauces, wheat thickeners, crispy wontons, tempura batters, or stir-fried noodles, and other hazards!

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Disclaimer

With that said, and even though there is a dedicated Pei Wei gluten-free menu that you could order from pretty confidently, there are some precautions that you ought to bear in mind. ❗

Most notably, as with plenty of other restaurants, there is always going to be a moderate risk of cross-contamination that would introduce gluten into otherwise gluten-free dishes. 🥟🥮

This is mainly owed to Pei Wei’s kitchens using shared woks, fryers, utensils, and prep stations, so trace gluten exposure might occur, even in recipes that contain no wheat ingredients. 🍝

With that in mind, I’m always in the habit of treating even the most “gluten-free” items at any restaurant more like “gluten-sensitive” or “gluten-friendly”, rather than “100% gluten-free”.

It’s also a good idea to inform your server beforehand about your celiac disease, severe gluten intolerance, or other dietary restrictions, so that the staff can take extra prep precautions.

That might include swapping out to fresh gloves, using separate and clean utensils, or maybe even wiping down their prep stations to minimize cross-contamination as much as possible.

And, while you’re ordering, it wouldn’t hurt to verify the ingredients list with your server, and to make sure that what you’re ordering is as “gluten-free” as they could make it, just to be safe.

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Pei Wei Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)

On that note, at least Pei Wei makes it really easy for you to pin down all the gluten-free and celiac-safe items on their menu, without having to do much searching or filtering. 👉🚫🌾

First up, all you have to do is head over to the Pei Wei website and click or tap on the “Menu” tab right at the top. This brings up the entire Pei Wei menu and their gluten-free selections.

So, to make this easy, if you’re a celiac, have a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, then all you need to do is skip everything else and just order from the Pei Wei gluten-free menu. 🍛

However, it turns out that beyond the special Pei Wei gluten-free menu, they have a bunch of other dishes that are actually gluten-free, spread throughout all their other menus. 🍚🍤🥢

To make this confusion a bit easier to follow, head back to the homepage, and scroll down till you find the tiny little “Nutrition Information” tab right at the footer, and click or tap this one.

This would now bring up Pei Wei’s official Nutrition and Allergens Guide, and here’s how they make this information dump a no-brainer if you’re trying to figure out what’s safe to eat:

• The Nutritional Information page isn’t particularly useful right now, but it’s nevertheless quite neat if you’re conscious about your diet and daily intake. This is where you would find a rather detailed breakdown of the nutritional data for every single menu item, including all the sugar, fiber, protein, carbs, calories, cholesterol, fats, sodium, and more in each meal. I could see folks using this regularly to make sure they’re eating healthy and keeping a balanced diet.
• However, it is the Allergen Information page that we’re after, and this is where you would get detailed breakdowns of all the major allergens that are present (or absent) in each menu item. So, if you’re allergic to anything (eggs, fish, dairy, nuts, shellfish, soy, etc.), you could filter out the entire Pei Wei menu from here. Or, for celiacs, avoid anything here that has been marked as containing “Wheat” allergens, and focus on everything that is marked as “Gluten-Free”.

I’d also suggest bookmarking these pages for convenience, though remember to check in and keep yourself up-to-date, as Pei Wei will regularly update these nutrition and allergen pages.

As with other restaurants, Pei Wei may update the nutrition and allergen information guides when there is a new menu item, or if there’s a change in suppliers, ingredients, and recipes.

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Gluten-Free

Of course, there is no better place to start off than the Pei Wei gluten-free menu, where you’ll find mouthwatering bowls, stir-fries, and shareables crafted without wheat ingredients. 🥡

That said, even though it’s all gluten-free, it won’t hurt to remind the staff that you’re a celiac or have gluten intolerance, and ask for clean woks and prep surfaces to reduce cross-contact.

✅ Chicken, Avocado & Broccoli Protein Bowl
✅ Chicken, Shrimp & Veggies Protein Bowl
✅ Signature Grilled Chicken Salad
✅ Mongolian Steak
✅ Kung Pao Chicken
✅ Grilled Bourbon Chicken
✅ Beef & Broccoli
✅ Chicken & Broccoli
✅ Kung Pao Shrimp
✅ Mongolian Chicken
✅ Pei Wei Original Shrimp
✅ Chicken Pad Thai
✅ Chicken Fried Rice
✅ Mongolian Green Beans
✅ Edamame

Just so we’re 100% sure that these are properly gluten-free, let’s see what they’re made of:

Chicken, Avocado & Broccoli Protein Bowl: Marinated chicken, fresh avocado, and some crisp broccoli that’s then tossed in a light ginger-sesame glaze over steamed rice. There are no soy sauce or wheat thickeners here, and it’s naturally gluten-free and high in protein.

Chicken, Shrimp & Veggies Protein Bowl: Tender chicken, tiger shrimp, and mixed vegetables stir-fried in a gluten-free ginger-garlic sauce, served on a bed of steamed rice for a balanced, allergen-friendly meal, and it’s great if you’re highly gluten intolerant.

Signature Grilled Chicken Salad: Grilled chicken breast atop mixed greens, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, and crispy rice noodles (though you could omit this if desired), drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette, but remember to request no crispy rice for zero gluten risk.

Mongolian Steak: Tender sirloin strips stir-fried with scallions and roasted red peppers in a sweet-spicy, gluten-free Mongolian sauce, served over rice or greens. Once again, you won’t find soy-based thickeners used here, either.

Kung Pao Chicken: Diced chicken wok-seared with peanuts, zucchini, and bell peppers in a tangy chili-garlic sauce made without wheat, and you can ask for extra chili for a bit more heat.

Grilled Bourbon Chicken: Fire-grilled chicken glazed with a bourbon-citrus reduction free of wheat ingredients, served with snap peas and carrots for a charred, slightly sweet entrée.

Beef & Broccoli: Sliced flank steak and crisp broccoli florets sautéed in a gluten-free garlic-soy sauce, finished with a hint of oyster flavor, which also pairs perfectly with steamed rice.

Chicken & Broccoli: Tender chicken breast and broccoli florets wok-tossed in a savory, gluten-free ginger-soy sauce, and it’s then finished with sesame seeds for a classic, safe stir-fry.

Kung Pao Shrimp: Juicy shrimp stir-fried with cashews, broccoli, and zucchini in a peanut-chili sauce that contains no wheat, which helps to deliver some bold, nutty flavors without gluten.

Mongolian Chicken: Chunks of chicken wok-seared in a very sweet-and-savory gluten-free Mongolian sauce with scallions, and try this over rice noodles if you crave extra texture.

Pei Wei Original Shrimp: Lightly seasoned shrimp sautéed in a ginger-garlic glaze, finished with scallions and sesame, without any breading or wheat thickeners, making it a crisp, gluten-free classic.

Chicken Pad Thai: Rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, egg, bean sprouts, and peanuts in a tamarind-based sauce, which is entirely gluten-free by design, though make sure to double-check that it’s not paired with any crispy wontons.

Chicken Fried Rice: Long-grain rice wok-fried with egg, chicken, peas, and carrots in a gluten-free soy blend, and you could also skip the crispy onions to keep it 100% wheat-free.

Mongolian Green Beans: Flash-fried green beans tossed in some sweet-spicy gluten-free sauce with garlic and chili, which helps to serve you as a celiac-safe, light, crunchy side or snack.

Edamame: Steamed young soybeans lightly salted, which are pure, unadulterated, and naturally gluten-free, making them the perfect start to any meal if you’re gluten intolerant.

Once again, remember that even though this part of Pei Wei’s is technically gluten-free, there is always a risk of cross-contamination, so it helps to approach it with caution. 🍜🍤🥟🍚

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Entrées & Tofu Entrées

Meanwhile, Pei Wei’s entrées menu includes gluten-free champions and wheat-filled options, from a huge selection of poultry and proteins, and quite a few tofu varieties, too! 🥡🍚🍜

❌ Thai Basil Chicken
❌ Firecracker Chicken
❌ Orange Chicken
❌ Honey-Seared Chicken
❌ Hot Honey Chicken
❌ Spicy General Tso’s Chicken
❌ Sesame Chicken
❌ Teriyaki Chicken
❌ Firecracker Shrimp
❌ Spicy Korean BBQ Steak
✅ Thai Coconut Curry Chicken
❌ Firecracker Tofu
❌ Teriyaki Crispy Tofu
❌ Honey-Seared Crispy Tofu
✅ Thai Coconut Crispy Tofu
❌ Spicy General Tso’s Crispy Tofu
❌ Sesame Crispy Tofu

For context, let’s take a closer look at what each of these entrées is made of:

Thai Basil Chicken: Stir-fired chicken with fresh basil, jalapeños, and bell peppers in a light garlic-soy sauce. This dish contains wheat in the soy base, making it unsafe for celiacs and anyone with gluten intolerance.

Firecracker Chicken: Crispy chicken bites tossed in a spicy-sweet chili sauce that’s thickened with wheat-based starch, then garnished with jalapeños, but you should avoid this entirely with a strict gluten-free diet.

Orange Chicken: Hand-tossed crispy chicken glazed in an orange-soy sauce containing wheat thickeners, and then served with scallions, which contain gluten, so it’s off-limits for celiacs.

Honey-Seared Chicken: Grilled chicken breast brushed with a honey-soy reduction that uses wheat soy sauce, which contains gluten in the marinade, thus making this dish quite unsafe when you need to maintain a strict gluten-free diet.

Hot Honey Chicken: Crispy chicken drizzled with a hot-honey glaze made from some wheat-thickened soy sauce and honey, though the batter and the glaze contain gluten, so avoid it entirely as this spicy twist isn’t celiac-safe.

Spicy General Tso’s Chicken: Crispy chicken nuggets in a tangy, chili-garlic sauce, which is then thickened with wheat flour, though the deep-fried batter and sauce make this fully unsuitable for gluten-free diets.

Sesame Chicken: Breaded chicken wok-fried in soybean oil, then coated in a sweet sesame-soy glaze containing wheat ingredients, making this entirely off limits for those avoiding gluten.

Teriyaki Chicken: Chicken breast stir-seared in a teriyaki sauce made with wheat soy sauce and cornstarch, which contains wheat, so it’s unsafe for strict gluten-free diets and celiacs.

Firecracker Shrimp: Crispy battered shrimp tossed in a sweet-spicy glaze thickened with wheat starch, but both the batter and the sauce pose a high gluten risk, making it worth avoiding.

Spicy Korean BBQ Steak: Marinated flank steak in a gochujang-soy blend with wheat soy sauce and sugar, char-grilled, which unfortunately contains hidden gluten in the Korean marinade.

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken: Tender chicken simmered in a fragrant coconut-red curry sauce with bamboo shoots and bell peppers. This particular dish uses coconut milk and curry paste without wheat thickeners, so it’s safe for celiacs, bursting with creamy, mildly spicy flavor.

Firecracker Tofu: Breaded tofu bites stir-fried with chili and garlic in a wheat-thickened sauce, so avoid this dish if you’re a celiac, or if you have a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

Teriyaki Crispy Tofu: Tofu breaded in wheat-based panko, fried, and coated in teriyaki sauce with wheat soy, though this dish sadly contains gluten in both the coating and the glaze.

Honey-Seared Crispy Tofu: Crispy tofu tossed in a honey-soy reduction containing wheat soy sauce, though it’s pretty unsafe for those on a gluten-free diet, and for celiacs like me.

Thai Coconut Crispy Tofu: Crispy tofu cubes tossed in the same coconut-red curry sauce with peppers and onions, and no batter or wheat ingredients are used, making this a plant-based, gluten-free entrée with rich, aromatic curry notes, and it’s safe for celiacs.

Spicy General Tso’s Crispy Tofu: Tofu cubes dipped in wheat-flour batter, fried, and tossed in General Tso’s sauce, though it’s off-limits for celiacs due to batter and sauce thickeners.

Sesame Crispy Tofu: Tofu cubes coated in a wheat-flour batter, fried, and then drizzled with a sesame-soy glaze containing wheat ingredients, which has gluten in both the coating and the sauce, too.

So, proving that there’s not a lot for you outside of the Pei Wei gluten-free menu, while there are a couple of gluten-free entrées that are safe for you to order, the others here aren’t. 🍤🍗

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Rice + Noodle Bowls

For something hearty to fill your belly with, Pei Wei’s rice and noodle bowls range from classic Pad Thai to spicy stir-fries, though only the rice-based dishes here are gluten-free. 🍚🍜🥡

❌ Spicy Drunken Noodles
❌ Dan Dan Noodles
❌ Chicken Lo Mein
✅ Chicken Pad Thai
✅ Chicken Fried Rice

Let’s take a deeper dive into each of these rice and noodle dishes and learn more about them:

Spicy Drunken Noodles: Wide wheat noodles that have been tossed in a fiery chili-garlic soy sauce with peppers, onions, and Thai basil. Unfortunately, you’ll find wheat in both the noodles and the sauce, making it unsafe for gluten-free diners.

Dan Dan Noodles: Wheat-based noodles served in a creamy, spicy peanut-sesame broth with scallions and ground pork. Both the broth and the noodles contain wheat, so avoid them on a strict gluten-free diet or if you’re a celiac like me.

Chicken Lo Mein: Soft egg noodles stir-fried with chicken, cabbage, carrots, and onions in a wheat-soy blend. The noodles and the sauce contain wheat, making them off-limits for celiacs.

Chicken Pad Thai: Rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, egg, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts in a tamarind-based sauce. This dish is entirely gluten-free by design, but make sure you omit any crispy wonton garnish on the side.

Chicken Fried Rice: Long-grain rice wok-fried with egg, chicken, peas, and carrots in a gluten-free soy blend. There are no wheat ingredients, thus making it safe for gluten-sensitive diners without needing any special modifications.

If the Pei Wei gluten-free menu isn’t enough for you, it’s nice to at least get a few more dishes elsewhere in Pei Wei’s huge menu that’s celiac-safe, gluten-free, and super tasty! 🍝🥢🥟

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Salads + Poke

Alternatively, Pei Wei’s salads offer up fresh bowls, and while there is not a huge variety of them, at least one of these salads could be made gluten-free, and only with a simple tweak. 🥗🍗

⚠️ Asian Chopped Chicken Salad
❌ Salmon Poke Bowl

Let’s break these salads apart and figure out how to make them friendlier to gluten-free diets:

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad: Chopped romaine and cabbage tossed with grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, edamame, wonton strips, and sesame vinaigrette. Just make sure you order this without the wheat-based crispy wontons to remove the wheat-based garnish and ensure a fully gluten-free salad.

Salmon Poke Bowl: Cubed salmon, avocado, cucumber, seaweed salad, and scallions over sushi rice, and then tossed in a soy-based poke sauce that contains wheat. Since this contains hidden gluten in the sauce, it should be avoided by celiacs or by folks with severe gluten intolerance.

All in all, there’s only a singular salad here that’s safe for celiacs, and with a simple tweak, it’s safe for celiacs, too. Just remember to be careful with potential cross-contamination. 🥬🥟

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Appetizers

For a nice starter to your meal, or if you’re craving something light, Pei Wei’s appetizers could do the trick, but sadly, most of them rely on wheat-based wrappers, batters, or sauces. 🥟🍲

❌ Signature Chicken Lettuce Wraps
❌ Pork Egg Rolls
❌ Crab Wontons
❌ Chicken Dumplings
❌ Chicken Egg Rolls
❌ Vegetable Spring Rolls
❌ Sticky Wings
❌ Spicy Korean BBQ Wings
❌ Honey Sriracha Wings
❌ Thai Wonton Soup

Aside from the appetizers that we’ve looked at before in the gluten-free menu, here’s the rest:

Signature Chicken Lettuce Wraps: Ground chicken, water chestnuts, and scallions tossed in hoisin-soy sauce, served with crispy wonton strips. Both the hoisin and the wonton strips contain wheat, making this dish off-limits for celiacs.

Pork Egg Rolls: Shredded pork, cabbage, and carrots wrapped in a wheat-based wrapper and deep-fried. The egg roll skins contain gluten, and shared fryer oil creates cross-contact risk.

Crab Wontons: Lump crab filling folded into wheat-wonton wrappers and fried. This dish has wheat in the wrapper, and it also shares oil in the fryer, so avoid this entirely if you’re a celiac.

Chicken Dumplings: Minced chicken and scallion filling encased in a wheat dough, and it’s then steamed or fried. The wrapper’s wheat flour makes this unsafe for gluten-sensitive diners.

Chicken Egg Rolls: Diced chicken and veggies in a wheat wrapper, deep-fried until golden. The wrapper contains gluten, and fryer cross-contamination further increases the gluten risk.

Vegetable Spring Rolls: Mixed vegetables and glass noodles rolled in a wheat-based wrapper and fried. The wrapper and the shared fryer oil render this appetizer unsafe for celiacs, too.

Sticky Wings: Chicken wings tossed in a sweet-spicy glaze made with soy sauce and wheat-based thickeners. Both the sauce and shared fryer make this dish hazardous for celiacs.

Spicy Korean BBQ Wings: Chicken wings coated in a gochujang–soy marinade containing wheat soy sauce, then char-grilled. The marinade sadly introduces some hidden gluten.

Honey Sriracha Wings: Crispy wings drizzled with a honey-sriracha glaze that uses wheat-containing soy sauce and thickener, where both the coating and the sauce contain gluten.

Thai Wonton Soup: Clear broth with pork-and-wonton dumplings made from wheat wrappers. The wonton skins contain gluten, making the soup unsuitable if you’re gluten intolerant.

Suffice it to say, if you’re a celiac or if you’re highly gluten intolerant, skip Pei Wei’s appetizers menu and dive straight into the Pei Wei gluten-free menu to find something safe, instead. 🥮

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Desserts

Pei Wei has a tiny desserts menu to offer you a sweet finale, but it doesn’t matter much if you are a celiac anyway, as the two treats available here contain glutenous wheat flour. 🍩🍫🍪

❌ Thai Donuts
❌ Fudge Brownie

While this makes it a clear-cut conclusion, let’s just see what they’re made of, just in case:

Thai Donuts: Pillowy fried dough balls dusted in cinnamon sugar and served with a side of sweet dipping sauce. However, it’s also made from wheat flour dough, and it’s then fried in shared oil, with loads of gluten everywhere you look.

Fudge Brownie: Rich, chocolate brownie square topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. The brownie base is baked from a wheat-flour batter, making it off-limits for celiacs.

If you’re craving something sweet, hopefully, some of Pei Wei’s beverages might suffice for you, instead, as you won’t find anything gluten-free or celiac-safe in the dessert menu. 🎂

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Kids Menu

For the young ones dining out at Pei Wei, you’ll find a few kids’ meals, too, though sadly, all of these rely on wheat-based batters or sauces, making them off-limits for celiac diners. 🍊🍗

❌ Kid’s Orange Chicken
❌ Kid’s Honey-Seared Chicken
❌ Kid’s Chicken Lo Mein
❌ Kid’s Teriyaki Chicken
❌ Kid’s Firecracker Chicken

Let’s take a closer peek at each of these to figure out what makes them unsafe for celiacs:

Kid’s Orange Chicken: Bite-sized chicken pieces that are hand-tossed in a sweet orange-soy glaze containing wheat thickeners, then lightly fried. It contains hidden gluten in both the batter and the wheat-thickened sauce.

Kid’s Honey-Seared Chicken: Tender chicken strips glazed in a honey-soy reduction made with wheat soy sauce, then grilled, though the marinade introduces wheat into the dish, making it unsafe if you’re gluten intolerant.

Kid’s Chicken Lo Mein: Soft egg noodles stir-fried with chicken, cabbage, and some carrots in a wheat-soy blend, though both the noodles and the sauce contain gluten, thus making this dish a pretty unsafe choice for celiacs.

Kid’s Teriyaki Chicken: Diced chicken wok-seared in teriyaki sauce made with wheat soy sauce and cornstarch, which contains wheat in the glaze, making it off-limits for folks maintaining a strict gluten-free diet.

Kid’s Firecracker Chicken: Crispy chicken nuggets tossed in a sweet-chili sauce thickened with wheat starch and soy, though both the batter and the sauce contain gluten, rendering it fully unsafe for celiacs.

Hopefully, your kids are alright with the adult-sized dishes in the Pei Wei gluten-free menu, as they’re not going to find anything gluten-sensitive or celiac-friendly in the kids’ menu. 🍚🍜

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Beverages

To wrap up your Pei Wei meal, as with most restaurants, all of the drinks are naturally gluten-free here, but it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious with cross-contact at the dispenser. 🥤🍵

✅ Fountain Drink
✅ Dasani Bottled Water
✅ Mandarin Orange Tea
✅ Honest Kid’s Apple Juice

To satiate our curiosity, let’s figure out what’s inside each of these satisfying beverages:

Fountain Drink: Self-serve sodas poured to order contain no gluten in their formulas. For extra safety, ask staff to wipe the nozzle before you pour to minimize any cross-contamination.

Dasani Bottled Water: Factory-sealed bottles with zero cross-contamination risk, which are not only completely gluten-free and ready to drink, but they’re pretty safe against cross-contact.

Mandarin Orange Tea: Brewed tea blended with mandarin-flavor syrup, with no wheat-based additives. If it has been dispensed from a tap, request a quick rinse at the spigot to reduce any potential cross-contamination.

Honest Kid’s Apple Juice: Shelf-stable, sealed juice pouches contain pure apple juice with no gluten ingredients or handling risk, especially since they’re already factory sealed.

As expected, Pei Wei’s selection of beverages is quite safe and doesn’t offer a whole lot of risks for celiacs and those with gluten intolerance, aside from possible cross-contamination. 🧃☕️

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To Sum Up

On the whole, Pei Wei, especially considering how glutenous and unsuitable many other chain Asian restaurants are for celiacs, is a great place for celiacs to satisfy our spicy cravings.

Of course, most of their menu is off-limits to celiacs or if you’re gluten intolerant, such as most of their appetizers, entrées, desserts, kids’ meals, and a few more in between them, too. 🍜

To be clear, that’s not a huge surprise, as Asian cuisine and the many core ingredients and the thousand-year-old recipes that they’re based on rely on wheat and gluten-filled items. 🍚🥢

But what is surprising is Pei Wei’s dedication to creating a bespoke gluten-free menu, just for folks like you and me, and it’s by no means a consolation prize either, given the variety. 🥡

Whether it’s a hearty protein bowl, some salads, fresh veggies, or best of all, a delicious plate brimming with meats, poultry, or seafood, atop a fresh mound of rice… They have it all. 🥟

Of all the huge authentic Asian cuisine chain restaurants out there, I’ll definitely head back to Pei Wei once we’re done, and if you’re a celiac hungry for more, it’s absolutely worth a visit!

In the meantime, if you want recommendations on other restaurants that have a good selection of gluten-free items, make sure to stay tuned to us here at Great Without Gluten for even more celiac-friendly and gluten-free eating out guides! ✍📝

And, while you’re here, you might also want to check out my other eating out guides and some tasty gluten‑free recipes!

If you’re craving other fast-food or casual dining chains and gourmet meals, do check out my other celiac-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Jimmy John’s, Cracker Barrel, Wingstop, Culver’s, Chili’s, PF Chang’s, First Watch, Potbelly, Red Lobster, Yard House, LongHorn and more! 🍔🍟🍗

Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗

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Frequently Asked Questions

As I was working on this Pei Wei gluten-free menu guide, I came across a few very interesting questions floating around social media, blogs, and forums, so here’s what I think of them:

What dishes are on the Pei Wei gluten-free menu?

Pei Wei’s dedicated gluten-free menu includes Protein Bowls (Chicken, Avocado & Broccoli, as well as the Chicken, Shrimp & Veggies), Signature Grilled Chicken Salad (be sure to omit crispy rice), stir-fries like Mongolian Steak and Beef & Broccoli, Pad Thai, Fried Rice, and more, not to mention couple of veggie-based shareables such as Edamame and Mongolian Green Beans.

How can I modify Pei Wei entrees to be gluten-free?

For items that aren’t on the gluten-free menu, all you have to do is request simple swaps, like asking to remove crispy wontons on salads, skip any tempura or batter (like the Firecracker or Sesame Chicken), and choose steamed rice instead of noodles for celiac-safe carbs. Plus, it’s a good idea to always confirm sauce bases (such as asking for no soy-thickened marinades).

Does Pei Wei test its gluten-free dishes to a <20 ppm standard?

Pei Wei labels some of their menu items as “gluten-free” based on the recipes and ingredients, though they don’t have dedicated gluten-free kitchen spaces or 3rd-party testing to match the FDA’s <20 ppm threshold for something to be certified “gluten-free”. To reduce potential cross-contamination, remember to inform your server of any specific dietary restrictions so they can use fresh gloves, clean woks, and separate utensils, among other precautions, too.

Are Pei Wei’s sauces and dressings safe for a gluten-free diet?

Some sauces, such as Pei Wei’s ginger-garlic, coconut curry, and their gluten-free soy blends, are formulated without wheat. However, stick to items explicitly marked in their allergen guide and avoid Pei Wei’s hoisin, teriyaki, and General Tso’s sauces, which contain wheat and gluten. But, if you’re still not 100% sure, you could always confirm and double-check with your server.

How does Pei Wei handle cross-contamination for gluten-sensitive diners?

When you alert your server to your gluten intolerance or celiac disease, Pei Wei’s kitchen staff will use fresh prep surfaces, separate utensils, and dedicated woks or fryers when possible. As for fountain beverages, you could also request a nozzle wipe, and for rice or noodle dishes, ask that they cook your order last to minimize any possible trace gluten exposure and contact risks.

Photo credit

Nandaro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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