The Ultimate Del Taco Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025
While you can find naturally wheat-free building blocks here, our Del Taco gluten-free menu guide showcases that gluten is always lurking around the corner.
As much as there’s a whole lot of love and justified hype around Mexican food, celiacs aren’t ready to celebrate just yet, as the highly customizable nature of Mexican fast-food can make trying to avoid wheat and gluten quite challenging. 🌮🥙🌯
This is especially true when you’re looking at stuff like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and bowls, because while most of their toppings and ingredients might be naturally wheat-free, they’re then sandwiched between usually wheat-based flatbreads. 🚫🌾
The same problem plagues another fan-favorite Mexican fast-food place, Del Taco. All their menus are brimming with naturally wheat-free building blocks that could help you create a savory meal, like grilled proteins, beans, rice, and many salsas.
Plus, there’s a huge variety of items at Del Taco, from countless sides to their tasty fries, in addition to breakfast staples, and more. Yet, their signature, namesake items, the tacos, as well as other wraps, rely heavily on flour-based flatbread.
As such, if you’re a celiac and you have a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, you can pretty much count out their flour tortillas, taco shells, and buns. On the bright side, at least we’ve made this Del Taco gluten-free guide to help you out! 👍
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
That said, if you’re a strict celiac and have a severe intolerance and sensitivity, in particular, even if you disregard the presence of wheat and gluten in the actual ingredients list, you still have to be wary of cross-contamination risks, too. 👉🚫🌾
So, bear in mind that Del Taco doesn’t operate a gluten-free kitchen, and their heavy use of shared prep lines, fryers, cooking stations, utensils, and more, could easily expose any food (and even drink) items to a risk of trace gluten exposure. 🍔🍟
In other words, even if a specific item on their menu doesn’t naturally include wheat or any other gluten-based components, such as malt, barley, rye, and/or oats, it could still pick up traces of gluten from nearby wheat items due to shared handling.
Therefore, it’s honestly not a bad idea to treat even the safest, most “gluten-friendly” items within Del Taco’s huge menu more like “gluten-sensitive”, with a slight risk of cross-contact, instead of 100% certified “gluten-free”, as it’s not the same. ⚠️
It also doesn’t help that, just like most other restaurants, Del Taco doesn’t test its menu items to meet the FDA’s super strict <20 ppm threshold for any menu item to be labeled as certified “gluten-free”, making it harder to pick something safe.
You could also make things a bit easier and safer for yourself by informing Del Taco’s staff about any dietary restrictions and asking for extra precautions like using fresh gloves, clean utensils, and no shared fryers, to help minimize cross-contact risks.
Del Taco Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
On the flipside, at least Del Taco does make it easier for you to filter out their menu for all those items that you’d have to avoid, and which items are safe enough to order. You could start by heading over to the official Del Taco website. 🌐
Once you’re on their homepage, click or tap on that gigantic “MENU” text on the top-most navigation bar to load up the Del Taco online menu page, and from there, feel free to look around and click or tap on any particular item on the menu.
After the new page loads up, that shows you all the key details about a specific menu item, you’d then be able to click or tap on the bright red box on the right-hand side of the page that says “NUTRITION, ALLERGENS & MORE”. 🔍👀
This would basically scroll you down the page, where you can find a pretty comprehensive breakdown of every single food and drink item on Del Taco’s menu, and here’s how it could help you figure out what’s safe to order, and what isn’t:
- Nutrition – This tab gives you a detailed breakdown of the nutritional data for every single menu item at Del Taco, including how many calories, cholesterol, fat, carbs, fiber, protein, sugars, and more are in each item, which can be handy if you’re conscious about your diet.
- Allergens – Meanwhile, this tab here gives you a simple rundown of what sort of allergens might be included in each menu item. This is very useful if you’re allergic to anything, so if you’re a celiac, look out for any menu item that contains wheat and gluten allergens.
- Ingredients – Whether you’re curious or if the “Allergens” tab isn’t informative enough, you could check out the “Ingredients” tab, which is where they’ve listed the ingredients used in every single menu item, and for celiacs, look out for components such as wheat flour.
Ah, and there’s more! In addition to all this useful info that’s readily available on Del Taco’s website, scroll down the online menu page, and you’ll find a dedicated PDF file for both the official Del Taco allergen guide as well as the official nutritional guide.
These PDF files could be opened in a new tab by clicking on the giant “ALLERGENS” and the “NUTRITIONALS” button, respectively, which is a bit easier to filter through. You could also download these files onto your device for easier reference. 📩📲
Breakfast
As awesome as a breakfast burrito might sound, you aren’t going to find anything here that would be celiac-safe, as Del Taco mixes flour-wrapped burritos and grab-and-go rollers with deep-fried sides, most of which are made with wheat. ☀️🍩🥔
❌ Breakfast Burrito (Egg & Cheese)
❌ Breakfast Burrito (Bacon, Egg & Cheese)
❌ Breakfast Burrito (Carne Asada Steak, Egg & Cheese)
❌ Breakfast Roller (Egg & Cheese)
❌ Breakfast Roller (Bacon, Egg & Cheese)
❌ Donut Bites
⚠️ Hashbrown Sticks
Let’s break down these breakfast dishes and pastries to figure out what they’re made of:
Breakfast Burrito (Egg & Cheese): Flour tortilla wrapped around scrambled eggs and cheese. The tortilla contains enriched wheat flour, and the assembly line handles other wheat items, so this is unsafe for celiacs and not suitable for strict gluten avoidance.
Breakfast Burrito (Bacon, Egg & Cheese): Bacon, egg, and melted cheese rolled inside a flour tortilla. Because the wrap is made from wheat and the filling is assembled on shared surfaces, this burrito contains gluten and carries a high cross-contact risk.
Breakfast Burrito (Carne Asada Steak, Egg & Cheese): Grilled carne asada, eggs, and cheese folded into a flour tortilla. The tortilla and any seasoned sauces or marinades may include wheat-based ingredients, so treat this as unsafe for anyone with celiac disease.
Breakfast Roller (Egg & Cheese): A smaller, handheld flour wrap filled with eggs and cheese and heated on a shared grill. The wrapper is wheat-based, and the shared heating/assembly areas increase cross-contact, so avoid this if you need gluten-free assurance.
Breakfast Roller (Bacon, Egg & Cheese): Bacon and egg tucked into a flour-based roller, usually heated to order. The flour wrap contains wheat and is prepared alongside other bakery items, so this fan favourite is not safe for strict gluten avoidance and celiacs alike.
Donut Bites: Small fried or baked pastry bites made from wheat flour and sugar. These are bakery items by ingredient and are often prepared/stored with other baked goods, making them unsafe for celiacs and highly gluten-intolerant diners.
Hashbrown Sticks: Shredded potato sticks that are wheat-free by ingredient, but commonly fried in shared oil and handled near baked goods. Treat them with caution, and ask whether those fryers are dedicated and request separate handling to reduce cross-contact.
Alas, nearly all of Del Taco’s breakfast handhelds and pastries contain wheat in their tortilla wraps or pastry dough, with the only somewhat safe option being the Hashbrown Sticks, but that, too, presents some cross-contamination risks. 🧀🥓🌶️
Tacos & Crispy Chicken
Del Taco’s namesake tacos mix grilled proteins with some delectable fillings, beans, rice, veggies, and more to create a slice of heaven on a plate, though with flour tortilla wrappers, alongside (breaded) fried chicken and fish, it’s a no-go for celiacs. 🌮
❌ Beer Battered Fish Taco
❌ Carne Asada Steak Street Taco
❌ Carne Asada Steak Street Guac’d Up Taco
❌ Del Dorado Chicken Taco
❌ Grilled Chicken Street Taco
❌ Grilled Chicken Street Guac’d Up Taco
❌ Grilled Chicken Taco
❌ Chipotle Crispy Chicken Taco
❌ Chipotle Crispy Chicken Guac’d Up Taco
❌ Ranch Crispy Chicken Taco
❌ Ranch Crispy Chicken Guac’d Up Taco
❌ The Del Taco (Crunchy)
❌ The Del Taco (Soft)
❌ Snack Taco (Crunchy)
❌ Snack Taco (Soft)
❌ Crunchtada Tostada
❌ Del Dorado Chicken Crunchtada
❌ Crispy Chicken & Fries Box (Ranch)
❌ Crispy Chicken & Fries Box (Chipotle)
For context, let’s take a closer look at what makes these tasty tacos dangerous for celiacs:
Beer Battered Fish Taco: A fried fish filet coated in a beer-based batter. The batter contains wheat, and the item is fried in shared oil, so this taco contains gluten by ingredient, and it also carries a very high cross-contact risk.
Carne Asada Steak Street Taco: Grilled steak served in a tortilla or shell that, in many locations or configurations, contains wheat or is handled on shared surfaces. The shared grills, cutting boards, and assembly lines further increase cross-contact risk here.
Carne Asada Steak Street Guac’d Up Taco: Carne asada topped with guacamole in the same tortilla/shell setup. Though the guac is wheat-free, the shell and shared prep equipment introduce wheat exposure, making this unsafe for celiacs.
Del Dorado Chicken Taco: Chicken taco finished with crunchy or sauced elements that include wheat in the shell, coating, or toppings. The shell and the prep line are the main gluten vectors, and shared fryers or spatulas increase contamination risk.
Grilled Chicken Street Taco: Grilled chicken tucked into a tortilla or shell that may contain wheat or be prepared near wheat products. Even with grilled protein, the wrapper and the shared assembly step make this unsafe.
Grilled Chicken Street Guac’d Up Taco: Grilled chicken with guacamole, and while the guac itself is fine, the tortilla/shell handling and shared prep surfaces introduce wheat and cross-contact, so the overall taco is not safe for celiacs.
Grilled Chicken Taco: A Standard grilled chicken taco that’s typically built on a flour or wheat-containing shell at many locations. The tortilla ingredient and shared storage/toasting practices are the primary gluten concerns here.
Chipotle Crispy Chicken Taco: Breaded, seasoned chicken with chipotle sauce served in a shell. The crispy coating contains wheat, and frying/assembly near other battered items increases cross-contact, making this clearly unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Chipotle Crispy Chicken Guac’d Up Taco: Breaded crispy chicken plus guacamole, and despite the guac being wheat-free, the breading, frying, and the shared prep tools mean this combo contains gluten and carries significant cross-contact risk.
Ranch Crispy Chicken Taco: Breaded chicken tossed or served with ranch-style sauce. The coating contains wheat, and the sauce/assembly steps do not remove that ingredient-level gluten, plus shared fryers and utensils add cross-contact danger.
Ranch Crispy Chicken Guac’d Up Taco: A variation with guacamole added. Guac does not eliminate the fact that the chicken is breaded and fried, and the breading and shared oil/utensils keep this item unsafe for celiac diners.
The Del Taco (Crunchy): Signature crunchy taco built with a wheat-containing crunchy shell or a shell that is processed with wheat-based seasonings. The shell and the shared fryers/assembly process are the gluten vectors here.
The Del Taco (Soft): The soft version is assembled in a wheat-based tortilla by default. Even if the proteins are gluten-free by ingredient, the soft tortilla and shared prep mean this is not safe for strict gluten avoidance.
Snack Taco (Crunchy): Smaller crunchy taco with a wheat-containing shell or cross-contact risk from shared fryers and seasoning lines. As a pre-fried, breaded-style shell, it ultimately comes with gluten and should be avoided by celiacs.
Snack Taco (Soft): Small soft-shell taco using a flour/tortilla that contains wheat. The wrapper ingredient, plus the shared counters and tongs, make this a cross-contact risk and unsafe by ingredient and the prep process.
Crunchtada Tostada: Tostada-style item using a crispy, often wheat-dusted shell with toppings. The crisp shell and any frying/handling processes introduce wheat by ingredient or cross-contact, so this isn’t safe for celiacs.
Del Dorado Chicken Crunchtada: Breaded or sauced chicken finished on a crunchy tostada shell. Between the breading/coating and the crunchy shell, this item contains gluten and is prepared near other wheat products.
Crispy Chicken & Fries Box (Ranch): Boxed meal with breaded chicken and fries plus ranch. The breaded chicken’s coating contains wheat, and shared fryers/tools create cross-contact, so this boxed combo is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Crispy Chicken & Fries Box (Chipotle): Same as the above, but with chipotle seasoning or sauce instead. The crispy chicken is breaded with wheat-containing coating and is fried alongside other battered items, so this box is not safe for celiacs.
Pretty much every single Del Taco’s taco and crispy chicken dishes are unsafe, either due to their use of wheat-based shells, batters, and breading, let alone the cross-contact risk from shared fryers, grills, and prep stations, too! 🍗🍟🧀🍅
Burritos, Epic Burritos & Macho Burritos
Aside from tacos, Del Taco’s big menu also specializes in burritos, ranging from simple bean rolls to humongous burrito monstrosities, though sadly, all of them are built on flour tortilla wraps or include wheat components. 🌯🧀🌶️
❌ 8 Layer Veggie Burrito
❌ Bean & Cheese Burrito (Green)
❌ Bean & Cheese Burrito (Red)
❌ Beef & Cheddar Burrito
❌ Chicken Cheddar Roller (Chipotle)
❌ Chicken Cheddar Roller (Original)
❌ Chicken Cheddar Roller (Ranch)
❌ Combo Beef & Bean Burrito
❌ Del Dorado Chicken Grilled Burrito
❌ Grilled Chicken Burrito
❌ Spicy Grilled Chicken Burrito
❌ Epic Grilled Chicken Cali Bacon Burrito
❌ Epic Carne Asada Steak Cali Bacon Burrito
❌ Epic Combo Beef & Bean Burrito
❌ Epic Grilled Chicken Fresh Guacamole Burrito
❌ Epic Carne Asada Steak Fresh Guacamole Burrito
❌ Epic Grilled Chicken Loaded Queso Burrito
❌ Epic Carne Asada Steak Loaded Queso Burrito
❌ Del Dorado Chicken Epic Burrito
❌ Macho Beef Burrito
❌ Macho Carne Asada Steak & Bean Burrito
❌ Macho Chicken & Bean Burrito
❌ Macho Combo Beef & Bean Burrito
❌ Del Dorado Chicken Macho Burrito
Just like those tacos from earlier, let’s check out what makes these burritos a bad choice:
8 Layer Veggie Burrito: A large flour tortilla filled with beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and other veggie toppings. The flour tortilla is wheat-based, and assembly occurs on shared lines, making this unsuitable for strict gluten avoidance.
Bean & Cheese Burrito (Green): Refried or seasoned beans and cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla with green sauce options. The wrap uses enriched wheat flour, and even if the fillings are wheat-free by ingredient, shared prep and seasoning lines create cross-contact risk.
Bean & Cheese Burrito (Red): Similar to the green version but served with red sauce. The red sauce and beans may be wheat-free, but the wheat tortilla and shared assembly areas mean this item is not safe for celiac diners.
Beef & Cheddar Burrito: Seasoned beef and cheddar wrapped in a flour tortilla with special sauces and toppings. The problem here is the wheat tortilla and any sauce thickeners, so avoid them unless the restaurant offers a certified gluten-free tortilla and strict prep controls.
Chicken Cheddar Roller (Chipotle): A handheld flour wrap filled with chicken, cheese, and chipotle sauce. The soft flour wrapper and shared warming/griddle areas introduce both ingredient-level gluten and high cross-contact risks for celiacs.
Chicken Cheddar Roller (Original): The classic chicken-and-cheese flour roller. Because the wrapper is wheat-based and heated on shared equipment, this item contains gluten by ingredient and should be avoided by those requiring strict gluten avoidance.
Chicken Cheddar Roller (Ranch): Chicken, cheese, and ranch in a flour-based roller. The ranch may be gluten-free by ingredient, but the wheat wrapper and shared assembly make this an unsafe choice for celiac diners.
Combo Beef & Bean Burrito: A flour tortilla stuffed with seasoned beef, beans, cheese, and sauces. The tortilla and potential sauce thickeners contain wheat or risk cross-contact, so this combo is not safe for those with celiac disease.
Del Dorado Chicken Grilled Burrito: Grilled chicken and toppings wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. Even though the chicken is grilled, the wrap and shared prep surfaces render this burrito unsafe for strict gluten-free diets.
Grilled Chicken Burrito: Grilled chicken, rice, beans, and salsa rolled in a flour tortilla. The main contributor of wheat here comes from the tortilla, but shared grills, rice scoops, and assembly stations create cross-contact risks that make this unsuitable for celiacs.
Spicy Grilled Chicken Burrito: Grilled chicken with spicy sauces in a flour tortilla. The spice mix may be wheat-free, but the wheat tortilla and shared handling mean this burrito is not a safe gluten-free option without certified alternatives.
Epic Grilled Chicken Cali Bacon Burrito: A large flour-wrapped “Epic” burrito with grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, and fillings. The oversized format increases touch points on shared surfaces, and the flour wrapper and bacon handling mean it’s unsafe for celiacs.
Epic Carne Asada Steak Cali Bacon Burrito: Carne asada, bacon, and other fillings in a giant flour tortilla. Between the wheat wrap and multiple components handled on shared lines, this Epic burrito is not safe for strict gluten avoidance.
Epic Combo Beef & Bean Burrito: Large flour burrito combining beef, beans, and extras. The sheer size and multiple scoops increase cross-contact vectors, and the flour tortilla and any gravy/queso-style add-ins make this unsafe for celiac diners.
Epic Grilled Chicken Fresh Guacamole Burrito: Grilled chicken and fresh guacamole in a flour wrap. Guacamole is typically gluten-free, but the tortilla and shared assembly storage nullify that advantage for those needing a certified gluten-free meal.
Epic Carne Asada Steak Fresh Guacamole Burrito: Carne asada and guac wrapped in flour. While meat and guac may be wheat-free, the flour wrapper and shared prep stations create both ingredient-level and cross-contact hazards for people with celiac disease.
Epic Grilled Chicken Loaded Queso Burrito: Grilled chicken with loaded queso inside a flour tortilla. Queso and sauces may include thickeners or additives; regardless, the flour tortilla and shared ladles/spoons make this unsafe for strict gluten-free diets.
Epic Carne Asada Steak Loaded Queso Burrito: Steak, queso, and toppings in a flour wrap. The hearty composition, plus wheat tortilla and shared serving tools, create multiple points where contamination could occur, so avoid this if you must strictly avoid gluten.
Del Dorado Chicken Epic Burrito: Breaded or specially finished chicken and toppings in a large flour tortilla. Any breading, sauces, or flour-based shells present a major gluten risk, and combined with shared fryers and utensils, this item is unsafe for celiacs.
Macho Beef Burrito: Oversized burrito with beef, rice, beans, and sauces inside a large flour tortilla. The large format increases handling and shared-tool exposure, though the flour wrapper makes this unsuitable for strict gluten avoidance.
Macho Carne Asada Steak & Bean Burrito: Carne asada, beans, and fillings within a flour tortilla. The tortilla and assembly on shared lines are the main gluten risks, so this Macho burrito is not safe without verified gluten-free preparation.
Macho Chicken & Bean Burrito: Grilled or sauced chicken with beans in a flour wrap. Even with plain proteins, the wheat-based tortilla and shared scooping/assembly tools introduce cross-contact risk, making it unsafe for celiac diners.
Macho Combo Beef & Bean Burrito: Big flour-wrapped combo of beef, beans, and cheese. The wheat tortilla and multiple shared utensils and ladles make this a high cross-contact item and unsafe for those with celiac disease.
Del Dorado Chicken Macho Burrito: Large Del Dorado-style chicken wrapped in flour with toppings and sauces. The Del Dorado preparation often includes crispy or sauced elements and the flour wrapper. Together, these create ingredient-level gluten and cross-contact hazards.
Unfortunately, I guess you’re going to have to look elsewhere if you’re craving a burrito, as you’re not going to find anything celiac-safe here, given that all of them are built with flour tortillas or contain wheat-based fillings. 🥩🍖🍗
Quesadillas & Nachos
Continuing on with the whole flatbread theme, Del Taco has a great selection of quesadillas and nachos, though just like their burritos and tacos, these rely heavily on flour tortillas and crispy shells, making them off-limits to celiacs. 🍲🥣
❌ Cheddar Quesadilla
❌ Chicken Cheddar Quesadilla
❌ Del Dorado Chicken Quesadilla
❌ Mini Cheddar Quesadilla
❌ 3 Layer Queso Nachos
❌ Queso Loaded Nachos (Seasoned Beef)
❌ Queso Loaded Nachos (Grilled Chicken)
❌ Queso Loaded Nachos (Came Asada Steak)
Let’s break these quesadillas and nachos apart to see what they’re actually made of:
Cheddar Quesadilla: Melted cheddar folded inside a grilled flour tortilla. The tortilla contains enriched wheat flour. Additionally, the grilled prep areas and the shared spatulas/toasters increase cross-contact risk, so it’s for anyone needing strict gluten avoidance.
Chicken Cheddar Quesadilla: Grilled or shredded chicken with melted cheese inside a wheat flour tortilla. The wrap is the primary gluten source, and the item is heated on shared griddles, though both the ingredient-level gluten and cross-contact risks make this unsafe for celiacs.
Del Dorado Chicken Quesadilla: Del Dorado-style chicken served in a toasted flour tortilla, often with extra crunchy or sauced elements. Between the wheat-based tortilla wrap and the shared preparation tools, this quesadilla contains gluten and carries high cross-contact danger.
Mini Cheddar Quesadilla: A smaller version using the same wheat flour tortilla and shared grill prep. However, size doesn’t change the wheat content or the shared-equipment risks, so the mini quesadilla remains unsafe for strict gluten-free diets, too.
3 Layer Queso Nachos: Tortilla chips layered with queso and toppings. Chips and queso can introduce wheat through coatings, seasoning blends, or shared fryers. Plus, the queso sauces sometimes use wheat thickeners, so this stack is unsafe by ingredient and cross-contact.
Queso Loaded Nachos (Seasoned Beef): Seasoned beef and queso poured over chips. The chips and queso are the main gluten vectors, and multiple scoops/ladles and shared fryers or the seasoning stations increase cross-contact risk, making this unsafe for celiacs.
Queso Loaded Nachos (Grilled Chicken): Grilled chicken over chips with queso. Even though the chicken may be gluten-free by ingredient, the chips and queso likely contain or contact with wheat, and shared serving tools create a significant contamination risk.
Queso Loaded Nachos (Came Asada Steak): Carne asada steak over chips and queso. The steak and toppings may be fine by ingredient, but the chips and queso (and shared ladles/scoops) introduce wheat and cross-contact hazards, so treat this as unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Once again, every single quesadilla and nacho plate at Del Taco is unsafe for celiacs, mostly due to their use of wheat-based tortillas, chips, or queso thickeners, in addition to extensive shared prep stations and cookware. 🧀🍅🍗
Guacamole, Burgers, Fries, Salads & Sides
Okay, finally, we’ve finally found some food in Del Taco’s menu that could somewhat be safe for celiacs! Del Taco’s guac looks promising, though around them are wheat burger buns, fries with wheat-thickened sauces, and breaded fried chicken. 🍔🍟
✅ Snack-Sized Chips & Fresh House-Made Guac
✅ Fresh House-Made Guacamole (Side)
✅ Fresh House-Made Guacamole (Scoops)
❌ Double Del Cheeseburger (Bacon)
❌ Double Del Cheeseburger
❌ Del Cheeseburger
⚠️ Carne Asada Steak Fries
❌ Chili Cheddar Fries
⚠️ Crinkle Cut Fries
❌ Deluxe Chili Cheddar Fries
❌ Queso Loaded Fries
❌ 3 Pc. Chicken & Fries Box (Ranch Dipping Sauce)
❌ 3 Pc. Chicken & Fries Box (Chipotle Dipping Sauce)
❌ Caramel Cheesecake Bites
❌ Mini Cinnamon Churros
❌ Bean & Cheese Cup
❌ Taco Salad with Fresh Guac (Seasoned Beef)
❌ Taco Salad with Fresh Guac (Grilled Chicken)
❌ Taco Salad with Fresh Guac (Carne Asada Steak)
Just to make absolutely sure they’re safe, let’s check these dishes out in way more detail:
Snack-Sized Chips & Fresh House-Made Guac: Small portion of corn tortilla chips served with freshly made guacamole. Guac is naturally wheat-free by ingredient, and chips are usually corn-based, but still ask about the fryer or seasoning cross-contact if you’re highly sensitive.
Fresh House-Made Guacamole (Side): Hand-mashed avocado with lime, cilantro, and onion. Guacamole is wheat-free by recipe and a reliable topping, though request a clean scoop and separate container to avoid shared utensils or cracker/chip cross-contact.
Fresh House-Made Guacamole (Scoops): A larger serving of the same fresh guacamole from earlier. Ingredient-wise, it’s safe, but confirm that the scoop is fresh and not used for other items to reduce any trace contamination from nearby bakery or fried goods.
Double Del Cheeseburger (Bacon): Double beef and bacon on a standard wheat bun. The bun contains wheat, and the sandwich is assembled on shared stations and toasters, so it’s not safe for celiacs unless a certified gluten-free bun and dedicated prep are provided.
Double Del Cheeseburger: Double-patty cheeseburger on a wheat bun. It has the same issue as earlier, where the wheat bun and shared toasting/grill equipment introduce both ingredient-level gluten and significant cross-contact risk, so avoid this if you’re strictly gluten-free.
Del Cheeseburger: A single cheeseburger on a wheat bun. The bun and shared prep tools are the main risk, and without a verified gluten-free alternative, this sandwich is unsafe for celiac diners or if you’re highly gluten intolerant.
Carne Asada Steak Fries: Fries topped with carne asada and seasonings. While the steak itself may be wheat-free by ingredient, the fries can pick up cross-contact from shared fryers or seasoned coatings, so request details from staff and a clean container.
Chili Cheddar Fries: Fries smothered in chili and cheddar. The chili and seasoning mixes often include thickeners or additives that may contain wheat, plus the assembly presents high cross-contact risks, so treat this as unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Crinkle Cut Fries: Classic seasoned or plain crinkle fries. Potatoes are wheat-free by ingredient, but many locations use shared oil or seasoning lines, so ask whether fryers are dedicated and request separate handling to lower cross-contact risk.
Deluxe Chili Cheddar Fries: Overloaded fries with chili, cheese, and toppings. Multiple sauced components and possible wheat-containing thickeners create ingredient-level gluten exposure and many shared utensils, so this is unsafe for celiacs, too.
Queso Loaded Fries: Fries finished with queso cheese sauce. Queso sauces can contain wheat thickeners and are ladled from shared containers, and it’s then combined with fries that may be fried in shared oil, making this item unsafe for strict gluten-free diets.
3 Pc. Chicken & Fries Box (Ranch Dipping Sauce): Breaded chicken pieces with fries and ranch. The chicken is breaded with wheat-containing coating and fried in shared oil, so avoid this boxed meal entirely if you require strict gluten avoidance.
3 Pc. Chicken & Fries Box (Chipotle Dipping Sauce): Same breaded chicken and fries with chipotle sauce. Breaded chicken’s coating contains wheat, and the shared fryers and dipping tubs further add cross-contact risk, thus making this unsafe for celiacs.
Caramel Cheesecake Bites: Small baked or fried cheesecake bites with caramel. These are bakery/dessert items made from wheat flour, and they’re typically prepared alongside other pastries, so it’s not safe for people with celiac disease.
Mini Cinnamon Churros: Bite-sized fried pastries dusted in cinnamon sugar. Churros are made from wheat flour and fried in shared oil, creating both ingredient and cross-contact hazards, so avoid this if you must be gluten-free.
Bean & Cheese Cup: Cup of seasoned/refried beans topped with cheese. Although beans can be wheat-free by ingredient, Del Taco’s recipe or seasonings may include wheat or be handled with shared utensils.
Taco Salad with Fresh Guac (Seasoned Beef): Salad topped with seasoned beef and guacamole, but often served with taco shells/chips and seasoning mixes that include wheat. Because of those components and shared prep, this menu item is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Taco Salad with Fresh Guac (Grilled Chicken): Salad with grilled chicken and guacamole. Even the grilled protein salads here are flagged as unsafe, likely due to included chips, dressings, or shared assembly, so treat them as unsafe by default.
Taco Salad with Fresh Guac (Carne Asada Steak): Carne asada salad with guac. Despite the meat and guac being potentially gluten-free by ingredient, the added chips, dressings, or the seasoning mean this salad is not safe for celiac diners.
It’s a modest selection, but at least celiacs could more or less count on Del Taco’s plain guac-topped dishes and guacamole, as long as you avoid their burgers, loaded fries, breaded fried chicken boxes, desserts, and taco salads. 🌮🧀🌶️🥗
Shakes & Drinks
Like most restaurants, Del Taco’s drink selection is not just gigantic, but for celiacs, they are mostly low risk, with a ton of bottled sodas, brewed teas, lemonades, and shakes, all of them being naturally wheat-free, but be wary of cross-contact. ☕️🍵🍋
✅ Shake (Vanilla)
✅ Shake (Chocolate)
✅ Shake (Strawberry)
✅ Orange Cream Shake
✅ Hot Coffee
✅ Iced Coffee
✅ Simply Orange
✅ Bottled Water
✅ Gold Peak Real Brewed Tea – Unsweetened
✅ Gold Peak Real Brewed Tea – Sweet Tea
✅ Real Strawberry Lemonade
✅ Real Strawberry Sprite
✅ Barq’s Root Beer
✅ Coca-Cola Cherry
✅ Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
✅ Coca-Cola
✅ Diet Coke
✅ Dr Pepper
✅ Fanta Orange
✅ Fuze Raspberry Iced Tea
✅ Hi-C Flashin’ Fruit Punch
✅ Mello Yello
✅ Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade
✅ POWERADE Mountain Berry Blast
✅ Sprite
Just so we’re certain that these drinks are safe, let’s take a peek at what they’re made of:
Shake (Vanilla): Classic vanilla soft-serve blended with milk to create a thick shake. The recipe contains no wheat, but blenders and scoops are shared, so ask the local staff to use a freshly cleaned blender and no cookie/brownie mix-ins for maximum safety.
Shake (Chocolate): Chocolate ice cream blended with milk for a rich shake. Ingredient-wise, it’s wheat-free, yet shared blending equipment and topping spoons can introduce crumbs, but as always, request a cleaned blender and no additional mix-ins or cookie garnishes.
Shake (Strawberry): Strawberry syrup or purée mixed with vanilla soft-serve and milk. The fruit and dairy base contains no wheat, but confirm that the strawberry syrup has no hidden additives, and ask for a fresh blender to avoid cross-contact from previous dessert blends.
Orange Cream Shake: Creamy orange-flavored shake combining citrus syrup and soft-serve. By ingredient, this contains no wheat. However, citrus syrups are dispensed from pumps, so ask for a freshly cleaned blender and request no cookie or pastry mix-ins to limit contamination.
Hot Coffee: Brewed hot coffee served black or with milk/cream. Coffee beans contain no gluten, but check any added syrups or creamers for additives and ask staff to steam milk in a clean pitcher away from pastry stations to lower cross-contact risk.
Iced Coffee: Chilled brewed coffee served over ice with optional sweeteners or syrups. The coffee base is wheat-free, but confirm that the syrups here are gluten-free and request clean pumps or a fresh pour from a sealed container if you’re highly sensitive.
Simply Orange: Factory-sealed orange juice with no wheat ingredients. Sealed bottles are one of the lowest-risk options for celiac diners, and they also avoid any dispenser or nozzle cross-contact concerns entirely.
Bottled Water: Factory-sealed bottled water. The safest beverage option available, with zero ingredient risk, and no cross-contact risks from kitchen prep areas when it remains unopened as it gets to you.
Gold Peak Real Brewed Tea – Unsweetened: Bottled brewed tea with no wheat found in the ingredients list. It’s a fairly low-risk, factory-sealed option, though choose the bottled options to avoid shared fountain nozzles or syrup pumps.
Gold Peak Real Brewed Tea – Sweet Tea: Bottled sweet tea that is wheat-free by ingredient. Pick the factory-sealed bottle for the least cross-contact risk and avoid fountain mixes if you want extra assurance.
Real Strawberry Lemonade: Lemonade blended with strawberry purée or syrup. This is typically wheat-free by ingredient, but ask whether the strawberry syrup contains additives, and prefer a fresh pour from a clean dispenser or a sealed bottle.
Real Strawberry Sprite: Sprite mixed with strawberry syrup or flavoring. Plus, the base soda is wheat-free, though verify any fruit syrups for hidden ingredients and choose bottled options or request a wiped fountain nozzle for caution.
Barq’s Root Beer: Root beer syrup with carbonation, wheat-free by ingredient. The bottled options are the safest, and if you’re using the fountain, ask the staff to wipe the nozzle and use a fresh cup to avoid dispenser cross-contact.
Coca-Cola Cherry: Cherry-flavored cola using cherry syrup and cola base. No wheat ingredients in standard formulations are found, but you might want to consider the bottled/canned containers or request a cleaned fountain nozzle for minimal cross-contact.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar: Zero-sugar cola with no wheat ingredients. Sealed bottles or cans are the lowest risk, though fountain pours are usually fine, but ask for a clean nozzle if you’re highly sensitive.
Coca-Cola: Classic cola syrup and carbonated water with no wheat ingredients. Choose the factory-sealed bottles or cans when possible to eliminate any dispenser-related cross-contact concerns.
Diet Coke: Diet cola with no wheat in the ingredient list. Bottled or canned Diet Coke is a very low-risk choice for celiac diners, but ask for a fresh pour from a cleaned nozzle if you use the fountain.
Dr Pepper: Spiced cola-style soda without wheat in standard recipes. Bottled/canned options remove any dispenser cross-contamination worries, and if you’re using fountain dispensers, request a wiped nozzle for extra caution.
Fanta Orange: Fruit-flavoured orange soda that contains no wheat ingredients. Bottled Fanta is low risk, and as always, if you’re using the fountain, keep an eye on shared nozzles and request a fresh pour.
Fuze Raspberry Iced Tea: Bottled raspberry iced tea with no wheat ingredients in the standard form. Sealed bottles are the safest option to avoid any fountain or pump cross-contact, too.
Hi-C Flashin’ Fruit Punch: Fountain or bottled fruit punch syrup formulation without wheat by ingredient. Choose the bottled options to avoid nozzle cross-contact or ask staff to wipe the dispenser before pouring.
Mello Yello: Citrus fountain soda without wheat ingredients. Prefer factory-sealed bottles or request a clean fountain nozzle to reduce any cross-contact from nearby pastry stations.
Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade: Zero-sugar lemonade concentrate mixed with water, which is usually wheat-free. Bottled or canned options are the lowest risk, and if you’re getting it from a fountain, ask for a wiped nozzle and a fresh cup.
POWERADE Mountain Berry Blast: Sports drink in factory-sealed bottles. The ingredients do not include any wheat, and sealed packs are ideal for sensitive celiac diners who want the least cross-contact exposure.
Sprite: Lemon-lime soda with no wheat ingredients. Bottled or canned Sprite is very low risk, and if you’re using a fountain, a fresh pour from a wiped nozzle reduces any small dispenser contamination risk.
While Del Taco’s shakes and beverages are generally wheat-free, remember that the risks of cross-contamination could occur any time, especially around the blenders, pumps, as well as the fountain drinks nozzles, so always be on the lookout! 🥤🧃🥃
To Sum Up
On the whole, even compared to most of its rivals in the Mexican fast-food scene, Del Taco is among the worst offenders when it comes to catering to celiacs, with how few options you’re presented with, as most of its menu is hazardous. 😱
Even to folks who are only mildly intolerant or are sensitive to gluten, there’s way more than enough cross-contamination risk to worry them, let alone if you’re suffering from celiac disease, and there’s the actual food itself. 🌮🌯🥙
While the majority of the individual fillings, toppings, and ingredients at Del Taco are celiac-safe, the flatbread wraps themselves aren’t, regardless of whether you’re ordering a burrito, taco, quesadilla, or even a taco salad bowl! 🥗🧀🍅
Moreover, unlike some Mexican fast-food places, which offer non-wheat-based tortillas, like those made from corn, that’s not an option here, making it easier for me to recommend not dining at or ordering from Del Taco if you’re a celiac.
In the meantime, if you want recommendations on other restaurants with plenty 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 celiacs-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Yard House, LongHorn, Pei Wei, Wendy’s, Cheddar’s, Bob Evans, BJ’s, Maggiano’s, Carrabba’s, MOD Pizza, Little Caesars, Qdoba, Whataburger, Tim Hortons, Arby’s, In-N-Out, and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
While working on this Del Taco gluten-free menu guide, I came across some very fascinating discussions floating around community forums and social media, so here’s what I think:
Is Del Taco gluten-free?
No. Del Taco is not a certified gluten-free restaurant. Some components (grilled proteins, rice, beans, salsas, etc.) are naturally wheat-free, but the shared fryers, tortilla wrappers, as well as prep lines mean that most items should be treated as gluten-sensitive at the very most.
What Del Taco menu items are safest for celiacs?
By ingredient, the lower-risk choices are plain grilled chicken or steak (no tortillas), rice, many salsas, and sealed bottled drinks. Always confirm with the staff, ask for fresh gloves and clean utensils just to be extra safe, and avoid anything fried, breaded, or wrapped in flour tortillas.
Are Del Taco fries gluten-free?
Not reliably so. The potatoes themselves are naturally wheat-free, though Del Taco fries may be cooked in shared fryers or seasoned with mixes that contain wheat, so ask the staff about their specific fryer practices and request fries in a clean container if you decide to order them.
How should I order at Del Taco if I have celiac disease?
First up, make sure to tell the cashier you have celiac disease, request grilled proteins with no tortilla, ask for fresh gloves and clean new utensils and separate plating, avoid any of its fried breaded items, and confirm any sauces, seasonings, or queso for hidden wheat beforehand.
Does Del Taco publish allergen or gluten information?
Yes! You can find more specific allergen, gluten, and nutrition information straight from their website, including on the product pages on Del Taco’s online menu itself, and they even have PDF versions of their allergen and nutrition guide, respectively, that you can easily download.
Photo Credit
Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Becky ✍️
Hi, I am Becky. I am a passionate recipe maker and having been a coeliac (celiac) for 30+ years I focus on gluten-free recipes. My blog is my online cookbook of gluten-free tasty recipes. You can follow me on X: @beckygwg
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