Last Updated on June 3, 2022
Today, we’re going to be answering the question: are Chipotle chips gluten free? And taking an extensive look at which food products from Chipotle are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Chipotle is incredibly popular, particularly in the US. While they offer fast, convenient, and tasty food – is any of it okay to consume when following a gluten-free lifestyle? Let’s take a closer look.
Table of Contents
What Is Chipotle?
Its full name is Chipotle Mexican Grill, but you’ll likely know it simply as Chipotle. Chipotle has been around for almost 30 years now and has almost 3,000 locations around the world. While the US is home to most of their restaurants, Canada, the UK, Germany, and France also have Chipotle too!
Chipotle is a casual restaurant, that serves fast food. While they offer many Mexican favorites, they specialize specifically in burritos and tacos. Did you know that McDonald’s is actually a major investor in Chipotle?
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Are Chipotle Chips Gluten Free?
Chipotle tortilla chips are one of their most popular menu items. Let’s be honest – chips and dip go perfectly with just about any main. And guess what? Chipotle chips are completely gluten-free! They are made from corn (which is a naturally gluten-free grain) and are also cooked in a dedicated gluten-free fryer. This means that the chance of cross-contact when it comes to their tortilla chips is very low! Chipotle tortilla chips are considered safe for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
Do Chipotle Have A Gluten Free Menu?
While Chipotle does not have an exclusively gluten-free menu like other restaurants, they do have an allergen guide, which helps us to identify which products contain wheat/gluten and which do not. In fact, most of their menu is naturally free from any gluten ingredients, which is great news for us! You can find their full allergen guide here.
In their allergen statement, they specifically state that their flour tortillas are not gluten-free and should be avoided. They also state that if you make your server aware of any allergies/intolerances that you have, they’ll take extra precautions when preparing your order, such as changing gloves. It’s worth mentioning that their allergen statement also says this, “(our products)…may have trace amounts of gluten from potentially co-mingling with gluten-containing grains”.
Gluten Free Chipotle List
Chipotle offers a range of foods that do not contain any gluten ingredients. In fact, their flour tortillas are the only food product that does contain gluten…in their entire menu! Let’s take a look at what they have to offer.
- barbacoa
- black beans
- carnitas
- chicken
- tortilla chips
- brown rice
- white rice
- crispy corn tortilla
- fajita vegetables
- fresh tomato salsa
- guacamole
- Monterey Jack cheese
- pinto beans
- queso blanco
- roasted chili-corn salsa
- romaine lettuce
- sofritas
- sour cream
- steak
- super greens lettuce blend
- tomatillo green chili salsa
- tomatillo red chili salsa
- Chipotle honey vinaigrette
- plant-based chorizo
Is Chipotle Safe For Celiacs?
Unfortunately, Chipotle is not 100% safe for celiacs. This is because their food is not certified gluten-free, and does not make any gluten-free claims. They list which of their products do contain gluten and clarify that they will take extra precautions when preparing any gluten intolerant order. However, because their kitchens do handle foods that contain gluten, there is always a small chance of cross-contact.
It all depends on how comfortable you feel taking that risk. As long as you’re upfront and honest with your server, it can be absolutely fine to eat in Chipotle – as long as you avoid the flour tortillas!
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to answer the question are Chipotle chips gluten-free? And given you an idea of the food you can enjoy when eating out at Chipotle. It’s one of the easier casual dining restaurants to order gluten-free from. It’s worth noting that this article is based on the menu and ingredients from US Chipotle. Different locations worldwide will have separate allergen menus – so always be sure to check before ordering.
What’s your experience with eating gluten-free at Chipotle? And what’s your go-to order? Please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring!
Read more about Gluten-Free Items At Taco Bell
FAQs
Are Chipotle Chips Gluten-Free Celiac?
Yes! Chipotle chips are made from corn and are cooked in a separate fryer to any gluten containing foods. Because of this, they are considered safe for a gluten free diet, including those with celiac disease.
What Are Chipotle Chips Made of?
You may be wondering what Chipotle tortilla chips are made from. The truth is, they don't use many ingredients at all! And the best part is, they're made fresh in their dedicated gluten free fryers to order. The main ingredient in their chips is corn masa flour. But they also include water, sunflower oil, lime juice and kosher salt.
Is Chipotle Certified Gluten-Free?
No. Chipotle is not certified gluten free and does not make any gluten free claims. For a product to make gluten free claims, or be certified, it has to be tested and contain less than 20ppm of gluten. As Chipotle does not do this, it simply can not be marketed as certified gluten free. However, their allergen guide is extensive and the servers in your Chipotle restaurant should be knowledgeable on how to prepare any orders from gluten intolerant customers.
Is Chipotle Plant Based Chorizo Gluten-Free?
Very recently, Chipotle released their brand new plant based chorizo. It may not sound too appealing at first, but it's definitely worth a try as it's absolutely delicious - and guess what? It's also free from any gluten ingredients! The main ingredient is pea protein. And it also includes chipotle peppers, olive oil, smoked paprika, tomato paste and garlic. Not only is this product free from gluten, but it's also free from soy and also certified vegan! This makes the plant based chorizo readily available for quite a few dietary lifestyles.
Zoe Collins
Hi, my name’s Zoë. I live in London, UK. I work full time as a freelance writer and critic for West End theatre. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I spend most of my free time at the theatre, or at conventions. I’m married to the love of my life, and live in a small apartment with my fur baby, Lillie. I run two of my own blogs: No Safer Place and Stage to Page: both of which have won awards. I also have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things stagey.
