Jack in the Box is a successful fast-food restaurant chain that operates in more than 2,000 locations in the United States. This popular restaurant offers a variety of menu items, including hamburgers, tacos, cheeseburgers, egg rolls, and sandwiches, among others.
So, is Jack in the Box tacos gluten-free? No, Jack in the Box tacos contain wheat and aren’t gluten-free. Jack in the Box tacos is made from a tortilla and filling. Tortilla is made from ground corn, water, and lime and is gluten-free. However, taco filling has several ingredients, including enriched wheat flour, which contains gluten.
This article will tell you what types of tacos contain gluten and how to know if tacos are gluten-free. Keep reading to see if there are any gluten-free options on Jack in the Box’s menu.
What Type of Taco Contains Gluten?
Tacos consist of two main ingredients, the tortilla or shell, and meat or fish filling. Vegetables, cheese, guacamole, and sauces are usually a part of the mix.
The shell or tortilla is one of the most important aspects of the taco. Soft tacos are made using flour tortillas, which contain gluten, while hard taco shells are made from corn.
Hard taco shells are gluten-free and are usually made with masa harina corn flour, water, salt, and sometimes vegetable oil or lard. Corn tortillas are made with yellow corn, white corn, or blue corn.
In addition to gluten found in tortillas, soft tacos can be prepared with gluten-containing filling.
For example, Jack in the Box taco filling contains enriched wheat flour and hydrolyzed corn. These ingredients contain gluten and make Jack in the Box taco unsuitable for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
How Do You Know if Tacos Are Gluten-Free?
The easiest way to learn if tacos are gluten-free is to look at the ingredient list.
Tacos can be made with corn tortillas or wheat tortillas. Tacos made with corn tortillas are typically gluten-free because corn and other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
On the other hand, wheat flour is the main ingredient in wheat tortillas. As you probably already know, wheat contains gluten, and it isn’t suitable for people following a gluten-free diet.
When buying tortillas, you’ll want to check the ingredients on the packaging. Almost all corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free, but there are always exceptions. Thus, it’s vital to always read labels.
What Are the Ingredients in Jack in the Box Tacos?
Jack in the Box makes three types of tacos: tiny, regular, and monster. None of these tacos are safe for people with celiac disease, wheat allergies, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity because they contain gluten.
Although Jack in the Box tacos is prepared using a gluten-free corn tortilla, the filling is made using gluten-containing ingredients.
Jack in the Box tacos and made using the following ingredients:
Jack in the Box Taco, Tiny
Tiny taco isn’t gluten-free because it contains wheat. The Jack in the Box tiny taco is made from: water, mechanically separated chicken, stone ground corn masa flour (with traces of lime), onions, tomato paste, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), modified food starch, seasoning (salt, spice, garlic powder, paprika [color]).
Jack in the Box tiny tacos are cooked in canola blend frying oil.
Jack in the Box Taco, Regular
Regular Jack in the Box taco features a tortilla and filling. The filling is made from meat ingredients (beef, ground dark chicken), water, textured vegetable protein (soy flour, caramel color), defatted soy grits, seasoning [chili pepper, spices, salt, hydrolyzed protein (soy, corn, wheat gluten), oat fiber, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, natural flavors, torula yeast, onion powder, maltodextrin], salt, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, water, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavor, sulfiting agent).
The tortilla for the Regular Taco is made from ground corn, water, and hydrated lime. Jack in the Box Regular Tacos contain wheat and soy and are cooked in canola oil.
Jack in the Box Taco, Monster
Jack in the Box Monster Taco isn’t suitable for people on a gluten-free diet because it contains wheat. When it comes to ingredients, the Monster Taco is made from: beef, ground dark chicken, water, textured vegetable protein (soy flour, caramel color), defatted soy grits, seasoning (chili pepper, spices, salt, hydrolyzed corn [soy, corn, wheat], oat fiber, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, torula yeast, natural flavors, onion powder, maltodextrin), salt, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, water, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavors, stiffening agent).
The tortilla is made from ground corn, water, and hydrated lime. Monster tacos are filled with ingredients and cooked in canola blend frying oil.
Other Gluten-Free Jack in the Box Products?
Jack in the Box is very popular, but this fast-food restaurant chain doesn’t have a dedicated gluten-free menu. This restaurant offers limited menu options to customers who follow a gluten-free diet.
Here’s what to order at Jack in the Box if you’re not eating gluten:
Salads
The following Jack in the Box salads doesn’t contain gluten. However, it’s important to note that croutons and some salad dressings aren’t gluten-free.
- Chicken Club Salad with Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Salad
- Side Salad
- Southwestern Chicken Salad with Julienne Chicken
Sides
When it comes to sides, Jack in the Box offers the following gluten-free options:
- Hash brown sticks
- Chiquita Apple Bites with Caramel
Drinks
The good news is that all drinks and smoothies at Jack in the Box are gluten-free.
Conclusion
Jack in the Box is among the most popular fast-food chains, with restaurants in more than 2,000 locations across the West Coast. Although this restaurant provides extensive menu options to its customers, the possibilities for people following a gluten-free diet are limited.
Jack in the Box tacos contain wheat and aren’t suitable for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. If you’re avoiding gluten for medical reasons, Jack in the Box isn’t the best place to eat at.
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