Are you wondering whether Mexican food is suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet? Or maybe you are looking for examples of Mexican-inspired recipes that are gluten free? Well either way, you are in the right place!
In this article we tell you everyone you need to know to understand what Mexican food is suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet. First, we discuss which popular Mexican dishes do and do not contain gluten. After that, we talk more broadly about whether Mexican food is easy to make gluten free. Finally, we provide examples of some of our favorite Mexican-expired recipes that are gluten free.
What Mexican food is gluten free?
So what Mexican food is gluten free? In this section, we discuss what Mexican food is suitable for people who are on gluten free diets. First, we talk about common ingredients that are used in Mexican food that are usually gluten free. After that, we talk about popular Mexican dishes that are usually gluten free.
Note that while these dishes and ingredients are usually gluten free, there may be some brands or restaurants that make these items with non-traditional ingredients. Always be sure to consult the food label or restaurant staff to ensure that an item is gluten free before eating it.
Popular Mexican ingredients that are gluten free
Are you wondering which ingredients that are commonly used in Mexican food are gluten free? Here are some examples of ingredients that are commonly used in Mexican food that are gluten free.
- Rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.)
- Beans (black beans, pinto beans, etc.)
- Meats (chicken, beef, fish, etc.)
- Fruits and vegetables (corn, onion, tomato, avocado, lime, nopales, tomatillos, etc.)
- Chiles (jalapeño, poblano, habanero, Anaheim, etc.)
- Cheeses (cotija, queso fresco, quesillo, cheddar, jack, etc.)
- Herbs (cilantro, etc.)
- Corn tortillas, tortilla chips, and tostada shells
- Other masa harina products (sope shells, chalupa shells, gordita shells, tamales, etc.)
- Salsa (red salsa, green salsa, etc.)
- Spices (cumin, oregano, pepper, etc.)
- Crema
Popular Mexican dishes that are gluten free
Are you wondering which popper Mexican dishes are gluten free? Here are some examples of popular Mexican dishes that are usually gluten free.
- Tacos (made with corn tortillas)
- Enchiladas (made with corn tortillas)
- Taquitos (made with corn tortillas)
- Tostadas
- Sopes
- Chalupas
- Gorditas
- Chilaquiles and nachos
- Tamales
- Elote and esquites
- Rajas con crema
What Mexican food is not gluten free?
What Mexican food is not gluten free? In this section, we discuss examples of Mexican food that are not gluten free. First, we discuss common ingredients that are used in Mexican food that are not gluten free. After that, we provide examples of popular Mexican dishes that are often not gluten free.
Popular Mexican ingredients that contain gluten
Which ingredients that are used in Mexican food do contain gluten? Here are some examples of ingredients that are used in Mexican food that do contain gluten.
- Flour tortillas
- Bread
- Wheat flour
Popular Mexican dishes that contain gluten
Here are some examples of popular Mexican dishes that do contain gluten? Here are some examples of popular Mexican dishes that are commonly made with gluten.
- Burritos (made with flour tortillas)
- Quesadillas (made with flour tortillas)
- Flautas (made with flour tortillas)
- Chile relleno (made with wheat flour or breading)
- Tortas (made with bread)
Mexican food that may or may not be gluten free
What are some examples of Mexican ingredients and dishes that may or may not be gluten free? Here are some examples of situations where Mexican food may or may not be gluten free.
- Meat marinades. It is possible that marinades that are used to flavor meats may contain gluten. As an example, these marinades might contain ingredients like beer or soy sauce. This is not super common, but it does happen occasionally. If you are eating marinated meat, you should always ask to confirm that the marinade is gluten free.
- Queso dip. Queso dip is another Mexican dish that may or may not contain gluten. Some people use wheat flour as a thickener when they make queso dip to ensure that the queso dip has the right texture. You should always ask whether wheat flour was used to make queso dip.
- Sauces like mole or enchilada sauce. Just like queso dip, some sauces that are used in Mexican food may be thickened with wheat flour. As a few examples, it is possible that mole and enchilada sauce might be thickened with wheat flour. Always ask what thickener was used to thicken the sauces when you are eating a Mexican dish with a sauce.
- Tortilla chips that are not 100% corn based. While most brands of tortilla chips are made entirely with corn, there are some brands out there that use a mixture of corn and wheat when they make tortilla chips. You should always confirm that the tortilla chips you order are entirely corn based.
- Anything that was made in the fryer (cross contamination). If you are sensitive to cross-contamination and you are ordering a dish that has fried components, you should ask to make sure that the fryer is dedicated to gluten free foods. There are a few Mexican dishes, such as chile relleno, that may be battered in wheat flour before being fried. That means that there might be a lot of gluten floating around in the fryer.
Is Mexican food good for gluten free diets?
Is Mexican food suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet? Now that we have discussed specific examples of Mexican ingredients and dishes that are and are not gluten free, we will speak more generally about whether Mexican cuisine is a good option for someone who is on a gluten free diet.
The short answer to this question is yes, Mexican cuisine is one of the best cuisines out there for people who maintain gluten free diets. The reason for this is that Mexican food is very heavily corn based. Most Mexican dishes are made with flours that are made entirely of corn rather than flours that are made from gluten-containing grains such as wheat.
We will caution that some Mexican restaurants that serve Americanized Mexican food do use a lot of flour tortillas in their kitchens. There may be a high risk of cross contamination in these kitchens. Mexican restaurants that serve more traditional food often have very few items on their menu that contain gluten (if they have any at all). These restaurants are typically safer for people who are very sensitive to cross contamination.
Gluten free mexican recipes
Are you looking for Mexican recipes that are entirely gluten free? Here are some of our absolute favorite gluten free Mexican recipes!
- Refried bean tostadas
- Bean and cheese gorditas
- Gorditas de rajas con crema
- Vegan chalupas with pinto beans and guacamole
- Vegan black bean sopes
- Vegetarian sopes with refried beans
- Rajas con crema
- Salsa verde
Gluten free Mexican restaurants
Are you looking for a Mexican restaurant with lots of gluten free options? Here are some of our favorite Mexican restaurants with gluten free options. For each restaurant we list in this section, we also provide details on where the restaurant is located.
- Campechano Taqueria in Toronto, Canada
- China Poblano in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Toro Mexican Street Food in Hartford, Connecticut
- Mission Taqueria in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Mestizo in Portland, Oregon
- Tamale Boy in Portland, Oregon
- Green Lemon in Tampa, Florida
- Frontera Cocina in Orlando, Florida
- Colita in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Rosa Mexicano in the Boston, New York City, and multiple other locations
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It was interesting to learn that Mexican cuisine is one of the best for people trying to maintain a gluten-free diet since their dishes are heavily corn-based. Coincidentally, my friend invited me to eat Mexican food with her for dinner later. I’ll be sure to keep this in mind while I look for a Mexican restaurant we can go to for dinner later.