While taquitos may be gluten-free, you may be curious if the popular Delimex taquitos are gluten-free. I’m going to tell you everything I know about Delimex taquitos and also how the brand did when looked for gluten. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Gluten is a sticky protein that can be found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats. If you want to avoid it, you may be wondering what packaged foods are safe and don’t contain gluten.
I’ve already talked about how safe gluten-free frozen dinners are, as well as how gluten-free canned soups and cereals checked for hidden gluten. Today I want to discuss taquitos and if they’re gluten-free and safe or not.
Taquitos are rolled tacos that contain cheese, meat, or vegetable filling inside a small corn tortilla. The rolled tortilla is then fried until it’s crispy. Corn tortillas are typically made solely of corn masa flour and are therefore gluten-free.
Please note that a flauta is similar to a taquito, however, a flauta can be made with either flour or corn tortilla whereas a taquito is almost always made with a corn tortilla. If you’re on a gluten-free diet, it’s wise to avoid flautas altogether.
Delimex chicken taquitos are a well-known frozen snack that you can find in freezers all over the country. But people who have celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten need to know: are Delimex chicken taquitos gluten free? Let’s take a closer look.
What Are Delimex Chicken Taquitos?
Delimex chicken taquitos are rolled, fried tortillas filled with shredded chicken, cheese, and spices. The crispy fried exterior wraps around the savory chicken and cheese filling for a tasty on-the-go snack.
Delimex chicken taquitos come frozen, so you can heat them up quickly and eat them whenever you want. A company called Delimex makes them. They are Mexican food products that are frozen. Delimex makes taquitos with beef, bean, and cheese fillings as well as chicken.
Delimex chicken taquitos can be found in the frozen food aisle at major grocery stores across the United States. They are a popular option for an easy appetizer, snack, or light meal
Why Gluten Free Status Matters
People who have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity get an immune response when they eat gluten that hurts their small intestine. In addition to diarrhea and constipation, this can lead to abdominal pain, bloating, tiredness, headaches, and more.
The only treatment for celiac disease is strictly adhering to a 100% gluten free diet. Even tiny amounts of cross contamination can cause issues.
This makes knowing if foods like Delimex chicken taquitos are gluten free extremely important. Accidental gluten ingestion is a constant concern.
Delimex Chicken Taquitos Ingredients
You can tell if a food is gluten-free by reading the list of ingredients. Here are the ingredients in Delimex chicken taquitos:
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Flour tortilla (whole wheat flour, water, shortening [palm oil, soybean oil], contains 2% or less of the following: sugar, salt, dough conditioner [sodium metabisulfite, corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose, dicalcium phosphate], food starch modified, guar gum, baking powder [corn starch, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate], yeast [baker’s, sorbitan monostearate, ascorbic acid], enzymes, cellulose gum, calcium propionate)
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Cooked chicken (chicken breast meat, water, textured vegetable protein [soy protein concentrate, caramel color], chicken flavor [chicken broth powder {chicken broth, yeast extract, salt, chicken fat, flavorings}, flavoring, canola oil], salt, sodium phosphates)
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Cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto color)
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Contains 2% or less of: dextrose, salt, spice
The Verdict on Delimex Chicken Taquitos
Looking at the ingredients list, unfortunately Delimex chicken taquitos are not gluten free.
The flour tortillas contain wheat flour as the first ingredient. Wheat contains gluten, so these taquitos are off limits for those avoiding gluten.
While some Delimex products use corn tortillas and may be gluten free, the chicken taquitos specifically are made with flour tortillas.
Delimex does not claim the chicken taquitos are gluten free or make any gluten free labeling statements. Their website also warns the flour taquitos are not suitable for those with wheat allergies.
Risk of Cross Contact
Even if the chicken filling itself was gluten free, there would still be a high risk of cross contact with the wheat flour tortillas during processing.
The facility and equipment used to make the flour tortillas likely also processes other wheat-based foods. It is very difficult to completely eliminate the chance for cross contact on shared lines.
For this reason, those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity should avoid Delimex chicken taquitos and other products made using flour tortillas.
Safe Gluten Free Taquito Alternatives
While Delimex chicken taquitos contain gluten, there are some good gluten free taquito options:
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José Olé – Their chicken and cheese taquitos are made with corn tortillas and labeled gluten free.
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El Monterey – Select varieties of their chicken taquitos are certified gluten free and made with corn.
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Trader Joe’s – Their chicken taquitos are made with corn tortillas and labeled gluten free.
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Homemade – Make your own taquitos using corn tortillas and gluten free fillings.
When in doubt, always check the ingredients list and labels. Reputable third party certification like the GFCO can also help identify truly gluten free foods.
Tips for Living Gluten Free
Avoiding gluten while still enjoying delicious foods like taquitos is possible with careful label reading and safe gluten free swaps. Here are some other tips:
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Look for corn tortillas, brown rice, quinoa, and other naturally gluten free grains.
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Check labels for gluten ingredients like wheat, barley, rye, malt, and oats.
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Look for “gluten free” labeling from trusted brands.
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Verify gluten free claims with independent GFCO certification.
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Cook more meals at home using gluten free ingredients.
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When dining out, ask about ingredient sourcing and preparation.
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Discuss gluten free needs with family and friends.
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Communicate with wait staff and double check food.
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Carry safe gluten free snacks when on-the-go.
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Join gluten free support groups for ongoing learning.
With proper precautions, those avoiding gluten can still eat tasty foods like taquitos as part of a healthy gluten free lifestyle.
The Bottom Line
Delimex chicken taquitos unfortunately contain gluten due to their wheat flour tortillas. They are not safe for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
However, alternatives made with corn tortillas can be a good gluten free option. As always, diligent label reading and ingredient checking is needed to find safe gluten free foods.
Eating gluten free does take some extra work. But being educated on label reading, cross contact risks, and safe substitutions helps make the gluten free diet totally possible to follow strictly.
Changes in Gluten-Free Labeling
I first discovered Delimex taquitos at Costco, and noticed that it displayed “gluten-free” prominently on the front of its packaging as pictured below.
However, a reader told me that Delimex taquitos found in grocery stores (not Costco) are not labeled gluten-free.
I picked up a package of Delimex chicken taquitos at my local grocery store (King Soopers) and low and behold I could not find a “gluten-free” claim on it despite it being nearly identical to the one from Costco.
Please note that the picture I used is of chicken taquitos, but the problem is also with beef taquitos. They’re labeled gluten-free at Costco, but not at the grocery store.
I wondered if maybe the Delimex taquitos found in Costco used a different manufacturing facility from the ones found in grocery stores. Maybe that explains the discrepancy?.
I visited the Delimex website and could not find any information about potential allergens, so I submitted a request to the company, which I learned is owned by Kraft Heinz. The customer supporter person responded several weeks later and said the following:
“Gluten content can almost always be determined from the label, and the most accurate information can be found by checking the ingredient list on our packages. Kraft Heinz products list all sources of gluten, including gluten-containing grains (wheat, wheatberries, durum, barley, rye, graham, oats, triticale, spelt, kamut, emmer, farro) and other ingredients (e. g. “natural flavor (contains rye)”, malt, brewer’s yeast, and wheat starch). Kraft Heinz does its best to list all of its gluten-containing ingredients, but it does not promise that its products are gluten-free unless they are clearly marked as such. “.
Ingredients in Delimex Taquitos
The Delimex white chicken taquitos I found at King Soopers, which are not labeled gluten-free, contain the following ingredients:
Tortilla (corn masa flour, water, salt), cooked chicken filling (white meat chicken, water, soy flour, seasoning (salt, dehydrated garlic, spices), corn oil, gelatin, modified corn starch, salt, vinegar, chicken base (chicken meat, natural chicken juices, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, fructose, chicken fat, autolyzed yeast, dry chicken broth, dextrose, modified corn starch, onion powder, natural flavors, spices including turmeric, modified corn starch, corn masa flour, and soy oil
At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be any huge red-flag ingredients (although who knows what “natural flavors” really means), so while I cannot say the product is “gluten-free,” I can say that it doesn’t appear to contain any gluten.
Another clue to help me decode the label is the “contains” statement, which is found under the ingredient list. A “contains” or “may contain” statement requires companies to disclose if a product contains any of the top eight allergens (soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, and wheat). The only allergen found in the taquitos, as disclosed by the company, is soy.
Remember, however, that gluten is a protein and not considered an allergen. This means if a product contains barley, rye, or oats, a company doesn’t have to disclose these ingredients in its “contains” statement. Therefore, according to the Delimex “contains” statement, you can imply that the product does not contain wheat, but it may still contain barley, rye, or oats hidden in another ingredient.
Gluten-Free Chicken Taquitos As Made By Parker Bates • Tasty
FAQ
Is chicken taquitos gluten free?
… tortillas which are gluten-free, there can be hidden gluten ingredients found in spices and meat marinades in taquitos which would make them not gluten-free.
What are the ingredients in Delimex chicken corn taquitos?
Our frozen taquitos are made with tender white meat chicken, seasoned with cumin and ancho chilies and wrapped in a crispy corn tortilla.
Are rolled tacos gluten free?
Are El Monterey taquitos gluten free?
El Monterey taquitos are generally not considered gluten-free. While some varieties might be made with corn tortillas, which are naturally gluten-free, the filling often contains ingredients like wheat flour, soy, or spices that may have gluten.