Zaxby’s Gluten Free Menu and Our Family’s Road Trip Order (2026)
Updated: October 7, 2026
Our usual order from the Zaxby’s gluten free menu starts with a grilled chicken fillet without the bun, coleslaw and Ranch on the side. It has been a useful road-trip stop for our family, but the order needs more attention than simply choosing grilled chicken.
Zaxby’s offers items made without gluten ingredients, including plain traditional wings, coleslaw and several sauces. It prepares food in a shared kitchen, so those ingredient choices do not make every meal suitable for someone with celiac disease. Fries and wings need a specific conversation about the fryer.
My husband and younger son have celiac disease, and my older son has gluten intolerance. When we stop for food, I want a clear answer about what we can order and how it will be prepared. Here is how I approach Zaxby’s, including the details that are easy to miss.
The food options shared here were available when I wrote this post. Menus and availability can change, so it’s worth a quick check with the restaurant before you go. If you have celiac disease, let the team know when you order.
Zaxby’s gluten free menu at a glance
This guide covers U.S. restaurants. Use the table to choose an order, then discuss preparation with the team.
| Food | What to know | How to order |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled chicken fillet | Our family’s regular choice without the bun | Request it separately, with clean utensils and no bread touching the food |
| Traditional bone-in wings | Plain wings and several sauce combinations have no gluten ingredients | Confirm the fryer and sauce-handling arrangements |
| Crinkle Fries | Made without gluten ingredients, but shared frying is the deciding factor | Ask whether the oil is also used for breaded foods |
| Coleslaw | Made without gluten ingredients | Order regular coleslaw, not Asian Slaw |
| House or Cobb Zalad | Not gluten-free as normally served | Discuss a freshly prepared modified salad, including the toppings, dressing and bread |
| Chicken Fingerz and boneless wings | Breaded and contain gluten | Skip them, even with a gluten-free sauce |
Zaxby’s Nutrition and Allergen Guide covers both wheat and gluten. The linked edition was revised in July 2025 and checked for this article on October 7, 2026. Ask the restaurant for any newer information, particularly for seasonal items.
What our family orders at Zaxby’s
Grilled chicken without the bun, coleslaw and Ranch has been our go-to combination. We ask for the chicken plain and discuss preparation before ordering.
I like having a straightforward order in mind when everyone is hungry. It also makes the conversation easier: we can ask about the chicken, its cooking surface and the side instead of working through the entire menu at the counter.
The grilled chicken sandwich comes with bread, so say “no bun from the start.” Ask for the fillet in its own container or on a clean plate. Taking a bun off an assembled sandwich is not the same request.
For a suggested way to explain it:
“We have celiac disease and need to avoid gluten and contact with breaded food. Can you prepare a grilled chicken fillet without the bun, using clean utensils and a clean preparation surface? We’d like coleslaw and Ranch on the side.”
The sandwich’s allergen entry describes the complete sandwich. For the modified order, the team needs to confirm the chicken, marinade and preparation separately.
Are Zaxby’s fries gluten free
Zaxby’s Crinkle Fries are made without gluten ingredients, but they may be cooked in shared oil with breaded food. For someone with celiac disease, that makes the fryer question essential.
This is the question we ask:
“Are these fries cooked in oil used only for foods without gluten, or is that oil also used for breaded chicken and other breaded items?”
We have received different answers at different locations. When the fries do not work for us, we choose another side.
Regular Crinkle Fries and Chicken Bacon Ranch Loaded Fries are different orders. The loaded version includes breaded Chicken Fingerz, so it is not a gluten-free alternative.
I would not rely on a general “the fries are gluten-free” answer without clarifying whether the staff means the ingredients or the cooking method.
Are Zaxby’s wings gluten free
Traditional bone-in wings are unbreaded. Boneless wings are breaded and contain gluten. Be specific when ordering, because “wings” can mean either.
Traditional wings have been another choice for our family, with the sauce checked separately. Their lack of breading does not answer how they are fried or handled, so ask about the oil and the utensils used to toss them in sauce.
You also need to check what comes with the wings. The Wings & Things meal includes Chicken Fingerz and Texas Toast alongside the wings. Choosing traditional wings does not make that whole meal gluten-free.
Ordering the wings separately makes it easier to specify the food you want and keep breaded items off the plate.
Gluten-free sauces at Zaxby’s
Sauce is part of the order in our family. Tongue Torch is our favourite when we want something spicy, while Zax Sauce and Ranch are familiar choices.
These restaurant sauce options are made without gluten ingredients:
| Sauce type | Choices |
|---|---|
| Dipping sauces | Zax Sauce, Spicy Zax Sauce, Ranch, Honey Mustard, Tongue Torch and BBQ |
| Traditional wing sauces | Wimpy, Tongue Torch, Nuclear, Buffalo Garlic Blaze, Hot Honey Mustard and BBQ |
Skip Teriyaki and Sweet & Spicy, which contain wheat.
Ask for dipping sauces on the side. For sauced wings, check that the sauce and utensils have not been used in a way that brings them into contact with breaded chicken.
A restaurant dip cup, a salad-dressing packet and a retail bottle are separate products. Check the exact one you are buying instead of assuming the same name means the same ingredients.
Is Zax Sauce gluten free
Zax Sauce served in the restaurant dip cup is made without gluten ingredients. That answer applies to the dip cup, so check the label separately if you buy a bottle for home.
Is Zaxby’s Ranch gluten free
Ranch dipping sauce is made without gluten ingredients. For a salad, check the separate dressing packet as well. Ranch contains milk and egg, so gluten-free does not mean it suits every dietary need.
Ordering a salad at Zaxby’s
A grilled salad is not automatically gluten-free. The standard House and Cobb Zalads include fried onions and Texas Toast, so asking only for “no croutons” misses part of the order.
For a modified House or Cobb Zalad:
- Choose grilled chicken or discuss a version without chicken.
- Request no fried onions and no Texas Toast.
- Check the remaining ingredients and the exact dressing.
- Ask for the salad to be made fresh with clean utensils, with the excluded toppings left off from the beginning.
These are modifications to discuss with the restaurant, not a claim that the standard salad is gluten-free.
The Asian Zensation Zalad involves more changes because it includes wonton strips, Asian Slaw and Teriyaki sauce. For a quick stop, I would keep the order simpler.
Sides and something sweet
Coleslaw
Regular coleslaw is the side we order when fries are not an option. It is made without gluten ingredients and does not need a fryer.
Be clear that you mean regular coleslaw. Asian Slaw is a different recipe and contains wheat.
Milkshakes
The standard vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and birthday cake milkshakes have no wheat or gluten marked in the linked allergen guide. That does not extend to every seasonal flavour or topping.
Before ordering, check the current flavour and whether the mixing equipment is shared with gluten-containing ingredients. A milkshake’s name alone does not tell you its ingredients.
What we skip
These are the items to leave out of a gluten-free order:
- Chicken Fingerz and boneless wings.
- Regular buns, Texas Toast, wraps and grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Fried onions, breaded appetisers and wonton strips.
- Teriyaki sauce, Sweet & Spicy sauce and Asian Slaw.
- Chocolate chip cookies and fried cheesecake bites.
Changing the sauce does not remove gluten from breaded chicken. The same applies to picking bread or fried toppings off food that has already been assembled.
Making Zaxby’s work as a road-trip stop
Before taking a detour, check the menu for your Zaxby’s location and call if you need to discuss preparation. Prices and custom-order options depend on the restaurant, so check the cost of the separate items instead of assuming a meal deal will suit your order.
For a group with different dietary needs, ask for the gluten-free order to be packed separately from buns, toast and breaded chicken. That helps keep everything organised when the food reaches the car.
I also recommend keeping something you can eat with you. If the team cannot give a clear answer about preparation, you can move on without having to make a rushed decision because everyone is hungry. My gluten-free travel snacks guide has ideas for the journey.
Zaxby’s has worked for our family when the location could accommodate our order. A previous visit gives us a starting point for the next conversation, rather than replacing it.
For the rest of your trip, my gluten-free travel guide covers planning meals, packing food and finding places to eat.
Frequently asked questions about Zaxby’s gluten free menu
Does Zaxby’s have gluten-free options?
Zaxby’s offers items made without gluten ingredients, including regular coleslaw, plain traditional wings and several sauces. It uses shared equipment, so discuss preparation at your location before ordering for someone with celiac disease.
Are Zaxby’s fries gluten-free?
Crinkle Fries have no gluten ingredients, but that does not settle the fryer question. Ask whether the oil is shared with breaded food. If it is, choose another side for a celiac order.
Are Zaxby’s traditional and boneless wings gluten-free?
Plain traditional wings have no gluten ingredients; boneless wings are breaded and contain gluten. For traditional wings, check the sauce, fryer and serving utensils. Order without Texas Toast or breaded sides.
Is Zax Sauce gluten-free?
The restaurant Zax Sauce dip cup has no gluten ingredients in the official allergen guide. Check retail bottles separately because the same name does not establish the same recipe.
Can I order grilled chicken without the bun at Zaxby’s?
That has been our family’s regular order, with coleslaw and Ranch. Ask for no bun from the start and have staff confirm the chicken, marinade and preparation. Removing bread from an assembled sandwich is not the same thing.
Are Zaxby’s salads gluten-free?
The standard House and Cobb Zalads are not gluten-free as served. Discuss grilled chicken, no fried onions, no Texas Toast, a checked dressing and fresh preparation with clean utensils.
