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Gluten-free Chinese food can be one of the most challenging foods to find when you have celiac. With soy-based sauces, noodles, fried egg rolls, and crab rangoon, there is a lot of gluten involved in the food.
And while it might be challenging to find gluten-free Chinese food, it’s not impossible! Keep reading for tips to dine at Chinese restaurants confidently, safely, and happily!
BUT before we dive in, don’t forget to grab my FREE Gluten-Free USA Restaurant Cheat Sheets to help simplify dining out for you. Visit this webpage to download them!
When talking about gluten-free Chinese food, it’s important we know what gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, contaminated oats, and wheat. It may be helpful to remember the acronym “BROW” when trying to remember what foods have gluten.
In baked goods, gluten holds things together working as a binding agent. It gives texture and chew to foods.
Most people can safely eat gluten. However, some people have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease which means they need to avoid gluten. It can cause digestive issues such as diarrhea and nausea as well as nonintestinal symptoms such as rashes, headaches, or joint pain.
When talking about gluten-free Chinese food, it’s also important to know what Chinese food is and it’s history, so that we can evaluate risk and make informed choices.
According to China Discovery, a Chinese meal has 2 components. A staple food (like rice, noodles, or steamed buns) and meat and vegetable dishes.
At a traditional Chinese meal, everyone has individual rice bowls but main dishes are served family style. This could be a big source of cross-contact for those with celiac if communal dishes contain gluten.
While there’s a lot of history and influence in this cuisine, to keep it brief, most of what we consume in the USA is not authentic but heavily influenced by American preferences. Including many breaded and fried dishes. If you want to read more about the rich history of Chinese food, check out this resource.
However, both Americanized and tradition Chinese food has a risk of gluten. The biggest comes from the fermented sauces that may contain wheat. These include soy sauce, fish sauce, and more. Of course, dumplings and noodles also likely contain gluten as well…
Chinese food can have many sources of gluten. Many of the dishes contain soy sauce which is typically brewed with wheat and is therefore not gluten-free. Think items that have the word “teriyaki” in the title, as well as other items like hot-and-sour soup, kung pao chicken, and Mongolian beef.
Chinese food that contains noodles also has a large chance of containing gluten. Though some noodles might only contain rice flour, it is possible there was an addition of wheat flour as well. And if both gluten and gluten-free noodles are served, cross-contact can occur in preparation easily. Additionally, these noodles are also often prepared with soy sauce.
Menu items that contain batter may also be likely to contain gluten. Fried chicken, shrimp, pork, egg rolls, and crab rangoons usually contain wheat in the batter that they are prepared in. AND even if the batter is not said to contain gluten for a particular item, caution should be used because the fryer may be shared with other gluten-containing items.
Circling back to soy sauce often meaning that a lot of Chinese food is not gluten-free, many argue that even if made with wheat, that soy sauce is gluten-free. Some sources like Eden Foods argue that the fermentation of the soy and wheat “disassembles the wheat gluten rendering it gluten-free”.
However, current testing methods for fermented and hydrolyzed foods are not yet fully validated or accurate and thus, these kinds of foods must be made with gluten-free ingredients, regardless of any speculation of gluten proteins being broken down to safe limits as there’s no way to verify this yet.
So if you want to stay celiac-safe at Chinese restaurants, make sure the soy sauce used is 100% soy-based and is not brewed with wheat. This is rare to find so you may end up having to bring your own sauce.
So there’s a lot that can make it hard to get gluten-free Chinese food, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find. When dining at Chinese Restaurants you generally can enjoy more plain steamed foods safely.
Think things like steamed chicken, shrimp, or seafood that’s been prepared with cross-contact precautions (If you need help with knowing what cross-contact precautions to ask for, this is something I cover in detail in the Gluten-Free Dining Course).
Egg drop soup is another great option for an appetizer as it contains eggs in chicken broth with peppers and scallions making it very flavorful. Just make sure that the soup is thickened with corn or potato starch and not wheat flour. Additionally, make sure the chicken broth is gluten-free. You also should ensure wontons or other fried garnishments are not added and that cross-contact precautions are taken.
Steamed rice or steamed vegetables are all yummy gluten-free side options at Chinese restaurants. As long as the items are steamed in a fresh, clean pot of water, these are a generally safe gluten-free option. The vegetables can be many different types, like broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, and corn.
There are many things to consider when ordering gluten-free Chinese food. Things like the ingredients in the dishes and cross-contact precautions are all important factors in your decision to order or not to order food from a restaurant. Below are some questions to consider when ordering:
These questions are a great starting point in making sure you have a safe Chinese food restaurant experience but it should not be the only thing you’re doing to stay safe. If you need more help with dining out with celiac disease, don’t forget to check out my Gluten-Free Dining Course that teaches you how to avoid getting glutened in 4 simple steps.
One last tip on ordering gluten-free Chinese food: be super cautious of the buffet. In general, at a Chinese buffet, it is best to eat dishes that have been more simply prepared as well.
Steamed vegetables, steamed chicken or shrimp, and steamed rice are all safe gluten-free options. However, to avoid cross-contact, if there is a gluten-free option surrounded by options made with gluten, you should probably skip that option. For example, if the steamed rice is placed between hot and sour soup and teriyaki chicken, you should probably skip the steamed rice.
Additionally, never assume dishes that appear to be simply prepared are gluten-free, rice might not look to have soy sauce in it but really does. So always verify the ingredients of buffet options with restaurant staff. This will also add some confidence and enjoyment to your meal that you are not getting glutened.
Calling before is also a great prevention method to ensure that this is somewhere that you are going to be able to enjoy a safe and yummy meal without getting glutened!
Chinese American food generally has a focus on sweet and heavy flavors, while authentic Chinese food does not necessarily have this goal. That is not to say that the meals are entirely different, however, they are definitely not the same.
PF Changs describes itself as an Asian and Chinese Food Restaurant. They do have a large gluten-free menu that includes a good amount of options.
Lettuce wraps and egg drop soup are offered as gluten-free appetizers. There is also a large list of entrees including Chang’s Spicy Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Singapore Street Noodles (which are 100% rice noodles), and quite a few more! They also offer a gluten-free Chocolate Souffle as a yummy dessert.
As for cross-contact precautions, the chefs use a designated gluten-free cooking area with fresh utensils and pans. The restaurant also has designated gluten-free plates to ensure that the food is completely gluten-free!
When ordering make sure you asking for specific cross-contact precautions to be taken with your food. Never assume a restaurant location automatically knows exactly how to keep you safe. This would mean specifying cooking methods, changing gloves, using a separate side of the kitchen etc.
Panda Express is a fast-food-style Chinese restaurant. Unfortunately, the only gluten-free option they offer is steamed rice. Additionally, if you’ve ever been to a Panda Express, you know that the food is pre-made and lined up buffet style.
Therefore, once the steamed rice is placed among the other gluten options, the risk of cross-contact is high. Sadly, this is not a restaurant I would recommend to get gluten-free food from.
Not exactly a gluten-free Chinese restaurant, the Mongolian Grill is described as a “create-your-own stir fry” place. This makes it a very interactive and fun place to dine at!
In order to ensure safety, it is recommended to not create-your-own bowls at the buffet-like station. I would assess risk for yourself. If there are gluten-free options that are far away from gluten containing options, the risk would be considerably low.
Of note, the staff is able to accommodate allergies and make your stir fry in the back at an allergen station. Because this is an allergen station, cross-contact precautions are said to be made here, make sure to verify them with the staff. This would include specifying cooking methods, changing gloves, etc.
All but three of the many meats are gluten-free. They also offer rice noodles and many bowls that do not contain gluten, and a variety of other toppings. A detailed allergen chart is offered on their website.
There are also gluten-free options at Pei Wei. Pei Wei describes itself as a Chinese Food Restaurant and Asian Kitchen. Similarly to BD’s Mongolian Grill, they do not offer a free standing gluten-free menu, however, they do offer a detailed allergen chart in order to look at all of the options.
They do offer many gluten-free options including beef or chicken with broccoli, Kung Pao or Pei Wei shrimp, and a couple of other entree options. They also offer fried rice and an Asian Chopped Salad as some other main course choices.
As for cross-contact, the chefs are instructed to prepare gluten-free meals in a designated area while also using dedicated gluten-free utensils and pans! As always, verify cross-contact precautions at each individual location you dine at, and always verbalize the exact precaution you need taken to increase safety.
Gluten-free Chinese food options are available at Mark Pi’s. This restaurant describes itself as an Asian Diner. While they do not offer a full gluten-free menu on their website, they are said to have added more gluten-free options like sauces and noodles to the menu, therefore expanding their options beyond just steamed rice and vegetables.
The gluten-free community seems to rave over the Mongolian Beef and Mongolian Chicken! As for cross-contact precautions, they do not have a designated gluten-free area to prepare meals, but if you are making the staff aware that you are Celiac they can use fresh pans, utensils, etc.
Again, don’t ever assume telling restaurant staff that you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy is going to be enough to keep your food safe. Always detail the steps you need kitchen staff to take when you’re ordering, even if the restaurant is known for cross-contact protocols.
As always, if you’re not sure how to dine out safely at restaurants and you don’t know what cross-contact precautions to ask for, I help you get confident in your ability to dine out safely with celiac in just 4-simple steps in the Gluten-Free Dining Course. Check it out here.
Before we wrap things up on ordering gluten-free Chinese food, I want to touch on using Nima gluten sensors at these restaurants.
On social media I’ve seen many people use their Nima gluten sensors at Asian American restaurants. It’s important to know that Nima gluten sensors have been proven by research to not be reliable at detecting gluten in foods with soy sauce in them.
This means that using your Nima gluten detection device at Asian American restaurants is pretty much pointless. And actually, soy sauce isn’t the only thing that renders Nima results to be inaccurate… but that’s for another post. Read more about the researched limitations of the Nima gluten sensor here.
The bottom-line, if you’re using a portable gluten detection device like a Nima sensor, remember it can’t accurately detect gluten in foods with soy sauce. So you’re likely better off leaving the device at home and trusting your own dining out knowledge and skills.
Eating Chinese food may be a challenge with Celiac disease, but it is possible! First, check to see if there is a gluten-free menu. If not, ask if they have an allergen chart you check for gluten-free options.
If not, review the menu online to try to identify menu options that could be easily modified to be gluten-free, then call the restaurant and verify the menu modifications are possible.
Always double check what their soups and sauce are thickened with, if the batter for frying contains wheat, and if the noodles are made of 100% rice. With these important steps, you can definitely find something yummy, safe, and nutritious to enjoy!
You’d also want to ask the restaurant if they have gluten-free soy sauce (so you know if you need to bring your own). And you want to make sure they can take the proper cross-contact steps to keep you safe.
And remember, even if there is a gluten-free menu and cross-contact protocols, that does not leave you off the hook for requesting specific cross-contact precautions when ordering. Never assume a restaurant location knows how to keep you safe.
And if you need help with building confidence and learning how to calmly and safely order gluten-free food from restaurants, that’s exactly what I’ll teach you to do in the Gluten-Free Dining Course.
