Jack In The Box – Doesn’t Pop Up with Many Dairy-Free Surprises

Updated 2020! Jack In The Box is a U.S. fast-food chain known for burgers and Americanized International cuisine. They have over 2000 restaurants with a heavy concentration of locations on the West Coast. The ingredients that they use for their menu items are a bit convoluted, so it might be best to stick with the “already dairy free” items like the ones listed here rather than trying to special order. Nonetheless, we’ve included some breakdowns for their protein and bread options.

No Dairy (Milk-Based) Ingredients (see disclaimer below)

Menu Items

• Breakfast – Hash Browns
• Burgers (See Allergen Notes below) 
• Chicken – Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, Jack’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich
• Fish (See Allergen Notes below) 
• Sides – Egg Rolls, French Fries, Potato Wedges, Seasoned Curly Fries, Tiny Tacos, Side Salad (without dressing and croutons), Spicy Corn Sticks, Tree Top Applesauce
• Salad Dressings – Low fat Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Dipping Sauces – Barbecue, Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo, Honey Mustard, Sweet ‘n Sour, Teriyaki

Components to Help Customize Your Order

• Bread – Pita Bread made with Whole Grain, Gourmet Signature Bun (may be made on a line with a product containing milk), Buns/Glazed (Split Top & Regular), Flour Tortilla
• Proteins – Bacon Pieces, Bacon Slices, Beef Hamburger Patty (Jumbo, Regular & ¼ lb. Signature), Black Beans, Crispy Fillet Chicken, Julienne Chicken (on bowls / salads), Fish Filet, Sliced Ham, Prime Rib Steak Strips
• Vegetables – Broccoli, Matchstick Carrots, Green Chiles, Roasted Corn, Cucumbers, Grilled Onions, Iceberg/Romaine Blend, Jalapenos, Dill Pickle Slices, Tomatoes
• Sandwich Sauces – Creamy Bacon Mayo, Creamy Sriracha Sauce, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Tartar Sauce
• Other Condiments – Fire Roasted Salsa, Grape Jelly, Hot Taco Sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce, Pancake Syrup, Pride 40% Vegetable Oil Whipped Spread, Secret Sauce, Strawberry Jam
• Dessert Sauces – Caramel Syrup, Chocolate Syrup, Strawberry Syrup, Cinnamon Sugar

Other Allergen Notes: 

• The company now lists the Hamburger, Jr. Jack, Jumbo Jack, and Fish Sandwich as containing milk on the allergen chart (they didn’t used to). We’ve reviewed it ten times over, and can’t find a single milk ingredient in any of their ingredient statements for these menu items. One type of their buns has a potential cross-contamination risk (as noted above), but they don’t even say if those are the buns used, and those buns still do not contain any milk ingredients. We are still waiting on a response from them.
• Their Ingredient & Allergen Information lists some of their Tacos as made without milk, but the Allergen Reference Guide lists them as containing milk. You might be able to order them dairy-free without cheese.
• The company states that their Butter Flavored Vegetable Oil contains soy, but not milk. And several items grilled with it are listed as not containing milk (like the Grilled Onions and Buns). But then some items, like their Fire Roasted Green and Red Peppers and Eggs, state milk, even though the only ingredients are the base ingredient and the Butter Flavored Vegetable Oil. Again, lots of inaccuracies and not many answers from this chain.
• Special ordering Jack in the Box burgers or sandwiches for dairy-free needs can be tricky. In many cases, just omitting the cheese won’t cover all of the dairy issues. But we’ve broken out some of the protein and bread components to help you out.
• Surprise items that contain milk include their Grilled Chicken Fillet and Sourdough Bread.
• Soy-free and wheat-free (they do not specifically note gluten-free) options are very limited at Jack In The Box, and mostly include select salads and sides.
• We are assuming that they use a shared fryer for all fried menu items, so fried items might be at risk for potential allergen cross-contamination.

More Details from Jack In The Box

Allergen Disclaimer from Jack In The Box: Like most restaurants, our restaurants prepare and serve products that contain Soy, Egg, Fish, Milk and Wheat. While a particular ingredient statement may not list one of these allergens, our products may be prepared with equipment that is shared with products containing one or more of these allergens. If you have a food allergy, please consult with your physician before deciding which Jack in the Box products are right for you. We also recommend checking our Ingredient and Allergen information frequently as our menu and ingredients may change.

Restaurant Website: www.jackinthebox.com

Allergen Information: www.jackinthebox.com/food

*The above information was supplied by the corresponding restaurant via their website, customer service, or other published nutritional information.  Ingredients and menu offerings are constantly changing in the food service industry, and can be subject to interpretation.  For this reason, Go Dairy Free does not guarantee nor take responsibility for the accuracy of this information.  If severe allergies or intolerances are a concern, contact the restaurant directly before purchasing or consuming one of their products.  Cross-contamination of potential food allergens should always be considered a possibility in a fast food restaurant. 

Last Updated: January 6, 2020

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Rated 5 out of 5

August 22, 2021

Very useful when son is allergic to milk

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