Updated January 2023! Did you know Taco Bell actually vegan certifies some of their ingredients? And most of their menu items can easily be ordered without dairy. That said, in 2020, they scaled their menu and toppings way, way back. Nevertheless, they still have enough tacos, burritos, and specialty items to fill you up! Our menu guide includes not only dairy-free, but vegan options, too, along with allergen notes. It is based on the U.S. information – some items might vary in Canada and other countries. However, in most countries, there are similar options available.
No Dairy (Milk-Based) Ingredients (see disclaimer below)
Fresco Style: This option seems to be phasing out at Taco Bell. It’s no longer available on their app, but some locations still offer it. And it doesn’t hurt to ask, since it’s a better value for dairy-free customers. When you select the “Make it Fresco” option at Taco Bell, they replace all cheese, sour cream, and sauces in your taco or burrito with fresh diced tomatoes. If Fresco isn’t noted in our dairy-free guide below, the item already has tomatoes and/or the sauce in it is dairy free.
Fryer Note: Most of the Taco Bell wraps, shells, and chips are certified vegan. And at last check, they were not fried with additional allergens. (The Doritos seasoning is reportedly added after frying.) But double check at your location before ordering any fried items if concerned about potential cross-contamination with milk (or other allergens) in the fryer. Processes can vary across stores. Taco Bell uses canola oil, vegetable oil, or a blend of the two for frying.
Allergen & Special Diet Notes: According to Taco Bell, they do not use peanuts, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish in any of their menu items or ingredients. All items listed below can be ordered without egg if the Eggs and Creamy Chipotle Sauce are omitted. The Crunchy Taco Shells and Chips are made without gluten, but all other wraps, shells, and the potatoes contain gluten. Most items can be ordered without “allergenic” soy, except the Seasoned Beef, Chalupas, and Breakfast Salsa (which also contains gluten!). Taco Bell does not consider highly refined soybean oil to be a top allergen, per the FDA. So some additional items might contain refined soybean oil. For vegan options at Taco Bell, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Breakfast
- Hash Browns
- Breakfast Crunchwrap (no cheese, no sauce or Fresco)
- Toasted Breakfast Burrito (no cheese sauce or Fresco)
- Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito (no cheese)
Dairy-Free Breakfast Protein Options: Bacon, Sausage, Steak, Fiesta Potatoes
Tacos
- Crunchy Taco (no cheese or Fresco)
- Soft Taco (no cheese or Fresco)
- Spicy Potato Soft Taco (no cheese)
Dairy-Free Protein Options: Seasoned Beef, Chicken, Steak, Black Beans, Refried Beans, Potatoes
Heads Up! It’s cheaper to order the plain Soft or Crunchy Taco and add tomatoes than to order a “Supreme” version without dairy. See above for “Fresco Style” details.
Burritos
- Bean Burrito (no cheese)
- Bean & Rice Burrito (no cheese, no sauce or Fresco)
- Beefy Burrito (no cheese, no cheese sauce, no sour cream or Fresco)
- Burrito Supreme (no cheese, no sour cream)
- Chipotle Grilled Chicken Burrito (no cheese, no ranch sauce)
- Double Steak Grilled Burrito (no cheese, no cheese sauce, no sour cream)
- Fiesta Veggie Burrito (no cheese, no sour cream)
- Salsa Verde Grilled Chicken Burrito (no cheese, no sour cream)
- Spicy Double Steak Grilled Burrito (no cheese, no cheese sauce, no sour cream)
Dairy-Free Protein Options: Seasoned Beef, Chicken, Steak, Black Beans, Refried Beans, Potatoes (contains wheat)
Specialties
- Black Bean Chalupa Supreme (no cheese, no sour cream)
- Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme (no cheese sauce, no sour cream)
- Chalupa Supreme (no cheese, no sour cream)
- Crunchwrap Supreme (no cheese sauce, no sour cream)
- Mexican Pizza (no cheese)
- Veggie Mexican Pizza (no cheese)
Dairy-Free Protein Options: Seasoned Beef, Chicken, Steak, Black Beans, Refried Beans, Potatoes (contains wheat)
Bowls
- Power Menu Bowl – Chicken or Steak (no cheese, no ranch sauce, no sour cream)
- Veggie Power Menu Bowl (no cheese, no ranch sauce, no sour cream)
Heads Up! Some locations might sub the dairy-free Chipotle Sauce or another sauce for the Ranch Sauce at no extra charge. But with online orders, you do have to remove the sauce and “upgrade” with another sauce.
Sides & Sweets
- Black Beans
- Black Beans & Rice
- Cinnamon Twists
- Nacho Chips (no cheese sauce)
- Pintos (no cheese)
- Potato Bites (Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes with no toppings)
- Seasoned Fries (from the Nacho Fries but with no cheese sauce) (seasonal)
- Seasoned Rice
Heads Up! If you’re in the U.K., the churros are made without dairy, too!
Sauces
- Breakfast Salsa
- Creamy Chipotle Sauce (see Packaged Sauce Note below)
- Diablo Sauce
- Fire Sauce
- Guacamole
- Hot Sauce
- Mild Sauce
- Red Sauce
Heads Up! The Avocado Ranch Sauce, Creamy Jalapeno Sauce, and Spicy Ranch Sauce at Taco Bell do contain milk. In the U.K., the Lava Sauce also contains milk.
Packaged Sauce Note: There are sauces sold in stores with the Taco Bell name. These sauces are NOT the same formula as the ones used in their restaurants. For example, the Chipotle Sauce you can buy at stores like Walmart contains buttermilk, but the version used in their restaurants does not contain dairy.
Wraps & Shells
- Chalupa Flatbread
- Fiesta Tortilla Strips
- Flour Tortilla
- Gordita Flatbread
- Tortilla Chips
- Taco Shell
- Tostada Shell
Heads Up! As you probably guessed, the Doritos Locos Taco Nacho Cheese Shell does indeed contain milk. If you’re in the U.K., they list the Taco Shell as containing several allergens that aren’t in the ingredients due to potential cross-contamination in frying.
Freezes (regional)
- Blue Raspberry (not the “Island” version)
- Blue Raspberry Electric Strawberry
- Mtn Dew Baja Blast
- Wild Cherry
- Wild Cherry Electric Strawberry
Heads Up! They seem to be discontinued, but Taco Bell did offer “Island” Freezes and “Whip” Freezes made with a creamer that contains milk. If you see any freeze flavors not on our list, verify before ordering.
Taco Bell’s Vegan Menu Guide
Taco Bell actually uses a number of vegan certified ingredients. Consequently, you can order many of the above menu items without any animal ingredients. Here’s our quick vegan list with custom order notes.
Vegan Tacos
- Black Bean Soft Taco (no cheese or Fresco)
- Potato Soft Taco (no cheese, no sauce or Fresco)
- Crunchy Taco with Beans or Potatoes (no cheese or Fresco)
Vegan Burritos
- Bean Burrito (no cheese)
- Bean & Rice Burrito (no cheese, no sauce or Fresco)
- Fiesta Veggie Burrito (no cheese, no chipotle sauce, no sour cream)
- Veggie Burrito Supreme (no cheese, no sour cream)
Vegan Specialties
- Black Bean Chalupa Supreme (no cheese, no sour cream)
- Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme (no cheese sauce, no sour cream)
- Veggie Mexican Pizza (no cheese)
- Veggie Power Menu Bowl (no cheese, no ranch sauce, no sour cream)
Vegan Sides & Treats
- Black Beans
- Black Beans & Rice
- Churros (UK only)
- Cinnamon Twists
- Fiesta Potatoes
- Hash Browns
- Potato Bites (Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes with no toppings)
- Seasoned Fries (from the Nacho Fries but with no cheese sauce) (seasonal)
- Seasoned Rice
- Tortilla Chips
Vegan Sauces
- Breakfast Salsa
- Diablo Sauce
- Fire Sauce
- Guacamole
- Hot Sauce
- Mild Sauce
- Red Sauce
Vegan Breads & Wraps
- Chalupa Flatbread
- Fiesta Tortilla Strips
- Flour Tortilla
- Gordita Flatbread
- Taco Shell
- Tostada Shell
Vegan Beverages
- Blue Raspberry (not the “Island” version)
- Blue Raspberry Electric Strawberry
- Mtn Dew Baja Blast
- Wild Cherry
- Wild Cherry Electric Strawberry
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
Where to Find Taco Bell
Taco Bell is a massive Mexican fast food franchise with more than 7000 locations worldwide. It is a U.S. company, but they also have restaurants in Canada, Australia, Europe, Asia, and beyond. See the website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.tacobell.com
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What Others Are Saying ...
Chipotle Sauce
This is super helpful BUT the chipotle sauce is not dairy free. I ordered online and when I picked fresco style it removed the sauce so I looked up the ingredients and it has whey and buttermilk. I was super bummed!
Response from Go Dairy Free
I think you are looking at the ingredients for the Chipotle Sauce sold in stores. It is a different formula. The Chipotle sauce at Taco Bell restaurants is still listed as dairy-free, but it does contain egg, as we have noted. Here are the ingredients -> https://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredients
I believe you saw these ingredients -> https://www.walmart.com/ip/Taco-Bell-Creamy-Chipotle-Sauce-12-fl-oz-Bottle/915153558
It’s very common for packaged versions made for the store to have a completely different formula from the ones actually used in the restaurants.
Very helpful!
Thank you for having so many options and clearly listing them!
Super good vegan bowl
Did not realize i could get a vegan bowl. Boy am i glad I did. Soooo good!
So helpful!
Thanks for this breakdown. I had never heard of offering Fresco but what a great option.
Great
Great info
A lot of options!
Surprising amount of options that are dairy free.
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
10 Comments
The Creamy Chipotle sauce is made with buttermilk….
I waited to respond on this until we did a full update on this post, which we just did! According to Taco Bell, the in-restaurant Creamy Chipotle Sauce does not contain dairy, but it does contain egg (which is not a milk product). Here are the ingredients for the Creamy Chipotle Sauce: CSoybean oil, water, vinegar, cage-free egg yolk, 2% or less of chili peppers, chipotle peppers, salt, sugar, roasted garlic, natural flavor, natural smoke flavor, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika extract (C), xanthan gum, propylene glycol alginate, sodium benzoate (P), potassium sorbate (P), calcium disodium edta (PF), citric acid, potassium chloride, maltodextrin.
I think you are referring to the bottle Creamy Chipotle Sauce by Taco Bell that you can buy in grocery stores. It DOES contain dairy and is a completely different recipe from the one they use in their restaurants.
I hope that helps!
Just as a heads up, Taco Bell’s beef has lactic acid in it, which is a form of milk. So please if you have dairy sensitivity DO NOT order any beef products! The chicken is perfectly ok, but the beef has lactic acid in it. Below, I have pasted the ingredients in Taco Bell’s beef from their website.
To the editors of this website: Please update this page with this information. This is a great source of information, and I want to make sure that everyone is aware of the presence of lactic acid in Taco Bell’s beef.
Seasoned Beef
Beef, water, seasoning [cellulose, chili pepper, maltodextrin, salt, oats (contains wheat), soy lecithin, spices, tomato powder, sugar, onion powder, citric acid, natural flavors (including smoke flavor), torula yeast, cocoa, disodium inosinate & guanylate, dextrose, lactic acid, modified corn starch], salt, sodium phosphates. Contains: Soy, Wheat
Link: https://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/ingredients
Hi Jeff, fortunately, lactic acid is rarely, if ever, derived from dairy. And in this case Taco Bell is confirming that it is not derived from dairy. Though the name is confusing, lactic acid is usually fermented form other carbohydrates and isn’t dairy itself. You can see this post we have on dairy ingredients for more information -> https://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-free-grocery-shopping-guide/dairy-ingredient-list-2
I have issues with Lactic acid due to the fact there is usually some of the protein left in there. There is no way to be 100% sure it isn’t dairy based lactic acid. I avoid lactic acid because many times even the suppliers don’t have a clue and take their best guess.
All manufacturers should have information on the source of each ingredient, and this includes lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced from the fermentation of carbohydrates – usually glucose or sucrose. It is rarely produced from galactose, and is never produced from milk protein. There is no way to be sure that any food is 100% safe from potential cross-contamination. It simply exists at some level. But if it is confirmed to be from another source, then the lactic acid would not have any relation to dairy.
Just wondering if the chalupa is dairy free? My son wants to try it..who has a dairy allergy. I don’t see it listed on your allergy site. Thank you..
If it isn’t on this list, then it wasn’t listed as dairy-free as dairy-free at our time of review.
We just left the Taco Bell in Wilsonville, Oregon. Ordered a tostado woth fresa sauce and reiterated ” no cheese”! Guess what–it came with the fresca sauce, topped with cheese.
You can easily order almost anything without dairy, provided you know what is in it. The kids working there have no idea, but I have always had a positive experience once I explain my allergy. I check ingredients beforehand and know what to tell them to leave out. They have always been very diligent and usually walk back to the prep line to be sure its prepared right.
Also, watch out for the avacado ranch dressing, it isn’t listed on the cashier’s screen for every item that actually contains it. They usually have the two separate so you can still get the yummy avacado. Anything that lists “ranch dressing” is on their keyboard as “avacado ranch”, it really helps them if you know that.
I’ve been to several locations across the south and always felt safe with the food I received.