Is Puerto Rican Food Gluten Free?
By the Grillers Puerto Rico editorial team. Meet our chef and restaurant
Many traditional Puerto Rican dishes are naturally gluten-free — mofongo (made from plantains, garlic, and pork rinds), pernil (slow-roasted pork), tostones (fried plantains), maduros (sweet plantains), and rice dishes are all free of wheat. However, some Puerto Rican dishes like bacalaitos (codfish fritters) use wheat flour, so it's important to check with your server when dining.
Puerto Rican Dishes That Are Naturally Gluten-Free
The backbone of Puerto Rican cooking — plantains, rice, beans, pork, and seafood — is inherently gluten-free. Mofongo is made from green plantains, garlic, olive oil, and pork rinds (chicharrones), with no wheat ingredients. Pernil is slow-roasted pork seasoned with adobo and herbs — no flour involved. Tostones and maduros are twice-fried plantain slices that require no breading. Arroz con gandules, arroz blanco, habichuelas, and most rice and bean dishes are prepared without wheat. For diners who need to avoid gluten, Puerto Rican cuisine offers a remarkable range of naturally safe options — often more than other restaurant cuisines.
Puerto Rican Dishes That Contain Gluten
Not all Puerto Rican dishes are gluten-free. Bacalaitos (codfish fritters) use wheat flour in the batter. Alcapurrias (green banana and taro fritters) may contain flour depending on the recipe. Quesadillas — while offered at some Puerto Rican restaurants — use flour tortillas. Breadcrumbed dishes, quesadilla variants, and some soups or stews thickened with flour may also contain gluten. At Grillers Puerto Rico, we recommend that guests with celiac disease or serious gluten sensitivity speak directly with their server to discuss which dishes are safest based on that day's preparation.
Ordering Gluten-Free at Grillers Puerto Rico
At Grillers Puerto Rico, we take dietary needs seriously. Our mofongo, pernil, churrasco, tostones, maduros, white rice, rice with pigeon peas, beans, and most seafood dishes contain no wheat-based ingredients. Our Bacalaito Grillers (our signature codfish fritter) does contain wheat flour and is not gluten-free. We cannot guarantee a completely gluten-free environment as our kitchen handles multiple items simultaneously. Guests with celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity should inform their server before ordering so we can take the appropriate steps to reduce cross-contact risk.
Sources and editorial notes
External references support culinary and cultural context, not claims about our kitchen or dietary certification. Restaurant dish details come from our menu; this guide is not attributed to a personal review by the chef.
A menu example: Crocante de Pernil is described as pork-rind-wrapped mofongo with roasted pork and pickled onions. Chuleta Kan Kan includes loin, belly and rib. Check the current menu and ask about ingredients, sauces and preparation when ordering. View the menu
We do not guarantee gluten-free preparation or absence of cross-contact. Discuss celiac disease, allergies, shared fryers and preparation surfaces with your restaurant's staff before ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taste It at Grillers Puerto Rico
3 locations in Kissimmee & Orlando — open daily for lunch and dinner.
Kissimmee: (407) 954-4545 · East Orlando: (407) 203-4752 · South Orlando: (407) 394-6445