Are Pizza Hut Wings Gluten-Free? Here's What We Know

Ordering gluten-free at a pizza place is always going to be tough, so if you find yourself grabbing some food from Pizza Hut, you might find yourself gravitating to the wings. Eating anywhere can present big challenges for anyone who is gluten-free, but with a menu focused not just on pizza but breadsticks, melts, pasta, and cinnamon rolls, Pizza Hut presents a huge challenge. Occasionally, the time comes when your friends or family are craving some Pizza Hut stuffed crust, and you don't want to be a downer, so you need to play along. That essentially leaves you with only two obvious options, assuming you aren't a vegetarian too: the fries and wings. 

Well, we have some bad news for you: Pizza Hut's wings come in three forms, and none of them are good for people who need to eat gluten-free. The boneless wings are a clear no-go because they are coated in batter. Then there are crispy wings and traditional wings, which is where it gets a little ambiguous. According to Pizza Hut's allergen list, the crispy bone-in wings also contain gluten, presumably to help with that crunch. The traditional wings don't have gluten in them, but can't be guaranteed to be gluten-free because they are prepared using equipment that also handles products with gluten. If you are only sensitive to gluten this might not deter you, but that's a risk only you can weigh.

Even if you decide taking a chance on gluten contact with the traditional wings is worth it, you are still mostly out of luck with the sauces. Pizza Hut's two BBQ sauces, spicy Asian sauce, and mild Buffalo sauce, each contain an unspecified ingredient that the company says may cause issues with gluten sensitivity. For some reason the two hotter Buffalo sauces don't contain that ingredient, but do carry the same warning as the traditional wings that they may be exposed to gluten. The only two wing-flavored sauces that say they are completely gluten-free are the lemon pepper and garlic parmesan.

However, there is one saving grace for gluten-free eaters at Pizza Hut. Some participating Pizza Huts offer a gluten-free pizza crust from the makers of our favorite gluten-free frozen pizza, Udi's. As of now, the chain says only one-third of locations offer it; if your local spot does offer gluten-free pizza, it should be easy to locate with Pizza Hut's online ordering system. If you can get a gluten-free crust, most of the toppings — except for sausage and chicken — don't have gluten. It's important to note, though, that Pizza Hut says its sauce is gluten-free but not prepared in a gluten-free environment. Unless you want a sauceless pizza, even when you can get the crust, the best advice at Pizza Hut for gluten-free diners is to use caution.