Your Summertime Guide to Gluten-Free Grill and Chill

Fire up the grill – it’s grilling season! When you’re living gluten-free, there are some obvious substitutions you’ll need to make when planning and preparing meals – hamburger and hot dog buns come immediately to mind. We’ve thought through all the details of grilling and eating outdoors to help make sure you have a safely gluten-free experience

The Gluten-Free Grill

Keeping a barbecue grill free of gluten particles means a thorough cleaning is required each time you grill any gluten-containing foods. The typical way grills are cleaned is by heating it up, then scraping the burnt food that is stuck to the grill. If you or someone you know is gluten-free and will be eating food prepared on your grill, you may need to remove the grills and soak them in soapy water, scrub thoroughly, and grill the gluten-free foods first to be on the safe side. 

The ideal way to grill gluten-free is on a dedicated grill, but that may not be viable given the added cost of an extra grill in the yard. Another way to be confident of the grill’s gluten-free status is to only grill entirely gluten-free fare, although this may also not be a realistic approach. Still another option is to grill gluten-free items on tin foil. If you’re living in a mixed household of gluten consumers and gluten-free members, or going to a barbecue at a friend’s place, this can be a simple, yet effective, approach. 

Gluten-Free Meats, Breads, Side Dishes, and Condiments

While the meats you are grilling are naturally gluten-free, some bottled marinades could use gluten as a thickener or stabilizer. Read the labels on any bottled or packaged sauces or seasoning being used to ensure they are free of added gluten. 

Breads, like we said, are a no-brainer, and gluten-free bun substitutions abound. You can also try something different – like a burger wrapped in lettuce or a hotdog wrapped in a corn tortilla. Without a doubt, you’ll be avoiding the gluten-containing pasta salad but could indulge in packaged or pre-prepared potato salad, coleslaw, fruit salad, and more. 

Try to serve yourself first to make sure no utensils from gluten-containing side dishes have been used for the gluten-free ones, which could cause contamination with gluten. One caveat for pre-prepared side dishes from the deli is that there may not be a lot of precautions in place to avoid gluten-containing items from falling into gluten-free ones. Mistakes can happen, too, a server might use the same serving utensils for both or fail to wash the utensils thoroughly.  

For side dishes, DIY is your safest bet because you have total control over each ingredient and the environment they were prepared in.

What about condiments, you ask? Most popular condiments these days – mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup – are gluten-free. Very few brands add gluten into their plain versions, and even flavored ones such as honey mustard or sriracha or jalapeno ketchup or even bacon or garlic mayo tend to be free of added gluten, although not necessarily certified gluten-free.  

Use either squeeze bottles, or make sure there’s been no double-dipping in condiments that could have caused cross-contact with gluten. Take note: If a condiment contains regular soy sauce, it contains wheat gluten. If you’re using soy sauce when grilling or going for a specialty condiment that contains soy sauce as an ingredient, opt instead for gluten-free tamari sauce, and mix your own condiments. 

Before we forget, no barbeque meal is complete without desserts. Sticking entirely to gluten-free pastries, pies, cakes, cookies, and ice cream is the way to go – or keep the gluten ones far away from the gluten-free treats, and label everything clearly. 

Gluten-Free Mocktails and Adult Beverages

What goes well with a hot, sunny day and an outdoor barbecue? How about chilling with an ice-cold, refreshing drink with a colorful garnish? The mocktail trend is alive and well – and family-friendly (although you probably won’t want to call them “mocktails” when serving the youngsters – call them “punch” or “yummy drinks”). Most mocktails can be made with naturally gluten-free ingredients like seltzer water, tonic water, flavored colas and sodas, fruit juices, and most bitters.