Gluten-free tailgating
Yes, if you bring your own. Pack gluten-free buns, pick brats whose maker says they are gluten-free or made without gluten ingredients (beer brats are the usual exception), and keep your food off shared grates and out of shared dips. The checklist below saves your ticks on this device and prints on its own.
Before you walk in, check your stadium’s outside-food rule and where its gluten-free food is.
Ticks stay on this phone or computer only.
The grill is where gluten gets onto tailgate food. Beyond Celiac calls the grill “a common source of cross-contact” and suggests cooking your food on aluminum foil. The National Celiac Association suggests grilling gluten-free items first on a thoroughly cleaned grill, or, if you can’t clean the grill well or are using a public grill, putting non-stick grill mats or heavy-duty foil between the grates and your food.
Heat does not fix it. The Gluten Intolerance Group says gluten “cannot be ‘burned’ off by high temperature” but can be removed by a thorough cleaning with soap, water and a good metal grill scrubber.
Tongs and dips carry gluten too. Use separate tongs and serving utensils for the gluten-free food, and bring condiments in squeeze bottles so no one double-dips. A squeeze bottle only helps if no one wipes its tip on a regular bun. Serve yourself first, before spoons from other dishes end up in yours.
Each maker’s own words about its bratwurst, checked on its website on October 23, 2026. Recipes change, so read the package too.
| Brand | Gluten | What the maker says |
|---|---|---|
| Usinger’sFred Usinger | Says gluten-free | “Yes, all of our sausage products are gluten free with the exception of our Kishka and slicing loaves. We do not add any cereal or grain to our products.” Usinger’s FAQ |
| Boar’s Head | Says gluten-free | “All Boar’s Head meats, cheeses, condiments, and spreads are gluten free.” Boar’s Head Cooked Bratwurst |
| Johnsonville | Except beer brats | “All of our products are made with ingredients that DO NOT contain gluten EXCEPT for our meatballs, fresh and smoked beer brats.” That is a statement about ingredients, not a gluten-free label. Read the package. Johnsonville Product FAQs |
| Klement’sKlement Sausage Co. | Except Beer Bratwurst | “All of our products are indeed gluten free, with the exception of the Klement’s Beer Bratwurst (1lb & 2.5lb).” Klement’s FAQs |
| HofmannHofmann Sausage Company | Beer brats are not | “There is only two products we produce that are not gluten free, and that is our Beer Bratwurst and our Cheddar Beer Bratwurst.” Its Beer Bratwurst product page shows a Gluten Free tag, so the two pages disagree. Read the package. Hofmann FAQs |
| KayemKayem Foods | Pale Ale Brats contain gluten | “The only Kayem branded products we produce that contain gluten are Kayem Pale Ale Brats, Kayem Polish Loaf, Kayem Meat Loaf and Kayem Macaroni and Cheese Loaf.” Kayem FAQs |
| SheboyganSheboygan Sausage Company | No claim | Its Original Recipe Bratwurst page lists the ingredients but makes no gluten-free claim. Its Beer Bratwurst lists beer as an ingredient. Check the package. Sheboygan Original Recipe Bratwurst |
Hot dogs: what 15 hot dog makers say about gluten.
Regular beer is not gluten-free. The FDA says beer is made from malted cereal grains, “most commonly malted barley or wheat”, and the Celiac Disease Foundation says traditional beers, ales and lagers are not gluten-free.
A beer labeled gluten-free is brewed from grains without gluten, such as sorghum or brown rice, or from grains processed to remove gluten before brewing. A “gluten-removed” or “crafted to remove gluten” beer is fermented from gluten grains, and under federal labeling rules a label that makes that claim must also say the gluten content “cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten.” The Celiac Disease Foundation says gluten-removed beers “may not be safe for those with celiac disease.”
Each stadium sets its own outside-food rule. Some let you bring food you need for a medical or dietary reason, often with conditions such as a sealed container or a clear bag, and others don’t mention it. Our list shows each stadium’s rule with a link to the page it came from.
Inside, each stadium guide lists the gluten-free food the venue names, with the stand and section where the venue gives them, so you know where to go before kickoff.
Can you bring food in? Every stadium’s ruleStadiums with a gluten-free standNFL stadium guidesCollege football stadium guides
Are brats gluten-free?
Many are, but check the brand. Usinger’s and Klement’s say their regular brats are gluten free, Johnsonville says its Original brats are made with ingredients that do not contain gluten, and Boar’s Head says all its meats are gluten free. Beer brats are the usual exception: Johnsonville, Klement’s and Hofmann each name their beer brats as an exception, and Kayem says its Pale Ale Brats contain gluten.
Are Johnsonville brats gluten-free?
Johnsonville says all its products are made with ingredients that do not contain gluten, except its meatballs and its fresh and smoked beer brats. That covers the Original brat. It is a statement about ingredients, not a gluten-free label, so check the package.
Can I share a grill with regular food?
Only with a barrier or a clean grill. The Gluten Intolerance Group says gluten cannot be burned off by heat. Grill the gluten-free food first on a thoroughly cleaned grill, or on heavy-duty foil or a non-stick grill mat, and give it its own tongs.
Is beer gluten-free?
Regular beer is not: it is brewed from malted barley or wheat. Look for a beer labeled gluten-free. A gluten-removed beer must say its gluten content cannot be verified and that it may contain gluten.
Can I bring my tailgate food into the stadium?
It depends on the stadium. Some allow food you need for a medical or dietary reason, often sealed or with other conditions, and others don’t say. Look up your stadium’s rule on our Can I bring food? page and ask guest services before game day.
Sources
- Beyond Celiac, Gluten-Free Survival Tips for the Summer Party: the grill as a source of cross-contact, foil, and packing your own condiments.
- Beyond Celiac, Cross-Contact: heavy foil on a grill and squeeze-bottle tips.
- National Celiac Association, Gluten-Free Summer BBQs: grilling gluten-free food first, grill mats or foil, and separate tongs.
- Gluten Intolerance Group, Appliances: Risks of Cross-Contact: gluten is not burned off by heat; clean with soap, water and a grill scrubber.
- Gluten Intolerance Group, Your Summertime Guide to Gluten-Free Grill and Chill: squeeze bottles, no double-dipping, and serving yourself first.
- Celiac Disease Foundation, Gluten-Free Foods: traditional beers, ales and lagers are not gluten-free.
- Celiac Disease Foundation, The Truth About Gluten-Free Beer: gluten-free beer grains and gluten-removed beer.
- FDA, Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Food Labeling Final Rule: what beer is made from and when a beer may be labeled gluten-free.
- TTB Ruling 2020-2: the statement a gluten-removed beer label must carry.