Jordan Myrick
Justine Sterling
If you’ve gone plant-based but you’re still thinking about turkey, missing the joys of jerky, or wishing you could eat wings, we have your solution! These are the best vegan meats you can buy at the grocery store.
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We have tasted an unbelievable amount of plant-based meat alternatives here at Sporked. Some are very, very good, but some are extremely bad. Lucky for you, we compiled this list of the best meatless meats on the market. If you’re meat-free but missing meat, this list is for you.
Best Plant-Based Meat Substitutes
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- Gardein Plant-Based Turk’y Roast
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After trying every vegan loaf on the market at Thanksgiving time, managing editor Gwynedd Stuart came to the conclusion that “Gardein makes the best vegan turkey loaf out there.” Unlike most vegan loaves, which are extremely dense, Gardein’s is super tender. It also comes stuffed so you don’t have to make your own stuffing! The star, however, is the vegan gravy. — Jordan Myrick
Related: The Best Vegan Turkey Roast for Your Meat-Free Thanksgiving Table
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Pan’s Mushroom Jerky Original
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Vegan jerky made with fake meat mostly ends up tasting like dried fake meat. If that’s what you want, then Primal Spirit’s Vegan Jerky Strips are the way to go. (They took the number two spot in our best vegan jerky ranking.) But if you simply want really good jerky that happens to be vegan, then Pan’s Mushroom Jerky is the best you can get. The savory chunks start out tasting fairly meaty, but there’s no denying it’s all mushroom and you get a ton of that earthy, umami flavor. Plus, the texture is just chewy enough to get your jaw working. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Target
- Tofurky Smoked Ham
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My mom has been making me vegetarian muffalettas with this Yves’ veggie salami for years. I was nervous it wouldn’t hold up in our taste test against all the newer brands, but I didn’t need to worry. This veggie salami doesn’t taste like salami, but it is really dang good. The texture is meaty and there are spices peppered throughout. You could make an incredible veganized sub with this Yves Veggie Salami.
Related: The Best Vegan Deli Meat for the Ultimate Plant-Based Sub
Credit: Liv Averett / Pavilions
- Daring Vegan Buffalo Wings
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These vegan wings actually have a chicken-like texture. The “meat” pulls apart just like poultry. It honestly might be a little uncanny valley for some vegans (stick with the cauliflower wings if that’s the case) but we couldn’t get enough. The sauce is tangy and spicy and they’d be good as hell dipped into vegan ranch. Definitely the best plant-based meat to serve on game day. — Justine Sterling
Related: Best Vegan Buffalo Wings: It’s (Vegan) Game Time
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Impossible Plant-Based Chicken Nuggets
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You probably already know this, but Impossible’s plant-based chicken nuggets are incredible. They’re juicier than any of the other vegan nuggets we tried and also have the most chicken-y flavor. This is one of the few plant-based meat alternatives that I think could trick a meat-eater. These were a hot commodity when they came out, but now you can get them for cheap at Trader Joe’s. This is a huge win for all of us. — Jordan Myrick
Related: 6 Vegan Chicken Nuggets that Give the Drive-Thru a Run for Its Money
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Field Roast Signature Stadium Plant-Based Hot Dogs
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Field Roast Signature Stadium Plant-Based Dogs are real hot dogs minus the meat. This is another vegan meat product that I don’t think a meat eater could spot if they were handed one in a warm bun slathered with mustard at a baseball game. They even have a little casing snap which no other vegan hot dog on the market has been able to replicate. Moving forward, these will always be my first choice of plant-based meat logs (which includes vegan sausages). — Jordan Myrick
Related: The 4 Best Vegan Hot Dogs Are Ready for Grilling Season
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Impossible Burger
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Impossible is at it again. These vegan burger patties cook up just like beef patties. You get great char, the “meat” crumbles, and there’s even a fatty quality. There’s a reason why Impossible burgers are so popular and it’s because they’re really dang good. Top this with melted vegan American cheese, raw onion, lettuce, pickles, and mustard and you will not miss the beef at all. — Jordan Myrick
Related: Best Veggie Burger: The Best Plant Based Burgers, Ranked
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Beyond Sausage Brat Original
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Beyond’s brats are truly incredible. They actually have a snappy casing! Really hard to do without intestines! The flavor of the actual brat is really delicious, too. It doesn’t just taste like fennel-infused mush. It is rich and meaty and seasoned with a classic blend of fennel, apple, and red pepper. This is a must-have vegan meat at a BBQ. — Justine Sterling
Related: Best Vegan Sausage
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
- Impossible Steak Bites
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Tasting this vegan steak for the first time really made me feel like the future was here. These vegan steak bites develop a great char and have the texture of perfectly cooked medium steak. If you piled these into a burrito, I don’t think you’d be able to tell you were eating vegan meat. — Justine Sterling
Related: Best Vegan Steak
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- MyBacon
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We cannot stop singing the praises of MyBacon. It is not only one of the best plant based meat substitutes we’ve ever had, but also some of the best vegan food we’ve tasted in our offices, period. The strips come pre-coated in coconut oil, which melts like fat in the pan and gets the strips to crisp up (not a ton, but enough). If you’re looking for the best vegan bacon, look no further. It’s worth going to the specialty market or ordering online. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Erewhon
- Beyond Steak Korean BBQ Style
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I love this stuff. It’s so good. It’s seasoned perfectly—not overwhelmingly sweet or pungently savory. And the texture is perfect. It gets nice and crispy in the oven. It’s not perfect one to one if you’re trying to fool someone (why are you trying to do that?) but it’s getting there. This vegan meat would be incredible in a bowl or burrito. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Impossible Chicken Patties
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These vegan chicken patties are essentially just big, flat vegan chicken nuggets. And, since Impossible makes the best vegan chicken nuggets, it’s no surprise that they are great. The outside coating gets super crisp. The inside stays tender. I would have no problem swapping one of these in for actual chicken if I was making a sandwich. If you’ve been craving one of those fast food fried chicken sandwiches but you’ve given up meat, this is a must-buy vegan meat. — Justine Sterling
Related: Best Frozen Chicken Patties
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Impossible Savory Breakfast Sausage
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Look, Impossible has practically cornered the market on vegan meat. We’ve loved pretty much all the plant based meat substitutes we’ve tried from them. And here’s another example. This vegan breakfast sausage has a great sagey flavor, which helps cover up a subtle twinge of fake meat flavor. Plus, the texture is spot on. Serve this with some Sporked-approved fake eggs and you’ve got yourself a vegan breakfast feast. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
Best Vegan Roast Turkey
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Beef Jerky
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Deli Meat
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Wings
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Chicken Nuggets
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Hot Dog
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Burger Patties
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Sausage
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Steak
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Bacon
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Seasoned Vegan Steak
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Chicken Patties
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Breakfast Sausage
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Jay Wilson
Danny Palumbo
