Gwynedd Stuart
The best vegan turkey roast shouldn’t feel like a punishment for people who’ve cut out meat. Being vegetarian is good for the planet, it’s good for animals, and it’s good for you—truly, a win-win-win situation—that is until a big meat-centric holiday dinner like Thanksgiving rolls around and you’re stuck eating a plateful of side dishes (but only the ones that weren’t made with poultry broth, sorry!).
The good news: There are more vegetarian turkey alternatives on the market than ever before, and that means a main course doesn’t have to be off the menu. Of course, every vegan turkey roast isn’t created equal. We fired up the oven and tried several of the biggest brands out there to find the best plant based turkey for Thanksgiving—and a veggie beef wellington, too.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Trader Joe’s Breaded Turkey-less Stuffed Roast
-
Trader Joe’s vegan turkey loaf is back! We removed it from our ranking last year because we couldn’t find it in stores, but it’s available this year, which is great. It’s a lot like the other vegetarian turkey loaves on this list: It’s a tube of fake turkey meat that’s been breaded and stuffed with stuffing. I know that sounds kind of nuts, but, trust me, it’s better than the little nude lump of fake turkey Tofurky sells. Our favorite thing about this particular vegan turkey roast? The gravy it comes with. It’s so savory, fatty, and flavorful—I truly do not understand why Trader Joe’s doesn’t sell this vegan gravy on its own! Anyway, if good gravy is essential to your vegan Thanksgiving meal, give this loaf a shot.
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y
-
There’s no shame in having a solo Thanksgiving. It’s quiet. You can watch TV while you eat. And you can have your very own individual vegetarian turkey roast. Cute and delicious. Gardein, maker of our #1 vegan turkey roast—spoiler, sorry—also makes this little individual version and we love it. It’s vegetarian turkey, stuffed with cranberry and sage stuffing, breaded, and baked. So many vegetarian turkey roasts are so dry. Last year we ranked Tofurky, but eliminated it this year because we just couldn’t handle how dry it came out. Gardein’s plant-based turkey substitute is nice and moist. Honestly, the stuffing in the center doesn’t have much flavor, but the gravy it comes with helps a lot. If you don’t want a bunch of leftovers, this is the best vegetarian turkey option for you.
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Field Roast Hazelnut & Cranberry Plant Based Roast
-
If you like Field Roast products, you’ll love this roast, which is essentially just a big, honkin’ version of one of their meat-free sausages. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling liked how seasoned and salty this one is, but I personally have a hard time getting past the fact that the stuffing in the center of the loaf is exactly the same texture as the rest of the loaf (ie rubbery). While this may be the best vegan turkey alternative for someone who loves the brand, I have to say that Field Roast always gives me indigestion. If you’re similarly afflicted with agita, buckle up for a ride to burp city.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Gardein Plant-Based Turk’y Roast
-
I am not vegetarian, but I eat a lot of veggie meat products at home. Gardein is a favorite (their breaded turk’y cutlets and gravy make such a good, quick weeknight dinner), so I’m pleased to report that Gardein makes the best vegan turkey loaf out there. My biggest beef with vegan turkey (pun intended) is that it’s always so dense. Seriously, if you neglect to baste a Tofurky roast, you’re going to have to go at that thing with a hacksaw. Gardein’s turk’y is super tender, and the breading encasing the loaf is lightly seasoned and adds just a little bit of crunch. The stuffing inside isn’t the tastiest stuffing I’ve ever had, but bits of celery give it some texture, while cranberries contribute a subtle tart sweetness. Most importantly, the loaf comes with a packet of vegan gravy and the gravy actually tastes good. I would be stoked if someone served this to me on Thanksgiving!
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Gravy
Best for a Solo Thanksgiving
Best Unique
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: 365 Plant Based Roasts with Gravy & Mushroom Stuffing, Tofurky Veggie Roast & Wild Rice Stuffing, Field Roast Celebration Roast
Danny Palumbo
Ariana Losch
Quorn is by far the best in taste and texture and is gluten free!
During the pandemic, I tried Quorn, and I honestly thought it was almost indistinguishable from real turkey. I highly recommend it.
Worthington is the only roast I have found worth eating. The Field Roast one is vile. The Tofurkey one was meh.
As a vegetarian, I found my favorite turkey substitute is Quorn’s meatless style roast. It doesn’t come seasoned, but it’s really easy to add it, and out of all the stuff we tried it truly tastes the best. And I have to agree, Tofurkey definitely misses the bar for turkey substitution.
I totally agree! I’ve tried almost every fake turkey and the Quorn roast is so juicy and delicious. It is very dense but I love that about it. It’s so amazing to eat as a leftovers sandwich because the slices fit perfectly on a dinner roll.
The tofurkey roast is basically inedible. It was like chewing on rubber. 5 is kind. The Sol Cuisine roast is amazing. Not sure if that’s just a Canadian thing or what but would highly recommend.
It’s interesting that the Trader Joe’s and Field Roast pictures look like loaves of bread…and not in a good way.
I’ve been a vegan since 2017 and so I know my way around a vegan thanksgiving roast and I do have some disagreements lol. First of all, the Gardein Turk’y roast is 100% the best texture for a vegan turkey I’ve ever found but it’s not my favorite roast in general for the holidays (not to mention many vegans don’t like the texture to be too close to real, like my sister). Trader Joe’s prices can’t be beat so I do like to get several of their roasts and store them in the freezer to bring them out between thanksgiving and christmas (and yes, their gravy does suck). You don’t have the Field Roast Hazelnut & Cranberry roast in this list, which has been the best vegan holiday roast flavor-wise that I’ve ever had. I’m super surprised to see Tofurky on here because I know literally no one who would buy that roast (no shade to Tofurky, they’re great for other things lol.)