We finally scored a pack of Field Roast Frankfurters! Here's what we thought of these seitan-based vegan hot dogs.
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Dave's quest for a great vegan hot dog has been as long and arduous as his quest to find good, packaged vegan pepperoni. A lot of people have recommended the Field Roast Frankfurters to him, and I grabbed a pack at the store for him to try!
If you're a Field Roast fan, also check out our review of Field Roast Miniature Corn Dogs!
Field Roast Frankfurters review
I'd had Field Roast hot dogs before, but for some reason, as soon as I was looking for them for Dave, they disappeared from store shelves. It took months, but I finally found them at Whole Foods, so Dave could try these vegan hot dogs, which so many of you recommended.
Y'all, I am so sorry, but he was not a fan! He said that it had a smoky flavor that just wasn't for him and that the texture was not meaty enough.
One side note: Dave did recently learn that he is sensitive to paprika. It makes his stomach very upset, and we realized after eating that Field Roast Frankfurters do contain paprika.
That's on us for not reading the ingredients -- we're still getting the hang of this new food sensitivity. But we both wondered whether the paprika was part of what hampered his enjoyment.
That said, I could not disagree with Dave's assessment more! Field Roast Frankfurters are some of my favorite vegan hot dogs! The kid loves them, too, and asks for that brand specifically when we are talking about hot dogs.
That same smokiness that put Dave off was a flavor that I absolutely loved. It brought me back to childhood and eating hot dogs fresh off of the grill.
I will concede that the texture is very seitan-y. For me, though, that's not a downside. It definitely doesn't have the animal meat texture of, say, a Beyond Sausage, so if that's what you're looking for, you may want to look elsewhere.
It feels to me like, unlike Beyond and Impossible, vegans are Field Roast's target market. And longtime vegans like me have a special place in our hearts for the texture of seitan. To me, that is meaty.
Cooking instructions
You can cook these on the grill, stove, microwave, or in the air fryer. Here are cooking instructions for all four.
- Grill/stovetop: Saute the frankfurters over low heat with a little bit of oil for 5-10 minutes, until they're heated through.
- Boiling directions: Bring a pot of water to a boil, and drop in the franks. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until they're heated through.
- Microwave: Cook on a microwave-safe plate for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Air fryer: Air fry at 350° F for 5-7 minutes.
Obviously, the air fryer method is my favorite for these. I just love the texture they get and how hands off it is!
Serve these up in a bun, like you would a conventional hot dog. I had mine with avocado and relish, but I also love these topped with broccoli slaw or with jalapeño slaw.
Slaw on a hot dog is just such a stellar combination of flavors and textures!
What are they made from?
These are very back-to-basics vegan hot dogs. They're made from seitan, a dough that you make from wheat gluten. Here's the full ingredients list, according to the Field Roast website:
Filtered Water, Vital Wheat Gluten, Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil, Yeast Extract (Yeast, Salt, Sugar, Natural Flavor), Organic Expeller Pressed Palm Fruit Oil, Barley Malt Extract, Tomato Paste, Apple Cider Vinegar, Paprika Color, Spices, Sea Salt, Onions, Wheat Flour, Garlic, Natural Smoke Flavor, Celery Seed, Paprika Oleoresin (Color)
Where to listen
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