This handy guide to vegan meat gives you options to make at home and to buy. And they're all totally delicious and cruelty free!
You don’t need meat alternatives to eat vegan, but vegan meat can help you transition to and stick with veganism. As a long-time vegan, I still eat vegan meat regularly, and I know I’m not the only vegan who stocks the fridge with seitan and the freezer with Gardein.
Related: Why do vegans eat "fake" meat?
Like plant-based milks, vegan meats have come a long way since I stopped eating meat in the early 2000s. These are the meat substitutes that my family and friends turn to when we are preparing our meals.
Vegan meat recipes
Below are delicious recipes for vegan meat that you can make in your own kitchen.
Easy Tofu Sausage Crumbles
Soy Curls Chicken Salad
Quinoa Lentil Meatloaf Recipe
Pulled Shiitake Mushroom BBQ
Cornflake tofu nuggets recipe
Vegan cheese grits casserole recipe
Vegan bacon bits recipe
Vegan stacked enchiladas
Buffalo cauliflower recipe
Vegan Canadian Bacon Recipe
Vegan butter chicken recipe
BBQ tofu wings recipe
Smoky shiitake mushroom bacon
Vegan BBQ Soy Curls
The Best Chicken Style Seitan
Vegan Unribs
Portobello Pot Roast
Vegan Crab Cakes
Store-bought vegan meat
Store-bought meat substitutes vary in how processed they are. If you’re vegan for the animals, like me and many of the long-time vegans I know, though, that’s not really a big deal. These are my favorite brands of pre-made vegan meats.
- Beyond Meat – Beyond Meat makes amazing burgers, ground beef-style crumbles, and chicken strips. You can find it in grocery stores and on restaurant menus
- Field Roast - These seitan-based roasts, sausages, hot dogs, burgers, and lunch meats are some of my family’s favorites. If you’re looking for a less-processed option that’s available at grocery stores, Field Roast is your best bet.
- Gardein – If you miss chicken strips, chicken tenders, pork bites, beef tips, crab cakes, or fried fish, Gardein has got you covered. Their Crabless Bites are my favorite, and my husband and kid both love their Fishless Filets. We use both as taco fillings, and they’re so good!
- Herbivorous Butcher – This widely-acclaimed vegan butcher makes vegan meats and cheeses from a variety of vegan ingredients, like wheat gluten, jackfruit and beans.
- Impossible Foods - This competitor to Beyond Meat tastes spookily meat-like, and I am frankly obsessed with their burger. You can find the Impossible Burger at restaurants and in regular grocery stores. They've also added vegan chicken nuggets to their line, which are delightful!
- Morningstar Farms - Morningstar's meat alternatives used to contain egg, but they are phasing out the eggs in their recipes. We are huge fans of their Buffalo Wings and their vegan chicken strips. Their new line of Ultimate products is also great! It includes vegan chicken and vegan jerky.
- Simple Truth – Kroger’s store brand sells frozen, meatless chicken and beef products that are similar to Gardein but less pricey. They also offer vegan sliced lunch meats and sausages. Not all Simple Truth products are vegan (or vegetarian), but I'm a fan of the vegan products in this line!
- Tofurky – This is the original vegan meat, and Tofurky’s line has come a long way, baby. Their sausages and lunch meats are top notch!
- Trader Joe's - Trader Joe's offers quite a few vegan meat options. Their chorizo is top notch. They also offer vegan turkey grounds, bulgogi steak slices, and more! Offerings can vary by region and time of year, so go in ready to discover something new.
- Uptons Naturals - This Chicago-based vegan meat company makes excellent seitan bacon, burgers, and sausages. They also have a line of seasoned jackfruit. If you're new to using jackfruit as a vegan meat alternative, their products are a great place to start.
- VFC - This new brand of Vegan Fried Chicken is available via online order, and it is LEGIT! I highly recommend getting your hands on some.
Frequently asked questions
You can make vegan meat out of all kinds of foods! I've made meat substitutes out of tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans, and nuts. Which ingredients you choose really depends upon what texture and flavor profile you're going for.
There are so many vegan meat substitutes out there, and they run the gamut. Like any other types of food, vegan meat ranges from healthy, whole food recipes to highly processed, high-salt options.
This is such a tricky question to answer. It really depends on what you mean by best.
Do you mean healthiest? In that case, options like lentil meatloaf, cauliflower wings, and bean burgers are the way to go.
If you mean which options taste the most like meat, go for brands like Impossible, Beyond, MorningStar Farms, and Gardein that have nailed that flavor and texture profile.
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