We Tried 6 Brands of Vegan Chicken Nuggets to Find the Tastiest Option

If you're trying to eat less meat, you might be eyeing the plant-based nuggets in the supermarket freezers. But as soon as you go to grab a bag, you'll find that there are almost too many options to choose from. So, which meatless nugget tastes the most like the real thing? I taste-tested the six most popular brands to find out.

We put the tried-and-true brands (Morning Star, Quorn, Gardein) up against the new faces on the market (Impossible, Simulate, Daring) to find the champion. These nuggets varied in protein source, protein amount, and coating, but all were cooked in the air fryer for maximum crispiness. I chose these brands based on how widely available they were, and how much I'd heard about them by word of mouth.

As many great options as there are out there, some nuggets fell short in flavor, texture, and presentation. The "chicken" texture spanned from stringy to spongy to dense, and the ability for the crust to hang onto the protein was a huge factor in my book (think about it, who likes an onion ring that slides right out of it's crispy casing??). All that being said, here are my top two faux chicken nugget picks:

Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Chick'n Nuggets

Contents: Wheat and Soy-Based

Protein: 15g per serving

Price: $6.98; walmart.com

With a thickness that mimicked the shape of a Chick-fil-A nugget, these nuggets impressed me with both a meaty texture and delicious savory flavor. They went full-force with the "chicken" filling, satisfying the craving for a true chicken nugget while packing in the protein. Plus, the crispy coating held on through the first bite, if you don't want to pop the whole thing in your mouth at once. So, even if you're tempted by the smell of the Chick-fil-A nuggets wafting at you from across the street, you have a tasty plant-based option that will totally satisfy.

SIMULATE NUGGS Plant-Based Original Nuggets

Contents: Wheat and Soy Based

Protein: 13g per serving

Price: $4.98; walmart.com

I loved the ragged, unique shapes of these nuggets, which offered a variety of crispy textures, plus the illusion that they were made from real, varied pieces of chicken. I could see the flavor of cracked black pepper before even taking a bite, and as far as faux-chicken texture goes, these nugs have cracked the code. Matched with your favorite dipping sauce, this option is perfect for serving to a meat-eating and meatless crowd (and I bet the spicy version is even better).

Sometimes, a plant-based lifestyle is hard to stick to when you're just craving the meaty, crispy bite of a golden chicken nugget. Luckily, meatless imposters are getting so similar, your carnivore friends probably wouldn't even detect a difference.