Buzz
The conversation around plant-based meats often focuses on burgers, with their shockingly realistic texture and rare, pink interior. However, burgers aren’t the only option for those craving convincing fake meat – sausages, with their tubular shape and skin-like casing, are also a popular choice.
But not all sausages are created equal. Some brands manage to replicate the taste and texture of real sausages better than others. When selecting a plant-based sausage, the criteria are nearly the same as with traditional sausages, though with some flexibility. Texture, flavor, and a satisfying snap from the casing are essential, and out of the six sausages I tested, only one came close to mimicking the genuine article.
For the taste test, I picked up two varieties (Italian and Classic Bratwurst) from three brands: Beyond Meat, Tofurky, and Field Roast. Each was cooked in a nonstick pan for seven minutes until golden brown on both sides. Beyond Meat and Tofurky sausages were ready to cook straight from the package, while Field Roast sausages required removing an inedible plastic casing, which I found a bit inconvenient.
The True Texture
All three sausages held their shape during cooking, though they required a gentle touch as they were a bit softer than typical sausages. Only the Beyond Meat sausage featured a casing that provided any real resistance, though it was minimal. It also had a springy texture, quite similar to that of real sausage, though the 'meat' was slightly overprocessed. The Tofurky and Field Roast sausages, on the other hand, were simply soft tubes of mush with no casing to speak of. (I didn’t bother photographing them as their appearance was a bit disappointing, to be honest!) I did enjoy that the Beyond sausage rendered fat like a traditional sausage, leaving behind a small pool of grease.
The winner: Beyond Meat Sausages, both varieties, for their authentic, springy texture, slight snap, and the realistic pool of grease they left behind.
Flavor Review
When it came to taste, Beyond Meat once again took the lead. The other two brands were overwhelmingly dominated by the flavor of wheat gluten, with the seasonings in both the bratwurst and Italian varieties being heavily amped up to try and mask it. The Beyond bratwurst-style sausage, on the other hand, was quite mild, nearly bland. While it didn’t perfectly replicate a real brat, it also didn’t have the distinct flavor of wheat gluten, soy, or any other common meat substitute. It didn’t scream 'meat,' but it didn’t quite miss the mark either.
Then there was the spicy option. While not as bouncy or fatty as a traditional sausage (of course), the Hot Italian Beyond Sausage came remarkably close. It had just the right amount of heat to be exciting but not overpowering, and it was perfectly salty with a rich, meaty umami that solved the blandness problem of its bratwurst counterpart. In fact, if I were tipsy at a BBQ and someone handed me one of these meatless sausages, I probably wouldn’t question its protein source—though I might mention the grind was a bit too fine.
The winner: Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausage, for its absence of gluten flavor, perfect spice, and rich, savory, meaty taste.
Will these sausages replace my go-to non-vegan grilling favorite, cheese? Probably not, since cheese isn’t vegan. But when it comes to vegan BBQ-friendly options, this spicy sausage comes incredibly close, especially when topped with some grilled onions.
