The best plant-based meatballs are juicy and flavorful, and that’s because the best meatballs are juicy and flavorful. In our efforts to find the best plant based meatballs, we wanted something that replicated everything we know and love about regular meatballs.
We gathered as many plant-based meatballs as we could find to put together an ultimate vegan meatball taste test. After veggie burgers, vegetarian meatballs have the widest range of variety when it comes to taste, texture, and price points.
Below are the plant-based meatballs we think could impress even the toughest critics (aka Italian grandmas). Buon appetito!
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Best of the Best
Beyond Plant-Based Italian Style MeatballsWalmartThere was much debate about which plant-based meatball was the best version of a vegan meatball. In the end, these Beyond meatballs reigned supreme. Multiple members of the Sporked team agreed that they would think these were made with real meat if they didn’t know otherwise. These look and taste like meat. There’s a nice bouncy texture. They’re lightly seasoned and have a strong savory, meaty umami-ness. I would definitely buy these for my future spaghetti dinners.
Credit: Merc / Target
10/10
Sporks
Best Seasoning
Impossible Homestyle MeatballsTargetI absolutely love the flavor of these Impossible plant-based meatballs. They are so filled with seasoning, including a rich oniony flavor that reminds me of a White Castle burger patty. I know that sounds weird, but it’s a good thing! Trust me! Their texture is so close to real meat, it might gross out a vegan. To me, they have the perfect mouthfeel. These were my personal number one and I have already bought them again for my own personal use since this taste test.
Credit: Merc / Target
10/10
Sporks
Most Unique
Hungry Planet PorkThai MeatballsWalmartWhen I think of plant-based meatballs, I think of Italian-style meatballs you’d serve with pasta and tomato sauce. But meatballs are popular all over the world, so why shouldn’t plant-based meatballs represent that? These Hungry Planet Thai Sausage Meatballs are the perfect pork-themed vegan meatball. They are gingery and fresh. They’re super juicy. I would be thrilled to have a banh mi stuffed with these, or enjoy them as a vegetarian version of lion’s head meatballs.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
9.5/10
Sporks
Best Budget
Earth Grown Vegan Classic Meatless MeatballsAldiAldi makes delicious and affordable plant-based meatballs. Their Earth Grown Vegan Classic Meatless Meatballs are very plant-y in a good way. By that, I mean you can tell they aren’t made of meat. That doesn’t matter, though! They’re delicious. They’re super savory and salty. They’re so tender. I would recommend these for vegans who don’t want a meatball. These are plantballs, and delicious plantballs at that! If you’re shopping at Aldi, throw these in your cart.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
9/10
Sporks
Best Italian
Gardein Plant-Based MeatballsWalmartI was pleasantly surprised by these Gardein Plant-Based Meatballs. They feel very intentionally seasoned. By that, I mean they don’t just taste like “meat” or “savory.” They taste like fennel seed and black pepper. They taste like real meatballs an Italian grandmother would make. They’re not quite as moist as some of the other vegan meatballs we tried, so I would load these up on a hoagie roll with tons of marinara and provolone cheese.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Classic
MorningStar Farms Veggie MeatballsRalph’sI heated these up in the microwave for our taste test and they came out crispy after cooking for about a minute. It is so rare to find a product that can actually get crispy in the microwave. I was thrilled these did. On top of a nice exterior crust, they have a wonderful meaty texture. The flavor is umami-forward and mushroomy. MorningStar Farms products are always on sale at Target, so grab a bag of these the next time you’re grocery shopping.
Credit: Merc / Morningstar Farms
8/10
Sporks
Other Products We Tried: Earth Grown Italian Meatless Meatballs, IKEA Plant Based Balls, FarmRich Garden Inspirations Plant Based Meatballs
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