We Found the All the Best Vegan Chicken (2024)

The best vegan chicken has come a long way. Once upon a time (way back in the early aughts), it seemed like your only option were those mushy MorningStar patties that didn’t taste bad, but certainly didn’t resemble chicken. If you don’t eat meat, or you’re like me and you try to eat as little meat as possible, there are a lot of good veggie chicken options now—and, I’m telling you, they actually taste like chicken and (sorry, vegetarians, for being visceral here) they pull apart like chicken.

We’d previously ranked the best vegan chicken nuggets and the best vegan Buffalo wings (you’ll find the top performers in those categories on this list), but we recently returned to the tasting table to find the best vegan grilled chicken. Making vegan fajitas? Or maybe a vegan chicken pasta dish? You need the best vegan chicken. And we found it. All the best veggie chicken in one place. You’re welcome, fellow fake meat freaks!

Best Vegan Chicken Nuggets Runner-Up

Beyond Chicken Nuggets

Walmart

When we set out to find the best vegan chicken nuggets, it was a fight to the finish between Beyond and Impossible. Both are great, but these Beyond Chicken Nuggets are the way to go if you’re in the mood for fake meat that tastes like fake meat rather than real chicken. As my colleague Jordan Myrick pointed out, sometimes fake meat that’s too realistic can be a turn-off for people who don’t eat meat. If you want your fried soy protein to taste like fried soy protein, Beyond is the best vegan chicken for you.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Vegan Chicken Nuggets

Impossible Chicken Nuggets

Ralphs

See Also

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Impossible Chicken Nuggets are the vegan chicken nuggets to end all vegan chicken nuggets. They’re flavorful, they’re juicy, and they’re genuinely chicken-y. Like, dark meat chicken-y. It’s really impressive, but it’s what we’ve come to expect from Impossible. They helped change the veggie burger game, and they’ve done the same with vegan chicken, too. If you’re looking for a fun vegan snack for you or something to feed your vegetarian niece and nephew, this is the best vegan chicken to buy.

Credit: Merc / Ralphs

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Vegan Buffalo Wings

Daring Vegan Buffalo Wings

Vons

We recently updated our ranking of the best vegan Buffalo wings, and Daring decisively knocked our previous #1 out of the top spot. These suckers are hearty and come doused in a tangy, delicious Buffalo sauce, but what really blew us away was the texture. Daring’s wings pull apart like real chicken. And, spoiler, you’re about to see a lot of Daring on this list of the best vegan chicken…

Credit: Merc / Vons

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Pre-Seasoned

Daring Cajun Plant Chicken Pieces

Walmart

See Also

I tried fried-chicken recipes from Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, and Alton Brown, and the best called for pickle juice and hot sauce

We tried a couple of Daring’s pre-seasoned vegan chicken varieties, and I will be honest that my thought prior to tasting them was, “Why can’t you just season your own vegan chicken?” Well, these Cajun seasoned veggie chicken morsels made me eat my words. The flavor reminds me of good hot chicken—the kind of hot chicken that comes doused in hot pepper oil rather than a bunch of sauce. The seasoning really gets in there. It’s so savory and super peppery. And there’s a modest kick of heat. In terms of the quality of the “meat,” these chicken pieces are just as good as the original Daring chicken pieces (which you’ll find in the #1 spot), but they’re somewhat less useful since they come pre-seasoned. I took that into account. But if you’re making a vegan Cajun chicken pasta? This is the stuff to buy.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best for a Salad

Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Chick’n Strips

Ralphs

I love Gardein meat. Their breaded vegan “turkey” cutlets are one of my weeknight dinner staples. And, really, Gardein’s fake meat formula has only gotten more delicious as they’ve expanded their offerings. These Ultimate plant-based chicken strips were new info for me; they taste just like the Gardein meat you know and love, but slightly firmer and even better tasting. Gardein’s fake chicken has some pull-apart, but it’s also softer and less tough than some other varieties. This fake chicken (which is totally vegan) comes in convenient little strips that look a lot like real chicken. This is the best vegan chicken to toss onto a salad or to use to make fajitas. The strips don’t come pre-seasoned, so they do need some seasoning. But their blank slate nature is kind of great. They stay moist too; other vegan chicken we tried got pretty dry in the pan.

Credit: Merc / Ralphs

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Daring Original Plant Chicken Pieces

Walmart

I really don’t know how Daring did it. They took soy protein and made it more chicken-y than any brand has been able to manage in the entire history of vegan meat. It’s insane. These chicken pieces pull apart exactly like chicken. It’s like magic. We thought maybe they were made with jackfruit because of the texture, but nope! Daring made a soy protein chicken substitute that is just totally incredible. It’s also very nice and savory. And so, so moist. The plain Daring chicken lands in the top spot because you can season it however you want according to the dish you’re making—or not! Honestly, if you don’t season it, it will still taste great. If you don’t eat meat, buy this vegan grilled chicken, asap.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: 365 Plant Based Chicken Style Bits Garlic & Herb, Morning Star Farms Veggie Chik’n Strips