The Best Vegan Chicken Nuggets Give the Drive-Thru a Run for Its Money

The best vegan chicken nuggets make you completely forget that non-vegan chicken nuggets exist. In my opnion, plant based chicken nuggets are one of the best dupes for real meat out there. Food scientists have figured it out and now many meatless nuggets taste like the real deal. We go through so many vegan chicken nuggets in my house. We can’t seem to buy enough of them. Since I keep a predominantly plant-based diet and my girlfriend can’t cook at all (sorry, Kendahl), frozen plant based chicken nuggets are perfect to have on hand for a quick and easy meal.

We tried pretty much all the vegan chicken nuggets currently on the market to find out which are ideal for crushing your fast food cravings and. which ones taste like tofu gone wrong. We were looking for vegan chicken nuggets that are juicy on the inside,crunchy on the outside, and have a savory flavor. The best vegan chicken nuggets knocked it out of the park.


plant based chicken nuggets

Best Natural

Jack & Annie’s Crispy Jackfruit Nuggets

Jack & Annie’s Jackfruit Nuggets taste like delicious, processed chicken nuggets, which is shocking because they have very few ingredients. We haven’t been into some of their other products, so we were pleasantly surprised by these tasty nuggs. They’re flavorful and crunchy. Like fast food nuggets, they are a little bit bland, but in a good way! They aren’t punching you in the face with flavor and would make a great vehicle for dipping in our best BBQ sauce or best ranch dressing. If you’re someone that’s more into the sauce than the nugget itself (me), these are the best plant based chicken nuggets for you.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

plant based chicken nuggets

Best Budget

365 Frozen Chicken-Style Plant-Based Nuggets

365 (Whole Foods’ house brand) is super affordable compared to everything else sold in their store and certainly worth checking out. If you want vegan chicken nuggets without paying the typically high plant based price tag, toss these into your shopping cart. They cook up quickly in the air fryer and have a great crunchy texture. The breading is seasoned but doesn’t overpower the taste of the chickenless chicken. Now all you need to do is pair it with the best ketchup!

Credit: Merc / Whole Foods

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

plant based chicken nuggets

Best for Kids

Yummy Meatless Plant-Based Dino Buddies

The nostalgia factor is off the charts with these Yummy Meatless Dino Nuggets. As someone who grew up not eating meat, I was always jealous when other kids got dino chicken nuggets. They looked so good! Imagine my delight when I found out that they now make a meat-free version of the crunchy creatures I coveted in my youth. I still keep a mostly plant based diet at home, so I will definitely be adding these into my vegan junk food rotation. They taste exactly like the regular dino nuggets.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

best vegan chicken nuggets

Best Runner Up

Beyond Chicken Nuggets

Beyond Chicken Nuggets are a close second to our #1 best vegan chicken nuggets. They are the best plant based chicken nuggets that taste like plant based chicken nuggets. While Impossible nuggets taste exactly like real meat, these Beyond nuggets taste like the best version of a meatless product. I know for some vegans, products that are too meat-like can be off putting. These are perfect if you want a juicy, well-seasoned meatless nuggets that still taste meatless.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

vegan chicken nuggets

Best of the Best

Impossible Chicken Nuggets

It is wild how good and chickeny Impossible Nuggets are. The texture and flavor are so incredible, and we all agreed that these felt the closest to a real chicken nugget. They’re the only plant-based chicken product I’ve ever tasted that has the flavor and juiciness of actual dark meat chicken. And now you can get them for cheap at Trader Joe’s? This is huge for all of us!

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried: Like Meat, Alpha Foods, Alpha Foods Spicy, Tyson Plant Based, Tyson Spicy Plant Based, Gardein, Simulate, Simulate Spicy


About the Author

Jordan Myrick

Jordan is an L.A.-based writer and comedian who believes all food should come with extra sauce. When they're not writing for Sporked, Jordan is at the movies or sharing an order of french fries with their elderly chihuahua.

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  • The Target brand vegetarian chicken nuggets are shockingly good. Not nearly as good as impossible, but way better than a lot of other options, definitely worth a try!

    Reply
  • Morningstar farms buffalo chicken “wings” have been my favorite for years. Also, the Beyond Chicken Tenders are delicious 🤤

    Reply
  • The Impossible Wild Nuggies are better than the original, something about them being in the shape of endangered species makes all the difference. Maybe the angles provide more crispy surface area. The flavor is amazing, slightly reminiscent of chicken noodle soup in a really good way.

    Reply
  • My kids love these Dino nuggets. I love this so much. Thank you!

    Reply
  • Missing my personal fave Quorn Chicken nuggets, and also would like to know how good Nuggs are, always see them in East Coast, but have never tried.

    Reply
    • Hi Surry! Quorn nuggets are vegetarian and not vegan so that’s why they aren’t on the list. But I agree, they are good! We tried Nuggs and they did not make the list.

      Reply
    • I agree the quorn nuggets are real good,

      Reply
  • I am very excited to see that plant based dino nuggets exist! I’ve been making my own out of tofu, panko, and cookie cutters. I’m definitely going to try these.

    Reply
  • I do like the morning star ones but that’s just my opinion

    Reply
    • i completely agree.

      Reply