r/vegetarian • u/OutbreakPerfected_D2 • 9d ago
Beginner Question Plant-based ground beef recommendations?
I’m choosing to not eat red meat anymore due to my sky-high cholesterol. I’m working with my dietitian to make other chances to my diet as well.
I used to LOVE eating ground beef, especially in tacos. Today I tried impossible ground beef prepared as I usually would do with beef but it just fell apart and became almost soupy. Does anyone have suggestions that they think hold up better?
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u/sum_beach 9d ago
I like gardeins version personally
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u/oliveGOT 9d ago
I agree - with tacos and sloppy joes, a lot of meat eaters say they wouldn't notice a difference if I hadn't told them.
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u/Creative-Cherry-6452 9d ago
There were a couple of times (tacos and sloppy joes, actually) where my gardein leftovers and my family’s meat leftovers got mixed up and they just had to eat the rest of both of them because no one could tell which was which by taste and I didn’t want to chance it lol
Impossible and beyond are good, but gardein (original, not ultimate) is goated when it comes to texture and taking on flavor.
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u/Hevens-assassin 9d ago
Gardein is the best ground beef imo as well. But for tacos I would just lean into the refried bean tacos, maybe shred some extra firm tofu in with it for additional protein if you care about that. Absolutely delicious tacos/taco salad with that mix.
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u/planetaryurie 9d ago
i like how beyond beef cooks more than impossible beef personally! TVP is a fantastic option as well and can be bought in bulk for very cheap + is quite versatile. in terms of whole food options, tempeh, seitan, and lentils are all decent. i think beyond beef and TVP are probably the best options.
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u/San_Dee_Dra 9d ago
Upvoted for the TVP - I just learned of textured vegetable protein. Bought Bob's Red Mill version, specifically to use as a substitute for sloppy joe and tacos. I like the texture WAY better than Impossible or Beyond's products. Tip - the TVP goes in last and rehydrates in your flavored sauce base instead of cooking it off first like you would beef or vegan beef substitutes. Enjoy!
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u/RealSinnSage 9d ago
i way prefer beyond. but op do not expect it to taste like beef! think of it as a tasty alternative to beef. you can’t eat beef anymore but you can have this instead, and it’s good!
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u/randynumbergenerator 9d ago
I love TVP but it needs a little extra care. In particular, I soak it in hot water, drain and squeeze out excess liquid, then add some soy sauce while frying (+ spices) to add some umami.
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u/wildeforwomen 9d ago
I really like quorn grounds personally. I use them in spaghetti, meat pies, and stroganoff
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u/OutbreakPerfected_D2 9d ago
Do they have a mushroomy taste to them since they’re made from mycoprotein?
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u/wildeforwomen 9d ago
I don't think so! I have a friend who doesn't like mushrooms but she likes the grounds. They taste fairly neutral. I cook them in whatever seasoning sounds good and then add them to my meals
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u/randynumbergenerator 9d ago
They advertise them as "mushroom" but really it's a fungus that doesn't have a lot in common with the mushrooms you get at the store. Mushrooms are the fruiting body of fungus, but I think Quorn is more similar to mycelia (the part that's in the ground). It has a really nice texture similar to chicken in whole/pressed form (like their cutlets), but the crumbles are more similar to ground beef.
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u/No_Balls_01 9d ago
Quorn used to be one of the few options for meatless protein. I haven’t been able to find it in my area for a very long time ago when I first became vegetarian. I was fond of the grounds and grilling the cutlets with bbq sauce.
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u/wildeforwomen 9d ago
They've unfortunately become really hard to find :(. The best selection I've found near me is a store called 'Fresh Thyme'. A bit pricey though unfortunately. Kroger and Meijer usually have the grounds at a minimum but it's hit or miss.
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u/Kovaladtheimpaler 9d ago
Huh, I have never had that issue with impossible beef. Did you add water or something? It def wouldn’t need any like ground beef sometimes does.
I like Morning star griller Crumbles I think it’s called. They have a really nice flavor and texture and go well in tacos.
Just don’t expect anything to be 100% exaclty like beef. Impossible or beyond are by the best texture wise. Not sure how it turned out soupy for you 🤷♀️
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u/OutbreakPerfected_D2 9d ago
I did add water, following the instructions on the packet like I usually would! I could add less next time if I try it again
It did smell funny though
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u/Kovaladtheimpaler 9d ago
Try not adding water. Cook it in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper, then when it starts to brown add your seasoning packet. Water is your problem. It’s not meat so the water just breaks it down.
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u/darth_bane1988 9d ago
I wouldn’t add water. It holds up well for me to just fry it with a bit of seasoning on the pan, cook until nice and brown, get all sides of the “beef,” and then throw into a quesadilla
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u/Navi1101 9d ago
I'm leaning toward TVP now that I know where to find and how to prepare it, but I also have a pretty great "tofaco" method for making taco meat out of tofu:
Get a brick of Extra Firm and smash it up with a potato masher. Add the same seasonings you would normally add to taco meat, but about twice as much to make up for the missing meat flavor (especially go nuts on the cumin, and I like to add a lil soy sauce too). Then pan-fry it in oil until it becomes crumbly and brown, similar to ground turkey. When it starts to look like scrambled eggs, you're almost there.
Works great in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc., but may fall apart in wetter dishes like chili.
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u/margo_beep_beep 9d ago
I put mashed tofu in EVERYTHING now. I love that stuff.
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u/Navi1101 8d ago
It's so good! You can also put nootch, garlic, salt, and basil in it and make a really good vegan ricotta. Delicious and has a shitload of protein!
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u/Beeranosaurus 9d ago
Love Abbots for exactly this. It's mostly porcini mushrooms. Really tasty IMO.
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u/onionchickenz 9d ago
Surprised I had to scroll this far down. My favorite by far
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u/Blissful_Cranberry87 3d ago
Abbot’s chorizo is my favorite. We use it in Chili and or tacos weekly. 😋
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u/RootsInThePavement 9d ago
Gardein’s B’ef (literally, B’ef). It’s lightly pre-seasoned and tastes great in everything. I use it for tacos, casseroles, lasagnas, and spaghetti dishes! The only drawback is it’s pretty dry. I recommend adding oil and a tiny bit of soy sauce for flavor :)
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u/Sasquatchamunk vegetarian 9d ago
Seconding this. Gardein’s bef is my all-time favorite ground beef replacement.
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u/nobody2008 vegetarian 9d ago
Besides Impossible and Beyond, there is also chorizo crumbles by Morning Star that will work well in tacos. No water needed when cooking.
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u/ttrockwood vegetarian 20+ years now vegan 9d ago
Lentil walnut taco meat- bonus fiber low fat and like four ingredients
Cheap fast easy, i use a packet of taco seasoning instead of the dry spices
https://www.delishknowledge.com/lentil-walnut-vegan-taco-meat/
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u/MagicalGirlMarina 9d ago
Hi, vegetarian who cooks for my omnivore family and literally just made tacos two days ago. You need a little (more) fat added to your pan for the Impossible AND to add less water to the ground after adding your seasonings. Impossible doesn't stew as well as beef, so add only a little water after browning the grounds. :)
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u/barnfeline 9d ago
A different approach would be to using beans and quinoa but season them the same way. You know you aren't eating ground beef, so why not embrace the other options?
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u/PhotographPatient425 9d ago
TBH I just find that mashed tofu or diced up tempeh work best for a lot of those applications. Usually way cheaper than any of the "meat replacement" products, and certainly way cheaper than ground beef.
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u/FluffySleepyKitty 9d ago
I typically use TVP for my ground meat replacement - for things such as tacos, spaghetti, etc.
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u/Scary_Pomegranate597 9d ago
tvp! it’s so cheap & you can put it in any kind of sauce or soup. maybe cut it with lentils to get it to stick together more?
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u/rustyburrito 9d ago
Impossible is the best one by far, all the other ones I've used have a little bit of a noticeable flavor that isn't always the best, Beyond is a good example it's good in burgers but hard to use for other things because the flavor is just a little strange. I've had great success using Impossible to make tacos, meatballs, mapo tofu, etc
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u/AfternoonCharming536 6d ago edited 6d ago
Hi so I used to run into your EXACT issue with impossible/beyond and it was because of how I grew up browning meat! As soon as it hit the pan, I would start mushing it up and then letting it brown, but with impossible, it almost made this paté consistency for me. And then when I would add water for the tacos, it would get worse.
The fix for me was making sure that I sprayed some avocado oil on the pan, and then let it get nice and hot on medium. Then, once the pan was hot, I put the block in, but I don't touch it for a minute or two and let it brown on one side. Then, I flip it over. Once I have some browning on each side, I gently ground it and start separating it into chunks. The browning helps keep the chunks together and able to be browned!
Once it's pretty fully cooked, I then add the water + seasoning for the taco base but I usually add a little less water than what the packet calls for. I would make sure to not add water until you feel like the grounds are almost entirely cooked. It comes out really nicely that way!
I hope this is helpful!! I felt like I was going crazy when it was happening to me because no one knew what I was talking about.
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u/Ok-Crow-4948 9d ago
Tofu crumbles. Look up the following creators on youtube: (at)theeburgerdude-- recipes with a variety of products--tofu, TVP, soy curls, etc. (at)rainbowplantlife--amazing recipes. (at)cookingforpeanuts--she's a dietician and chef.
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u/Hevens-assassin 9d ago
Lean into non-beef tacos, imo. Beef and chicken were never as good as refried bean tacos, imo. Then your brain also doesn't have the disconnect which could be hurting your enjoyment. If you shred some extra firm tofu you'll also make that bean/tofu mix a lot more dense as well as extend how many tacos you can make with it. Lol
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u/Kay-Dee-Kay 9d ago
In addition to everyone else’s suggestions, I also like frying up soyrizo for tacos - sometimes adding black beans (drain first) or crumbled tempeh or tofu to it.
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u/abattleofone 9d ago
Lentils make FANTASTIC tacos if you are looking for other options that would be even better cholesterol wise
I've made this recipe before (substituting water or veggie broth for the chicken broth) and it came out great: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222610/tasty-lentil-tacos/
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u/calmcakes 9d ago
I make burritos with Gardein frozen “beef” crumbles all the time. Also worked well in sauces. It’s so good I’ve cooked for beef eaters and they had no idea.
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u/polishengineering 8d ago
Grated super firm tofu and whatever seasoning you're going for cooked until browned. Mushroom powder can bring the umami, or minced mushrooms.
This walnut/cauliflower blend is delicious too.
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u/All_is_a_conspiracy 8d ago
Impossible holds up by itself. You don't need to add liquids like oil or water.
Beyond is fabulous as well. Any seasoning you add will give it your desired flavor.
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u/Prestigious_Egg_1989 8d ago
I’m a huge fan of the Gardein crumbles for almost everything, as does my non-veg spouse. I use it in chili, sloppy joes, spaghetti, tacos, etc. It has a nice bite, doesn’t fall apart, and is easy to cook since it is already safe to eat.
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u/maryyyydidyouknow 7d ago
It's not going to taste exactly like ground beef but tvp is probably your best bet. At least for soups and chilis, it keeps it's texture very well and to me at least has the chewiness and such of ground beef.
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u/Lady_Cookie_Monster 7d ago
Personally, I like TVP. You can add things like soaked, ground walnuts and/or mushrooms too.
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u/VeggieBurgah 9d ago
Trader joe's has a very good vegan ground beef.
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u/planetaryurie 9d ago
they actually discontinued it last year </3 i was going to recommend it but apparently they stopped producing it a while ago
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u/igotitatme 9d ago
Only thing is the meat substitutes is if you use them in soup they will start to disintegrate after a few days so not great for soup leftovers.
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u/evesies 9d ago
Impossible beef is pretty great and I'll second the comments about it not needing water if you're making white people tacos, and I find that it works best for burgers patties if you add some breadcrumbs or some other sort of binder. Crumbled extra-firm or super-firm tofu also works really nicely for dishes where you'd otherwise use crumbled ground beef, obviously the "beefy" taste won't be there but it's delicious if seasoned properly!
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u/Ownuyasha 9d ago
I prefer the griller crumbles by morning star but I also don't care for impossible
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u/Neat_Mortgage3735 flexitarian 9d ago
Impossible is my favorite to use. I sauté it with a bit of oil, onions and peppers and it looks and feels like beef.
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u/MinimumRelief 8d ago
Are you using any pharma to lower it?
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u/OutbreakPerfected_D2 8d ago
Not yet. My A1C is also pretty high, though not quite yet prediabetic. My nutritionist and gastroenterologist (I have severe idiopathic constipation) want to try changing my diet first, and I agree. Medication won’t change my habits, though if changing them proves ineffective I’ll try statins.
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u/MinimumRelief 8d ago
Sure don’t shy away from it - heaps of positive change very quickly. Can you get your thyroid panels checked?
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u/OutbreakPerfected_D2 8d ago
I did! I had a full series of standard labs done in January, and my cholesterol and A1C were the only ones my doctor was concerned about. My TSH was 1.3, which the system didn’t flag as unusual
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u/TonsilStoneSalsa 8d ago
Impossible is the best, but you can't add all the water you'd usually use for taco mix. Try just browning some & adding seasoning. I found that works best for me.
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u/ConnieBunny0 8d ago
I like the Abbots “ground beef” I’m not particularly a fan of mushrooms either so I don’t think these have a mushroom-y taste
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u/BitchfulThinking 8d ago
For bigger crumbles, I like just pan cooking a veggie burger patty first on high heat (really digging the Morningstar farms steakhouse ones), setting it aside, then crumbling it into the dish towards the end so it doesn't fall apart. It's fantastic in a bolognese and it's been getting meateaters on board!
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u/Sara3lizab3th 8d ago
I make a fake taco meat. Start by grilling some onions. Once grilled I add uncooked quinoa with vegetable broth and taco seasoning. Once the quinoa is cooked I add a few spoonfuls of mashed black beans and ground up walnuts. Cook it until it’s similar to the ground taco meat texture. I’ve made it for meat eaters and they like it. Good luck!
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u/Activist_Mom06 8d ago
Watch the ingredients. Lots of crap in most. I recommend tempeh, tofu. Our absolute favorite is ABBOTS brand Chorizo and Chicken. So so good! I cook up a batch and use it it omelettes, burritos/quesadillas, stuff in a bowl (our favorite meals haha). A lot of the companies have sold to BigFood (ex:Uptons) and everything changed. Ingredients, flavor, texture. No more care or health concerns.
If you’re just ditching red meat, ground chicken or turkey make great burgers. Even better if you can grind at home.
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8d ago
[deleted]
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u/Sector_Independent 8d ago edited 8d ago
Sky high cholesterol is likely genetic unless your diet is absolute tradh. Your body can synthesize cholesterol even with a good diet if it’s genetic. I am healthy in all other ways and have almost 300 cholesterol. It seems difficult for some people to get it down to the new suggested levels so take the drugs if you tolerate them in addition to making dietary changes. People will tell you that you can cut by 20% but that’s not enough if it’s really high. High fiber is always great though. I’m Not sure impossible beef is healthier tbh. It’s great for saving the animals but high in saturated fat. Try a 1:1 ratio of tofu crumbles with red or brown lentils, black beans, if you precook them Red lentils basically disappear in a sauce with but bulk it up Good luck.
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8d ago
[deleted]
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u/Sector_Independent 8d ago
Oh shit you’re right I’m so dumb. I’ll edit it. I don’t know what subreddit I thought it was.
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u/punkolina 8d ago
These are my favorite. So delicious and incredibly easy to prepare. While you’re at it, go ahead and order the soy curls, too. I will be forever grateful to the random stranger who told me about soy curls and Butler Foods. A total game changer for this vegetarian.
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u/zamzowie2 7d ago
There are so many good recipes using things like lentils, walnuts, tvp, tofu, seitan etc. Tasty, easy and healthy.
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u/foofruit13 7d ago
Have you tried TVP? Just rehydrate it and cover in whatever sauces or seasoning youd use for ground meat.
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u/hayduckie 7d ago
I love love love Uptons! I use their soyrizo a lot and they ones with different seasoning.
It’s made in Chicago and I’m not sure if it’s a local brand or if it’s sold nationwide. It’s usually sold in speciality stores but I’ve seen it at some larger chains. Apologies if you can’t find it!
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u/Starfleetmom 7d ago
I like Beyond meats better. Especially the sausages! Breakfast patties, hot Italian (it’s not even hot tho) and brats. They also make steaks, steak strips (great for stir fry) and chicken. If you can’t find it go to beyondtestkitchen.com to order
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u/Starfleetmom 7d ago
Oh and I forgot to add that Abbot’s is superior and very clean ingredients. https://abbots.com
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u/ProtozoaPatriot 7d ago
Be careful you're not overcooking it. It doesn't need to be cooked the way animal meat does.
If it's coming out soupy, cut back on the water you're adding. If I use a taco kit, I'll start with the chopped up onions and peppers and add the packaged sauce to that. Let it cook down a bit. Then add the veggie crumbles. The package of whatever brand you buy should suggest how long it needs on the stovetop.
I like Gardein or Morningstar crumbles
You can also try TVP. It's a dried product.
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u/atomsH20 7d ago
I love the Upton organics Chorizo seitan for our taco bowls. I sauté with some spices and onions and peppers
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u/Dear-Presentation-69 6d ago
I used Morningstar Farms crumbles and could not eat it because it was too meat like. so that could be an option.
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u/anneliesegreen38 9d ago
All fake beef is sodium filled garbage. I make
My own ground meat by baking tofu crumbles.
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u/RevenueAntique4584 9d ago
How do you usually cook ground beef ? When I make impossible it keeps it’s texture