Vegetarian and vegan food has come a long way. Now more than ever, the market has plenty of options for those who live a meatless lifestyle. With so many new products available, we decided to explore some of the best plant-based meats for homemade pizza, and here are our picks.
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What is Plant-Based Meat?
Plant-based meats are alternative meats made from plants. Some types of plant-based meats mimic the mouthfeel of real meat, and some mimic the texture and shape. Some plant-based burgers even bleed a little to recreate that meatiness like a burger fresh from the grill.
Plant-based meats vary in style and ingredients. Some lean heavily on soy and filler, while others feature grains and legumes more prominently. The taste and quality of plant-based meats vary from brand to brand.
Why Eat Plant-Based Meat?
There are a lot of reasons for being plant-based. Some people go meatless for ethical reasons, and their love of animals beats greasy bacon. Others skip the steak for health reasons, either on their own or doctor-ordered. And others choose a meatless lifestyle to reduce their carbon footprint.
There is also a Meatless Monday movement that encourages people to be meatless at least one day a week. We deeply respect everyone’s personal dietary choices, and while we love our salami and pepperoni, we are open-minded enough to try new things.
So we taste-tested some plant-based meats to see which were the best. We compiled this list of some of the best plant-based meats for homemade pizza.
13 Best Plant-Based Meats for Homemade Pizza
Renegade Foods Artisan Vegan Salami Trio Sampler Pack
What’s better than one vegan salami? Three vegan salamis. This vegan salami comes in Smoky Soppressata, Sweet Toscana, and Spicy Chorizo. It is so good. To be honest, we were pleasantly surprised by this.
It has a fantastic flavor, slices well, holds its shape, and holds its own on a pizza. We loved the spicy chorizo. You will love this vegan salami on homemade pizza or a vegan charcuterie board.
Field Roast Plant Based Pepperoni
Pepperoni is the number one favorite pizza topping, so we were so happy to see a vegan version for meatless pizza lovers everywhere. It is the right color, shape and has a chewy texture with a hint of smoky spice. It is an excellent plant-based pepperoni.
Asante Plant-Based Pastor
We were surprised that a vegan al pastor is this good. Mexican al pastor is pork shoulder roasted on a vertical spit. It is similar to Greek gyros and Lebanese shawarma. This vegan al pastor gets the flavor and texture right. The al pastor marinade is a mix of achiote paste and other herbs and spices.
In Mexico, tacos al pastor are served with pineapple. If you love the smoky-sweet mix, try making Mexican Hawaiian pizza with this amazing plant-based al pastor.
JADA Porkless Meat Mix
This plant-based pork-less meat mix is perfect for making plant-based Italian sausage. It’s simple; just add water and mix. You can add Italian sausage seasoning and create a really amazing pizza.
Kitchen and Love, Jackfruit
We have heard about jackfruit as a plant-based meat but finally got a chance to try it, and we can definitely see what the hype is about. It is similar in texture to pulled pork. The mix comes lightly seasoned, but we added more spice with some barbecue sauce and created a delicious pizza with pulled jackfruit and a tangy vinegar-based coleslaw.
Unreal Deli Plant-Based Steak Deli Slices
To be honest, we weren’t exactly sure about these plant-based meat slices, but we are happy to say that they were better than we imagined. The texture and flavor are spot on. This is one of the plant-based meats for homemade pizza that has the right flavor and texture for pizza. We suggest a steak pizza with blue cheese and arugula.
Beyond Meat Beyond Sausage Plant-Based Sausage Links
We have tried Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches and liked the taste and texture. These sausage links are similar to the breakfast sausage and are excellent on pizza.
We cut thin slices and added them to pizza with caramelized onions, crunchy green peppers, and umami-rich mushrooms. It was a plant-based Supreme pizza that really hit the spot.
Good Food Choice Plant Based Meatballs in Sauce
We can’t say enough good things about these pea protein plant-based meatballs. Not only are they tasty, but they come in marinara sauce. So you can use the marinara sauce on the pizza and add the meatballs and your favorite cheese or non-dairy cheese for an excellent plant-based meatball pizza.
We liked these so much that we tried them on meatballs sub, and they were just as good on a sandwich as a pizza.
Tofurky, Deli Slices, Hickory Smoked
Tofurky is a plant-based meat that is similar to turkey. We tried the Hickory smoked flavor, and it was good, although a little salty. Mostly the smoky hickory taste was good and paired well on a pizza with fresh cherry tomatoes, artichokes, and blue cheese.
We cut the slices into thin strips that were perfect and blended nicely with the other flavors. We have yet to try these slices in a sandwich, so the jury is still out. But on pizza, these plant-based deli slices were great.
feefi Plant Based Protein Organic Strips
These plant-based meat strips come in chicken or beef flavors. You just add boiling water or broth to hydrate and then cook however you want to use them. We opted for the chicken and made a Thai chicken pizza for our favorite vegetarian friend.
We are happy to report that she loved them, and we did too. To be honest, mixed with sprouts, peanuts, cilantro, and bean sprouts, we didn’t even notice the difference.
The chicken texture was great, and the flavor blended in perfectly. Next time we want to try them on a barbecue chicken pizza and see how they hold up.
Gardein Gluten-Free Ultimate Plant-Based Ground Crumbles
Plant-based ground beef never tasted better. This vegan ground beef is made with soy protein, so it reminded us of the texture and consistency of TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein). You just add water and cook for 7-10 minutes, and then you can use it just like ground beef.
We made a taco pizza with jalapeños, fresh tomatoes, and sweet corn, and it was a hit. Everybody that tried it loved it, and when we told them it was a plant-based beef crumble, they were surprised.
We might add this to our Meatless Mondays because it would be great in tacos, Sloppy Joes, or the quintessential Minnesota tater tot casserole.
Cajú Love Vegan Cashew Fruit Meat
We are familiar with using walnuts as ground meat, and we have tried silky cashew cheese, but we didn’t know that cashew meat was a thing. Plant-based meat crumbles made with cashews are an excellent alternative to meat in texture.
These crumbles come unseasoned, so you can season them to fit whatever dish you are making. We added some fresh herbs and made it into a paste to make a plant-based Turkish pizza.
Lahmacun (Turkish pizza) usually has ground lamb and spice paste, so we tried that same method and served it with fresh lemon wedges. It was really good. Since it is unseasoned, getting the spices right is key.
Good Catch Plant Based Fish Free Tuna
Ok, we know fish is not meat. But since we love adding fresh fish to pizza, we thought we would try this fish-free tuna. It is a plant-based fish, and it is surprisingly good. We added it to a white pizza with a garlic sauce base, briny capers, and red pepper flakes, and we are pleased to say it tasted amazing.
Have you tried any of these plant-based meats for homemade pizza? Which is your favorite?
