The popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets is on the rise, and so is the number of plant-based or meatless fast food items available. Big chains from McDonald’s and Burger King to KFC and Taco Bell have launched a whole host of meatless options in recent years – with varying levels of success. From a vegan sausage roll to meatless meatballs, we rank plant-based and vegetarian offerings around the world from best to worst.
Our ranking is based on reviews, accolades and the popularity of each meatless fast food item, taking into account sales, longevity and the reaction to the products when they were released.
Plant-based meats have come a long way, with some being so convincing they make you second-guess whether they’re actually meat. Enter Taco Bell’s Vegan Carne Asada. Launched in October 2022, the dish consists of Beyond Meat pieces, marinated in the same spice mix as the chain's popular steak fillings. They’re then combined with creamy jalapeño sauce and cheese, in either a quesadilla or a soft taco. Reviews have been hugely positive so far, with fans declaring that the similarity to the meat version is uncanny.
Few vegan fast food items have attracted more attention than Greggs’ Vegan Sausage roll, which was famously slammed by British TV personality Piers Morgan on the show Good Morning Britain. The presenter, who had previously raged against the menu item on Twitter, took a bite of the sausage roll on air before pretending to vomit. But Greggs had the last laugh. The product, which was launched for Veganuary 2019, was so successful that it helped the bakery chain achieve £1 billion ($1.3bn) sales for the first time in its 80-year history.
Launched for Veganuary 2023, Chipotle’s Veggie Full Bowl consists of black beans, white rice, grilled fajita vegetables, guacamole and salsa. It’s a simple yet effective flavour combination that's won praise from fans, who are impressed by how filling the dish is, and how many toppings you can get with it. Unless you opt to add sour cream and cheese, this option is completely suitable for vegans.
The Meatball Marinara is one of Subway’s most popular menu items – so, when the sandwich chain launched a Beyond Meat version at 685 US and Canada stores in September 2019, meat-free fans were overjoyed. Consisting of vegan meatballs coated in Subway's signature marinara sauce, the vegetarian option can be made vegan if you skip the cheese and opt for Italian or 9-grain wheat bread. The product has proven pretty popular on the whole, with people praising the rich, flavourful sauce and the realistic texture of the meatballs.
Although it might be better known for its doughnuts, US fast food chain Dunkin' started offering a savoury vegetarian breakfast option in 2019 when it launched the Beyond Sausage Sandwich. The sausage is made from pea, mung bean, rice and sunflower proteins, and comes served with egg and American cheese on an English muffin. It's had pretty good reviews, with one article branding it ‘shockingly close to the real thing’. Sadly, the product was pulled from thousands of locations and is now only available at several hundred restaurants across the Midwest.
Before the arrival of faux meats on Burger King’s menu, vegetarians could order the Spicy Bean Burger. Launched in the UK and Ireland back in 2002, the patty was produced by Morningstar Farms using a recipe created especially for the fast food chain. It was paired with lettuce, tomato and low-fat mayonnaise on a sesame bun. Judging by the fact there’s a petition to revive it, it was a pretty popular option back in the day.
Sandwich spot Pret A Manger has long been a hit with vegetarians and vegans; it offers a variety of plant-based options, and there are even several Veggie Pret stores dedicated to meat-free fare. Among the chain's most successful products is the Meatless Meatball Hot Wrap, which consists of pea protein-based, Swedish-style ‘meatballs’, red tapenade, red onions and chipotle ketchup. It’s a solid and satisfying option, though some reviewers have criticised its high price point at £4.25 ($5.50). It’s available at most UK Pret stores, as well as all of its 42 US branches.
While the global fast food brand has had vegetarian options for years, earlier offerings centred around vegetable-based patties rather than faux meats. So in January 2022, when it finally launched a meat-free dupe of its classic Big Mac, veggies and vegans were pretty excited. Initially rolled out at locations across the UK and Ireland, as well as other markets including Denmark, Sweden and Austria, the burger got its US debut on Valentine’s Day. However, it has had mixed reviews, with many people finding the Beyond Meat patty a little bland.
Those seeking a vegan version of KFC’s ‘Finger-Lickin’ Good’ flavours had their prayers answered in June 2019, when the brand launched its plant-based burger – originally called The Imposter – across the UK and Ireland. In fact, it was so popular that it sold out within four days. The product, which features a Quorn burger, vegan mayonnaise and lettuce in a sesame seed bun, has received mixed reviews. While some enjoy the realistic flavour of the burger, others find it bland and dry.
Canadian vegetarians hankering after a quick breakfast option thanked their lucky stars in 2022, when Tim Hortons rolled out its Harvest Breakfast Sandwich. It wasn’t actually the chain’s first veggie option – in 2019, it began offering Beyond Meat sausages in three menu items, but they were dropped a year later due to a lack of demand. The new offering features an Impossible breakfast sausage with egg and cheese, slotted into an English muffin. Fans are impressed on the whole, saying that the sausages taste just like the real thing.
Wendy’s menu is pretty limited in terms of vegetarian and vegan options, but in 2021 the burger joint launched the Spicy Black Bean Burger. Unlike many of its competitors, Wendy’s avoided using Beyond Meat or Impossible, creating its own patty from grains and vegetables instead. The black bean patty, which is served with lettuce, tomato, onion, crispy jalapeños and Monterey Jack cheese, has won praise for its flavour and spice, although some people think it doesn’t come with enough sauce.
Available at McDonald’s European branches in the 1990s, the Vegetable Deluxe was the first substantial vegetarian option on the fast food chain’s menu. The patty was made from a combination of chickpeas, onion, split peas and potato, with the option to go for an ‘original’ or ‘spicy’ version, while accompaniments included cucumber, lettuce, mayo and sweet chilli sauce. It was pretty popular, but has since been replaced with a new Vegetable Deluxe: red pepper goujons in a burger bun.
A plant-based version of Burger King’s Chicken Royale, this sandwich consists of a chicken-style patty in a toasted sesame bun, garnished with salad and vegan mayonnaise. Unfortunately for Burger King, which debuted the menu item across its UK restaurants in January 2023, the reception has been mixed. Many fast food fans find the sandwich bland, while others have praised the realistic taste of the patty.
US-born fast food behemoth Popeyes might be best known for its fried chicken, but in November 2021 it launched its first ever plant-based product: the Creole Red Bean Sandwich. It includes a red bean patty, covered with the chain’s famous Creole Sauce, topped with lettuce and tomato, and served on a vegan brioche bun. However, US fast food fans will have to wait a little longer to try the burger, as it’s currently only available at select locations in Europe.
Released in October 2019, the plant-based Rebel Whopper comes courtesy of Burger King's Aussie equivalent, Hungry Jack's. The patty is flame-grilled to give a similar flavour to the beef patty, and is made from a mix of legumes and vegetable oils. It’s then served in a sesame bun filled with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and vegan mayonnaise. Reviewers have praised its realistic smoky flavour and texture, but Hungry Jack’s cooking methods have come under fire: the Rebel Whopper is cooked on the same grill as the chain's meat products, meaning it’s not truly vegan, or even vegetarian.
In 2019, Carl’s Jr. rolled out veggie-friendly Beyond Meat patties at more than 1,000 locations across the US. The Beyond Famous Star, which includes a Beyond Patty with pickles, onions and special sauce, has proven pretty popular with veggies and vegans. Some have praised its believable ‘meaty’ texture and rich flavour, though others have claimed that most of the taste comes from the condiments rather than the patty itself.
Another fast food outlet that's partnered with Beyond Meat is Del Taco, which added a new vegan burrito to its menu in 2019. The Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito consisted of ‘beef’ made from pea protein, plus guacamole, beans, lettuce, tomato and red sauce (vegetarians could also add sour cream and cheese). While the burrito didn't scrimp on size, it probably won’t win any awards for flavour, with fast food fans commenting that it was too bean-heavy and that the ‘meat’ was a little chewy. Unfortunately for those wishing to try it, the product was discontinued due to low sales.
US fast food chain White Castle was one of the first to jump on the faux-meat bandwagon, launching the Impossible Slider back in 2018. The sandwich consists of an Impossible burger with grilled onions and cheese (which can be omitted to make it vegan), served on a small white roll. While it scores points for being cheap – at just $1.99 (around £1.55) – the burger falls down on flavour. Reviewers say it's underwhelming, with an uncomfortable springiness and chewiness.
Offering a more filling option than the original, the Double McPlant came with – you guessed it – two Beyond Meat patties instead of one. The super-sized option was launched for Veganuary 2023 at restaurants across the UK and Ireland. However, it proved a bit of a flop, with many reviewers lamenting the lack of extra dairy-free cheese, sauces and salad, leading to a pretty dry and dull burger.
Launched across the US in August 2019, the Impossible Whopper is designed to be a plant-based version of the classic Whopper burger. Yet it hasn’t performed so well in terms of flavour, with many people saying that it's drier and less juicy than a regular Whopper. What’s more, it costs a hefty $1.40 (£1) more than its meaty counterpart.
Before the likes of Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat became big news, a slice of portobello mushroom was seen as an acceptable replacement for a burger. Shake Shack’s Shroom Burger – which has been on the US chain’s menu since well before plant-based diets went mainstream – features a breaded, fried mushroom filled with cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato and Shack Sauce, and sandwiched in a bun. Some reviewers have found the flavour a bit lacking.
Despite the punny name, it would seem from most reviews that Pizza Hut’s Pepperphoni pizza fooled no one. In fact, the vegan offering proved a flop, with those who tried it saying it had a rubbery texture and strange-tasting cheese. The menu item, which consisted of tomato sauce, Violife cheese and pea protein-based pepperoni, was available at Pizza Hut outposts across the UK as part of the chain's 2020 Veganuary offering.
For vegetarians and vegans craving plant-based nuggets, KFC’s launch of Beyond Fried Chicken for Veganuary 2022 was a big deal. But the product, which was rolled out across the US, unfortunately didn’t live up to the hype. Reviewers compared the nuggets' texture to that of a memory foam mattress, describing it as rubbery and dense.
Back in January 2020, before McDonald’s launched the McPlant, it debuted a new vegan menu item at its UK restaurants: Veggie Dippers. Consisting of a mixture of red pepper and sun-dried tomato pesto, coated in breadcrumbs, the dippers haven’t been such a hit, with some people likening the mushy filling to baby food.
Unfortunately, many reviewers haven't found anything particularly delightful about this sandwich, which comes courtesy of fast food chain Subway. The Veggie Delite is essentially a salad sandwich, with a filling of red onion, lettuce, green peppers, tomatoes, spinach, cucumber and (optional) cheese. Reviewers across the board have slated it, calling it ‘dull’, ‘boring’, and even ‘brain-numbingly bad’. In case you did want to try it for yourself, it’s available in most markets, including the US, Canada and UK.
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