The world of plant-based proteins seems to be expanding every week, but even in a crowded field, Beyond and Impossible dominate the faux-beef category. It all started with ground “meat,” but Beyond jumped into the fake steak game in 2022, and earlier this month Impossible rolled out its Steak Bites.
Throwdown initiated. Plenty curious how the newcomer un-beef tips stack up, we fired up the skillet for a taste test. We seared and ate Impossible straight, then tossed it into a broccoli and bok choy stir-fry. For comparison, we also cooked up Beyond and a couple ounces of trad sirloin—because, while we’re red-meat-avoidant over here, we know the truest test of a plant-based product is whether it acts as a convincing replacement. Let’s dig in.
What is it, exactly?
The beefy Impossible Bites are made of similar stuff to most faux meat: soy protein, along with sunflower oil and a smattering of sugars, binders, and flavorings. They’re fortified with zinc and B vitamins—including 80% of the RDA for the elusive-to-vegetarians B12. A 3-ounce portion has 170 calories, 7 grams of fat (0.5 saturated), 21 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber.
Beyond, on the other hand, is mostly wheat gluten, along with fava bean protein. The macros are generally the same, though Beyond has a little less fiber and sodium. And the same quantity of actual moo meat has about 200 calories, 12 grams of fat (4.8 saturated), and 23 grams of protein, along with vitamins and minerals.
Related: A comparison of non-meat macros
The price of a 10-ounce bag of Beyond’s faux steak falls somewhere between $7 (at Walmart) and $9 (at Whole Foods). Impossible’s cost us $10 and change, but since it’s still rolling out (it’ll be in Publix, Kroger, Whole Foods, and other nationwide chains over the next few weeks), we couldn’t comparison-shop.
How’s it taste?
Unseasoned and on its own, the Impossible Bites have a mildly steak-y flavor with more than a hint of an almost ironlike aftertaste. That lingering flavor will be familiar to consumers of the Impossible burger, as it’s something we’ve attributed to the company’s signature “heme” ingredient, which is what imparts a “meaty” taste.
In terms of texture, the Bites are less firm than beef, but they do have a nice chewiness—and also a bit of what feels like gristle. We even spotted a few little white streaks that convincingly resembled marbling.
Beyond’s faux tips were softer than both Impossible or actual steak. They also surprised all four of our taste testers with a fairly distinct flavor everyone associated with Mexican food. We picked up cumin, coriander, and chili powder in the mix. “It’s intensely like we ordered sidewalk tacos,” one taster said. Even in stir-fry, the soy, ginger, and garlic in the sauce couldn’t mask it.
Is it fooling anyone?
On its own? No. But the neutral taste of Impossible’s Bites makes them a great canvas. Swathed in stir-fry sauce and tossed with crunchy veggies, it was an impressive facsimile of beef and broccoli. “If this came out at a Chinese joint you’d be like, ‘OK,’” commented one taster.
Sauce, however, didn’t entirely mask the aftertaste for everyone (one person in our group never quite got over it), but it was certainly much less discernible in the stir-fry. The Impossible Bites would also be at home in tacos or fajitas—seasoned with the sorts of flavors Beyond bakes right in.
The bottom line: 8/10
Ultimately, we agreed that Impossible Steak Bites were closer in taste and texture to sirloin tips than Beyond’s version, and that anyone looking for a convincing steak swap—particularly in recipes where it will be seasoned and sauced—would be wise to stow a bag of Bites in the deep freeze.
This article originally appeared in the
Cool Beans newsletter.
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