As fans of the Beyond Burger we were glad to find these faux beef crumbles in our local grocery.
We planned a Mexican-food feast using these crumbles (they come frozen and should not be defrosted or microwaved), which are described as providing “a beefy kick for any ground beef recipe.”
However, though it’s not indicated anywhere (other than the pasta “serving suggestion” photo on the package), these beefy crumbles are in fact pre-flavored with Italian spices. So, cooking them with taco spices was both futile and weird, and we couldn’t use the crumbles for our Mexican feast at all. (A visit to the Beyond Meat website reveals that there is a “feisty” version of the crumbles as well — however, there’s no indication otherwise that the version we bought was already spiced, and it was the only version in the grocery’s freezer so there was no way of knowing another variety was available.)
Other than the inconvenience of being unable to use the crumbles for our meal, the crumbles themselves were very good — the texture was authentic, so they are great for vegans who like faux meat, and perfect for omnivores who want all the protein (13 grams per serving) without the fat (only 3 grams per serving), the animal cruelty, or the environmental devastation of real meat. These crumbles are also gluten- and soy-free, for those with food allergies.
We are not sure why Beyond Meat doesn’t have a plain version of these crumbles that can be flavored any way the chef prefers (though you could always crumble up a Beyond Burger), and we hope they come up with a plain version so that there are more seasoning options. But do keep these these beefy crumbles in mind for pasta or lasagna — and be aware, if you’re trying other recipes, that these crumbles have a strong Italian flavor.