My neighbor recently asked me for recommendations for veggieburgers, and my SO and I started writing up this list and I thought I’d share it here, hope that’s okay. It’s a bit more commercial than a lot of the stuff I post here, but meat substitutions are honestly the easiest way I’ve found to get friends and relatives to try vegetarian stuff. It’s easy to cook, guilt free, and with any luck, at least some of these options fit easily into their existing routine. From conservative relatives to friends on camping trips, we’ve gotten good results with these.

By it’s nature, this list will be tailored to American brands accessible in my geographic reach. If you have any recommendations of your own, I’d love it if you shared them.

Hamburger:

  • Impossible/Beyond Burger for closest fit to the real thing. They’re even better if you pour a little worcestershire sauce (turns out this has anchovies in it whoops) on them
  • Trader Joe’s Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burger - really good breaded veggieburger. Crisp them up so they don’t fall apart, good with pickles and cheese. Personal favorite, try seasoning them like you would chili. 
  • Trader Joe’s Veggie Masala Burger - good basic bean burger. 

Chicken:

  • Quorn’s Meatless Homestyle ChiQin Cutlets are like chicken breasts, good on their own or chopped up in sandwiches, stir fry, pasta, or soup
  • Quorn makes a breaded, cheese-and-pesto-stuffed version which is awesome on its own, sort of like the premade Stuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu from the freezer section.
  • edit: Daring. Plant Chicken Pieces

Nugs (you really can’t go wrong here, they’re all good):

  • Morningstar Farms Vegan Chicken Nuggets (regular and buffalo): closest I think to the real freezer-section thing (minus the gristly bits) and probably the cheapest 
  • Impossible Chicken Nuggets - also very close, sometimes more expensive 
  • Trader Joe’s Chickenless Crispy Tenders - a little bit their own thing but very good
  • Gardein Breaded Turk’y Cutlets - my personal favorite. These are a bit small so I’m counting them as nugs

Bacon:

  • Morningstar Veggie Bacon Strips, it’s not super close but it’s a similar experience, a little easy to burn if you like it crispy

Deli meats:

  • Tofurky brand Hickory Smoked Deli Slices

Sausage: 

  • Morningstar Breakfast sausages - good in breakfast sandwiches, omelets, rice, or just on the side
  • Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo - this is awesome in all kinds of stuff, including soups, rice, pasta, and fauxganoff
  • Field Roast Classic Recipe Plant Based Sausage Breakfast Patties - great in soups and rice dishes, especially spicy ones
  • Impossible Sausage - these are apparently the closest fit to grilling sausages though I haven’t tried them yet

Steak:

  • Trader Joe’s Beefless Bulgogi - This stuff cooks up more or less like steak tips and goes great in stir fry, and especially in soup, where it even holds its shape and texture and lends a nice flavor

Turkey (Thanksgiving style):

  • Quorn Meatless Turkey-Style Roast - my SOs recommendation 
  • Trader Joe’s Breaded Turkey-less Stuffed Roast - my recommendation