The Worst Breakfast Sausage We Tried Isn't Even The Real Deal

Unlike sausage links you'd find at a barbecue restaurant or brats you'd fry up for a hot dog, breakfast sausage has a unique sage-forward seasoning blend and a hint of sweetness that really makes mornings special. Of course, making breakfast sausage from scratch is a tall order, so luckily there are many store-bought versions to save you the trouble. We tasted and ranked 10 breakfast sausage brands according to taste, texture, and juiciness. And the worst one isn't even the real deal: Beyond breakfast sausage.

The plant-based meat brand Beyond landed in last place in our ranking of breakfast sausages, which might not come as a surprise to meat eaters. But Beyond has managed to create fake meat that tastes surprisingly like the real thing; we certainly thought their newest stack burgers could pass for beef. Unfortunately, Beyond's breakfast sausage patties miss the mark entirely, especially with texture and juiciness. In its characteristic fashion, Beyond does an adequate job at imitating the savory umami of pork. However, the sausage patty lacked the spices and herbs that make breakfast sausage, breakfast sausage. The only seasoning we tasted was salt, and way too much of it at that. But where this sausage really went downhill was texture. We wanted a chewy yet tender sausage patty bursting with flavorful juices but what we got was a rubbery, wet puck. Needless to say, one bite was more than enough to land Beyond breakfast sausage in last place.

Some Amazon reviewers left pretty scathing comments about the taste and texture of Beyond breakfast sausage patties. One review thought they tasted like meat in the worst way, stating, "super greasy, strange texture, kind of like the cheapest, worst meat you could get. I can't imagine a vegetarian liking these. Actually I can't imagine anyone liking these." Another review jokingly asked "would you like food with your salt?" which echoed our sentiments. A common theme with the negative reviews was a pungent and toxic aroma that hit people in the face straight out of the bag, and smelled up the house while the patties cooked. That said, many Redditors thought that Beyond breakfast sausage was a good vegan alternative and in general liked them better than Impossible sausage, its biggest competitor. Our own feelings are more in line with the one- and two-star Amazon reviews, but we're not stopping you doing your own taste test. However, you may want to simply take our advice and avoid the Beyond brand.

Trader Joe's meatless breakfast sausage patties ranked fourth in our taste test, proving that meatless breakfast sausage is able to compete with the real deal. We also think Field Roast smoked apple and sage plant-based sausages are some of the best plant-based meat substitutes that are worth the price tag. However, if you're a meat eater, you shouldn't leave the store without picking up Johnsonville Vermont maple syrup breakfast sausage, our favorite brand.