From Oscar Mayer to Field Roast, We Tried Them All: The Best Meat-Free Hot Dogs

While classic barbecue fare is undoubtedly meat-centric, there’s a plant-based counterpart (or two, or three …) for just about anything you could want at an outdoor grill, including hot dogs. With so many options on the market, you might not know where to start, so we’re here to help you out. 

Originating from Germany, food historians have traced the hot dog’s arrival in the United States to immigrants in the late 1800s. Affordable and convenient to eat on the way home, or during a day out on the town, they were quickly adopted as a food of the working class, sold by vendors from street carts on the sidewalk and at baseball games. 

RELATED: Juicy, Smoky, Sizzling: These Are the Best Vegan Sausages We’ve Tried, Hands Down

Field Roast

Traditionally, hot dogs are made from the trimmings of chicken, pork, or beef. But these days, there are several vegan versions on the market. We picked the best of them, plus we threw in our favorite plant-based sausages, too, because we’re all about options.

Jump to the Hot Dogs

Are hot dog buns vegan?

What would hot dogs be without the bun? Thankfully, you can find a lot of different kinds of vegan bread at the grocery store, but there are also several brands that use animal-derived ingredients in their hot dog buns. 

In general, milk and butter are the most common non-vegan ingredients you’ll find in store-bought hot dog buns. But, some options, the gluten-free ones in particular, may contain eggs. 

It’s also not uncommon to find honey in commercial bread, so be sure to read the ingredients list before purchasing anything. Some vegan hot dog bun options include Food For Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Hot Dog Buns, Arnold Country Potato Hot Dog Rolls, and 365 Classic White Hot Dog Buns.

Vegan hot dogs and sausages 

Reach for these meatless hot dogs and sausages while shopping for your next cookout. 

Lightlife

1 Lightlife Jumbo Smart Dogs

For a vegan hot dog that’s tried-and-true, look no further than Lightlife’s Jumbo Smart Dogs. Lightlife launched its iconic Smart Dogs back in 1993, so in terms of plant-based meat, they’ve stood the test of time. These vegan hot dogs are made from soy protein and deliver on that classic hot dog flavor that channels childhood backyard barbecues. Plus, Lightlife is a carbon-neutral company. Delicious and sustainable? That’s a win-win.
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Field Roast

2 Field Roast Stadium Dogs

The artisan vegan meat-makers at Field Roast have nailed the experience of eating a conventional hot dog, without the pork or questionable ingredients. The brand’s Stadium Dog is made from a blend of pea protein, vital wheat gluten, brown rice protein, and faba bean protein and infused with smoked sugar, plus garlic, pepper, and paprika for that classic ballpark flavor. Filed Roast also makes sausages in four distinct flavors: Smoked Apple and Sage, Italian Garlic and Fennel, Spicy Mexican Chipotle, and Classic Smoked Frankfurters. These are made from vital wheat gluten for that extra-meaty taste, and they sizzle beautifully on the grill. Pass the mustard, please!
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The Kraft Heinz Not Company

3Oscar Mayer Plant-Based Hot Dogs

Oscar Mayer shocked the world when it unveiled plant-based hot dogs. The vegan dogs are a product of The Kraft Heinz Not Company, a joined venture between plant-based food tech company NotCo and Kraft Heinz, the parent company of Oscar Mayer. Made from a blend of seitan, spices, mushrooms, and bamboo and pea fiber, these dogs also feature a konjac-based casing for that signature, Oscar Mayer snap. 
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Impossible Foods

4 Impossible Hot Dogs

Impossible Foods has made a name for itself with a product portfolio of meaty, vegan foods that are indistinguishable from their animal-based counterparts—and its hot dogs are no exception. In fact, Impossible Hot Dogs are even better. They contain 50-percent less saturated fat and double the protein (12 grams per serving) than beef- and pork-based dogs. Do like we do and wrap these links in your favorite vegan bacon for a smoky, street-style hot dog you’ll make all summer long. 
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MorningStar Farms

5 MorningStar Farms Veggie Dogs

MorningStar Farms’ Veggie Dogs are a total nostalgia-fest for a lot of longtime vegans and vegetarians. Made from wheat gluten, they taste just like a classic American hot dog, with a savory flavor and underlying sweetness, courtesy of a dash of brown sugar. Serve them alongside classic barbecue sides like corn-on-the-cob, vegan potato salad, baked beans, and collard greens.
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Upton’s Naturals

6Upton’s Naturals Updogs

For 20 years, Chicago-based Upton’s Naturals has created vegan meats crafted with ingredients you can recognize, and its Updog is no different. These vegan hot dogs are crafted with vital wheat gluten, apple cider vinegar, paprika, sea salt, hickory smoke, ground mustard, celery seed, and more. Pair these dogs with a poppy seed buns and top with chopped onions, tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, celery salt, relish, sport peppers, and a squeeze of mustard for a Chicago-style vegan hot dog. 

Better Balance

7Better Balance Veggie Dogs

Looking for a vegan hot dog that’s free of soy and gluten? Better Balance delivers. These plant-based dogs are made from a blend of pea protein, avocado oil, onion, garlic, konjac, and smoke flavoring for that fresh-off-the-grill taste. 
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Beyond Meat

8
Beyond Meat Beyond Sausages

Made to taste like conventional pork sausage, these meaty links are crafted from a blend of pea and rice protein, plus avocado oil to deliver on juiciness. Beyond’s vegan sausages are wrapped in an algae-derived casing so you get that satisfying snap when you bite into one. Choose between three flavors: Brat Original, Hot Italian, and Mild Italian, all of which would be a welcome addition to your grill.
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Tofurky

9 Tofurky Plant-Based Sausages

Variety is the spice of life, so they say. Old-school vegan brand Tofurky makes four flavors of plant-based sausage that will be right at home with all of the barbecue fixings. Serve their Beer Brats with sauerkraut and mustard, the Kielbasa with sauerkraut and quick-pickled red cabbage, and the Italian with grilled peppers and onions. For a flavor switch up, serve the Chorizo with chimichurri. Whatever you choose, everyone at the barbecue will be very satisfied. 
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