Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’N Filet reviewed

Hot on the heels of Gardein’s Ultimate Tenders is this similarly packaged product – now in fried chicken patty format. Like the tenders, they come in a rather attractive black and white package that certainly stands out.

Here three burgers come in a resealable plastic freezer bag, and wow, these are hefty patties. As you can see in the pictures below, the oversized filets handily top a large burger bun, and if anything they’re bigger than any of the options you can find from fast food restaurants as part of the ongoing chicken sandwich wars; which it should be noted these are clearly launched into the midst of. The packaging showing the chicken burger in the typical layering of mayo and dill pickles.

Cooking: Bake or air fry, and allow for more time than a regular chicken burger. As I mentioned above, these are big, and absolutely need longer than a regular plant-based burger. The microwave is also out of the question here too.

Taste and texture: Given that these are simply reformatted versions of the tenders from Gardein which I love – it’s hard not to love these too. Like the tenders the texture is quite impressive. It never veers into the spongey or rubbery. The taste is an enjoyable savory one with gentle garlic notes. There’s no pronounced meat-substitute flavor aka this one from Gardein which is all bitter wheat gluten.

The relatively neutrality of the patty itself means this makes the perfect base for your choice of toppings – and yes – it works great with a generous amount of may and four or five sharp pickles. The patties would make for very versatile stand ins for other thin, breaded fried meats – think a plant-based tonkatsu or schnitzel.

Verdict: The best plant-based chicken burger out there right now? Yes, yes it is. My sole critique is that these might be *too* big, as ludicrous as that might sound. If you work through a full one of these on a hearty sized bun, you’re gonna know it.

Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’N Filet cooking and nutrition

Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.  I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.

I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years.   I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen.  Follow along on Instagram too!