With all the noise around new meat free brands like Beyond Meat and Gardein, it can be easy to overlook some of the store brands like these meat-free chicken nuggets from Whole Foods.
Part of the 365 Every Day Value brand, this particular product doesn’t exactly leap off the shelf with bold and vibrant packaging. Indeed, they can be pretty easy to overlook – and that’s a big mistake.
These are presently our favorite meat free nuggets that we’ve tried – and we’ve tried a lot! Let’s be clear, I’m talking about that classic chicken nugget, with the uniform spongy texture throughout and nary a hint of actual chicken. These nuggets from Whole Foods are remarkable facsimiles for the real deal texturally speaking.
The similarities continue with the taste. There’s a little garlic in the mix and it goes a long way to hinting to actual chicken nuggets. Prepared and served the right way, it’s very easy to forget there’s no actual chicken here.
My favorite way to cook these nuggets is at a high temperature in the air fryer. You can see the golden brown finish and internal texture in these two pictures:
From there, you can use these nuggets just as you would any other. Simply dipped in a little ketchup, on a salad, or our favorite, a meat free BBQ plate! I think these would also work wonders when added to Chinese and Thai dishes; cooked separately to a crisp finish then introduced to the sauce just before serving. Think sweet and sour, kung pao or pad ga prow.
Are 365 Breaded Chickenless Nuggets ingredients, cooking instructions
The packaging only shows how to cook these in the oven – microwaving is not recommended. We tried cooking these in the air fryer too which we found superior, more info here.
Other 365 products
- Whole Foods 365 Spinach And Cheese Spanakopita
- 365 Shawarma Marinade – a hidden gem
- 365 Plant-Based Burger Patties – one to avoid
- 365 Organic Crinkle Cut Fries review
- Review: 365 Breaded Chickenless Nuggets
- Review: 365 Plant Based Smoky And Spicy Burgers
- Review: 365 Meatless Breakfast Patties
- Review: 365 Meatless Burgers
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Overall
Are Are 365 Breaded Chickenless Nuggets any good?
Definitely. These are our favorite chicken-free nugget currently on the market, or at least from the ones that we’ve tried. They’re remarkably similar to a regular chicken nugget in both texture and taste.
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!