Trader Joe's Korean Beefless Bulgogi Review: The Vegan Dish That Might Fool Carnivores

I remember when I started this blog back in 2016. The number of vegan options at Trader Joe's was far fewer and more hit-and-miss. I think the most fantastic vegan items I ever found were the vegan tikka masala and the soy chorizo. I'm happy to say that Trader Joe's Korean Beefless Bulgogi is right up there with him.

Review

I do owe my friend Diane a quick shoutout for pushing this further up the reviews. She asked me if I had tried this, and yes it was purchased but was pushed back. She told me how good it was and she wasn't lying.

While this product out of the bag is no beauty queen, it does look like actual strips of meat. Maybe a bit closer to gyro in terms of visuals. And the box does make this appear like there will be some additional sauce floating around (there wasn't). So if you can temper your expectations on that front, you might be pleasantly surprised at the real deliciousness in this box.

First, yes. It is absolutely passable as meat, especially beef. It had a good mouthfeel and a nice chew to it. Visually it passes as well.

Next, there is the obvious question of taste. Each bite is mildly sweet and it is predominately soy-flavored with hints of ginger and green onion. There is the added sweetness from pear and apple puree along with some added sugar. Since most of this product is soy and soy sauce this is a bit high in sodium, but that is to be expected. But despite all the fruit and sugar, there wasn't much in the way of a sauce that you could spoon over rice with this.

But if you like beef, but know you might need to cut back, then this is a solid option as a meat substitute. Heck, you can pass this off to a real meat-lover to see if they would even notice. If you are vegan or dairy-free then this is also a solid buy.

I look forward to adding this to my regular rotation of items I buy weekly.

And of course, the package mentions that this is 3 servings, but in reality, this package might only serve two. So plan accordingly.

What could you serve with this? Rice, some green onions, or even some stir-fry vegetables, and you would have a quick and easy meal.

Packaging

The product is sold in a box with the beefless bulgogi sold in a vacuum-sealed bag.

Other Korean-inspired options

If you are at Trader Joe's, please don't think this is the only Korean-inspired option available. Here is a list of other options:

• Scallion Pancakes Pa Jeon
• Bibimbap Bowl
• Gochujang
• Korean Style Beef Short Ribs
• Beef Bool Kogi
• Kimchi