Trader Joe's Plant-Based Burgers Have 18 Grams of Protein — but How Do They Taste?

I added a teeny bit of olive oil to a cast-iron pan on medium heat. It took about four minutes on each side, and the package says "the interior of patty will still be pink when fully cooked."

Let me start off by saying I'm a big fan of the Beyond Burger. Although it is processed, as a vegan burger alternative, it tastes a lot like a beef hamburger — even my meat-eating husband likes them! The Beyond Burger is comparable in nutritional info to beef, offers tons of protein, is low in carbs, and you can cook it on a grill without it falling apart.

I was eager to see how these Trader Joe's Protein Patties compared in texture and flavor to the Beyond Burgers. At first glance, the very bright fleshy color looked a little weird, but once the burgers cooked up, the pink color dulled.

When I sunk my teeth in, I noticed these are softer, smoother, and much less textured and "meaty" as compared to the Beyond Burgers, which I actually preferred — vegans who are grossed out by meat will appreciate that. I immediately wanted to go in for my second bite, and I liked that the edges got a little crispy while cooking.

The flavor was slightly sweet thanks to the beets, but it didn't taste at all like veggies — I really liked it! It had a savory burger taste that was less beefy and less fatty than the Beyond Burgers.

These Trader Joe's plant-based burgers are a great option for those trying to cut back on meat and get a little extra fiber, but if you're going for the closest resemblance to beef in flavor and texture, the Beyond Burger is a bit more convincing.

I thought it'd be helpful to compare the nutritional info for these Trader Joe's patties and the Beyond Burgers.

One Trader Joe's patty is 290 calories, and offers 18 grams of protein and five grams of fiber. It has 11 grams of carbs, three grams of saturated fat, and 450 milligrams of sodium. One burger also offers 190 milligrams of potassium and 20 percent of your daily iron.

For a 250-calorie Beyond Burger patty, it offers 20 grams of protein and two grams of fiber. It has just three grams of carbs, six grams of saturated fat, and 390 grams of sodium. These patties also provide 300 milligrams of potassium and 25 percent of your daily iron.

So the Trader Joe's Protein Patties are 40 extra calories and a bit higher in carbs compared to the Beyond Burgers. They're also lower in saturated fat, and although they offer slightly less protein, they have over twice the amount of fiber.

Both patties are made with pea protein, and although they're processed, the Trader Joe's burgers have fewer ingredients, which may be more appealing. Both are vegan, but only the Beyond Burgers are gluten-free.

These patties are refrigerated and will last up until the "use by date," which for me was about a month. One bonus of the Beyond Burgers is that you can freeze them which means you can stock up. But if you have fridge room, you can still stock up on these Trader Joe's Protein Patties. They're also slightly cheaper costing $4.49, while the Beyond Burgers are $4.99.

You can enjoy these in a bun, cut up in a burrito or wrap, chopped into whole grains, or eaten alone. They're a cheap, tasty, plant-based source of protein, and definitely worth trying if you're a burger fan.