"I Tried Vegan Filet Mignon and Here's What I Thought"

If you've ever wanted to enjoy the taste of filet mignon – but without the cow – a new brand called Juicy Marbles has cooked up the perfect product for you. The company has created a meat alternative that uses new technology to engineer a totally vegan filet mignon. The plant-based steak has gone viral on TikTok thanks to Lizzo, who created a video of herself trying the meatless filet mignon.

Made with soy protein, beetroot powder, and sunflower oil, the vegan steak is about as real looking as could be. I was curious just how closely these plant-based ingredients could replicate the famous texture and taste of meat. Here's what I thought of the Juicy Marbles Plant-Based Filet Mignon, from taste to texture to ingredients.

If you'd like to try the product for yourself, head over to the Juicy Marbles website where you can sign up to be notified when the sold-out vegan filet mignon is back in stock.

What is the Juicy Marbles Plant-Based Filet Mignon Made of?

Juicy Marbles' filet mignons are made of water, soy protein concentrate, wheat protein isolate, sunflower oil, natural flavors, beetroot powder, kappa carrageenan, methylcellulose, salt, yeast extract, iron, and fortified with vitamin B12.

Per 100 grams of the meat alternative (about one filet) offers 23 grams of protein, 6.3 grams of fat (of which .8 gram is saturated fat), 1.8 grams of carbs, 7.2 grams of fiber and 171 calories. It delivers 130 percent of your suggested B12 intake, 29 percent of your daily fiber intake, 26 percent of your suggested sodium allotment, and just 9 percent of your daily fat.

How do you cook the Juicy Marbles Filet Mignon?

I set out to cook Juicy Marbles' filet mignons just as I used to with animal products (before I ditched meat and dairy for good). First, I salted the filet on both sides and put a generous helping of vegan butter into a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Once the butter was melted, I added the filet, which made a delicious sizzle as it met the pan.

I cooked the plant-based steak on each side for about three minutes. Then, I added cloves of garlic and rosemary to the butter and basted the filet on the sides. After about seven or eight minutes of total cooking, the vegan meat was ready, and it had filled the kitchen with a once-familiar meaty smell.

How does Juicy Marbles plant-based Filet Mignon taste?

Browned on the sides with a tender reddish center, Juicy Marbles' filet mignons looked the party, but would they hold up taste-wise to the famous cut of beef? Cutting through the filets yielded an almost stringy, meat-like texture, freckled with spots of fat.

As I took my first bite, I was transported to a few years ago, a time when I was still eating meat. The taste is unmistakably beef-like, a taste so accurate that it honestly may be off-putting for strict vegans or anyone who doesn't like the taste of meat. With just a few grinds of the pepper mill and some flakey salt, this filet takes on a delicious, meaty taste, and is a great alternative for any meat-eater who wants to cut back on their consumption.

The final verdict

Overall, I think Juicy Marbles' plant-based filet mignons are a delicious, and interesting product that both non-vegans and dedicated plant-based eaters would love. I would caution that anyone who is scared off by vegan meat alternatives that are too realistic may be spooked by these vegan filets.

These filets were just as easy to cook as traditional meat is, maybe even more so because there is no risk of e-coli or salmonella, or worry of contaminating cookware or your kitchen counter with raw meat. I am excited to test these filets more – and cook them in different ways, like sliced up over a salad or in pasta dishes.

For more taste tests, visit The Beet's product reviews.