Tofu in a delicious breakfast burrito? Plant-based food is all the rage,
after all, but is there also still a place for meat lovers in the frozen food aisle?
Keep watching as we reveal the best and worst frozen breakfast burritos.
Sweet Earth's Big Sur breakfast burrito promises seitan,
potato, and tofu scramble seasoned with garlic, turmeric, and paprika in a wrap.
It sounds like a viable breakfast option for both vegans and omnivores alike.
But in truth, it's a major letdown for more reasons than one.
Instead of delivering delicious flavor, it's way too bland. With vegan food, you of course
can't expect the same texture and flavor of meat, but that's not the only problem here.
Instead of being a bad meat replica, they're just bad. As one Target reviewer put it,
"Smells better than it tastes. It's just turmeric mush with some chunks of tofu.
Definitely wouldn't repurchase."
Jimmy Dean products have been filling hungry stomachs since 1969 when its namesake country
singer created the brand as a way to pay homage to "beautiful country mornings."
The company began as a sausage manufacturer and gradually branched out into breakfast foods,
and today they're known for a whole range of frozen breakfast offerings.
"Why don't you get some Jimmy Dean sausage and, uh, get yourself a
large chunk of that good mornin' feeling."
So you might think that Jimmy Dean would know a thing or two about crafting quality
breakfast burritos. But alas, their sausage breakfast burritos are an oddly textured filling
wrapped in a dry tortilla. It's not exactly a pleasure to eat. As one reviewer lamented,
"I love breakfast burritos but one bite into this I knew I [...] messed
up. [...] I'm not sure what I just ate, but I know I'm never doing it again."
Jimmy Dean has attempted to bring some excitement to the world of frozen breakfast foods with their
biscuit roll-ups. It sounds exciting enough, as a flaky biscuit encases a filling of sausage, egg,
and cheese. But the execution leaves much to be desired. The rolls are more crumbly than flaky,
and the filling is underwhelming with little pieces of sausage,
an American cheese-like product masquerading as cheddar,
and a very limited amount of egg. Freezer Meal Frenzy sums up their appeal by noting,
"The Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Roll-Ups might not be the best-tasting or even
the healthiest breakfast option in your freezer aisle, but they sure are fun."
They won't wow you with flavor,
but they are a nice novelty that you could maybe buy once or twice.
Evol's chicken apple sausage, egg, and smoked gouda breakfast burrito proves just how important
texture is. Its combination of ingredients sounds like just the right mix for a hearty
breakfast that isn't too heavy. They even boast caramelized onions and roasted potatoes on the
packaging. But all that can't rescue the mess of a texture. As one Kroger reviewer warned,
"Doesn't seem to have meat, it's just a fairly tasty mush inside."
Simply put, it's mushy and boring when it could be so much more. But hey,
at least you know you can count on the flavor!
Good Food Made Simple aims to bring you items that are straightforward, healthy,
and from scratch. It offers ready-made meals, scramble bowls, and flatbreads. Its turkey
sausage breakfast burrito is made from cage-free eggs and turkey sausage with no hormones added,
along with cheddar, potatoes, and other veggies in a flour tortilla.
This is a nicely textured burrito with a lovely ratio of ingredients.
It's good. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, it's a bit sad that it's not mind-blowing,
but it's a great option for a simple go-to. It won't be your favorite thing in your freezer,
but it's also not the worst thing you can stock up on.
"It's the real deal!"
Evol has a breakfast burrito for the vegetarians out there. Their Egg & Green
Chile offering is filled with scrambled egg, potato, cheese, and green chile stew,
and that all sounds pretty interesting. The good news is that the reality matches expectations,
as this burrito is unique and delicious enough to become a repeat purchase.
But you might run into a bit of trouble if you don't want to just
quickly heat this up in the microwave. As a concerned reviewer on Evol's website asked,
"Where are the heating instructions for the oven?
States on wrapper baking instructions on website. So where are they?"
If you have a microwave, you'll be fine. But if you want to cook these in an oven,
you could find yourself lost at sea.
Trader Joe's sometimes offers wacky flavor combinations, but they kept things pretty
traditional for their breakfast burrito. And in this case, traditional does not mean boring.
Trader Joe's packed scrambled eggs, sage and thyme-flavored chicken sausage, potatoes,
sauteed onions, and white cheddar into a flour tortilla. And instead of fluffy, the tortilla is
chewy. The flavors work well together, but they're more simple than exciting. Overall,
this is a nice basic breakfast burrito that offers a bigger serving in a simpler canvas.
Be aware, though, that it's not terribly cheap, as one eight-ounce burrito will run you $3.99.
There aren't too many completely vegan options for a quick breakfast on the go.
That's where Daiya comes in. This company is known for its innovative cheese-like shreds
that really melt. They're a combination of tapioca flour, chickpea protein,
xanthan gum, as well as some oils and other ingredients.
"We wanted to be the first plant-based company that had a convenient,
ready-to-go shredded mozzarella."
Daiya's fiesta-style burrito is a nod to Tex-Mex cuisine with black beans, red and green peppers,
potatoes, and vegan cheddar and eggs. It also comes in a gluten-free wrap.
One reviewer on GoDairyFree.org noted that the taste was a little odd,
while another had this to say:
"The point of these is to be healthy and allergen-free. If you're a normal eater
then I can see where it might suck but for someone who needs to avoid
gluten and corn and dairy they're great. They explode when microwaved
which I personally like and the shell ends up gooey and soft which I love."
Jimmy Dean is more impressive this time around with a lighter, more nutritional breakfast wrap.
This is a whole wheat tortilla filled with white cheddar, scrambled eggs, spinach,
bacon, caramelized onions, and peppers. It's a nice departure from some of the heavier,
breadier burritos, and most important of all, it's delicious.
These wraps taste of spinach without it being an overwhelming flavor, and the cheddar is the
real standout. It's just tangy enough to bring flavor and balance to all the other components.
Although these have a hint of green, unlike most of the burritos on this list,
there's no mistaking these for any sort of healthy food. So just keep in mind that
even the more nutritious breakfast burritos should be indulged only every once in a while.
Evol also tries its hand at a Florentine-style egg wrap. It's meatless,
so it's perfect for all you vegetarians, but there seems to be an issue with achieving an
interesting texture with breakfast burritos. They're filled with a mix of ingredients,
but the traditional breakfast burrito flavors all come from softer ingredients.
The soggy burrito trap has yet to release its chokehold on the breakfast world,
and Evol is just the latest victim. The flavor and ingredient ratio is solid, though. It's got
scrambled egg whites, roasted tomatoes, spinach, potatoes, cheddar, and salsa inside a whole-wheat
tortilla. So enjoy the taste while doing what you can to deal with the less-than-satisfying texture.
Red's wants to tickle your tastebuds with this chicken chorizo, scrambled egg, pepper jack,
mozzarella, cheddar, and green chile burrito. It puts many other sad,
oddly-textured frozen breakfast burritos to shame. As one Target reviewer gushed,
"This is probably one of the best frozen foods I've ever purchased — it feels like
a stark contrast from other frozen burritos I've eaten in my life. [...] It's got the
right amount of spice and is a great addition to the morning pick-me-up."
"We want to change expectations of frozen food. We want to be that good."
The reason this burrito isn't higher on the list is because the cooking instructions noted
that it should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit,
approximately 55 seconds per side. But most people don't carry a food thermometer in
their purse. It's better to keep cooking instructions simple to avoid confusion.
Alpha Foods has delivered the plant-based breakfast burrito of our dreams! It's got
plant-based sausage-style crumble, dairy-free bell pepper cheddar,
mushrooms, onions, and a tofu scramble. It simply defies all logic of what a good
breakfast sandwich should be. Simply put, this is a breakfast burrito that's perfect
for families with all types of eaters. As one Amazon reviewer proclaimed,
"These are so dang good I might never eat a conventional cheese/egg/meat breakfast
sandwich again! A good problem to have. Positively delicious. [...] I'm not vegan [...] but, the less
animal carnage the better, and these sandwiches make the breakfast part an easy choice."
So skip the labels, and let your tastebuds lead you in
the direction of Alpha Foods' breakfast burritos.
"If Alpha plant-based meat can taste just like meat, then you can do anything."
As a prominent name in the vegetarian frozen food market, Amy's couldn't ignore the need
for a frozen veggie breakfast wrap. This offering includes organic tofu,
hash browns, and veggies, and if that doesn't sound enticing enough,
it's all bundled up in a cozy little gluten-free wrap. As one reviewer on Influenster declared,
"I have AT LEAST one of these a day! Sooo delicious plus so quick and easy
to make — super filling plus it only takes 3 minutes for them to be done!"
There are tons of veggies in here including tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots. So
if you've been looking to increase your veg intake throughout the day, this is a great and easy way
to do it. Just add the hot sauce of your choice, and you've got a delicious breakfast in minutes!
One taste of this egg, sausage, cheese, and potato burrito and it's clear that
El Monterey was determined to get so many things right. It tastes great,
has a nicely balanced texture, a perfect ratio of ingredients, and it's easy to cook.
Frozen food is of course a dream come true for anyone on the go,
but it's also quite the blessing if you're at home and don't want to cook. There are tons
of reasons that you may need an easy meal, and in that case, El Monterey's burritos are here
to deliver some happiness into your breakfast routine. As one reviewer on Amazon revealed,
"We have Sunday brunches and these burritos are a huge hit! They taste fresh, homemade,
and they are quite satisfying. The potatoes do not taste frozen,
and they have a good amount of filling. We will definitely continue buying them!"
Red's does it again! The company was founded when the owner realized that
his wife's burritos were good enough to share with the world. Clearly, it was a good decision,
as this company knows a thing or two about making a delicious breakfast burrito.
Red's prides itself on cage-free eggs and non-GMO ["gee em oh"] and organic ingredients whenever
possible. But none of that would matter if the burritos fell flat. But they don't. In fact,
they're the exact opposite. They're fresh and filling and contain such a nice combination of
ingredients that they're downright exciting to eat. As one Target reviewer announced,
"Best flavor of any of the frozen burritos I have tried. Eggs are tasty and NOT fake!"
And your satisfaction won't be fake either. The reality is that you'll probably need to
mix up your breakfast routine throughout the week. So grab a few kinds of burritos,
throw together some quickly mixed greens, and you'll have breakfast in minutes!
"What have we always said is the most important thing?"
"Breakfast."
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