Beyond Meat and Taco Bell Announce New Beyond Carne Asada Steak

Taco Bell has long had an avid vegetarian and vegan fan base thanks to a robust set of meat-free options like bean burritos, and now they’re expanding their meat-free lineup by announcing a new plant-based carne asada created in partnership with Beyond Meat. Made of vital wheat gluten and faba bean proteins that replicate the taste and texture of traditional carne asada steak, the Beyond Meat carne asada is spotlighted in a quesadilla but will be also available at the same price point as other carne asada items like the Cruchwrap Supreme or tacos — an effort from Taco Bell to make plant-based menu items more affordable for its customers.

Yum Foods, Taco Bell’s parent company that also houses Pizza Hut and KFC, entered a partnership with Beyond Meat in early 2021 with the goal of producing alternative plant-based menu items. At the time, Taco Bell announced that they’d be rolling out a Beyond Meat menu item of their own. However, Beyond Carne Asada took almost two years to perfect. The attention to detail has paid off: this writer could barely tell the difference between the Beyond Meat alternative and regular carne asada.

Expect Beyond Meat and Taco Bell’s Beyond Carne Asada steak options to begin rolling out at Taco Bell restaurants in the Dayton, Ohio area on October 13. News on Beyond Carne Asada’s wider availability is forthcoming.

Elsewhere in the world of food and beverage, pastry chef Ravneet Gill has teamed up with Shake Shack for a new sticky toffee pudding shake.