Taco Bell is partnering with Beyond Meat on plant-based carne asada that diners in the Midwest will get to try next month.
Beyond Carne Asada Steak is Beyond Meat’s first steak product and it is exclusive to Taco Bell, according to the El Segundo-based company.
Taco Bell will be testing it in about 50 restaurants in the Dayton, Ohio, area, beginning Oct. 13. It will be served in quesadillas at $5.19, but it can be substituted in any item on the Taco Bell menu, according to Marissa Thiry, senior nutrition specialist for Irvine-based fast food chain. The tasting included the meat substitute in a soft taco.
“The thing I really love about this is that it’s price-comparative to steak, so it’s not an up-charge,” she said, speaking at a preview of the meat substitute at a 30-acre business park in El Segundo where Beyond Meat is setting up new headquarters. The tech company has leased 280,000 square feet in a property near the 105 Freeway that was formerly an aerospace manufacturing site. Its current offices are about 3 miles away in the same city.
Beyond Carne Asada Steak is certified vegan by the American Vegetarian Association, according to a news release.
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It was created to have the same taste and texture as grilled, marinated steak using “a ton of plant-based ingredients,” including Vital Wheat Gluten and fava beans, plus Taco Bell seasonings, according to Thiry.
“I’m super happy where we landed using the ingredients that we chose, and I think you will be, too,” she said.
“We have been working on the Beyond Carne Asada Steak for a couple of years now. Good things come to those who wait, and this one took time.”
Founded in 2017, Beyond Meat makes hamburger patties, beef crumbles, meatballs, sausages, chicken tenders and jerky with proteins derived from plants. Its products are aimed at flexitarians, people who enjoy the taste of meat but want to cut back on consuming it for dietary or ethical reasons.
When restaurant chains partner with Beyond Meat or its competitor, Impossible Foods, they usually strive to create plant-free versions of items that are already on their menus and difficult to tell apart from the originals.
Beyond Meat is also partnering with Panda Express on Beyond the Original Orange Chicken, which became available nationally for the first time this month.
