Meat-Free 'Impossible Burger 2.0' Tastes Even Closer to the Real DealIt can also now be used as a main ingredient replacement in any ground meat dish.

ByNicole Lee

This story originally appeared onEngadget

Nicole Lee | Engadget

TheImpossible Burgerhas been making headlines for a couple of years now as a plant-based substitute to burgers that promises to look, taste and even "bleed" like the real deal. Today at CES, Impossible Foods is ready to unveil what is essentially Impossible Burger 2.0. According to the company, the new burger has no gluten and tastes closer to real meat than ever before.

One of the reasons for this is that the new Impossible Burger 2.0 is made with soy protein instead of wheat protein. This, according to the company, gives it a "meaty chew and versatile texture" that'll make it ideal not just as a burger, but also as a main ingredient in any ground meat dish -- think stews, chili, dumplings, meatballs and more. It has as much bioavailable iron and protein as the same size serving of ground beef, with 14 grams of fat and 240 calories per quarter-pound patty.

I've had the original version of the Impossible Burger before, and while it was definitely the best veggie burger I've ever had, I still definitely knew it wasn't real meat. Something about the texture and taste was still a dead giveaway that it was fake. So I was excited to try out Impossible Burger 2.0 to see if it was indeed different.

And it certainly is. I had a chance to have a bite of the new burger at an event here in Las Vegas, and it genuinely did taste like, well, a real burger. It was moist and juicy, and the texture was just right. I couldn't believe that this was supposed to be a plant-based substitute.

The first restaurant to serve the new Impossible Burger 2.0 will be Border Grill at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas starting today. Over 20 or so restaurants will get access to it too, such as Mission Chinese Food in New York City and Jardiniere in San Francisco. Chains likeWhite Castleand Umami Burger will start serving the new recipe soon too. By mid-March, nearly all Impossible Foods restaurant partners will have the new version. The new Impossible Burger 2.0 is also coming to select US grocery stores by the end of the year.

Wavy Line
Nicole Lee

Senior Editor for Engadget

Nicole is a Senior Editor at Engadget. She lives in San Francisco .

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

McDonald's Is Launching a Spinoff Restaurant Chain Based on a Beloved, Blast-From-the-Past Mascot

The company saw a lot of success with another former mascot, Grimace, in June.

Business News

An 81-Year-Old Florida CEO Just Indicted for a $250 Million Ponzi Scheme Ran a Sprawling Senior Citizen Crime Ring

Carl Ruderman is the fifth senior citizen in the Miami-Fort-Lauderdale-Palm Beach metropolitan area to face charges in connection with the scam.

Business News

Body of Missing 27-Year-Old Goldman Sachs Banker Found in Nearby Body of Water

John Castic, a 27-year-old Goldman Sachs employee, went missing around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday after attending a concert at the Brooklyn Mirage in East Williamsburg.

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

企业家是不能过度指狗万官方望太多a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Business Culture

The Newest Workplace Trend Has HR Sounding The Alarm

HR departments are still figuring out how to handle "quiet quitting," but a new trend is taking over.

Business News

Taco Bell Slammed With Lawsuit Over 'Especially Concerning' Advertisements, Allegedly Deceiving Customers

The class action lawsuit claims the chain is advertising more than they deliver.