Does Impossible Foods Make Hot Dogs?

If you've tuned in to find a quick answer to the question posed in the title, we have an equally quick answer for you: Yes, Impossible Foods does make hot dogs. Since you're here, though, why don't you stick around for a bit to learn more about the product? After all, they were probably already on your radar since one of the hot food news stories of Summer 2024 was the fact that Joey Chestnut, who won his 16th Mustard Belt in 2023, would not be participating in the Fourth of July Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest because he is now endorsing Impossible Foods. Nathan's, it seems, considered the plant-based brand a competitor since it introduced its hot dogs earlier in the year.

Impossible Food's hot dogs have the word "beef" right on the packaging and are obviously meant to mimic the meat — the brand's website proudly touts the fact that 107 out of 159 people testing the product in July 2023 found the flavor to be somewhat beef-like. The first ingredient listed on the label, however, is water, while the second is wheat gluten. Sunflower and coconut oil round out the list, with the addition of trace elements of various spices, seasonings, faux smoke flavor, and the usual coloring agents and preservatives. Sadly, there don't appear to be any of what one Redditor speculated would be "salad snouts."

While Impossible dogs may be a boon for any non-meat eaters who may be unsatisfied with any of the other veggie dogs currently available, it's not without its issues. First and foremost would be the fact that this hot dog is almost entirely composed of gluten, making it a big no-no for anyone following a gluten-free diet. Unfortunately, gluten-free veggie dogs seem to be few and far between, with Better Balance and Sweet Earth being among the few brands available in grocery stores.

Yet another issue, as might be expected, is the flavor and texture. After all, 52 out of those 159 Impossible Foods testers weren't wowed by the ersatz beef flavor, and some of those who've tried this hot dog have found it to be soft, squishy, and bland. Finally, Impossible dogs are on the pricy side — at the time of writing, Misfits Market is selling them for $7.99 for a 10-ounce package of six, whereas a 15-ounce package of 10 Oscar Mayer beef hot dogs can be purchased from Walmart for $3.94. Still, perhaps the veggie dog market will improve once the competition heats up. Beyond Meat has been teasing its own plant-based hot dog for several years, while Oscar Mayer, too, is poised to enter the plant-based game.