This Tattooed Chef Review walks through some of the most popular Tattooed Chef products of 2022 and whether or not we think that they are worth the cost.
Tattooed Chef is a Los Angeles, California based company that specializes in plant-based foods. The focus is great flavors and great foods that makes you feel good with products that revolve around Earth grown crops.
While we stated in the video that all their products are gluten free, it appears that they do have one product that is not according to their website (however that product also isn’t vegan).
The company does tout a plant based label; however, that includes both vegan and vegetarian items. About half of their line does contain cheese or other milk or egg ingredients. While we don’t approve of labeling vegetarian items as plant based, there is no law prohibiting it, so it’s important to be mindful when picking up Tattooed Chef products that you are only looking for ones clearly labeled VEGAN.
Today we are dishing all the details on price, ingredients, and our opinion of the taste.
Make sure that you watch our taste test below and all the questions you may have should be answered below as well.
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Watch our Tattooed Chef Review:
What products does Tattooed Chef offer?
Tattooed Chef touts that they are the fasting growing frozen entree brand in plant-based foods and they’re on a rocket ship to introducing even more.
With that said in 2022, they will expand their line to 140 products in 10 different categories, including moving out of just the frozen aisle. Their new items will include bars and chips.
For this Tattooed Chef review, we are focused on the frozen aisle though as that is what has expanded locally for us.
The frozen items that we tried are:
- Bowls
- Quesadillas
- Burritos
- Pizza
- and Pasta
Is Tattooed Chef Vegan?
Not entirely. While the brand says they are plant based, they offer many vegetarian items that include both eggs and dairy based milk.
What allergens are in Tattooed Chef?
Full Allergens below, but most of the items from Tattooed Chef are all gluten free. In fact, we only saw one in the entire line that contained gluten. Many products do contain soy and nuts (coconut/almond) and some sesame. Overall, it’s a fairly allergen-friendly brand over all.
Tattooed Chef Plant Based 2 Cheese Pizza Review
Thoughts: It’s one of the better cauliflower crust pizzas. The vegan cheese does have that stick to your mouth feel but the taste is good on the cheese. Overall, the pizza was nice and the crust got crispy. We do this that the size of the pizza is small compared to the almost $8 cost. Also, the cauliflower taste becomes even stronger the long you let it sit, so we’d recommend eating it all at once.
Ingredients: Cauliflower Crust (Cauliflower, Rice Flour, Water, Chia Flour, Rice Starch, Palm Oil, Yeast, Agave Nectar, Cane Sugar, Salt, Cultured Brown Rice, Brown Rice, Garlic Powder, Spices, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Fruit And Vegetable Nutrient Extract Blend [Cranberry, Apple, Orange, Tomato, Broccoli, Carrot, And Shiitake Mushrooms]), Sauce (Tomato Puree, Salt, Sugar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Spices, Garlic Powder), Vegan Mozzarella Style Shreds (Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Pea Protein, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Powdered Cellulose Added To Prevent Caking, Salt, Soluble Corn Fiber, Dextrose, Tricalcium Phosphate, Fava Bean Protein, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Modified Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavor, To Preserve Freshness [Potassium Sorbate], Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Pectin, Tripotassium Phosphate, Natamycin [A Natural Mold Inhibitor], Lactic Acid Starter Culture), Vegan Style Cheddar Shreds (Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Pea Protein, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Powdered Cellulose Added To Prevent Caking, Salt, Soluble Corn Fiber, Dextrose, Tricalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Fava Bean Protein, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Modified Tapioca Starch, To Preserve Freshness [Potassium Sorbate], Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Pectin, Tripotassium Phosphate, Colored With [Annatto], Lactic Acid Starter Culture).
Allergens: Coconut
Price: $7.99
Tattooed Chef Cauliflower Spaghetti with Plant Based Bolognese Review
Thoughts: Andrew wasn’t a fan of this. Larisha didn’t mind it, but it wasn’t a fav. If you need a quick gluten free frozen noodle entree though that’s vegan, we do think that you would enjoy this dish. It is again pricey at $8.49 for the bag. While it does say serves 4, we think it’s more like a 2 serving portion, so you’d need double if you’re serving a family of 4.
When you open it, it’s large pucks that seem like they won’t cook, but the instructions were simple and it did come out well.
Ingredients: Tomato Sauce (Tomato Pulp, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Onion, Sugar, Basil, Salt, Garlic, Red Chili Pepper, Citric Acid), Precooked Cauliflower Pasta (Cauliflower, Pea Flour, Lentil Flour, Water, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Vegetable Fiber [Psyllium), Xanthan Gum, Sunflower Oil), Plant Based Beef Crumble (Water, Pea Protein, Coconut Oil, Rice Flour, Coconut Aminos (Coconut Syrup, White Cane Vinegar, Himalayan Salt), Tomato Powder, Spices, Molasses, Flavoring)
Allergens: Coconut
Price: $8.49
Tattooed Chef Plant Based Quesadillas Review
Thoughts: These were just okay. The tortillas are made from coconut and cassava and it was a bit gummy to us. We did use the microwave instructions and so maybe one of the other ways would be better though there isn’t a recommended method for cooking on the packages.
Andrew didn’t like the buffalo chicken one at all and just said the al pastor was okay. Larisha thought they were both just okay. The flavors are there, but the meat in the al pastor was weirdly chewy and the buffalo chicken had rice that through off the expected texture some.
You get two quesadillas (basically an 8″ tortilla filled and folded) in one box and when we think of that compared to the price, again it seems high (to us!)
They do also have a Chorizo and a Sweet Chili Chicken version in the Quesadilla.
Buffalo Chicken Ingredients: Cassava And Coconut Flour Tortilla (Water, Cassava Flour, Coconut Flour, Tapioca Starch, Coconut Oil, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Sea Salt, Coconut Sugar, Vinegar, Yeast), Grain Free Rice (Chickpea Pasta [Water, Chickpea Flour], Lentil Pasta [Water, Lentil Flour]), Cheddar Alternative (Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Food Starch [Potato & Corn], Corn Starch, Sea Salt, Cheddar Flavor [Vegan Sources], Olive Extract, Paprika Extract & Beta Carotene [Color], Vitamin B12), Plant-Based Chicken Alternative (Wäter, Textured Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil, Pulse Flour [Lentils And Peas], Potato Starch, Flours [Corn, Tapioca And Rice], Pea Fiber, Natural Flavors), Buffalo Wing Sauce (Distilled Vinegar, Aged Cayenne Peppers, Salt, Water, Canola Oil, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavor), Green Onion.
Al Pastor Ingredients: Cassava And Coconut Flour Tortilla (Water, Cassava Flour, Coconut Flour, Tapioca Starch, Coconut Oil, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Sea Salt, Coconut Sugar, Vinegar, Yeast), Plant-Based Pork Alternative (Water, Textured Pea Protein, Brown Sugar, White Distilled Vinegar, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Tomato Paste, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Caramel Color, Dehydrated Onion, Dehydrated Garlic, Ground Chipotle Pepper, Natural Hardwood Smoke, Yeast Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ground Cloves), Cheddar Alternative (Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Food Starch [Potato & Corn], Corn Starch, Sea Salt, Cheddar Flavor [Vegan Sources], Olive Extract, Paprika Extract & Beta Carotene [Color], Vitamin B12), Mozzarella Alternative (Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Food Starch [Potato & Corn], Corn Starch, Sea Salt, Mozzarella Flavor [Vegan Sources], Olive Extract, Beta Carotene [Color], Vitamin B12), Pineapple (Pineapple, Pineapple Juice, Citric Acid), Pineapple Juice (Pineapple Juice From Concentrate [Water, Pineapple Juice Concentrate], Ascorbic Acid), Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce (Water, Tomato Paste, Dried Chipotle Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Corn Oil, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Iodized Salt [Contains Potassium Iodate], Cornstarch, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Spices), Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder.
Allergens: Both contained Coconut
Price: $6.49
Tattooed Chef Plant Based Beefy Nacho Burrito Review
Thoughts: This was one of our favorites from this review. The tortillas are made from coconut and cassava and it was a bit gummy to us like above. However, the tortilla to filling ratio was perfect and seems to be a lot more than some other vegan brands.
It did split open for us making a bit of a mess, but that wasn’t a big deal to us.
They do also have Bean Cheese & Rice and Green Chili Chicken burrito varieties available.
Ingredients: Cassava & Coconut Flour Tortilla (Water, Cassava Flour, Coconut Flour, Tapioca Starch, Coconut Oil, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Sea Salt, Coconut Sugar, Vinegar, Yeast), Pinto Beans (Pinto Beans, Water, Salt), Plant Based Beef Crumble (Water, Pea Protein, Coconut Oil, Rice Flour, Coconut Aminos [Coconut Syrup, White Cane Vinegar, Salt]), Chili Powder [Spices (Including Chili Peppers), Paprika, Salt, Garlic), Tomato Powder, Molasses, Cocoa Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Natural Smoke Flavor), Cheddar Alternative (Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Food Starch [Potato & Corn], Corn Starch, Sea Salt, Cheddar Flavor [Vegan Sources), Olive Extract, Paprika Extract & Beta Carotene [Color], Vitamin B12), Sour Cream Alternative (Water, Coconut Oil, Tapioca Flour, Pea Protein, Dextrose, Corn Starch, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Lactic Acid (Vegan), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12, Cultures), Cream Cheese Alternative (Water, Coconut Oil, Potato Starch, Sea Salt, Glucono-Dlta-Lactone, Flavor [Vegan Sources], Olive Oil, Vitamin B12), Jalapeno Chiles (Jalapeno Chile, Water, Salt, Acetic Acid, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate [Preservatives]), Water, Dried Chili Pepper, Garlic Powder.
Allergens: Both contained Coconut
Price: $3.29
Tattooed Chef Plant Based Bowls Review
Thoughts: Tattooed Chef’s plant based frozen bowl meals is how we were first introduced to the brand. They have a wide selection and recently introduced plant based meat into some of their options. We love the veggie bowls because they feature some of the cleanest ingredient lists when it comes to frozen plant based meals, some with low levels of sodium compared to other frozen meals as well.
For this taste test, we tried the Plant based Chicken Teriyaki Bowl and the Veggie Hemp Bowl with Turmeric Almond Butter Dressing.
Our biggest complaint is that for the price of $4.99 per bowl, there is very little in terms of ingredients. The bowl is only 8.5oz for reference.
The taste of both bowls we tried was delicious though and we think these are some of Tattooed Chef’s best products.
The bowls are their biggest line, but many are just vegetarian so please be mindful of that. Other vegan bowl options include: Burrito Bowl, Pesto Harvest Bowl, and Chicken Burrito Bowl.
Ingredients: Cassava & Coconut Flour Tortilla (Water, Cassava Flour, Coconut Flour, Tapioca Starch, Coconut Oil, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Sea Salt, Coconut Sugar, Vinegar, Yeast), Pinto Beans (Pinto Beans, Water, Salt), Plant Based Beef Crumble (Water, Pea Protein, Coconut Oil, Rice Flour, Coconut Aminos [Coconut Syrup, White Cane Vinegar, Salt]), Chili Powder [Spices (Including Chili Peppers), Paprika, Salt, Garlic), Tomato Powder, Molasses, Cocoa Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Natural Smoke Flavor), Cheddar Alternative (Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Modified Food Starch [Potato & Corn], Corn Starch, Sea Salt, Cheddar Flavor [Vegan Sources), Olive Extract, Paprika Extract & Beta Carotene [Color], Vitamin B12), Sour Cream Alternative (Water, Coconut Oil, Tapioca Flour, Pea Protein, Dextrose, Corn Starch, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Lactic Acid (Vegan), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12, Cultures), Cream Cheese Alternative (Water, Coconut Oil, Potato Starch, Sea Salt, Glucono-Dlta-Lactone, Flavor [Vegan Sources], Olive Oil, Vitamin B12), Jalapeno Chiles (Jalapeno Chile, Water, Salt, Acetic Acid, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate [Preservatives]), Water, Dried Chili Pepper, Garlic Powder.
Allergens: Both contained Coconut
Price: $3.29
We found all our Tattooed Chef products at Target. One store in our region has a wide selection of products compared to other locations, so definitely check out all your surrounding stores for more options. Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club and other grocers also carry Tattooed Chef products. See the Tattooed Chef store locator for the most accurate information.
Tattooed Chef products range from $3.29 for a burrito to $9.89 for Gnocchi (our store didn’t have this). We do think that this is a high price and hope that as the brand continues to grow the prices will drop.
The Tattooed Chef is really based on a chef who has tattoos. Sarah Galletti has been the creative force behind the brand Ittella, and Italian company, who transitioned into Tattooed Chef according to their website.
Tattooed Chef review:
Overall, we were very much impressed with the taste of the Tattooed Chef products. We can tell the care and thought that went into making an amazing tasting product even if it’s found in the frozen aisle.
Some of the drawbacks for us are:
- the price– especially in an increasingly expanding market that is dropping costs to compete with non-vegan items.
- plant based label while animal based ingredients – this is probably our biggest downside to the company. As vegans, when we see the label plant based and it’s not a vegan product, it’s a complete turn off and we know plenty of other vegans that feel the same way. Unfortunately, the term isn’t regulated so companies can use as they want. Many of the Tattooed Chef products contains egg and dairy based milk. Since they have pizzas using vegan cheese already, we know that they could be a completely vegan company and hope that’s the way they go in the future.
- the wrap – the coconut and cassava flour wrap for us is a little gummy. I don’t think that it’s a complete turn off for never purchasing the products again, but it’s just a note
Have you tried these products? Let us know your thoughts!
Eva
I love the vegan vegetable pizza. The crust is absolutely delicious and the vegetables Tattooed Chef uses always taste fresh with a fresh texture. I am only dairy free and would love to see more non dairy cheese on regular pizza crust but it isn’t very available. This pizza is my favorite option so far and I have tried many. The reason I found your site though is because I just tried the chicken teriyaki bowl and it was so very delicious. I can’t say I have ever tried a better frozen teriyaki bowl from any company, meat or no meat. Again with the vegetables that felt and tasted fresh! I am not vegetarian so I eat chicken but am working on eliminating meat entirely. This plant based chicken was so realistic that I forgot it was plant based. The sauce was amazing. So, I went down the rabbit hole online in hopes of finding they will succeed so I can count on continuing to get their delicious alternatives. Unfortunately I find that the company is suffering which I found very saddening, but also I am in wonder because their biggest competitors don’t even come close in quality and flavor. I don’t work for the company or know anyone there, I’m just really impressed with the food. I have not tried anything else from them yet.
LarishaBernard
I’m glad you’ve found some things you enjoy Eva. Hope they stay around so you can continue
Jd
Larisha and Andrew thanks for saving us time and money when it comes to trying new products. Making the extra effort to share ingredient lists as well as photos of the nutritional details is greatly appreciated because of its value added to our decision making.
Please continue your good work because you are making a difference.
LarishaBernard
Thank you so much for such kind words! Appreciate it