Dixie Diners' Club - Chicken (Not!) Strips, 1 lb bag

Imitation meats interest me very much. I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm married to one, and I'm concerned about resources and humane practices and all that. So when I heard about these, I was surprised to hear that they had such high reviews. They're just soy flour, for goodness' sake! I had to try them. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, they actually work really well as a chicken substitute. I reconstitute them as recommended by other reviewers (I use chicken broth because again, I'm not vegetarian, though you could use any broth that tastes good, and I let them marinate for at least an hour after reconstitution) and then cook them in stir-fries primarily. And WOW, they really do have almost the same mouthfeel as chicken! They even have the same texture! It's purely astonishing. What's better: my husband is a lifelong vegetarian--yes, from his weaning in toddlerhood--and he's not enthused with imitation meats. He never got a taste for meat, and he's never liked the taste or texture. But he actually likes these. He even asked for them the other day--and I had some marinating in the fridge, so I could make him some when I cooked mine. He's never once asked for any other imitation meat I've ever made. He'll eat them if I serve them, usually, but he doesn't go out of his way to ask for this kind of food--until now. I have just one caveat to offer. Be aware that these do not reheat for beans. Eat them in one sitting; don't make a lot of extra strips. The fibers tighten solid over time and they get really leathery--chewy and tough. Good work, Dixie Diner's Club! Dunno how you did it, but you really did a good job.

I marinated overnight and used plenty of seasoning, but I could not get rid of an overwhelming soy taste. BTW, I used the similar beef product and I thought it was fine, with a nice flavoring and texture.

This is a great product, but may take some finessing to get it cooked to your liking. Read the tips throughout the reviews, they're very helpful! I prepped my Chicken-Not strips by first boiling them in vegetable stock for 8 minutes. I then prepared them as I would real chicken. I sauteed them in a teriyaki sauce and reduced it down. The texture was PERFECT after this. If you eat the Chicken-Not strips directly after reconstituting them, they're pretty gross. I tried a soft piece and it made me gag a little. You just make sure they're soft. Once the strips are soft, you can cook them like normal chicken. Then they're delicious! The texture transforms and it's amazing. I'm fairly new to veganism and this product is a great way to get protein. I haven't had meat cravings, but it was nice to be able to cook things that I am just used to cooking. It tasted way better than my photo looks!

Ok. This is a good product, but it's not for me. The texture is excellent, very meaty. The reason that I don't prefer it is that it has a very sweet flavor to it. If you like Miracle Whip, sweet pickles, and pineapples on your ham, then you will love this. I am going to finish the bag that I already purchased, but since I don't care for the above-mentioned flavors, I have to put waaaay too much salt in this for it to be palatable to me. The reason that I am purchasing soy meat is that crave savory/salty/meaty foods more than sweet-tasting foods.

The idea of a quick protein filled/low carb food option that doesn't require refrigeration is very attractive....but this is not my favorite thing to eat. Not by a long shot. It has to be cooked just right & seasoned very well to get rid of the cardboard taste & feel. Adding a ton of seasoning ups the sodium & makes me very thirsty. I find myself never wanting to eat this stuff so it just sits in the cupboard. Maybe I just haven't experimented enough to find the right way to prepare it to make it more appealing to me but I don't feel like trying. I just want to eat something else that I know I will like.....Well, at least i'll have it on hand for emergencies.

You do have to season adequately, but it doesn't take a medical degree to do it. Here's how I prepared it and the result was fantastic. I heated the water to boiling with some rosemary, red pepper flake, a tiny bit of salt, and black pepper, then soaked the Chicken Not strips in it. I kept the soaked Chicken Not in the fridge over night. The next day I made Julie Jordan's cashew chili recipe (google it) without the cashews or vinegar (or the butter, for my fellow vegans) and added the Chicken Not for fifteen minutes at the end when the chili was simmering. It was (is...made a big pot of it that we'll eat for a couple of nights) delicious. The Chicken Not looks like chicken but more important than looks or flavor, it has the texture of chicken, and I mean a VERY chicken-like texture. The big flavors of the chili made the Chicken Not extremely tasty. I really can't tell you how happy I am with this product. We're vegetarians, but my wife has been talking about her craving for Chinese pepper steak for a couple of weeks. I'm going to get the Beef Not strips and make her some Chinese pepper steak. The only thing I miss about meat is the mouth feel...the texture. And this Chicken Not captures it perfectly. I am very happy with this product and recommend it. Oh, and this is not a compensated review in any way, shape, or form.

I read so many reviews about this product, i have been vegan for 3 years and tried almost all the vegan products there is. But this is the first time I am trying this. I read some people saying its made of only soy and thats not good, but nobody said this was healthy? And for me personally eating this once a month is better than eating real chicken? And for those who said it was flavorless.. well you need to cook it right. You cant just do the instructions and hope it tastes good. I am pregnant and have been craving my dads gyro sandwich which he used to make before I was vegan. Thats why I decided to order this and try it. I have to admit the package does NOT look appetizing and the chicken does not look appetizing after boiling it either. So I decided to shred it up with my hands and made sure to squeeze out all the water. Then I marinated it in a little bit olive oil and gyro seasoning (looked up online) and after an hour I fried it in some oil and made a gyro sandwich. I have to say it was everything I hoped it would be. It was so delicious, my husband loved it and he has been vegan for 2 years now! But then we tried to give it to his brother who is not vegan and just visited my country and tried all the gyros and he loved it too! I am excited about this product and will try to make different recipes. It’s definetly not an everyday thing to eat but once in a while there is really no harm? 😊

No, sorry. The texture just wasn't what I was looking for. I had been buying beef-less or chicken-less from Trader Joe's, until they stopped stocking these items (I hear they are working on getting a new supplier). It's all about the texture. I need something I can shred with a fork to simulate pulled pork or shredded beef for chili or BBQ. The Trader Joe's products were pretty good for that. This product didn't cut it for me. I soaked the chips, as directed, but ultimately too spongy, didn't shred very well. I'm going to wait for Trader Joe's to come through (or make it myself, if it comes to that).