Plant-based meat (PBM) describes foods made mainly from plant ingredients and designed to reproduce some of the sensory, functional and cooking qualities of conventional meat. Interest in these products has increased alongside concerns about food production’s environmental footprint, animal welfare, changing dietary patterns and the need for more diverse protein sources. Advances in protein fractionation, extrusion, shear-cell processing, binding systems, flavour development and fat structuring have made it easier to produce plant-based burgers, mince, sausages, nuggets and whole-cut analogues. Even so, plant-based meat is not one uniform nutritional or technological category: its composition varies substantially according to the protein source, degree of processing, added fats, sodium, micronutrient fortification and manufacturing method. Products can provide dietary fibre and may contain less saturated fat than some meat products, but they can also be high in sodium and may provide less vitamin B12, iron or protein per serving unless specifically formulated. Many plant-based products have been found to offer environmental advantages, although the scale of those benefits depends on ingredients, energy use, processing, packaging and the animal product being replaced. Consumer acceptance remains closely linked to flavour, texture, price, familiarity, cooking performance and trust in ingredient lists. This review brings together research from roughly the past decade on the principal ingredients, processing technologies, nutritional and safety considerations, environmental implications, consumer acceptance and future directions of plant-based meat. Overall, PBM is most likely to contribute to more diverse food systems when development gives equal attention to sensory quality, nutritional adequacy, transparent communication and life-cycle assessment rather than treating meat imitation alone as the primary goal.