Our Test Kitchen came up with this alternative to high-sodium packaged bread crumbs. The seasoned bread crumbs, with garlic powder and dried herbs, make a savory topping for casseroles and a crispy coating for pork, chicken and fish.
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
If you’re wondering how to turn plain bread crumbs into seasoned bread crumbs, this guide makes it easy! All you need is five minutes to prep and 10 minutes to bake. Then you’ll want to let the bread crumbs cool before folding them into a recipe.
How many times do you consult a recipe’s ingredients and realize you don’t have bread crumbs? Whip up these seasoned bread crumbs and you’ll always have that ingredient on hand. The best part is that the spices are all dried and probably already waiting in your pantry.
You can even make these a few days before you know you’ll need them for a particular recipe, saving time when you do make baked Buffalo chicken or Greek potato casserole, just two of our favorite recipes using bread crumbs.
Ingredients for Seasoned Bread Crumbs
- Italian bread: The reason you want to use Italian bread is that it’s crusty and hard. Soft bread just won’t do it! Ciabatta is a popular Italian bread found at most bakeries and grocery stores.
- Garlic powder: This is dried and ground garlic. Compared with fresh garlic that’s minced or chopped, garlic powder disperses better throughout the recipe because it doesn’t clump.
- Parsley flakes: This spice—essentially dried parsley—is sold in the spice section at stores.
- Oregano: Also in the spice section, dried oregano is a peppery herb that adds subtle spicy notes to a recipe.
- Basil: Commonly used for Italian recipes, this is a dried version of basil leaves and is slightly sweet and pungent.
- Thyme: A member of the mint family, thyme is a dried spice with a peppery flavor that’s often used to season meat.
- Rosemary: An example of a very fragrant spice, dried rosemary tastes woodsy and lemony.
Directions
Step 1: Combine the ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Cover and process until fine crumbs form.
Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, it’s OK to use the “hand crunch” or box grater method. For the hand crunch method, wrap your bread in a paper towel, then squeeze and pinch until it’s your desired crumb texture. Pour the crumbs from the paper towel into the bowl, gently shaking to make sure you get every last crumb. If you use a box grater, place the grater in the center of a large bowl and swipe your bread down its sides as you would a block of cheese. The bread is already dry and ready to crumble, so you have perfect crumbs in just a few swipes—no corded equipment required!
Step 2: Bake the bread crumbs
Transfer the bread crumbs to a 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
Bake, uncovered, for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Let the bread crumbs cool completely before storing them.
Seasoned Bread Crumb Variations
- Use crackers instead of bread: If you don’t have bread but you do have crackers, use those to make bread crumbs. One thing to watch when using non-bread bread crumbs is salt levels. Chips and other crunchy snacks come preseasoned, so if the recipe calls for extra salt in the breading, skip that step.
- Add some spice to the bread crumbs: If you want to inject spicy flavor into the bread crumbs because it works well with a particular recipe, add 1/4 teaspoon dried cayenne pepper.
How to Store Seasoned Bread Crumbs
The whole reason you might want to make bread crumbs is to store them as a pantry ingredient. These keep very well at room temperature in an airtight container, or if you know you won’t use them until much later, they can be stored in the freezer.
Can you freeze seasoned bread crumbs?
You can do this in either of two ways: Freeze the bread crumbs before you’ve seasoned them, or freeze the completed recipe. If you’re freezing plain bread crumbs, you’ll add the seasonings when you’re ready to use the bread crumbs in a recipe. The point is that you’re not wasting bread!
How long do seasoned bread crumbs last?
If you keep the bread crumbs in an airtight, covered container at room temperature, they’ll keep for up to six months.
Can you make seasoned bread crumbs ahead of time?
Absolutely! That’s the beauty of this seasoned bread crumbs recipe: You’re making a pantry ingredient you can use later, maybe on a weeknight when you’re craving one of our breaded chicken recipes.
Seasoned Bread Crumb Tips
How do I make the bread crumbs finer?
If you prefer a finer style of bread crumbs, run them in the blender or food processor a little longer.
Why do I have to cube the bread?
If you prefer to tear the bread into smaller pieces, that will work too! The cube suggestion is merely a guide for size.
Does the bread need to be stale?
You can use fresh bread if you like, but this recipe is also a great way to use up bread that’s stale and no longer edible on its own.
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Yield
1 cup
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Italian bread, cubed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
Directions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor; cover and process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cool. Store in an airtight container.
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Our Test Kitchen came up with this good-for-you alternative to high-sodium packaged bread crumbs, using garlic powder and a handful of dried herbs. The crumbs make a savory topping for casseroles and a crispy coating for pork, chicken and fish.
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