4 Simple Substitutes For Bread Crumbs In A Recipe

Breadcrumbs are a pretty standard finishing touch for covering casseroles, coating proteins like chicken and fish, adding texture to homemade mac and cheese, and even topping ice cream. If you're browsing the aisles, you'll find many different types of breadcrumbs, including panko and plain ones which differ in size and crunch. If you're taking the homemade route, in many cases, the best kind of bread for breadcrumbs is the most basic. However, if you don't have a loaf on hand and want to skip the store-bought stuff, or simply want to switch things up, there are plenty of other crunchy, crispy, and flavorful toppings to try in place of breadcrumbs.

You can't go wrong with a classic, but if you're open to giving your canister of breadcrumbs a rest, many of the ingredient swaps are hearty, accessible, and easy to put together. So, the next time you're looking to finish a dish, there's a whole world of standard snack items, breakfast basics, and pantry staples to try.

Potato products are always a crowd-pleaser. To channel breakfast for dinner, you can always top casseroles with shredded hash browns instead of breadcrumbs. However, for an even crunchier covering, open a bag of potato chips to get the perfect substitute for breadcrumbs. You can experiment with thickness and test out different flavors like plain, salty, tangy ranch, or even creamy cheddar. Just make sure that the chips are carefully crushed to match the texture of breadcrumbs. You can then add these chips before or after baking your dish.

The crunch and crackle of simple cereals like corn flakes make them another easy breadcrumb swap. Created by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in the mid 1800s, the invention of cereal has been the subject of surprising mythology. Nevertheless, the breakfast staple is a particularly popular option for coating proteins like steak and chicken. Just crush the corn flakes first, either using a blender or by popping them in a plastic bag and then smashing them with a rolling pin to get a finely ground coating.

There's a solid chance that you have a container of rolled oats tucked away somewhere in your pantry. Not to be confused with steel cut oats, rolled oats (also known as old fashioned oats) are softer and tend to cook faster than other varieties. Rolled oats are an essential ingredient for easy, hearty overnight oats and chewy oatmeal cookies. They're on the softer side so they aren't the best to use in place of breadcrumbs for a crispy coating, but they are great when used to bind meatballs and meatloaf together.

Nuts are another important versatile kitchen essential to keep on hand. They can boost sides like cranberry sauce or give queso added texture. To ensure you always have some on hand, remember to store nuts in the freezer to make them last longer. You can then use these safely stored nuts to replace breadcrumbs, or use whatever variety you have leftover from your homemade trail mix. Finely chop nuts like almonds or walnuts to crust salty fish dishes like a herby salmon for dinner.