If cracker meal has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 13 recipes to try it in.

What is cracker meal?

Cracker meal is exactly what it sounds like: dry crackers, usually plain saltines or soda crackers, ground to a fine, even crumb. It is an old American standby for breading and binding, sitting somewhere between flour and breadcrumbs in texture.

The crackers are what make it different from breadcrumbs. They are already crisp and lightly salted, so cracker meal fries up extra crunchy and seasons the food a little as it goes. The crumb is also finer and more uniform than torn-bread crumbs.

It has long been the coating of choice for fried seafood and croquettes, where a tight, golden crust matters. For the wider family, see the flour hub.

Cooking With Cracker Meal

The two jobs are coating and binding. As a coating, dredge the food in flour, dip in beaten egg, then press into cracker meal for a crust that fries crisp and even. It clings well to wet items like crab and fish.

Seafood is its natural home. The Deviled Crab Croquettes and Individual Baked Lobster Pie both rely on it to hold a delicate mixture together and crisp on top.

As a binder, it does the work breadcrumbs do in meatloaf and burgers, soaking up juices so the mix holds its shape. A Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf uses it to keep the loaf tender without going dense.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Cracker meal suits rich, savory food: shellfish, white fish, ground meats, and anything you want crisp. A squeeze of lemon and a little hot sauce cut its toasty crunch nicely.

Remember that crackers are salted.

The most common mistake is seasoning a recipe as if the coating were neutral, which tips the dish over the edge. Taste first, then salt lightly.

The other slip is packing it on too thick. A heavy coat steams instead of crisping and falls off in the pan. A thin, pressed-on layer browns far better.

Substitutes

Plain dry breadcrumbs are the closest swap, one for one, though they brown a shade less crisp and add no salt. Panko gives a coarser, crunchier crust if you want more texture.

You can make cracker meal in a minute by crushing saltines in a bag or pulsing them in a processor until fine. Crushed cornflakes or matzo meal also stand in for the coating, each with its own flavor.

Buying and Storage

Cracker meal is sold in boxes in the baking or breadcrumb aisle, though it is less common than it once was. If your store does not carry it, a sleeve of saltines does the job for pennies.

Keep it airtight in a cool, dry cupboard, where it stays good for months. Like any dry crumb it will pick up moisture and go stale or musty, so seal it well and toss it if it smells off.

Quick facts

In Chinese

裂解餐

British (UK) term

Cracker meal

en français

cracker repas

en español

harina de galleta

Recipes using cracker meal

There are 13 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 13 recipes