What Are Seasoned dry bread crumbs and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about seasoned dry bread crumbs and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 50 recipes to cook tonight.

Key Points

Fine dry crumbs pre-mixed with salt, herbs, garlic, and often Parmesan, usually Italian-style.
One can handles breading, binding meatballs and meatloaf, and a crisp golden casserole topping.
Because they are pre-salted, season the rest of the dish lightly or it turns too salty.
Toast them before topping for deeper crunch; plain crumbs or panko swap in with added herbs.
Keep sealed and dry; use opened cans within a few months, or freeze for longer.

What are seasoned dry bread crumbs?

Seasoned dry bread crumbs are fine, dry crumbs already mixed with salt, dried herbs, garlic, onion, and usually a hit of Parmesan or paprika. The most common style is Italian-seasoned, the kind in the familiar canister on the baking aisle. Open the lid and they smell of oregano and garlic.

The point is convenience. They cover breading and binding from a single can, plus a crisp topping, all with the seasoning already built in. You skip measuring out a handful of dried herbs every time you breaded a cutlet.

They are drier and finer than fresh crumbs, which makes them coat evenly and crisp up well, but also means they can taste a little dusty if that is all you use.

Ways to Use Seasoned Bread Crumbs

The biggest job is breading. Set up the standard line of flour, then beaten egg, then seasoned crumbs. Press the crumbs onto chicken or fish cutlets before frying or baking. They carry both the crunch and the seasoning.

That is the whole appeal of dishes like Boulder Chicken, Microwave Oven-Fried Chicken, and Mom's Simple Chicken Parmesan.

They also bind. Stirred into ground meat, they soak up moisture and hold meatballs and meatloaf together, as in Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs and Russian Stuffed Meatloaf. Because they are pre-salted and herbed, you can lean on them and add less separate seasoning.

The third job is topping. Scatter them over a casserole or gratin, dot with butter or a little oil, and bake until golden and crisp, the way Cod Casserole Au Gratin finishes with a browned crumb crust.

For the best crunch, toast the crumbs in a dry pan or a little butter before they go on as a topping. Raw from the can they can bake up pale and soft; a quick toast turns them deep gold and nutty.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

These crumbs lean Italian, so they sit naturally with tomato, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, and garlic. They suit chicken, veal, eggplant, and white fish, and they bring instant flavor to anything baked under a crust.

The most common mistake is double-seasoning. Because salt and herbs are already in the mix, adding a full measure of salt on top makes the dish too salty. Taste, then season the rest of the recipe lightly.

The second is stale crumbs. Bread crumbs go rancid as the bits of oil in the bread oxidize, and old ones taste flat or faintly bitter. If the can has been open in the cupboard for a year, the seasoning has faded too, so start fresh.

Substitutes

Plain dry bread crumbs are the obvious swap. Use them one-for-one, then add your own salt and dried oregano, plus garlic powder and a spoon of grated Parmesan, to mimic the Italian blend.

Panko gives a lighter, crunchier coat but comes unseasoned, so toss it with the same dried herbs and salt before using. It stays crisper longer, which is great for baked breading.

In a pinch, crushed crackers or cornflakes can stand in for a topping or binder, as can a handful of dry stuffing mix, each bringing its own seasoning to account for.

To make your own, dry out stale bread and blitz it to crumbs, then season the batch with herbs and salt and a little Parmesan.

Buying and Storing

You will find seasoned dry bread crumbs in canisters on the baking or pasta aisle, usually labeled Italian-style. Check the date and give the can a sniff if you can; they should smell of toasted bread and herbs, never sour or like old oil.

Keep the canister tightly sealed in a cool, dry cupboard, away from heat and humidity that turn them stale or moldy. Unopened they hold for months past the date; once opened, use within a few months for the best flavor and crunch.

For longer storage, especially homemade crumbs, freeze them in an airtight bag. They keep for several months frozen and go straight from the freezer into breading or onto a casserole, no thawing needed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup (120g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 459Calories from Fat 59

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 6.6g 10%

Saturated Fat 1.7g 8%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 1mg 0%

Sodium 2110mg 88%

Total Carbohydrate 82.2g 27%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 6.9

Protein 17.0g

Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 5%

Calcium 22% • Iron 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find seasoned dry bread crumbs: Seasoned dry bread crumbs are usually found in the bakery section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Seasoned dry bread crumbs are a member of the Baked Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese: 经验丰富的干面包屑
British (UK) term: Seasoned dry bread crumbs
en français: chevronnés miettes de pain sec
en español: pan rallado sazonado

How much do seasoned dry bread crumbs weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 cup	120 grams
1 ounce	28 grams

Baked Products

Biscuit baking mix (bisquick) 416 Cornbread 49 Bread, french baguette 56 French bread 203 Bread, italian 56 Crusty bread 16 Pita bread 88 Rye bread 48 Bread 571 Bread, white 169

Recipes using seasoned dry bread crumbs

There are 50 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Lemon Chicken Asparagus

Chicken breast turned out juicy, made my own seasoned bread crumbs by toasting some bread and using a food processor adding some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, turned out a bit dark but awfully tasty. I used speck, a smoked prosciutto instead of the turkey ham and the flavors matched up well. I made a sauce by deglazing the pan with a bit of white wine. Overall a nice combination and quite easy to make.

More seasoned dry bread crumbs recipes

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