What to use instead of breadcrumbs
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Crisp coating on fried and baked food
Dry starch particles brown and hold their shape in hot fat, and the gaps between them let steam escape, which is what keeps the crust crisp instead of soggy.
PankoRan out
1:1
Larger, flakier shards that crisp harder and soak up less oil. It browns more slowly, so judge by the food and not the colour.
Crushed cornflakesRan out
1:1, oven 15C lower
Sweeter and much crunchier, and the sugar browns fast enough to burn at frying temperature.
Crushed rice crackers or plain rice cerealGluten-free
1:1
Very crisp and pale, and the flavour is neutral to the point of blank. Season the coating harder than you would breadcrumbs.
Crushed pork rindsGluten-free
1:1
No starch, so it goes brittle and salty instead of crunchy, and it burns quickly. Cut the salt in the seasoning.
Fine cornmealGluten-free
1:1
Gritty and hard-crunching with a clear corn flavour. It browns slowly and sheds unless the surface is properly wet.
What doesn't work: Fresh bread blitzed in a processor and used wet. The moisture steams inside the coating and the crust turns to a soft paste. Dry the crumbs in a 120C oven for 20 minutes first and they work fine.
Panade that keeps meatballs and meatloaf tender
Crumbs soaked in liquid hold water inside a starch gel that stays put while the meat proteins tighten, so the mixture cannot squeeze itself dry.
Torn white bread soaked in milkRan out
1 slice + 3 tbsp milk per 500 g of meat
The original version and the softest result. Mash it to a paste first or you get white streaks through the meat.
Rolled oats soaked in milkGluten-free
1/3 cup + 3 tbsp milk per 500 g
Chewier, with visible flecks through the slice. It holds even more water than bread, so the mixture is looser.
Cooked riceGluten-free
1/2 cup per 500 g
Softer and looser, and the grains stay visible. Standard in cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers for exactly this reason.
Crushed crackers soaked in milkRan out
1/3 cup + 3 tbsp milk per 500 g
Works the same and brings its own salt and fat, so cut the recipe's salt by a pinch.
What doesn't work: Dry breadcrumbs stirred in with no liquid. They pull water out of the meat rather than holding it in, and the meatballs come out drier than if you had left the crumbs out entirely.
Browned topping on a gratin or casserole
Dry crumbs tossed in fat brown into a lid that stays crisp above a wet filling, because the fat keeps the steam from soaking them.
Panko with melted butterRan out
1 cup panko + 2 tbsp butter per 9x13 dish
Crisper and lighter and it stays that way for an hour on the table.
Half crumbs, half grated parmesanRan out
1/2 cup each per 9x13 dish
Browns faster and sets chewy-crisp instead of sandy. It adds real salt, so pull it back in the filling.
Crushed nutsGluten-free
1:1, added for the last 10 minutes only
Rich and crunchy and it scorches if it goes in at the start.
Crushed potato chipsGluten-free
1:1
Salty and greasy in a way that suits a tuna casserole, and it softens within 20 minutes of coming out of the oven.
What doesn't work: Bare crumbs with no fat on a wet filling. They wick liquid up from below and finish as a pale, damp layer that tastes of nothing.