The 9 Best Substitutes for Panko Breadcrumbs

Panko crumbs are light and flaky, and when fried, they are crispy and flavorful and absorb less oil than most other crumb options.

Golden and crispy, it can be hard to think of another substitute to use instead of panko crumbs if you don’t have them at home.

What are the best substitutes for panko breadcrumbs?  While you’ll never get the exact same results that panko crumbs could, there are some substitutes that come close, including crackers, cereals, noodles, and others. If you know the different substitutes for panko, you will be able to find the one that best suits your food.

To help you choose which panko substitute would work best for your meal and give you the closest results to panko breadcrumbs, we’ve listed the 9 best substitutes and how well they work!

What is panko?

To find the best substitute for an ingredient, you have to know exactly what that ingredient is. So what is panko?

Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb made by crushing crustless bread until it has a flake-like texture.

This breadcrumb is used to coat different foods, such as beef, chicken, pork, seafood or vegetables, which are then fried and cooked.

Many people prefer to use panko instead of regular breadcrumbs, as while regular breadcrumbs are ground very finely, panko breadcrumbs are ground more coarsely, giving an extra crunch to the dish once fried.

Panko also absorbs less oil than other types of breadcrumbs, meaning the resulting fried food is less oily and more crispy, golden, and juicy on the inside.

Although panko originates from Japan, it is used all over the world thanks to its great crunch and the flavor it gives to different foods.

The Absolute Best Substitutes for Panko

Panko breadcrumbs are loved by many for a reason, and it’s hard to find anything that comes close to the results Panko breadcrumbs give.

However, if you can’t get panko and need to cook something at home, there are other substitutes you can use that still work well.

Here are our top picks for the best panko substitutes. They each offer a slightly different finish to food, so read on to find out which one you think is the best substitute to use.

White bread

Panko is made from white bread, but it’s the process of how it’s made from white bread that sets it apart from other types of breadcrumbs.

The closest thing to panko breadcrumbs that you can make at home is to make your own white breadcrumbs, which is something most of us have at home, or have very easy access to.

Making panko breadcrumbs from white bread is fairly easy, but it helps if you have a food processor that you can use.

To make the breadcrumbs, start by breaking slices of white bread with your hands. He places these torn pieces of white bread into the food processor, and pulses until a coarse breadcrumb forms.

You don’t want it to be too thin, but rather have a rough, panko-like consistency.

Next, you can coat your food with this breadcrumb and start frying. If you want the breadcrumbs to be more like dry panko, you can let them sit in the fridge overnight before using them the next day.

A good tip for when you don’t have a food processor is to place the bread in the freezer, cutting it into a quarter loaf to make it easier to handle after freezing.

Once the bread is frozen, you can use a grater to grate the bread into small crumb pieces.

You can microwave the breadcrumbs for a bit or toast them in a pan to dry them out and make them crispier before coating.

Using white bread to make your own breadcrumbs at home is probably the closest thing to using real breadcrumbs, as they are both made from the same thing!

Cereals

The cereals you have in your pantry are surprisingly good substitutes for panko breadcrumbs, especially if you don’t want to use white bread and are looking for something that gives a very crunchy texture.

However, avoid using any cereal that is coated in sugar or has a sweet or fruity flavor , as it won’t taste as good with your protein of choice!

To use the cereal as a substitute for panko, you must place the cereal in a resealable plastic bag, push the air out, and close the bag.

Use your hand, a rolling pin, meat tenderizer, or other kitchen implement to slowly flatten the grains, making sure not to puncture the bag.

You don’t need to squash the grains too much as they will fall apart quickly, and keeping them a bit thicker will give your food a nice crunch once it’s fried.

Rice cereals and cornflakes are the best options to use as panko substitutes, but once again make sure they are not flavored or coated in sugar, as this could ruin the flavor.

Pretzels

Crackers are already dry and crunchy, so it stands to reason that using them as a substitute for panko would give you a dry, crunchy finish, too.

When using crackers as a substitute for panko breadcrumbs, it’s best to use plain crackers , rather than ones with added flavors that could change the taste of the food you’re cooking (unless that’s something you want).

You should also not use crackers that are too salty , as this could make your food too salty, which is never a good thing.

The best way to prepare the cookies for coating is to place them in a resealable plastic bag, expel the air, seal the bag, and then flatten the cookies with your hands or a rolling pin.

You can also place the cookies in a food processor and gently pulse the processor until the cookies are crumbly enough to use as a coating.

You can crush the cookies as coarse or as fine as you prefer; thicker cookies will give a crispier finish to the foods you are going to fry.

Follow the same crumbling process with the crushed cookies as with the breadcrumbs.

Walnuts

Walnuts are a good substitute for panko if you are looking for a substitute that will give your fried food a nuttier flavor. Frying the nut coating in oil also enhances the flavor of the nuts and adds quite a bit of depth to the food you are frying.

There are a wide variety of nuts that you can use as a topping for your food, but the most popular are probably peanuts or almonds.

You can prepare the nuts to crumble them by putting them in a resealable plastic bag, expelling the air and closing it. Next, you will need to crush the nuts, making sure not to pierce the bags, with a kitchen utensil.

Since the nuts are quite small, a rolling pin may be the best option for crushing them, rolling them back and forth to gently crush the peanuts.

If you have a food processor at home, you can puree the nuts in the processor until they are the right consistency.

You don’t need to grind them into a fine powder, but make sure the nuts are crushed small enough that they stick to the protein you’re coating them with and don’t fall out during the frying process.

If you want to get creative, you can even use trail mix!

French Fries/Fried Tortillas

French fries and tortilla chips work well as a substitute for panko breadcrumbs, and both the potato and corn options give great crunch and flavor to fried food.

The only problem with using French fries as a substitute for panko breadcrumbs is getting them to stick together.

You can choose to pulse the chips in a food processor, or mash them first in a plastic bag, and try to get them to a small texture, but not too small and powdery.

You must pass the proteins through egg and flour, or something similar, before coating them in the crushed fries so that they stick well.

Be sure not to leave any large chunks of fries in the crumble mixture, as this could cause a painful bite later on!

Sesame seeds

If you’re looking for a lighter coating, and aren’t too concerned with a very crunchy finish, you can use sesame seeds instead of panko crumbs.

The nice thing about using sesame seeds is that you don’t have to crush them first, and you can coat them directly on top of whatever protein you’re using with a bit of egg and flour if needed.

There are black or white sesame seeds, and most people choose to use the white ones to coat their food, but it really is up to you which one you prefer to use!

Parmesan

Although Parmesan cheese is the opposite end of the world from panko crumbs, it is a delicious substitute and offers great flavor to foods.

Plus, Parmesan is a diet-friendly breading option, so it’s ideal if you want a substitute for panko crumbs due to a dietary requirement. Parmesan is also sold ground or powdered, so you can save yourself preparation.

If you have a block of Parmesan at home, you can grate it on a fine grater to prepare it for the crumbs.

You can mix the Parmesan with butter to coat the proteins, or mix it with a little flour or almond flour to give it more texture. 

Parmesan gives a rich cheesy flavor and crunchy texture to any type of protein!

Rice flour

Rice flour may not give the same crunch as panko breadcrumbs, but it is a gluten-free option that can be used in almost all types of food.

It can be used in place of panko breadcrumbs or wheat flour, and it sticks to food very easily , meaning the chances of it coming off during the frying process are minimal.

Although you won’t get the same crunch from rice flour, you will still get a nice layer of texture and a nice golden color once the food is fried. The coat will also be thinner, but sometimes this is a good thing!

coconut flakes

Coconut flakes used in place of panko crumbs give food great flavor and texture, and are definitely crumbs you should try using at least once!

You can use coconut flakes, or even coconut powder, in sweet and savory foods by frying them, and coconut is gluten-free so it suits a number of diets.

The coconut flakes will be very crispy when frying and will give a fresh and nutty flavor to the food you are frying.

Healthy Substitutes for Panko Breadcrumbs

There are a few healthy substitutes for panko breadcrumbs that you can choose from.  Among them are rice flour, coconut flakes, walnuts, and sesame seeds.

All of them are a bit healthier than bread and chips, but it all depends on what your diet calls for and what you think tastes better while still being pretty healthy.

Gluten-Free Substitutes for Panko Breadcrumbs

You can choose from quite a few gluten-free substitutes for panko breadcrumbs. Some of the best gluten-free options are rice flour, coconut, nuts, and Parmesan cheese.

It’s a nice range of textures and flavors to choose from, so you’re not too limited in what you can use!

What is the best substitute for panko breadcrumbs?

The best substitute for panko breadcrumbs would probably be the breadcrumbs you make at home from white bread.

Panko is made with bread, so it makes sense that making your own breadcrumbs from white bread would give you the most panko-like flavor and texture.

It’s quite easy to make your own breadcrumbs at home using white bread, and you can even add some spices and herbs to flavor the breadcrumbs a bit.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over the best substitutes for panko breadcrumbs, let’s take a look at some related questions!

What is the difference between panko breadcrumbs and regular breadcrumbs?

Panko breadcrumbs come from crustless bread that is processed into flakes and then dried.  This gives panko crumbs a drier, flakier consistency, and they absorb less oil than regular breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs are made from bread that usually includes the crust and is crumbled to a crumb-like texture.

Can cornmeal be used instead of panko?

It is not a good idea to use cornmeal instead of panko breadcrumbs , as cornmeal will not give similar results as panko breadcrumbs.

Can I use panko breadcrumbs for desserts?

There are many desserts that call for panko breadcrumbs in the recipe . Grated panko can be used well in a variety of dessert recipes, whether as a binder, coating, or topping, and can create a delicious crunchy exterior for a confection.