If you ever wanted to make your own panko, you couldn’t. We’re not trying to insult you. It’s not that you lack the skills. It’s not because you don’t have the finances to conduct the research and development. It’s because panko is such a pure and perfect ingredient that it can’t be replicated at home.
You’ve heard about panko. Whether it was spotted on the menu at your favorite Japanese spot (probably to describe the katsu breading) or mentioned by your friend when describing the “secret” ingredient in his chicken cutlets, the Japanese breadcrumb is pretty much common knowledge by this point. But why do we love it so much?
Well, for starters, most panko is made from a simple white bread (which is cooked with electrical currents, so it doesn't develop a crust). They actually aren’t really crumbs at all but instead flakes, and senior food editor Claire Saffitz says that’s what makes their texture so damn good. Panko is super airy (while other breadcrumbs are too fine to support air pockets), which delivers an unparalleled crispiness from a short toasting time under high heat. Anytime you want to bread something, panko is far superior than the dried Italian stuff you probably grew up eating.
You can find panko breadcrumbs at pretty much every grocery store with an international aisle. You’ll notice that not all panko is made in Japan, but they are all based on the traditional Japanese product. Panko usually isn’t seasoned, which we love. It means you have complete control over the salt and flavors going into your dish, since heavenly crisp is the only thing panko brings to the table. Unlike you, who brings so much. Seriously, you’re an inspiration.
Even if you have a recipe that calls for a fine breadcrumb, you can still use panko. All you have to do is pulse panko in the food processor (and if you don’t have on of those, you can just throw them in a Ziploc bag and go to town with a mallet or spoon) to break it up a bit. You’ll be able to use your finer creation for dishes that need a tight, fried casing, like eggplant parm, which absorbs way too much oil if breadcrumbs aren’t fine.
Panko is such an easy upgrade that we’ll confidently label it a no-brainer. It’s a simple swap that pays off in a major way, from chicken fingers to fried shrimp to katsu. It even works on top of gratins and pastas. Panko is an instant elevation, the kind that will make your modest lifestyle feel like more of a Tony Montana living situation. You know, without all the machine guns and 1980s fashion trends.
