So you're making meatballs or prepping breaded chicken and WHAM—it hits you: You're out of bread crumbs. You slam your cookbook closed. You drop to your knees. You beg for an answer, a quick fix. Then, you remember. One time, when you were poking around online, you found this article on Delish about handy bread crumb swaps, and you saved it, knowing you'd need it in the not so far off future. Past you—future you thanks you.
Bread crumbs have two main uses in a recipe. They either act as a binder or a crispy topping or coating. "They can be a stabilizer that acts as a glue," June Xie, senior food producer, said. "Bread crumbs soak up the moisture and fuse everything together." Think meatballs and meatloaf that need something dry to pull all the fatty beef, eggs, and other ingredients together.
As a crispy topping, they can be toasted and sprinkled on top of gooey mac and cheese or used to coat meat, fish or veggies before frying or baked to add texture and a little flavor.
When you're fresh out of the good stuff and are rooting around in your pantry for a substitute, you have to think about how you are going to be using the ingredient—as a binder or for texture. Not all bread crumb swaps are made equal. But don't worry, we've included the best applications of each sub and how to incorporate it into your dish.