Panko: Japanese Breadcrumbs and the Difference from Regular Breadcrumbs
Panko is Japanese breadcrumbs made from crustless white bread that producers grate into coarse, airy flakes. Compared with German-style breadcrumbs it absorbs less fat, turns crispier when fried and stays crisp longer, for example on tonkatsu, chicken katsu or fried shrimp.
Fact sheet
- Also known as
- パン粉, Panko-Paniermehl, japanisches Paniermehl, Panko-Brösel
- Origin
- Japan
- Taste
- neutral, leicht nach Weißbrot; luftig knusprig nach dem Frittieren
- Substitute
- selbst geriebenes, getrocknetes Toastbrot ohne Rinde, grob zerdrückte ungesüßte Cornflakes, grobe Semmelbrösel
- Storage
- trocken, kühl und luftdicht, mehrere Monate
- Where to buy
- Supermarkt (Asia-Regal oder neben Semmelbröseln), Asialaden, online
Name and production
The name combines “pan” for bread, a loanword from Portuguese, and “ko” for flour or powder: パン粉. In Japan all bread crumbs are called that. Outside Japan, panko means the coarse, flaky kind.
For panko, producers bake a light wheat bread. Many cook the dough with electric current passed through it instead of in an oven. This gives a bread with no crust. The bread rests, is grated coarsely and gently dried. There is white panko from crustless bread and golden panko, which contains crust or browning.
Panko and regular breadcrumbs: the difference
| Feature | Panko | Regular breadcrumbs |
|---|---|---|
| Starting product | white bread without crust | dried rolls with crust |
| Structure | coarse, elongated flakes | fine, dense crumbs |
| Fat absorption | low | higher |
| Result | airy, shatteringly crisp, light | dense, even crust, darker |
| Typical use | tonkatsu, ebi fry, korokke | Wiener schnitzel, meatballs, gratins |
The large flakes let steam escape during frying and form many hollow spaces. That is why a panko crust stays crisp on the plate and under sauce even after a few minutes.
Breading properly with panko
- Pat meat, fish or vegetables dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Turn first in flour and tap off the excess.
- Pull through beaten egg and let it drip briefly.
- Lay it in panko, scatter flakes over the top and press lightly with a flat hand. Don't rub, or the flakes break.
- Fry at 170 to 180 °C (340 to 355 °F) until the crust is golden brown. A pork cutlet 1.5 cm (½ in) thick needs about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Drain on a rack, not on paper towels. There the underside gets soggy.
In the oven or an air fryer, panko stays pale. Toast it first in a pan with a little oil or butter until golden brown, then bread with it.
Uses in the kitchen
The best-known panko dish is Tonkatsu, the Japanese pork cutlet with Tonkatsu sauce. With chicken it becomes Chicken katsu, with egg and onions over rice Katsudon. For Menchi katsu you bread ground meat patties, for Korokke potato croquettes.
Shrimp get a thick panko coat as Ebi fry. In Vietnam the variation is called Tôm chiên xù; “xù” describes the shaggy surface of the flakes.
Common breading mistakes
- Wet meat: Without blotting and flour, the breading slides off during frying.
- Oil too cool: Below 160 °C (320 °F) panko soaks up oil and turns greasy. Check the temperature with a thermometer or a wooden chopstick: if fine bubbles rise at once, the oil is hot enough.
- Too much at once: Several cutlets at the same time cool the oil. Fry in small batches.
- Cut too soon: Let tonkatsu rest on the rack for 2 minutes. Then the juice stays in the meat and the crust doesn't come off when you cut.
For four cutlets plan on about 100 g panko, 2 eggs and 4 tbsp flour. You can't keep leftovers from the breading station, because raw egg and meat juice are in them.
Outside the fryer, panko works as a crisp topping for bakes and oven-baked fish. In meatballs and burger meat it binds without making the mixture heavy.
Substitutes and making panko yourself
Homemade panko comes close to the bought kind:
- Cut the crusts off day-old white sandwich bread.
- Grate it into flakes on the coarse side of a grater or pulse it briefly in a blender.
- Spread on a baking sheet and dry at 150 °C (300 °F) for 10 to 15 minutes. The flakes should dry out but take on no color.
- Let cool completely and store airtight.
As a quick substitute, coarsely crushed unsweetened cornflakes or coarse breadcrumbs work. Fine breadcrumbs work too, but the crust turns denser and less airy.
Buying, storing and allergens
Most supermarkets carry panko, either in the Asian aisle or next to the breadcrumbs. At an Asian grocery store you get larger bags and a choice between white and golden panko, online also gluten-free versions made from rice or corn.
Classic panko is made of wheat and contains gluten. Depending on the recipe it can contain traces of soy, milk or sesame; the package lists them. Dry, cool and well closed, panko keeps for several months. If it smells musty or rancid, throw it away. Panko belongs on the Asian pantry list, because with it you can bread on a whim.