How to Apply Breading

By Cheryl Slocum
Updated: December 14, 2016
Coating an ingredient with crumbs and either oven-, pan-, or deep-frying locks in moisture and adds satisfying crunch. The trick? Making sure breading doesn't flake off after cooking. Follow the three-step standard breading procedure for great results.
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Painko-Coconut Shrimp

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Panko-Coconut Shrimp

Once you've mastered the art of breading (keep clicking for our no-fail breading tips), apply your skills to our Panko-Coconut Shrimp recipe. Chopped coconut blended with whole-wheat panko create a sweet coating. Toasting the mixture before applying it to shrimp enhances the color, deepens the flavor, and amps up the crunch factor. We use cornstarch for our first dry layer. When dredged in egg whites, it forms a pastelike consistency that allows the coarse-textured breading to adhere to the shrimp. The cornstarch-egg mixture cooks and dries to form a strong bond between the crumbs and shrimp so the breading won't fall off.

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Step 1: Coat food with flour.

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Coat food with flour, cornstarch, or brown rice flour. The light dusting helps the wet layer adhere.

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Step 2: Dip into a liquid.

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Dip next into a liquid, such as egg whites. The dry and wet ingredients combine to make a sticky coating.

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Step 3: Dredge in breadcrumbs.

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Dredge the food in breadcrumbs, coating all over for an exterior that's crunchy once cooked.

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