How to Make Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Homemade Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs are easy to make with simple ingredients. You can even customize the seasoning to have flavors to your liking. These homemade bread crumbs are so easy to make you won’t ever need to buy them again.

When you prepare your own breadcrumbs you can use a loaf of bread. This is a great way to use old bread. When you prepare homemade breadcrumbs you can customize the flavor for what you desire the most. Don’t buy a can of breadcrumbs when you can make delicious ones at home.

homemade Italian seasoned bread crumbs and a platter of breaded chicken


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Homemade Italian Bread Crumbs with Fresh Bread

Whether making mozzarella sticks or a Yellow Squash Casserole, good bread crumbs can make a lot of difference. Go ahead and spend three bucks for who-knows-how-old packaged Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, but you can make them yourself with this homemade Italian bread crumbs recipe and add the spices and seasonings you want to complement your food perfectly.

Is There Really a Difference Between Bread Crumbs?

Yes, there is, and it is more important than you think. We are not only talking about the kind of bread that the crumbs come from (see the next section) but the style of bread crumbs.

One noticeable difference is the size of the bread crumbs. Most traditional bread crumbs in the West are fine, but Japanese-style panko bread crumbs are much bigger and flakier. The larger crumbs trap more air between the crumbs and lighter and crispier coating.

If you prefer this style of bread crumbs, they are simple to make. Follow the recipe as written until you get to step four. Instead of crumbling the bread, break the slices in half and pulse them twice or thrice in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, lightly rub the dried bread against the side of a box grater with the most significant holes.

And then there is the fresh bread crumbs vs. toasted bread crumbs confusion. Just because you may put the bread in the oven to remove excess moisture, it doesn’t count as toasting the bread crumbs.

Untoasted bread crumbs lack the strength to use for breading but make a better binder for fish cakes or meatballs. If you plan on coating something and then cooking it, you must toast the bread crumbs first.

To Toast Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs:

  1. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
  2. When the oil is hot, pour in the seasoned bread crumbs.
  3. Use a wooden spatula to coat the crumbs with the oil.
  4. Continue to stir continuously until the bread crumbs develop a light golden color.
  5. Remove the bread crumbs from the heat and cool on a rimmed baking sheet.

Do I Have to Use Italian Bread to Make Homemade Italian Bread Crumbs?

No, you don’t. Just about any white flour plain bread will do the trick, so, you can use a half-eaten loaf of sandwich, leftover hamburger buns, leftover hotdog buns, or French bread or extra hot dog buns.

Depending on your tastes, you may want to experiment with bread made from other types of flour like rye or whole wheat. However, you probably want to avoid sweeter loaves of bread such as brioche or bread with a high ratio of crust to crumb (the fluffy interior of the bread) like a baguette. Don’t use any bread with nuts or seeds.

Italian Bread Crumb Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need to make seasoned bread crumbs:

  • Bread slices
  • Salt
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Onion powder (optional)
  • Garlic powder (optional)

You can use leftover sandwich bread, Italian bread, French bread, or whatever you have on hand to prepare your bread crumbs.

Italian seasoned bread crumbs ingredients

How to Make Italian Bread Crumbs

In just a few minutes, you will have some wonderfully seasoned bread crumbs.

  1. If your house has low humidity, just dry bread slices.
  2. If your house is humid, heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Place bread slices on a baking sheet.
  4. Bake at 200°F for 5 to 7 minutes.
  5. Turn the bread slices over and bake them for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bread is dried.
  6. Crumble dried bread into a bowl and add salt.
  7. Rub the Italian seasoning between your hands to release the aromatic oils then place the seasoning into the bowl.
  8. Add onion powder and garlic powder if desired.
  9. Stir to combine the crumbs and seasonings.
  10. Store in an airtight container.

Use the seasoned bread crumbs for meatloaf, breading chicken or pork, and sprinkling on pasta or salads.

a bowl of homemade Italian bread crumbs on a braided mat

Homemade Italian Seasoning Makes Breadcrumbs Flavorful

Many people buy Italian seasoning in the grocery store, and it is a ubiquitous spice blend. If you do not have the spice blend of Italian seasoning on hand, you can use the following mix to create your Italian seasoning:

  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • dash of ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
homemade Italian seasoned bread crumbs in a bowl next to breaded chicken

Tips for Making and Storing Italian Breadcrumbs

  • Store bread crumbs in an airtight container for up to two weeks. If you need to keep them longer, you can freeze them in a freezer bag for up to two months.
  • Feel free to modify the bread crumb seasons based on what you like or have on hand. A few excellent additions are grated Parmesan cheese, dried oregano and parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, and fresh ground black pepper.
a bowl of homemade Italian seasoned bread crumbs next to breaded chicken

Check Out These Recipes For or With Bread Crumbs

Check out more of my easy bread recipes and the best DIY recipes here on CopyKat!

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homemade Italian seasoned bread crumbs and a platter of breaded chicken

How to Make Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Learn how to make homemade Italian seasoned bread crumbs with fresh bread.
4.38 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Italian Bread Crumbs, Italian Breadcrumbs, Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 269kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 slices white bread
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional and not pictured in video)

Instructions

  • Place 8 slices of bread on a half sheet cookie sheet.
  • If your house is dry, allow the bread to dry out.
  • If your house is humid, place the bread into a 200-degree oven until the bread has dried out, and then flip the bread over and allow the bread to dry out on the other side. About 5 to 7 minutes on each side.
  • Crumble bread into a bowl and add salt.
  • Rub the Italian seasoning between your hands to release the aromatic oils and then place those into the bowl.
  • Add onion powder and garlic powder if desired.
  • Stir to combine bread crumbs and seasonings.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1072mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 276mg | Iron: 4mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. bill marsano

    4 stars
    Not everyone can or will use store-bought standard leaves, and those folks need to know what 8 slices amounts to in ounces or grams.

    Suggestion: if using the food processor with grating blade, don’t fully dry or toast the bread; just leave it out to stale for a day. That way the processor will tear the bread apart. If fully stale, the bread will be shattered, resulting in much bread “dust.”

  2. Jennifer

    5 stars
    Love this!!! I recently started making our bread, and will now be using this recipe to make my own Italian seasoned bread crumbs! I used a little more italian seasoning, 1 1/2 – 2 tsp, even forgot the salt, but this was spot on! Thank you!!!

  3. Andrew

    2 stars
    Really? A Itialian Bread Crumb recipe that just lists Italian Seasoning? That’s what I came to the recipe for: What herbs are in Italian Seasonings?

    • Jennifer

      Andrew, there are many different recipes for Italian seasoning that use general, but somewhat different herbs. To use this recipe, either buy an Italian seasoning blend already put together, or look for an Italian seasoning recipe that suits your taste ~ might have to try a few to find what you like. Cheers! :o)

  4. Cheryl Woods

    After I make and season the crumbs how long of a shelf life does it have. Can I keep it in an airtight container on a shelf in my pantry or does it need to be in the fridge?

    • Stephanie

      I don’t know what the exact shelf life of these are, I think they would be good for 4 to 6 weeks, beyond that I would consider storing these in the freezer, or try to use an air tight container.

  5. Colleen

    Just came across this recipe and pinned it for future use. Everytime I buy Italian Seasoned bread crumbs, they go stale before I use the whole package. This is a great idea that I will definitely use. Thanks much! 🙂

  6. galintx

    I like to use my food processor to crumb with seasonings. I also store old bread in freezer until ready to use for breadcrumbs, casseroles, French toast, bread puddings, etc. great way to save.

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