It's so easy to make your own homemade Italian Breadcrumbs...in just a few minutes, for a fraction of the price, and without all of the preservatives of store-bought brands! You can also leave out the herbs for plain seasoned breadcrumbs.
And if you decide to make some homemade Italian Breadcrumbs, you'll definitely want to try this quick and easy Italian Baked Chicken or these family-friendly Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets!
Y'all know I'm a sucker for make-your-own pantry staples. And today's homage to that theme can be used in countless recipes year-round...simple, effortless, Italian Breadcrumbs!
Homemade Breadcrumbs
To be perfectly honest, y'all, this one is kind of silly. I mean, breadcrumbs? Who can't figure out how to make those? Yet plenty (most?) of us purchase them from the grocery store in a little canister, full of preservatives and artificial ingredients and far more expensive than the pennies that a few slices of bread would cost.
Furthermore, even if you already grind up your own bread into plain breadcrumbs, you might wonder what proportion of herbs to use for Italian Breadcrumbs, since plenty of recipes call for those. Well, no need to Google a recipe the next time you're wondering...I'm going to take care of you right here today!
Why Make Italian Breadcrumbs?
Homemade seasoned breadcrumbs or Italian Breadcrumbs take, like, two minutes to make, after which they can immediately be used. Or you can pop them in the freezer until your next recipe that requires them.
Super simple, no weird additives or preservatives (what exactly is calcium propionate anyway?), and totally economical, particularly since the bread you turn into these crumbs can be old, dried out, and something you were probably about to throw away anyway.
Just think of it as upcycling your bread! 😉
How to Make Them
When you get to the end of a loaf of bread, whether it's The Very Best Homemade Whole Wheat Bread or your favorite store-bought variety, that last heel can be kind of dried out. So I typically toss it in a baggie in the refrigerator, where it hangs out until it's been joined by a few more rejected bread buddies. There may end up being a lone hamburger bun in there, an old dinner roll, a bit of leftover French bread, some of it 100% whole wheat, some made with white flour.
Whatever has seen better days (but isn't stale or molded, of course), I save in my trusty little baggie.
Then, when I have enough bread to make the dirtying of my food processor worth my while, I tear those old bread rejects into large chunks, add my dried herbs and seasonings (for Italian Breadcrumbs), and whiz everything up into fine breadcrumbs.
Embarrassingly easy, right? And not only are these homemade Italian Breadcrumbs less expensive and healthier, but you can also control the sodium and/or tweak the herbs, if desired.
- For example, if you're watching your salt intake, feel free to cut back on it.
- If you just loooove basil, go ahead and sprinkle in some extra.
- Oh, and if you happen to be a lucky duck with fresh herbs at your disposal, you may definitely incorporate those...just increase the amounts since dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh.
How to Store Them
After your bread has been processed, simply transfer the seasoned breadcrumbs to an airtight container and freeze for future recipe-making convenience!
I typically dump mine in a gallon-sized, freezer-thickness baggie, squeeze out the air, zip 'er up, and pop in the freezer.
Easy as pie -- er, breadcrumbs.
So your assignment today? Go forth and make Homemade Italian Breadcrumbs (or plain breadcrumbs if that's more your speed)! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain...in fact, I predict you'll never buy breadcrumbs again. 😉
Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment
- I always grind my dried bread in a food processor, but a blender should work as well.
- If you want to make breadcrumbs but your bread is too fresh, preheat the oven to 250°F and place the slices of bread directly on the oven rack. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the bread is dried out and toasty. Remove the slices from the oven, allow to cool, and then proceed with the recipe.
- If you are watching your sodium intake, feel free to decrease amount of salt. You can also make your breadcrumbs with ¼ teaspoon of salt to begin with, taste, and then add the remaining ¼ teaspoon if you feel it's necessary.
- Tweak the herbs to your liking, or if you prefer to use fresh, be sure to increase the amount used (by three times) since the flavor of dried herbs is three times more concentrated.
- If you plan on using your breadcrumbs soon, they will keep in the refrigerator just fine.
- If storing breadcrumbs in the freezer, place inside two freezer baggies and squeeze out any air. They will stay fresh for several months this way. Whenever you need breadcrumbs for a recipe, you can thaw for a few minutes at room temperature and then measure out. Or you can portion breadcrumbs by the cup or half-cup into small baggies before freezing.
More Homemade Make-Your-Own Kitchen Staples
Italian Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 6 ounces old/dried out bread, rolls, buns, etc., approximately equivalent to 4 to 5 slices of bread
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Tear stale bread into large pieces. Place in a large food processor or blender. Add dried herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Process/blend/pulse until fine crumbs form. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer (depending on how long before you use them).
Joan
Easy and delicious! I use multigrain high fiber bread.
Karen
Use for my meatballs and they are always yummy – a family favorite!
Julie A Graham
I let old bread dry, at room temp, and I use a Ninja air fryer, on dehydrate setting for 2 hours, after shredding the bread on a veg grater, course setting…I just made a batch using stale Italian, French baggett, and butter croissants….added 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon salt… because I dehydrated I just put in a zip lock bag and squeezed out the air…next time, I’ll skip the dehydrator and put in freezer….thanks for the awesome tip… will also try a blender vs hand grating…….that French bread bagget was so hard it was like shredding a tree limb…..lol
Karen
This is my go to recipe for meatballs and meatloaf. So much better than the store bought with all the junk. Plus, my leftover stale Italian bread slices never go to waste!
Jan
I can't wait to try this recipe. The store bought Italian style breadcrumbs that I have used in the past include Romano cheese. If I want to add Romano or parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs, do you have a suggested amount? Thank you!
Samantha Skaggs
I think you could add as much as you like, Jan! I'd probably start with 1/2 cup...and then stir in another 1/4 or 1/2 cup if I didn't think that was enough. 🙂
Deronda boyster
Can I leave out salt and garlic my husband is on a low salt diet
Samantha Skaggs
Sure, Deronda! You can tweak this recipe however you like. 🙂 Just keep in mind that the breadcrumbs will be a bit bland without the salt. Garlic powder doesn't have sodium, so you should still be able to include that for flavor, unless you just don't like it. And if there's a sodium-free seasoning that you like to use in place of salt, you could add some of that as well. Hope that helps!
Sarah
I am a fan of keeping the bread crumbs in the freezer! It frees up refrigerator and cabinet space.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Yes! An no worries about molding when they're homemade breadcrumbs. 🙂
Theresa
Sarah, once the breadcrumbs are made, could they be dry canned?? Or no because of no preservatives?
Renee Goerger
I never buy breadcrumbs at the store any more thanks to this recipe!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Yay, Renee...so happy to hear that! 🙂
Trevor
Really like this mixture, it makes chicken/pork etc much more interesting and flavoursome. I tend to dry the bread first, is that correct?
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Trevor! I do use old, already-dry bread, but I don't make a point to dry it first. But you certainly can if you wish to!
Krista
Thank you! I was surprised to find high fructose corn syrup in bread crumbs. Just wanted to say thanks for the recipe and let you know the word Homemade is misspelled on your recipe.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hope you enjoy the recipe, Krista, and thanks for pointing out my typo! Just fixed it. 🙂
Marni
I already have plain panko bread crumbs .. how many cups of the panko would I need for the amount of spices you have on here?
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Marni! I haven't tried this recipe using panko breadcrumbs, so I'm not sure how well the herbs and spices would stay distributed. But if you'd like to try, the yield of this recipe is approximately 3 cups of breadcrumbs, so that's probably the amount of panko I'd start with. Good luck!
Bonny
I already make my own breadcrumbs so I just wanted a list of seasonings for my own Italian ones.
If you toast the breadcrumbs they can be kept in a canister in your cabinet and the seasonings bloom as well.
Lauren
Thanks for the recipe! I've been wanting to try making my own breadcrumbs but never got around to searching for a recipe. Then I stumbled upon your site via your recipe for your Italian Baked Chicken. Another thought for stale bread...my kids (like many, I assume), refuse to eat the crusts of their sandwiches. I hate throwing them away! Instead, cut them off before making the sandwich, and throw them in the baggie in the fridge, too!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
This is such a great use for those discarded sandwich crusts, Lauren! I hate wasting food, and I try to avoid processed items from the grocery store, so this ends up being a win-win. 🙂 Glad it's inspired you to make your own breadcrumbs as well. Hope you enjoy them, and thanks for taking the time to comment! 🙂
Janet
Thanks for this recipe! I was wondering - I already have some homemade plain dry bread crumbs; would I just start with your measurements of the dried spices and adjust to taste? Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I think that would work just fine, Janet! Sometimes I have homemade plain breadcrumbs in the freezer and I just add Italian seasonings right before using them in a recipe that calls for Italian breadcrumbs. 🙂 Enjoy!
Adriana
This is great! and no preservatives. I'm definitely going to try this. Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Wonderful, Adriana! I hope you enjoy using these in lieu of the storebought canisters of breadcrumbs. These taste better and you control exactly what's in them! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment...hope you're having a great week!
Kathleen @ Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Oh wow, this is fantastic and you're right, so easy. I love to use Italian Bread Crumbs in so many things. I will love this even more. YAY!! Thank you. Stopped by from The Weekend Retreat.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I'm so happy you stopped by, Kathleen! I think you will find that it's very quick and easy to make your own breadcrumbs and it's nice to be able to control the ingredients and seasonings. Enjoy, and have a great weekend! 🙂
Liz
Thank you. A nice recipe to have on hand.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
You're very welcome, Liz! It's simple, but hopefully plenty of people find it useful. 🙂 Hope you had a fabulous weekend celebrating the 4th! 🙂