Meow Recipes: Golden Crispies (AKA the Most Fabulous Breadcrumbs You’ll Ever Make)

Golden breadcrumbs on a sheet pan with a spoon.

It’s possible you might be like….”do I….do I need a recipe for breadcrumbs?” and that answer is: you have no idea how much you need this.

Get ready to find yourself sprinkling these magnificent crispies on every single meal from here on out.

Need a little extra textural somethin’ somethin’ on top of some pasta? These are perfect. Some crunch in your salad but not looking for big hunky croutons? Yep yep. Thinking about sprinkling those on top of a beautifully baked or grilled fish? Ding ding, what a win!

Have we been known to eat these perfectly golden, exquisitely crisped and herby breadcrumbs in a bowl like cereal? YES. SEVERAL TIMES. We cannot be stopped and we will not stop you, and oh my let’s get to it because we want you to already have these in your life.

All You Need For These Breadcrumbs

When testing these in the kitchen, we originally started with Samin Nosrat’s Herby Fried Shallot and Breadcrumb Crunch recipe, which has an amazingly beautiful depth of flavor and is definitely cereal-bowl worthy, but we wanted to make things a little quicker/easier. We had to better align our need for savory, olive oil-drenched crunch-bursts of joy all day every day….with what real days actually look like for us. So, we SOS-ed them up a bit and swapped out some ingredients and prep.

The needs list is pretty short:

panko breadcrumbs
fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley, and sage leaves
pre-packaged crunchy fried onions
olive oil, salt & garlic powder

How To Make These Golden Crispies

If you have the time to fry up your own shallots and make your own breadcrumbs, Samin’s recipe is worth the journey. If you’re feeling our need to be cradled in the gentle soothing arms of quick and easy recipes as you stumble into this new year, then definitely give these a go and get ’em in a jar for all your crunchy topping needs.

Sizzle up your rosemary and sage leaves in oil. Once they’re fried crisp, pull them out and let them drain on a paper towel.
Add panko to the hot oil and heat until golden & crispy.
Transfer breadcrumbs to a bowl, stir in crunchy onions, and crumble in fried rosemary and sage leaves.
Stir in fresh herbs, garlic powder and salt, and HELLO, YOU’RE IN BUSINESS.

If you’re feeling like you can be out of those cradle arms for just a little extra time, we do include a frying-your-own shallots version in the recipe card if you wanna work that into your repertoire at some point. Because you will now be making these always.

How To Use These Breadcrumbs

We absolutely need you to be ready and have these on hand for a pillowy, saucy, rich and wonderful gnocchi recipe coming your way very soon; these are an absolute CROWN on top. But we really have been sprinkling these on just about anything. They keep super well in a container in the fridge, so once you’ve made a big batch, they are just sort of sitting there for all your topping/snacking needs!

Delicious on top of pasta dishes, as mentioned. Have you had some crispy breadcrumbs on top of a fried egg before? Well, get ready, breakfast is about to become so much more delicious. Obviously great on salads and if you’re thinking about a thick creamy soup that these might be delicious on…you’re probably right!

Because they can hang out for a bit in your fridge, we really encourage you to just try them on all the things whenever you’re cooking and the mood strikes you. And then let us know what amazingly delicious golden crispies concoctions you discover!

Oh, and remember that cereal bowl thing? It will happen. Don’t be alarmed. Just go with it. And then make more.

Golden Crispies: Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store extra golden breadcrumbs?

Store these in a sealed container in the fridge.

How can I make homemade fried shallots?

Instructions can be found in the recipe card notes.

How can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Just use gluten-free breadcrumbs and double-check the crispy fried onions package for gluten.

Golden Crispies (AKA Fabulous Breadcrumbs)

Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Print Recipe

Description

The most magnificent Golden Crispies for all the internet to enjoy! Panko breadcrumbs, crunchy fried onions, fresh herbs, and a bit of seasoning and these crunchy breadcrumbs are ready to grace just about any dish.

Ingredients

Units

1/4 cup oil
4 sage leaves
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup crunchy fried onions, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the sage and rosemary sprigs to the oil. The leaves should sizzle once they hit the oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Then transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
Next, add the breadcrumbs to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown and toasty.
Add the breadcrumbs to a bowl. Stir in the crunchy fried onions.
Remove the rosemary leaves from the stem. Then, crumble the rosemary and sage with your fingers and add it to the breadcrumb mixture.
Add in the parsley, thyme, garlic powder and salt and give everything a stir.
Sprinkle on pasta dishes, salads, soups, or any dish that could use a crispy, crunchy topping.

Notes

When testing this recipe, we originally made a version with homemade fried shallots instead of the pre-packaged crunchy fried onions (that’s what you’ll see in the photo, and that’s how Samin does it). If you’d like to fry your own shallots, thinly slice 4 shallots. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet, and add the shallots to the oil. Fry the shallots until golden brown. We recommend doing this in 2 batches. Then, remove from the shallots with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sheet pan or plate lined with paper towel. For the final version we went with the store-bought onions because we thought it tasted just as good and took much less time.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Pan Fry
Cuisine: American