panko

noun

pan·​ko ˈpaŋ-(ˌ)kō  ˈpäŋ- 

plural panko

: crustless wheat bread made into crisp dry crumbs and used especially as a topping or coating for food

Panko turns a beautiful golden brown when it's cooked, and adds its crisp-sweet characteristics to foods that are pan-fried in shallow oil too.

—Sarah Fritschner

While run-of-the-mill bread crumbs are basically ground-up dried bread, panko is specially produced to turn out more like a coarse white flake than a crumb.

—Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat

Japanese panko … create a crunchy coating for fried dishes. They do so without giving a very "bready" or heavy taste since the panko crumbs are made with just the bread and not the bread crusts.

—Monica Bhide

The patty is breaded on one side with panko and sauteed before being presented with spring onions, green garlic and fava beans.

—Michael Bauer

Panko bread crumbs make an extra-crispy crust for breaded chicken or veal.

—Marlene Parrish

Examples of panko in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The eggs are cooked in a water bath at a low temperature, giving them their custardy texture, then sliced into planks and fried in a mixture of flour and panko. —New York Times, 18 June 2024

Choose baked or fried cod ($13) or panko or coconut shrimp ($14), served with baked potato, french fries or potato pancakes; coleslaw; rye bread; and desserts. —Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024

In a third shallow dish combine panko, paprika, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2024

The containers were discarded. 4 violations RnR Restaurant, 3737 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale Inspectors found a food container in the dry storage area that was filled with panko and rodent droppings. —Michael Braga, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese, from pan "bread" (borrowed from Portuguese pão, going back to Latin pānis) + ko "flour, powder" — more at food

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above