How to Make Bread Crumbs for Baked Chicken

If your breaded chicken recipe calls for bread crumbs, don't waste your money buying them when you can make your own in a snap. You can use any type of bread from whole wheat to rye, and it's a great way to use up stale bread rather than throwing it away. You can also season the bread crumbs as little or as much as you like in order to complement the other ingredients you're using with your chicken. Read on to learn how to make bread crumbs for baked chicken.

Instructions

1. Place slices of bread directly on the oven rack and dry them at a low to medium heat. Turn part way through the toasting process so the bread dries evenly. If you only have a couple of slices, a toaster oven works well, too.

2. Remove the dried bread from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Place the slices of bread in a food processor or blender and pulse into fine crumbs. If you don't have a processor, place them in a plastic bag and roll gently with a rolling pin.

4. Season with your favorite herbs or leave as is for a simple light-tasting breaded mixture. Coat the chicken pieces and continue your cooking process.

Tips & Warnings

• Stale bread actually works better than fresh as it has far less moisture to start, so use stale bread if possible.

• You want the bread as dry as possible, so let it toast to a nice golden color.

• If you make more bread crumbs than you need, save them for other recipes by placing them in an airtight container. If stored properly they'll keep for several weeks.