panko

noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dredge chicken, one piece at a time, in panko, pressing to adhere panko to mayonnaise. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Feb. 2025 Mix in the panko until the mixture is sticky and mixture holds together. Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2025 Prepare meatballs: Gently stir together ground beef, panko, Parmesan, eggs, Worcestershire, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon ranch dressing mix in a large bowl until just combined. Craig Ruff, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2025 Spread panko on baking sheet; bake until golden brown, stirring once, 5 minutes. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for panko

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of panko was in 1970

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Panko.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panko. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

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