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

Place graham crackers in a large zip-top bag; crush graham crackers with a rolling pin, rolling over bag until crumbs resemble panko. —Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025

Transfer panko to medium bowl and stir in parsley, lemon zest and reserved caper mixture. —Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 3 Sep. 2025

The mac and cheese is made with three different kinds of cheeses and then filled with either buffalo chicken or bacon, before being breaded in a deliciously crispy panko crust. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2025

Slice zucchini lengthwise, brush with olive oil, top with panko and grated cheese drizzled with a touch more oil, and bake. —Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for panko

• banco
• blanco
• manco