# Can't get breading to stick to meat



## sloop john d (Nov 28, 2012)

I've been trying to make breaded chicken and breaded steak, but for some reason I can't get the bread crumbs to stick to the meat. Every time I try to fry it in a pan, the breading starts falling off in huge pieces. I've tried using various dredge recipes I've found online and in cook books, but no matter what changes I make, it still happens. I think it has something to do with the way I'm cooking it, but I'm not really sure. 

Does anyone have any advice for making sure the bread crumbs stick to the meat during the cooking process?


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

What you're describing is _usually_ a consequence of food that's too wet under the coating. The moisture underneath the breading turns to steam and the steam pushes the breading off the meat.

There are a lot of different ways to deal with this -- the most common are flouring the food before dipping in liquid and finally breading, and allowing the breaded food to rest and stabilize awhile before frying. However, there are more ways than one to skin this cat, and some of them are specific to what you're breading and how you're trying to bread it.

Can you tell us a bit more about what you're trying to do? What you're actually doing? And what happens?

BDL


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## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

- lightly score the surface of the meat in a cross hatch pattern

- flour / binder

- wash

- crumb / coating

- let rest on a rack

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You need to salt the meat before anything happens, this breaks down the myosin and makes the meat sticky in addition to being tasty

Also fry at a lower temperature - you are creating too much steam too fast on the meat and it's blowing the coating off!

---- 

There might be other problems but without your recipe this is the best I can do.

Post up more details to get more accurate answers!


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## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

LOL and what BDL said...

...kinda interesting how we said basically the same thing at the same time but in different ways.

Makes me feel good~!


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

Seconding what everybody else has said. The flouring before the egg wash is vital. It also helps to add a tiny amount of cold water to the egg wash (1 tbsp per 2 eggs) to make it runnier and easier to shake off, because you only want the thinnest possible wash before breading.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Make sure item to be breaded is dry, I then  put in a plastic bag with flour, some corn starch,s&p and whatever other spices I want. Then dip in beaten egg and milk mixture then crumbs. Do not stack place on 1/2 sheet pan or large dish and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour then fry. Shallow or deep. (corn starch forms sought of a bond on the meat that repels the oil, the minute it hits hot oil it slightly seals meat or chicken plus it holds flour on better)  Regular crumbs or panko or cracker meal can be used.. Make sure fat it hot enough..


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Lightly pressing the breadcrumbs onto the meat helps as well.


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## zoran paljevic (Feb 7, 2014)

Basically, your problem is obviously low oil temperature and/or overloaded liquid/breading.

I prefer it simple : little *Egg*, little *Milk* and *Salt*, then I soak my chicken for ten minutes or even longer, drain well and cover with breadcrumbs pressing each peace all over. Heat the *Oil* well, take your time to put peaces in pan, don't be in hurry as temperature will significantly drop if you "unload" all together and you don't want that..

You could use pretty anything on it's own or as a base to dip or soak your chicken : *Water, Milk, Buttermilk, Beer, Yoghurt, Egg* or whatever you or your stomach could imagine and what's eatable.. *Orange juice *: why not?

However, if you like, take this sticky mixture: Dissolve half teaspoon (ts) of *Honey* in 250ml of *Milk* (45°C). Add 1ts *Salt*, 1ts *Bread Flower*, 2ts *Mayonnaise* and then (optionally) just a little *Black Pepper, Tabasco, Turmeric* or something else you prefer..

*If you turn around you'll realize that there are so many things in your kitchen you could use, release yourself!*

*UPDATE *(several hours later): I couldn't wait once I thrown orange juice as "why not" and this is result, *95%* of the breadcrumbs are there despite I was in hurry, hungry and it was tough free range chicken. Here I used quick experimental mix of *Orange Juice, Yoghurt, Honey, Black Pepper* and *Salt*. I used paper to drain it better before putting in breadcrumbs. Meat was not juicy but soft and very crunchy as I never risk Salmonella survival in this kind of chicken, It was interesting and very good I can say.





  








fast-yoghurt-orange-breadcrumbs-chicken.jpg




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zoran paljevic


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Feb 7, 2014


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

BDL is correct only thing I can add is if you refrigerate after breading and let breading set it will not fall off also make sure oil is hot enough  GOOD LUCK


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## dryespo (Oct 29, 2014)

So the discussion on moisture is true.

However the problem could be more than skin deep.. Literally, especially when talking Chicken. 

Unfortunately in our infinite wisdom to buy "cheap", the poultry companies have figured out if they "pump" or "inject" the chicken, they can get a 15% raise in pay.... your buying water. It sounds like cheap chicken and that's exactly what you're getting.

Many foods are pumped, biggest culprits are shrimp and chicken.

You bread the product, during the cooking process it releases moisture, breaking the bond the flour has to the protien.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

You really have to use flour/eggwash/breading.  Then you have to press the breadcrumbs onto the meat.  

Alternative is to just use wet meat and seasoned flour, then the flour will become like a batter.


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## the uncook (Aug 12, 2016)

Here's a link to a great explanation.

The secret seems to be letting the meat rest in the fridge for an hour (or a bit longer) after you've applied the flour to it.

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/624/how-to-bread-meat.html

It worked perfectly for me the first time I tried it.


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