Last Updated on 9th August 2023 by
Who doesn’t love the crispy, crunchy taste of battered fish? It pairs nicely with some steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes or with a plate of fries. Battered or breaded fish (have you tried cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs?) filet is very simple and quick to make. It’s much easier than fried chicken, I find, cooks faster, and is a whole lot healthier.
The best substitute for egg when breading is butter, heavy cream, gelatin, egg replacer or even honey. There are other alternatives but these tend not to bind as well. Stick with these 4 options and experiment according to what you are cooking and personal taste.
The best substitute for egg when breading is butter, heavy cream, gelatin, egg replacer or even honey.
Pauline – I Really Like Food
Now, most of the time that I am making breaded fish, I will use eggs as the binder. It helps the batter to not fall off the fish. Without egg, your batter may be too thin or not clingy enough and may detach from the fish. Eggs are probably the best binder you can use for fried foods, but not everyone wants to cook with eggs.
Some people are allergic and others want to have a substitute for eggs when breading, just without egg, vegan style. I can understand wanting to find a substitute for eggs when breading. There are some foods you can use that won’t be quite the same when cooked up, but they will offer a similar binding quality. They will help to hold the batter on the fish better than if you used nothing to bind with at all.
I want to share some of the best binders that can be used as substitute for eggs when breading fish or chicken. If you are looking to reduce the amount of protein in a dish or just cut back on eggs specifically, then these binders can help.
Table of Contents
What can I substitute for eggs when breading chicken?
Using Butter as a Substitute for Eggs
The simplest and most commonly used substitute for eggs when breading chicken (don’t miss our butter milk fried chicken) or fish is butter. It’s not very healthy usually, but you can use a low fat, heart healthy butter and have to work just as well as any other butter.
How to use butter as an egg substitute? Just make up your batter as normal and then prepare your chicken with or fish with butter. Rub the melted butter over the meat and make sure you coat the entire piece of meat. You don’t need a lot of butter, but you do want a complete covering.
Any spots you don’t cover with butter may lose their batter once they start to cook. Once the meat has been rubbed down with butter, you can coat the meat as you normally would with the batter and cook as normal.
The butter isn’t always enough if you want a heavy coating. Butter works okay for a light coating, but it can’t hold a heavy batter coating on once the meat hits the fryer. So, to get that heavy coating to stay on, you first cover the meat in melted butter and then coat it in a thin layer of flour.
Be sure to knock off the excess flour. From there, add your coating of batter. The flour helps the batter to stay on better and the butter can still do its job as well.
Using Heavy Cream as a Substitute for Eggs
A good substitute for eggs when breading for deep fry is heavy cream. It is pretty fattening, so it has that against it, but at least it is an eggless option for those who are allergic to egg.
Typical dredging for a batter or breading coating happens in three steps- start with flour to cover the meat, then cover in egg, and then cover in batter or bread crumbs.
The egg binds the other ingredients to the meat as it fries, but heavy cream can be used in much the same way.
Heavy cream is an excellent substitute, keeping the bread crumbs or batter on the chicken or fish. It helps the outer layer to adhere better than just about anything else does.
Gelatin as an Egg Substitute
What if you are going for a dairy free meal because of lactose intolerance or vegan eating habits? What can I substitute eggs (or if you love eggs, here are some great egg recipes) for when breading chicken or fish that does not contain dairy. Your options are not as good once you remove dairy from the picture, but there are some methods you can try.
You need to bloom the gelatin in water for about 5 minutes. That means dropping it in the water and letting it sit there for about five minutes, and then heating it up
Pauline – I Really Like Food
Gelatin makes for a decent substitute. It isn’t as sticky as eggs or heavy cream when cooked, so it won’t have the same effect, but it makes for a reasonable substitute.
The benefit of using gelatin is that it won’t change the flavour of the batter at all. Your meat will still taste like it should, so that’s a big plus. On the downside, it can be difficult to work with. You have to do some prep work.
First of all, you need to bloom the gelatin in water for about 5 minutes. That means dropping it in the water and letting it sit there for about five minutes, and then heating it up. Once it starts to get hot, you can mix the gelatin in the water until it dissolves. Then, allow it to cool and coat the meat with it.
So, gelatin will work, but it is kind of fussy and requires a lengthy process. It does a decent job of holding the batter or bread crumbs in place, though, so I think it is a fair substitute.
What is Egg Replacer and Does it Work as an Egg Substitute for Breading Chicken?
What is an egg replacer, it is effectively fake eggs, essentially, made from a bunch of stuff like potatoes, tapioca, cellulose gum, and leavening. It even kind of tastes like real eggs, and it works as a binder but it’s not one that we would recommend.
When I tried egg replacer as a substitute for eggs, the batter was a little patchy. It didn’t stick as much as I wanted it to, and the same is true of working with bread crumbs and egg replacer. They won’t stay on the meat like they would with eggs, but at least egg replacer works better than nothing.
Other Tips for Egg Substitute for Frying
I have talked about the most effective, most commonly used ingredients for what to substitute for eggs when breading chicken. There are some other things you can use as well that won’t be as effective and may give you patchy looking chicken and fish batter.
Milk is a go-to binder for a lot of people when breading without eggs. It doesn’t bind well, but it is better than using nothing. Just coat your meat with the milk and then add the bread crumbs or batter.
Can you substitute eggs for milk when breading? Yes, it works the other way as well. Eggs make a better binder than milk, so if the recipe calls for milk and you want a better binder and you want your batter or crumbs to stick to the fish or chicken better, then by all means use eggs instead of milk.
You can also use applesauce, water, tomato paste and mayonnaise, depending on what you are cooking and how you want it to taste. You really need something that allows the crumbs to stick to the meat, and anything wet will do, but sticky wet stuff works better.
These are as many binders as I can come up with for breading that don’t involve eggs. If you feel like eggs are not what you want to use for whatever reason, now you have a few options. I hope one or more of these works well for you and makes for a reasonable substitute in place of eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Egg Substitutes for Breading
What can I use instead of eggs?
There are off the shelf solutions to replace eggs for breading if you are vegan, look for a product known ass Egg Replacer, this can be found online and in stores and is vegan friendly. Results may vary depending on what type of vegetable you are breading but its worth experimenting for best results. You can buy Egg Replacer here.
How to bread chicken without eggs?
I have found that the best option for an egg alternative when breading is either a butter or a light fry oil. Cream can also work well.
What do vegans substitute for eggs?
For baking, they might use applesauce, mashed banana, or ground flaxseeds mixed with water, also known as a flax egg. These options can provide moisture and binding properties. For dishes where eggs are the star, such as scrambled eggs or omelettes, tofu is a popular substitute, as it can be seasoned and cooked to a similar texture.
How to bread fish without eggs?
The best breading option for fish if you want to avoid egg is a light unflavoured frying oil, coconut spray also works well as an alternative to egg when breading fish.
How to bread eggplant without eggs?
This depends on if you are vegan/vegetarian. There are a number of options fro either but I suggest you try a light frying oil or egg replacer.
Other Recipes You Might Like
- How To Make Pudding Thicker
- How To Make Vegan Yogurt
- How To Make A Vegan Cake
- How To Make Vegan Mac And Cheese
- How To Make Vegan Ranch – Sauce, Dressing & Seasoning
References
13 Effective Substitutes for Eggs – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes
Where to Buy Egg Replacer – https://www.target.com/p/bob-s-red-mill-egg-replacer-12oz/-/A-53438398
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!