Copycat Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs

Progresso charges $2.36 for a canister of Italian bread crumbs. The “Italian” part is about 40 cents worth of spices you already have in your cabinet, shaken into plain bread crumbs. That is the entire secret. Thirty seconds with a zip-top bag and you never pay the seasoned markup again.

Seasoned bread crumbs are one of the sneakiest markups in the baking aisle. Plain crumbs and Italian crumbs sit side by side on the shelf, same size canister, and the seasoned version runs nearly double the price. The difference is a half teaspoon of this and a quarter teaspoon of that. Once you see the ingredient list, you can’t unsee it.

This mix keeps as long as your spices do, which is months in a sealed container. Use it anywhere a recipe calls for Italian style bread crumbs: chicken parmesan, meatballs, meatloaf, casserole toppings, stuffed peppers, baked mac and cheese crust.

If you make your own crumbs from stale bread, this blend costs you almost nothing but the shake.

You’ll Need:

Copycat Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs

• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano (a dash)

Measure all ingredients into a zip-top bag, seal, and shake until evenly combined. That’s the whole recipe. If you prefer a jar, add everything, screw the lid on tight, and give it a good 20 second shake.

To Use:

Substitute 1:1 anywhere a recipe calls for Italian style or Italian seasoned bread crumbs. One batch makes 1 cup, which covers a full recipe of chicken parmesan cutlets or a standard 2 pound meatloaf.

For breading, set up your standard dredge: flour, beaten egg, then these crumbs. Press the coating on firmly and let the breaded pieces rest 10 minutes before frying or baking so the crust actually stays put.

Store in an airtight container or mason jar in the pantry. The mix stays fresh for up to 6 months, though the spices slowly fade after 3, so smaller batches more often beats one giant batch once a year.

A few notes: if you made your crumbs from homemade or stale bread, make sure they are completely dried out before mixing, or the blend clumps in storage.

Want it cheesier? Stir in 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan just before using (not for long storage). Watching sodium? Cut the salt to 1/4 teaspoon and you won’t miss it in most recipes.

How Close Is This to Real Progresso?

Close enough that nobody is picking it out of a lineup in a finished dish. The actual Progresso Italian Style label reads: wheat flour, salt, vegetable oil, and less than 2% of yeast, sugar, dried parsley, spice, onion powder, natural flavor, and paprika. Salt, sugar, parsley, and onion powder match this recipe exactly, and that mystery word “spice” is labeling-speak for the oregano.

Now for the fun part. Notice what’s missing from their label: garlic. FDA rules require garlic powder to be declared by name, the same way onion powder is, and it isn’t there. The famous Italian bread crumbs apparently contain no actual garlic. Ours has real garlic powder in it, theirs has “natural flavor.” You decide which one belongs in your meatballs.

The only other difference is a pinch of paprika, which Progresso adds mostly for that faint warm color. If you want a dead-on visual clone, add 1/8 teaspoon of paprika to the bag. Otherwise, this mix as written tastes slightly more robust than the canister, and we’re calling that an improvement, not a deviation.

💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Copycat Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs

📅 Walmart prices last verified July 5, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you make this mix, snap a photo and tag us on Instagram @budget101com, we love seeing your pantry staples in action!

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📝 Printable Copycat Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs Recipe

Copycat Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

approximate calories109kcal

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preparation timePrep 5 minutes mins

cook timeCook 0 minutes mins

custom time0 minutes mins

total timeTotal 5 minutes mins

Skip the $2.36 canister. This copycat Progresso Italian bread crumbs mix takes 30 seconds to shake together and costs just $0.40 per batch, about $0.10 per 1/4 cup serving.

ServingsServings 4

CourseCourse Pantry Staple

CuisineCuisine American, Italian

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $0.40 per batch

Ingredients

1/21x2x

• ▢ 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon parsley flakes
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano

Equipment

Measuring Spoons

Zip-top bag or mason jar

Instructions

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1. Measure all ingredients into a zip-top bag or mason jar.
   1 cup plain bread crumbs

   1/2 teaspoon salt

   1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes

   1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

   1/4 teaspoon onion powder

   1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

   1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
2. Seal tightly and shake for 20 seconds until the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the crumbs.
3. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry for up to 6 months.

Recipe Size Alteration

💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.

Nutrition

Serving 1g | Calories 109kcal | Carbohydrates 20g | Protein 4g | Fat 1g | Saturated Fat 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat 1g | Monounsaturated Fat 0.3g | Sodium 489mg | Potassium 58mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 2g | Vitamin A 1IU | Vitamin C 0.1mg | Calcium 51mg | Iron 1mg | Net Carbs 19g

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