Spanish word

empanar

Pronunciation

IPA/empaˈnaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbbread

Example

Mi madre empana las pechugas de pollo los domingos.

My mother breads the chicken breasts on Sundays.

Illustration for empanar (bread)

More examples

Para la cena, voy a empanar los filetes con pan rallado.

For dinner, I'm going to bread the fillets with breadcrumbs.

Core concept

Chicken breast with a crisp breadcrumb crust.

Common phrases

  • empanar filetes

    bread fillets

  • empanar con pan rallado

    bread with breadcrumbs

  • empanar las pechugas

    bread the chicken breasts

Similar words

apanar: Adds breadcrumbs by pressing or sprinkling so they stick as a breaded coat.
rebozar: Dips food briefly in batter or dredges it in flour to add a thin coating.
empanizar: Applies breadcrumbs to form a uniform breaded layer on the surface.
enharinar: Coats food lightly with flour, leaving a thin powdery dusting.

Definition in Spanish

Poner pan rallado u otro tipo de miga sobre un alimento, generalmente tras pasarlo por huevo, para crear una capa crujiente al cocinarlo.

Word origin

It comes from en- 'in/onto' + pan (Latin panis 'bread') + -ar, originally meaning 'to cover with bread' and now used for coating food with breadcrumbs.

Usage tips

  • The reflexive empanarse can mean 'to zone out' in some regions, so context indicates whether the speaker refers to the cooking verb or a figurative state.

Related words

  • empanadobreadedadjective
  • empanadaempanadanoun
  • empanamientobreadingnoun

Word lists with this word