This Crunchy Store-Bought Snack That Makes For An Excellent Salmon Breading

Sometimes, culinary magic rests in the most unexpected places: Perhaps even an everyday snack. Take a bag of BBQ chips — they're not only delightful crunchy bites, but also key to a mouth-watering salmon recipe. Sure, baked fish and store-bought chips may sound like an outlandish combination, but the crisps make for a delightful breading texture. 

Adding a crispy crust then baking is one of the ways to flawlessly bake salmon. Usually bread crumbs would be used for texture, but here the crushed BBQ chips will serve that purpose. Simply run the ingredient through a food processor with sugar and other seasonings of your choice. Bake at the 450 degrees Fahrenheit until the crust is golden brown, which should take about 15 minutes.   

Mouth-wateringly crispy, and full of those beloved smoky-tangy BBQ flavors, it's a super-easy culinary move that pays off with terrific results. And as long as you avoid common salmon cooking mistakes.

While simply crushed BBQ potato chips make for enough of a nice topping, they'll really shine with extra components. Some brown sugar imbues sweet complexity and kickstarts caramelization. When it comes to spices, a broad flavor palate fits, whether savory cumin, spicy chili powder, or smoky chipotle. Fresh herbs such as parsley or dill work well here. And an allium is always welcome: Green onions or garlic make for terrific additions.

In order for the breading to stick to the salmon, you must first season the salmon with salt and pepper, and then apply a coat of barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard or even a slab of cream cheese. Using BBQ sauce really amps up the BBQ flavor of the crushed chips. Such additions imbue extra moisture, while still propping the crunchy chip layer on top. And if you're really feeling this breading combo, branch off into other proteins, using chips for fried pork chops, too.