A method of preparing a frozen, microwaveable, coated food product comprising the successive steps of:providing a portion of a solid or solidified substrate；preparing a breaded portion comprising the portion of substrate and a crumb-based coating by the steps of:coating the portion with a first aqueous coating liquid to form a primary coated portion；applying a coating of bonding crumb to the primary coated portion to form a bonding crumb coated portion；applying a second aqueous coating liquid to the bonding crumb coated portion to form a secondary coated portion；applying a coating of coating crumb to the secondary coated portion to form a breaded portion；frying the breaded portion by contacting said breaded portion for at least 100 seconds with hot oil having a temperature of at least 150°C； andfreezing the fried coated portion；wherein a moisture controlling metal salt is present in at least one of the coating liquids and crumbs used in the preparation of the breaded portion, said microwave absorbing metal salt being selected from metal phosphates, metal carbonates, metal hydroxides, metal citrates, metal gluconates and combinations thereof；wherein the total amount of the metal salt provided in the crumb-based coating may be at least 0.5wt%, preferably 1wt% to6wt% by weight of the dry matter contained in said crumb-based coating.
