apanar

In much of South America (Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia), apanar means to bread or coat food in breadcrumbs before frying — the regional equivalent of empanar (apanar un pollo, milanesa apanada). Chilean youth slang also uses it to mean "to accompany" someone, and in parts of Argentina and Central America it can mean to hide or cover up for someone.

• Apanó el pollo antes de freírlo. — She breaded the chicken before frying it.
• La milanesa se apana con huevo y pan rallado. — The milanesa is breaded with egg and breadcrumbs.
• Sus amigos lo apanaron cuando llegó tarde a casa. — His friends covered for him when he got home late.

Assuming apanar always means the cooking sense — depending on the country it can just as easily mean "to accompany" or "to cover up for someone," so the region matters for getting the meaning right.

Often confused with empanar.