Easy Cheesy Spicy Chicken Muffins with Salami

Oh Yes! I absolutely love these savory muffins, I have made a whole series of variations and experiments with them, they are such a versatile and delicious format, just like savory Easter breads and meatballs, perfect to take to the beach, picnics and parties. You can use up leftovers, and unlike those breads that sometimes involve a bit of planning and “construction” hehehe, here you basically just mix everything together and pop it in the oven, it’s no trouble at all.

In this case I used leftover chicken, added mushrooms, and seasoned it to be nicely spicy, and I think it was a winning combination. You get a fluffy, tender, slightly sweet and buttery batter with little spicy bits of chicken inside, and I topped it all with some melty cheese and a few slices of salami just to add a little more saltiness and aroma. They came out… oh my, a true drum roll Perfection! ;D hehehe, let’s get to the recipe because I’m already getting hungry!

Easy Cheesy Spicy Chicken Muffins with Salami

Servings: 12
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★★
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Initially, I was undecided between calling these Spicy Chicken Muffins, Spiced Chicken Muffins or Hot Chicken Muffins, because I made them more “spicy” than “hot”, so not very fiery, just a nice, pleasant warmth, but you can easily make them with no heat at all or with a lot more, it’s really up to your taste.

Ingredients

Chicken – 200g (Pre-Cooked)
Garlic – 4 Cloves
Mushrooms – 150g
Onion – 1 (Small)
Flour – 160g
Eggs – 2 (Large)
Butter – 30g
Milk – 125ml
Baking Powder – 1 Teaspoon
Salami – 6 Slices (For Topping)
Cheese – 100g (Cheese Blend, For Topping)
Olive Oil – A Drizzle
Paprika – A Pinch
Oregano – A Pinch
Garlic Powder – A Pinch
Turmeric – A Pinch
Cayenne Pepper – A Pinch
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

In a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, sauté the onion and finely chopped garlic.
Once the onion is golden brown, add the mushrooms and cook until they are tender and have released most of their moisture.

Finally, add the cooked chicken. Season with a pinch of paprika (or smoked paprika), dried oregano, garlic powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook until everything is tender and the mixture is relatively dry, you don’t want too much liquid, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Next, prepare the cupcake batter, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well.
Then add the eggs, milk, and softened butter, mixing everything until you have a smooth creamy batter.

Remove the chicken mixture from the pan and chop the chicken well, I like a mix of finely chopped bits and slightly larger chunks. Add the chicken mixture to the batter and mix thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356ºF) and line 12 muffin cups with non-stick paper liners.

Slice the salami. Spoon the batter into each cup, followed by a little grated cheese (I used a pre-grated 3-cheese blend—unfortunately, I forgot exactly which cheeses were in it, but any good melting cheese or pizza cheese works well). Finally, top with a few slices of the salami and a pinch of black pepper and oregano.

Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes until golden brown. They’re ready—bon appétit!

Notes & Tips: If you don’t have already cooked or roasted chicken, start by slicing and cooking one large chicken breast.

Squeeze out the mushrooms and cook the filling until it’s really dry. A watery filling makes for a soggy, dense muffin. Also let the filling cool a few minutes before mixing it into the batter, so the butter and eggs don’t get warmed up too much.

Don’t overmix once everything is combined. Stir just until it comes together for a tender, fluffy crumb.

Want it milder? Skip the cayenne and use only a pinch of black pepper, which is also great if you’re serving kids. Want it hotter? Add more cayenne or some chopped jalapeño to the filling.

Any good melting cheese works, like mozzarella, cheddar or a pizza blend. Sharp cheddar gives extra flavor.

To reheat from the fridge or freezer, warm them in the oven at 180ºC (356ºF) for about 10 minutes so the tops get crisp again. The microwave works in a pinch but makes them softer. Serve them warm with a little ranch, hot sauce or garlic mayo on the side for dipping.

These muffins keep well for a couple of days either on the counter or in the fridge. If you want to keep them longer you can also freeze them, then thaw and reheat in the oven.

This recipe for Easy Cheesy Spicy Chicken Muffins with Salami was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Queques bem Apimentados de Frango foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.