Chicken muffins are a fantastic addition to your weeknight meal rotation. They’re easy to bake in batches, super convenient for meal prep, and you can even freeze some for later, saving yourself from those what-to-cook dilemmas. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken, or you can opt for rotisserie chicken if you’re in a pinch for time. Either way, you’ll end up with a delicious and satisfying result. The best part is that they’re just as fun to make as they are to eat. So roll up your sleeves—it’s time to give these chicken muffins a go!
Essential Ingredients and Equipment
When it’s time to make savory chicken muffins, having the right ingredients and equipment on hand will make the process go smoothly. Here’s what you’ll need.
What You’ll Need (Ingredients)
First, ensure you have your chicken prepped; this could be diced chicken breast, ground chicken, or even leftover rotisserie chicken for convenience. Here’s a quick list of ingredients to gather:
- Chicken: Aim for about 2 cups, whether it’s fresh or leftovers.
- Cheese: Options like mozzarella, parmesan, and cream cheese add richness and flavor.
- Flour: A staple for your dry ingredients, with all-purpose being the most common.
- Eggs: Vital for binding all your ingredients together.
- Milk: Adds moisture to your mixture.
- Baking Powder: Helps your muffins rise.
- Baking soda: Helps your muffins rise and become light and fluffy.
- Vegetables: Such as bell peppers, green onions, and parsley, add crunch and color.
- Spices: Salt and pepper are essential, but add your favorite spices or a dash of hot sauce.
- Oil: Olive oil or cooking spray for greasing the muffin tin.
Gathering Equipment
Now, let’s talk about what kitchen tools you’ll need:
- Muffin Pan: A standard 12-cup muffin pan works well.
- Large Mixing Bowl: For combining your chicken mixture.
- Oven: Preheated typically to around 350°F (175°C).
- Cooking Spray or Olive Oil: To grease your muffin cups and prevent sticking.
- Food processor (optional): helpful if you need to shred chicken or blend ingredients.
- Plastic wrap: handy if you plan to rest your mixture before baking.
- Parchment Liners (optional): For easier cleanup.
Remember, the size of your muffin tin will determine the size of your chicken muffins, and greasing the cups will ensure they come out easily after baking. Using plastic wrap to cover the mixture in the bowl can help meld the flavors together, especially if you’re working with spices and herbs.
Other Recipes To Try: https://watudaily.com/asian-beef-short-ribs-recipe/
The Cooking Process
Creating chicken muffins is about balancing a savory, juicy filling with a golden, crisp exterior. By keenly managing your oven settings and closely monitoring the temperature, you can ensure your muffins turn out perfectly cooked.
Preparing the Mixture
- Gather your ingredients: You’ll need leftover chicken, a great way to utilize protein-rich leftovers from earlier meals. Make sure the chicken is shredded or finely chopped to blend evenly into the muffin mixture.
- Mix dry and wet separately: In one bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and seasonings. In another, combine liquid ingredients like milk and eggs, melted butter, and possibly some sour cream for extra richness.
- Combine the mixtures: Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir them together until just combined to retain a tender texture. Overmixing is a common pitfall—small lumps are okay.
- Fold in the chicken: Add the shredded chicken along with any additional ingredients like cheese or herbs, folding them into the batter.
Temperature Tip: Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature to guarantee an even blend and consistent cooking.
Baking and Finishing Touches
- Oven preparations: Preheat your oven to the right temperature, typically between 350°F to 425°F, depending on how golden and crispy you prefer the muffin surface.
- Fill the muffin cups: Grease your muffin tin and spoon the batter into each cup. Aim to fill them about 3/4 full to give the muffins room to rise.
- Cook to perfection: Slide your muffin tin into the oven and bake until a toothpick comes out clean or the muffins reach an internal temperature of 165°F. This typically takes 20-30 minutes.
Visual Cue (chicken muffins recipes): Look for a golden brown surface—that’s the sign of a perfectly cooked savory muffin.
- Cooling: Once baked, let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Meal Prep Tip: Double up the batch and store extras in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. They can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for next week’s meal prep. Reheating is simple; just a minute or two in the microwave is enough to warm them through, restoring that comfort food vibe.
- Nutritional Information: You can find detailed nutritional information on the recipe card, such as calories and fat content. This helps you keep track of your intake and plan meals accordingly.
Storage
For best results, each muffin should be stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. They can last in the fridge for several days and in the freezer for a couple of months. Reheat them using an oven or microwave, and if using an oven, you might want to cover them with foil to prevent them from drying out.
Chicken Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- Cooking spray or muffin liners
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken or rotisserie - shredded or diced
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt or all-purpose spice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
- ½ cup of parmesan cheese - shredded
- ¼ cup cooked bacon bits
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- ¼ cup spring onion or chives - chopped (Optional add-ins)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a muffin tin or line it with muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil or melted butter, and egg until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; the batter should be slightly lumpy. Add sour cream and mix through.
- Add cooked shredded chicken, cooked bacon bits, shredded cheese, and spring onions. Fold them gently into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use a block of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself. I find that it tastes better.
- Use an ice cream scoop to get an even amount of batter in each muffin tin.
- Temperature Tip: Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature to guarantee an even blend and consistent cooking.
- Visual Cue: Look for a golden brown surface—that's the sign of a perfectly cooked savory muffin.
- Meal Prep Tip: Double up the batch and store extras in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. They can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for next week's meal prep. Reheating is simple; just a minute or two in the microwave is enough to warm them through, restoring that comfort food vibe.
- You can freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave or oven when you are ready to eat them.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed and personalised calculations.
