These bite-sized Salami Cups are a fun and creative appetizer idea, perfect for your next party. The edible cups are made by baking sliced salami into little bowl shapes, creating a crispy base.
Each salami cup can be packed with your favorite combination of cheeses, assorted antipasto ingredients, and herbs. You can even try sweet and savory combinations like our Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates. There are so many ways to fill these salami bites. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy they are to prepare.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
We love a good appetizer dish, whether it’s a Classic Cheese Ball or our Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip. For some reason, I feel less guilty hovering around the buffet if there are a few vegetables mixed into the recipes. These Salami Cup appetizers are a delightful twist on a Charcuterie Board. They’re like individual charcuterie cups, with all of the goodies contained in their own, edible bowl.
Salami Cups Recipe
Whether you are looking for an appetizer for your next party or a healthy, protein-packed after-school snack for your kids, you will love that these Salami Antipasto Cups are:
- SO easy to make, but they look impressive
- Make ahead friendly, use your muffin tin to safely transport them to a party
- Completely customizable – use what you like (or what you have on hand), and omit any ingredients you don’t care for
- Perfect finger food – no need for utensils, crackers, or toast since everything is conveniently contained in the edible vessel (just like our Jalapeno Poppers), making them both keto and gluten-free
Salami Cups Antipasto Video
Watch Natasha make these miniature Salami Antipasto Cups. You will be surprised at how easy they are to make and they are perfect hors d’oeuvres to serve at your upcoming party.
Ingredients for Salami Bites
The ingredients of these antipasti bites are so customizable, but one thing I cannot stress enough is that you must use the correct size salami (4-inch diameter). If you use a smaller piece, it will be so tiny after it shrinks down in the oven, and it will be hard to fill (speaking from experience here).
- Salami – Regular or spicy, you decide, just make sure it’s the right size. You will need 24 pieces (approximately 12-24 ounces depending on the thickness of your slices).
- Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – Half a cup, diced. You can use the mini mozzarella balls or a larger ball and dice it up.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Quartered
- Marinated Bell Pepper – Drain the jar well and coarsely chop
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts – Well drained, coarsely chopped
- Kalamata Olives – Pitted, chopped
- Olive Oil – I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe
- Fresh Basil Leaves – Chiffonade, or thinly sliced
Pro Tip:
You want to keep a balance of sweet, savory, and salty fillings. Remember that the salami is naturally salty so you don’t want to add too many marinated ingredients which will add more salt. This is why I don’t advise using marinated mozzarella balls (ignore the photographed marinated Mozzarella balls – that was me learning from experience).
How to Make Salami Cups
- Make – Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lay one slice of salami over each cup of a standard muffin or cupcake tin. Push the salami into the cups creating little pleats on the sides.
- Bake – Bake for 7-9 minutes or until salami is crisp at the edges and holds its shape. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Note: The cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your salami. Very thin salami can burn easily so keep an eye on it.
- Mix and Fill – In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients and olive oil and gently toss to combine. Divide the filling between the cups. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired and serve.
Pro Tip:
If you are struggling to keep the salami cups open like a miniature bowl, you can add 1-inch foil balls into each cup to hold the salami in cup form while it bakes.
Common Questions
If you notice oil was released while baking the salami cups, lining your wire rack with paper towels helps absorb extra grease.
You can use large pepperoni or almost any sliced deli meat (ham, capicola, prosciutto), with each one providing its own flavor variation, but I highly recommend using 4″ wide slices. I’ve tested this with smaller slices of salami in a mini muffin tin but the cups turned out so small that they were extremely difficult to fill and they looked a little silly being so small.
If you have already tried adding the 1-inch foil balls to hold them open while baking, the salami might need to bake a little bit longer. Depending on the thickness of the cut, it might take an extra couple of minutes to get the outer edges crispy enough to hold their shape. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Other Crispy Salami Cup Variations
These antipasto cups offer limitless possibilities for customization – virtually anything that fits (or can be sliced to fit) can be used in this recipe. Try a variety of nuts and cheeses, or add additional protein or veggies. There is no wrong answer. Some variations that I like include:
- Goat Cheese, Pistachio, and Date Cups – Combines tangy, creamy goat cheese with sweet dates, and crunchy, nutty pistachios. It hits all of the textures in one cup! I learned this flavor combination from my friend Jen and it’s brilliant!
- Caprese Salami Cups – Add fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil, drizzled with Balsamic Glaze and a sprinkle of black pepper.
- Sweet and Savory Salami Cups – Fill with a combination of cream cheese, honey, and chopped nuts. Top with fresh fruit like sliced strawberries or grapes.
- Mediterranean Salami Cups – Spoon feta cheese, black olives, quartered cherry tomatoes, and cucumber into each cup and add a dollop of Tzatziki Sauce on top.
- Buffalo Chicken Salami Cups – Toss shredded cooked chicken in buffalo sauce. Fill the cups and top with blue cheese crumbles and celery.
Feel free to mix and match ingredients based on your preferences. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavors to create your own unique salami cup recipes! Share your creations in a comment below!
Make-Ahead
You’ll love that you can pre-bake the salami cups and prepare the filling in advance. You will want to wait to fill the cups until just before serving to maintain crispness.
- To Refrigerate: After baking and cooling the cups and preparing the filling, store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one day. Having them prepared ahead of time will allow you to easily assemble these salami bites just before your party.
- Freezing: We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
More Party Appetizer Recipes
If you love these Crispy Salami Cups, then you won’t want to miss these other fabulous party appetizer recipes:
Salami Cups Antipasto Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 slices salami, the large size, 4 inches in diameter – regular or spicy but be sure it’s 4” wide.
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, (4 oz) diced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/3 cup marinated bell pepper, well drained and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped, optional
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup marinated artichoke hearts, optional, well-drained, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Lay each slice of salami over a standard muffin tin or cupcake pan and push them into the cups using a small ramekin or a measuring cup to form the little salami bowls. Pushing it into the cups creates little pleats which helps them to keep their form.
- Bake at 400°F for 7-9 minutes or until salami is crisp at the edges and holds its shape. Let cool in baking pan for 5 minutes then transfer salami to a wire rack and cool completely.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients and olive oil and gently stir to combine. Divide the filling between the cups. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired and serve.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I WOWED my guests! Delicious and sooooo impressive…..and easy! Thank you Natasha for another awesome recipe!
You’re so very welcome! Glad to hear that.
Made this pretty appetizer last night for company! So easy and tasty! Big HIT. Will make again. Followed your recipe exactly!
natasha,
what size muffin tin did you use for the salami cups
thanks
mary
Hi Mary! I mention it above, it’s a standard muffin/cupcake pan. I hope you love the recipe!
Hi Natasha,
Did you use marinated mozzarella ciliegine or plain for the salami cups? I plan to make them for New Year’s Eve… I also got your cookbook (unsigned) 🙂 it too was on my Christmas wish list. Thank you
Hi Diana! I’m so glad you got a copy of the book. The image above shows marinated mozzarella balls which is what we originally used, but see my “pro-tip” note right under that image about this. I hope you love this recipe!
Not only are these delicious, but they are so cute! The perfect party appetizer!
So glad you love them!
the recipe calls for marinated bell peppers- can you clarify this ingredient please? FYI- I got a signed copy of your cookbook for Christmas (was on my wishlist) and was so thrilled – I’ve already read it cover to cover and love not only the recipes but all your stories! 🙂 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
Hi Debbie! I’m so glad you got a copy of the book. I hope you’ll find many recipes in there that become favorites.
We used jarred marinated bell peppers for this recipe (see the image above in the blog). There are different types and brands of marinated peppers, some are marinated in vinegar and spices, and others are marinated in oil and spices. Either type will work recipe, it’s more of a personal preference which you like. I hope that helps.
These salami cups are awesome!! They make a perfect gameday appetizer. I can’t stop eating them haha.
So glad you loved them! Thank you for the feedback.
The large salami slices make perfect cups. Such a great idea! I added mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Easy, elegant, and delicious. Cant wait to make them again on New Year’s.
That sounds just perfect with those toppings. Wishing you a happy New Year!