Chicken Bake Cups

Our Chicken Bake Cups are such a fun and straightforward meal idea and are a great option if you’re intrigued by sushi, but don’t love seafood. When our Salmon Sushi Cups and Shrimp Sushi Cups recipes went viral, we knew we needed to make a chicken version as well.

What stands out

These Chicken Bake Cups have all the components of sushi—steamed rice seasoned with rice vinegar, salty strips of nori (aka seaweed), and spicy mayo—wrapped up into, individual-size parcels. All you need is a muffin tin to form these delectable bites; no sushi-rolling technique is necessary.

How to Prepare Chicken Bake Cups

Cut chicken into small cubes of roughly equal size.

Mix chicken cubes with oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and spicy mayo in a bowl.

Next rinse the rice and cook according to package instructions (we use a rice cooker), adding salt for flavor.

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

Place a tablespoon of warm cooked rice onto each square of nori and press down into muffin tin cups. Then add a spoonful of marinated chicken on top of each rice cup.

Bake the Chicken Bake Cups for about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Turn on the broiler and broil for 60-90 seconds until the chicken is crispy and browned.

Remove from oven cool slightly, and top with additional spicy mayo and chives.

Kitchen tip

You can use any rice you enjoy; we like jasmine rice, but sushi rice or any short-grain rice will all work. Be sure to cook it as per the package directions.

Swaps

Feel free to mix and match these suggestions for your Chicken Bake Cups to suit your taste preferences and dietary restrictions! And don’t forget that you may need to experiment and adjust quantities or cook time, depending on how you change the recipe.

1. Instead of cubed chicken breast, you could try using chicken thighs or ground chicken. However, you will have to experiment and adjust the quantities and cooking time.
2. Feel free to get creative with toppings such as sliced avocado, shredded lettuce or cabbage, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, or sesame seeds.
3. In place of the spicy mayo in your Chicken Bake Cups, you could try another sauce such as teriyaki sauce, sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, or sriracha mayo.
4. For a vegetarian or vegan version, you could substitute tofu for the chicken. Ensure that all other ingredients are plant-based as well (such as the mayo, etc.).

Serve it with

• A hot vegetable side like our Asian Style Green Beans
• Asian slaw with cabbage, carrots, and a sesame dressing
• An Asian-inspired green salad, such as one with mixed greens, cucumber, avocado, and a ginger-soy dressing

Questions

What type of salt do you use?

We use mark Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is to taste so please always taste and adjust as you cook.

How can we make sure our meat is fully cooked?

The chicken in your Chicken Bake Cups should be cooked through after baking for about 15 minutes. Check to see if the chicken juices run clear and a piece of chicken is white throughout when cut into. You can also use a mark meat thermometer to check and ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F (75C).

What type of chicken cut did you use?

We purchased chicken cutlets (thinly sliced chicken breast) at the grocery store, but you can cut one large chicken breast into filets and cube it.

can we use a different cut of chicken?

Yes, you can use a different cut of chicken if you prefer. Just ensure that you adjust the cooking time accordingly to ensure that the chicken cooks through properly. Different cuts may have different cooking times, so keep an eye on the chicken to prevent overcooking or undercooking. Additionally, consider how the texture and flavor of the chicken might change the resulting Chicken Bake Cups.

What type of spicy mayo do you use?

We used our mark strong a Spicy Mayo. Feel free to use kewpie mayo if you don’t like spicy mayo.

How can i prevent the nori (seaweed) from getting too crispy and falling apart?

Make sure you assemble the Chicken Bake Cups while your rice is still warm. This way, it softens the nori, which prevents it from over-crisping in the oven.

what kind of rice should Do you use?

Our personal favorite is jasmine rice, but sushi rice or any kind of short-grain rice will work here. Be sure to cook it as per the package directions. In a pinch, you can try instant/microwave rice, too.

what if we don’t have rice vinegar?

If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can leave it out. Also, don’t add too much of it as we don’t want the rice to be sour.

Ingredients

Makes 6 cups

• 3 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• salt, to taste
• pepper, measure with your heart
• paprika, measure with your heart
• 1.5 tablespoons mayo, spicy or plain
• ½ cup jasmine rice
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, (optional)
• 2 sheets nori, cut into six 3.5-inch squares
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped, for garnish

Equipment

• Nakiri Knife
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Cutting Board
• Redmond Real Salt
• Muffin Pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Cut the chicken into small cubes, make sure they are all more or less equal in size. Add to a bowl with the oil and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Add the spicy mayo and stir.
3. Rinse the rice and cook it as per the package instructions. We like to use our rice cooker and we add a nice pinch of salt to the rice to flavor it better. Once the rice is cooked, add the rice vinegar, if using, and mix.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of the warm, cooked rice on top of each square of nori, and press down onto each square. Doing this first will soften the nori and make it easy to place in the muffin tin.
5. Place each nori and rice square into a muffin tin. Add 1 tablespoon of the cubed, marinated chicken on top of each rice cup.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear and a piece of chicken is white throughout when cut into or 165F (75C) on a meat thermometer. After 15 minutes, turn on the upper broiler of the oven and broil for 60 to 90 seconds, just until the chicken gets crispy and browned. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and top with more spicy mayo and chives.