These fun and delicious Pizza Cups are super quick and easy to make! They’re perfect for lunch, as an after school snack or for a light dinner!
![Two pizza cups on a plate.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5163-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
If you love pizza and an easy dinner, you’re in the right place! These are a great go-to for busy weeknights. It doesn’t get much better than your favorite pizza ingredients housed in a buttery, flaky biscuit.
Pizza cups are one of those meals that requires little effort but yields great reward. Paired with a tossed salad, it’s a balanced meal that both kids and adults will love! It’s excellent as a light meal or snack and always a hit at on a game day or at a get-together!
Switch up the flavors and make my viral Taco Cups or Barbecue Cups for another family dinner hit or party win!
![Two pizza cups on a plate.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5165-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
Table of Contents
Why You’ll like this Recipe
- Easy to Make: With just a few ingredients and minimal prep, you can whip up these pizza cups in no time.
- Customizable: You can easily change up the fillings to suit your taste, making them as simple or as loaded as you like.
- Kid-Friendly: Kids love these fun, hand-held treats, making them perfect for lunchboxes or after-school snacks.
- Party Perfect: Pizza cups are a great appetizer or party snack that’s easy to serve and sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Full Recipe Card Below
- Ground Beef: Adds a hearty, savory flavor to the pizza cups, making them filling and satisfying.
- Garlic Powder: Enhances the flavor of the ground beef.
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme that gives the ground beef its signature Italian flavor.
- Pepperoni Slices: Adds a spicy, salty bite to the pizza cups.
- Marinara or Pizza Sauce: Acts as the base sauce, bringing all the flavors together and adding that necessary tomato tang to the pizza cups.
- Italian Cheese Blend: A mix of cheeses like mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone that melts beautifully, adding richness and creaminess to the pizza cups.
- Refrigerated Biscuit Dough: The dough base that forms the “cup” of these pizza cups, providing a fluffy, buttery crust that holds all the fillings together.
- Mozzarella: A classic pizza cheese that melts into a gooey, stretchy topping, making each bite of the pizza cup cheesy and delicious.
![Ingredients to make pizza cups.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5110-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
Tools You’ll Need
How to Make this Recipe
- First, make the pizza cup filling while the oven preheats to 375°F. Crumble and cook ground beef in a large skillet on medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain or blot off any excess grease.
![Browning beef in a skillet.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5114-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Stir in garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, ½ cup of the pepperoni, marinara or pizza sauce and the Italian cheese blend. Stir then simmer 2 minutes.
![Adding cheese to beef in a skillet.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5120-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Butter or spray with nonstick spray a 12-cup muffin pan. Split 6 of the biscuits horizontally by gently peeling them apart at the middle layer.
![Splitting a biscuit in half.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5125-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Using a tamper tool, press one of the biscuit halves in each of the muffin tins so that it covers the bottom at up the sides. Alternatively, flatten the biscuit halves with your fingers on a flat surface so that they become 4 inches in diameter, and then press into the muffin tins.
![Tampering biscuit dough in a muffin pan.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5128-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Fill each muffin tin with 3-4 tablespoons of the prepared pizza filling.
![Adding pizza filling to biscuit dough in a muffin pan.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5131-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Top with mozzarella cheese or additional Italian cheese blend and pepperoni.
![Adding cheese to the top of pizza cups.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5133-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges of biscuits are golden brown. Gently run a knife around the edge of each biscuit to loosen, then transfer to a serving tray. Optional, serve with additional marinara or pizza sauce.
![Holding a pizza cup.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IMG_5162-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
Tips and Substitutions
- Meat Variations: Swap out the ground beef for ground sausage, turkey, or even ground chicken for a different flavor profile. For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add extra veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach.
- Cheese Options: If you don’t have an Italian cheese blend, you can use just mozzarella or mix in other cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gouda for a unique twist.
- Sauce Options: Use marinara, pizza sauce, or even Alfredo sauce for a white pizza variation. You can also try a BBQ sauce for a smoky, sweet flavor.
- Dough Alternatives: Instead of refrigerated biscuit dough, you can use crescent roll dough, pizza dough, or even puff pastry for a flakier crust.
- Add Veggies: Feel free to add chopped vegetables like onions, olives, or jalapeños to the filling for extra flavor and texture.
Storage
Allow the pizza cups to cool completely after baking. Place in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate up to 3-4 days.
Alternatively, you can freeze the biscuit cups for longer storage. To freeze them, follow the same steps as above and then place the container or bag in the freezer. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. To use them, simply thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat them in the oven or microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can fully prepare them up to 12 hours in advance. Simply cover the pan with cling or press wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Absolutely! Substituting for some/all of the beef, you can incorporate your favorite pizza toppings such as Italian sausage, onions, bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, etc.
Yes! You can use crescent roll or pizza dough rolled out and cut into squares. You can also use 24 wonton wrappers. For these, place one wrapper in each prepared tin, add 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in each, add another wonton wrapper, then the remaining filling.
More Recipes Like This
Pizza Cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon chopped pepperoni divided
- 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded Italian Cheese Blend
- 1 16-16.3oz can jumbo southern homestyle buttermilk biscuits
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Crumble and cook ground beef in a large skillet on medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain or blot of any excess grease.
- Stir in garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, ½ cup of the pepperoni, marinara or pizza sauce and the Italian cheese blend. Stir then simmer 2 minutes.
- Butter or spray with nonstick spray a 12-cup muffin pan. Split 6 of the biscuits horizontally by gently peeling them apart at the middle layer. Using a tamper tool, press one of the biscuit halves in each of the muffin tins so that it covers the bottom at up the sides. Alternatively, flatten the biscuit halves with your fingers on a flat surface so that they become 4 inches in diameter, and then press into the muffin tins.
- Fill each muffin tin with 3-4 tablespoons of the prepared pizza filling. Top with mozzarella cheese or additional Italian cheese blend and pepperoni.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges of biscuits are golden brown.
- Gently run a knife around the edge of each biscuit to loosen, then transfer to a serving tray. Optional, serve with additional marinara or pizza sauce.
Video
Notes
Tips and Substitutions
- Meat Variations: Swap out the ground beef for ground sausage, turkey, or even ground chicken for a different flavor profile. For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add extra veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach.
- Cheese Options: If you don’t have an Italian cheese blend, you can use just mozzarella or mix in other cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gouda for a unique twist.
- Sauce Options: Use marinara, pizza sauce, or even Alfredo sauce for a white pizza variation. You can also try a BBQ sauce for a smoky, sweet flavor.
- Dough Alternatives: Instead of refrigerated biscuit dough, you can use crescent roll dough, pizza dough, or even puff pastry for a flakier crust.
- Add Veggies: Feel free to add chopped vegetables like onions, olives, or jalapeños to the filling for extra flavor and texture.
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