Air fryer salami cups are like a charcuterie board stuffed into a crispy bite that’s perfect as a snack or appetizer. These savory bites cook in only about 5 minutes for a quick option!
1CupAntipasto style fillings as desired(see notes)
Instructions
Place one slice of salami in each muffin cup. Use your fingers or the bottom of a shot glass to push it into a cup shape (flat in the center with the sides folding up around it). Pro tip: To help retain the cup shape during cooking, ball up some foil and place it in the center of each salami cup
12 Slices deli salami
Set the cups into your air fryer’s basket or rack in a single layer, allowing air space between each one
Cook on the air fry setting at 350°F for 5 minutes, until the edges are crispy and lightly browned. Times will vary between air fryers and thickness of salami, so add additional time in 1 minute increments as needed to achieve desired browning level
Cool for a few minutes, then blot the excess oil from the bottoms and the middles of the salami cups
Fill with your favorite antipasto and enjoy!
1 Cup Antipasto style fillings as desired
Notes
You can use any variety of salami or pepperoni that is the wider deli-style (at least 2” wide, but preferably 4”)
There are tons of great fillings to add, and I usually do multiple flavors of cups and use about ¼ cup of each filling (but feel free to make it your own). Pictured: herbed Feta cheese with sliced pepperoncini, Greek olive medley, pepper salad, sliced mini dill pickles
What to put in salami cups: Pitted olives, marinated artichokes or mushrooms, feta cheese, goat cheese, cream cheese, Boursin cheese, cherry peppers, banana peppers, pepperoncini, cornichon or other small pickles, fresh mozzarella pearls, cucumbers, pepper jelly, giardiniera, green onions, caramelized onions, egg salad, or anything else you like!
The thinner sliced your salami is, the easier it is to work with. I find the thicker slices harder to get to stay put in the cups. If you run into this problem, add dried beans or rice to your foil balls to add extra weight
Your salami cups will not brown on the bottoms with foil balls in. I personally like the texture contrast and find them easier to eat this way. However, If you want browned bottoms, remove the foil balls during the last minute of cooking (they should be firmed up enough to hold shape by then). Note that if you have a strong air fryer, it may blow the salami up and out of the cups, so monitor them closely
Store leftover salami cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For best results, store the cups unfilled
To reheat, air fry at 350°F for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to warm and re-crisp them. If they do have filling in them, I recommend removing it, heating the cups, then adding the filling back in
Exact nutritional values will vary widely based on brand, size, and variety of salami, as well as your chosen fillings, so please consider this a guideline only