4 Ingredient Barbecue Cups

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These incredibly easy and delicious 4 Ingredient Barbecue Cups are the perfect dinner for leftover smoked, crockpot cooked, or store-bought ready-made barbecue!

Biscuit dough crust with cheesy barbecue pulled pork filling

These fun and super easy barbecue cups are the perfect weeknight dinner or hand-held entertaining treat! They’re kid-friendly as well as a hearty adult fave! A simple baked blend of meat, cheese, and sauce in a golden brown buttery biscuit crust is the equation for deliciousness.

You can make these barbecue cups with SO many meat options: leftover barbecued beef brisket, chicken, or pulled pork. You can also make them with leftovers from my Crockpot Pork Carnitas or Amazing Pulled Pork recipes. Not only that, but you can also make them with a store-bought rotisserie chicken, packaged ready-made barbecue, or cooked ground chicken, beef or turkey.

4 Ingredient Barbecue Cups take less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish! They’re sure to be added to the “Quick to Make, Easy to Please” dinner rotation!

Table of Contents

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below

Cooked Barbecue, Leftover Pulled Pork, Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken, Ready-Made Packaged Barbecue or Cooked Ground Beef, Chicken, or Turkey. Alternatively, try my Amazing Pulled Pork!
Barbecue Sauce
Cheddar Cheese
Refrigerated Jumbo Biscuit Dough

Tools You’ll Need

12-Cup Muffin Tin
Tamper (optional)

Why You’ll Like 4 Ingredient Barbecue Cups

Doesn't get much easier than 4 INGREDIENTS!
They take less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish!
It’s an excellent way to repurpose so many meats!
You can make the filling or the whole dish ahead of time!
These cheesy barbecue cups are fun to customize with different toppings!

How to Make This Recipe

In a large bowl, combine your meat of choice, barbecue sauce, and ¾ cup of cheese. Mix until well combined.

A bowl with cooked pulled pork, cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce ready to mix together.

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.

Refrigerated biscuit dough being split in two

Using a tamper tool, press one of the biscuit halves in each of the muffin tins so that it covers the bottom and 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 them into the muffin tins.

Refrigerated biscuit dough being pressed into a muffin pan

Fill each muffin tin with 3-4 tablespoons of the prepared cheesy barbecue filling.

Barbecue filling scooped into biscuit dough in a muffin pan

Evenly sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top of each filling.

Bake at 375°F for 14-16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the 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 toppings.

A tray of baked biscuit cups filled with cheesy barbecue pork

Tips and Substitutions

The amount of barbecue sauce needed in the mixture will depend on how moist the meat is to start. If your meat is already sauced heavily, you’ll need only ½ cup or less of sauce. If it’s dry or has no sauce, you’ll need ¾ cup or more.
Leftover or store-bought barbecue pork, chicken, or brisket all work great in this recipe. The meat can be shredded as shown in this video or chopped.
The filling can be made with 1 ½ lb cooked ground beef, chicken, or turkey as well.
Some excellent toppings for these taco cups are sliced green onions, black olives, pickled jalapeños, and additional barbecue sauce.
Some excellent mix-ins for these barbecue cups are chopped jalapeños, diced onion, cooked, crumbled bacon, baked beans, and sliced olives.

Storage

Allow the barbecue cups to cool completely after baking. Place in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for 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

Can these 4 Ingredient Barbecue Cups be assembled and ready to bake ahead of time?

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.

Can other doughs be used instead of biscuit dough?

Yes! You can use an 8oz can of crescent roll dough rolled out and cut into squares instead of biscuit dough. 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.

Can I add other ingredients to the meat filling?

Absolutely! You can get creative with the filling. See “Tips and Substitutions” for more barbecue cup fillers!

Are they gluten-free?

Not this version. However, you can substitute the biscuit dough with the homemade dough by mixing 2 ¼ cups gluten-free Bisquick mix, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and ⅔ cup milk. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the dough into each muffin cup and press up the sides.

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