Kevin Is Cooking | Featured | Pulled Pork Stuffed Cornbread Muffins
By Kevin
published Jan 11, 2024
5 from 3 votes
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Swap out those boring pulled pork sliders with these BBQ stuffed cornbread muffins! The tender, smoked pork is stuffed right into these fluffy cornbread muffins for a fun appetizer that’s quite literally packed with mouthwatering barbecue flavor.
So you have some incredible leftover pulled pork, what to do? The other day I madethis scrumptiousSouthern pulled pork with an orange sauce and wanted to do something fun with the leftovers.You could always make sandwiches, nachos, a topping for stuffed potatoes, throw it in with some beans or a soup, right?
Well I chose to make thesePulled Pork-Stuffed Cornbread Muffins because we were invited to a party and needed to come up with an appetizer. I think they turned out fantastic and seemed to be a hit at the party. Almost like a cupcake so everyone got their own individual sample of tasty, sweet and deliciousPulled Pork in a moist cornbread muffin that I had hollowed out. I also added a nice little dollop of sour cream and a candied jalapeño on top.
Lately I’ve been in a candied lemons, candied kumquats, candied everything mode and thought why not a jalapeño? Don’t scoff at that last item! It is so good and thejalapeño loses it’s potency while simmering in the sugar water and leaves you with a subtle flavor that really adds to this. Give it a shot, be adventurous!
Since we’re doing all of that from scratch, I take a tasty shortcut with boxed Jiffy cornbread mix — though you’re more than welcome to make the cornbread from scratch.
Candied jalapeños, tender pork, smoky BBQ sauce, and tangy sour cream. You might think that’s almost too much flavor to stuff into one cornbread muffin, but I make it work!
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Don’t throw out the muffin tops!
- How to Make Stuffed Cornbread Muffins
- Recommended Tools
- Storing and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Pulled Pork Stuffed Cornbread Muffins Recipe
When it’s all put together, sweet and fluffy meets saucy and spicy. Topped with a dollop of sour cream, pulled pork stuffed cornbread muffins offer richness at every level, from the first bite until the last!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Jiffy Cornbread Muffins – These are the easiest, tastiest cornbread muffins I’ve come across — I use two boxes for this recipe. To make them, you’ll need milk and eggs. You can use any homemade recipe, even Mexican cornbread, but you’ll need to leave out any added vegetables.
- Pulled Pork – The night before, prepare your favorite pulled pork. I use either my smoked pulled pork shoulder or Instant Pot pulled pork — which is much quicker.
- BBQ Sauce – If your pork of choice doesn’t come with plenty of sauce, make some extra when the time comes to make the stuffed cornbread. Try my homemade sweet and spicy BBQ sauce!
- Sour Cream – Fatty, tangy sour cream is perfect for quelling heat from the BBQ and chiles. Plain Greek yogurt is a fantastic substitute that makes almost no difference in flavor.
Tip From Kevin
Don’t throw out the muffin tops!
Once those muffins are cooled, use a knife to carve out a conical piece of each muffin at its center. I like to break the pieces up and place on a baking try. Pop them under the broiler to crisp up and use as corn muffin croutons on soups, chili or top salads!
How to Make Stuffed Cornbread Muffins
- Candy the Chiles. Slice the jalapeño into ¼ inch rings. Heat the water and sugar in the skillet over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the jalapeños, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes while occasionally flipping the rings over. Transfer to parchment paper to cool.
- Make the Cornbread. Whisk the cornbread mix, milk, and eggs together. Line the cups of the muffin tin with parchment paper, and pour the batter in each cup until ⅔ full. Bake per package instructions and let cool.
- Create Room to Stuff. Once cooled, use a knife to carve out a conical piece of each muffin at its center — insert the knife at an angle and turn the muffin to make this easier. If you want a little more sweetness, squeeze just a bit of honey into each muffin.
- Prepare Pulled Pork. Chop the pulled pork and add to the skillet. Cover with some more BBQ sauce and heat until warmed through and bubbling.
- Stuff, Top & Serve. Carefully fill each muffin with the pork, adding more BBQ if desired. Top stuffed cornbread muffins with a dollop of sour cream and a ring of candied jalapeño, and enjoy!
- Corer – If you have a cupcake corer handy, it will make hollowing each muffin so much easier! Otherwise, just use a sharp knife and take care.
Storing and Reheating
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, stick them in the oven until warmed through or give them a quick trip in the microwave.
I will say stuffed cornbread muffins aren’t the best for saving, and BBQ-soaked pulled pork stuffed cornbread muffins are particularly ill-suited for leftovers. The sauce just makes everything soggy and harder to eat.
If you were banking on having leftovers, store a portion of the pork and muffins separately and reheat separately as well, assembling the stuffed cornbread just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you prevent Jiffy stuffed cornbread muffins from crumbling?
Crumbly cornbread is usually dried out and overbaked. Make sure your muffin pan is properly lined and/or greased before adding the batter.
Watch them as they bake—– once the edges begin to brown, test with a toothpick to see if the center has cooked through. If it has, remove from the oven immediately to prevent overcooking.
Additionally, letting the muffins rest and cool is important! Grabbing a muffin too soon will almost always leave you with a crumbled pile of corn crumbs.
Why are my corn muffins dry?
You may have overworked the batter. It’s important to mix only until the mix, milk, and eggs are just combined.
The batter may also be too dry. To make your muffins more moist, you could always add an additional egg yolk. A little bit of honey also suits the flavor of these stuffed cornbread muffins overall and will moisten the batter in tandem.
Finally, if this is a recurring issue, cover the muffins after they come out of the oven to trap the steam and keep the bread moist.
Can you freeze pulled pork stuffed cornbread muffins?
You could, yes. Wrap individually in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge — it shouldn’t take too long — before reheating the stuffed cornbread in your oven or air fryer.
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Pulled Pork Stuffed Cornbread Muffins
5 from 3 votes
Fluffy stuffed cornbread muffins are packed with saucy pulled pork and topped with spicy candied chiles — a super fun and unique BBQ treat!
Servings: 16 servings
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 18 minutes mins
Total: 28 minutes mins
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Ingredients
- 2 fresh jalapeños
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups pulled pork
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 17 oz Jiffy cornbread muffin mix (Two 8.5 ounce boxes)
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
To candy the jalapeño slice them into quarter inch rings and set aside. In a skillet add the sugar and water over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the jalapeño rings and simmer on low for 15 minutes, flipping over occasionally with a fork. Remove onto parchment paper and set aside to cool.
Blend the cornbread mix, eggs and milk in a bowl and pour into parchment lined muffin cups, 2/3 full. Bake per package instructions. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Using a sharp knife, cut at an angle and the circumference of the top of the muffin to remove a conical piece of the cornbread. You want to make a nice pocket to stuff with the pulled pork. I added a squeeze of honey on the inside of each. Save removed cornbread for other use.
Rough chop the pulled pork. Add the pulled pork and BBQ sauce of choice to a skillet over medium heat and heat through until bubbling. Carefully stuff each muffin with heated pulled pork and orange sauce.
Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a candied jalapeño. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For this recipe I used two 8.5 ounce boxes of Jiffy Cornbread, purchased from the market. Feel free to use my Mexican Cornbread recipe, but double the recipe and omit the jalapenos and corn.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 291IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Course: Appetizer, Dinners
Cuisine: Southern
Author: Kevin Is Cooking
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
Kevin
Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!
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