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Oven: Indian English Muffin Masala Pizza

April 04, 2025

Oven: Indian English Muffin Masala Pizza
English Muffin Pizzas
ENGLISH MUFFINS SAVED ME FROM STARVING!

A latchkey kid is a child who returns to an empty home after school (or other activities) or a child who is often left at home with no supervision because their parents are away at work. I was a latchkey kid.

Growing up outside of Philadelphia in the 1980s, I had to let myself and my younger brother into the house after school. Both my immigrant parents had no choice but to work outside the house, making me responsible for snack time. The freezer aisle in those days was not as robust with choices nor would it have mattered. Splurge was not part of our vocabulary back then.

My adult self is kind of glad that we were instead forced to eat homemade for most snacks and meals. English muffin pizzas were our number one choice. Always around, easily topped with spaghetti sauce and cheese, and even more easily browned to perfection in a toaster oven, they were perfect for our elementary kitchen skills at the time.I still remember my earliest formal cooking lesson as a high-schooler at Upper Merion in King of Prussia in Home Ec making pancakes - it's where I perfected the flip!

Needless to say, I was no wiz in the kitchen back then, but we loved getting creative. The funny thing is that my kids now love my version of these pizzas. The recipe below is my Indian masala version that uses our jarred Punjabi masala sauce. My younger self looking to fit in likely never would go for these toppings, but my older self can't get enough. A tip on really getting the texture right? Toast them first for about six minutes to create a crunchier base that won't get soggy under the sauce and toppings.

Let me know what you think! xoxo Anupy


English muffin pizza

Oven: Indian English Muffin Masala Pizza

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 21 minutes 
Makes: 12

Ingredients

  • 1 package of English muffins (six total)
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
  • ¾ cup Indian As Apple Pie Punjabi masala
  • 1 red onion, finely minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cup cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, or Mexican blend)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Garam masala or chaat masala, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Position your oven rack in the second-from-top position of your oven and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Split the English muffins in half and place them cut side up on a wire rack positioned above a baking tray. Drizzle each with olive oil or use a pastry brush to lightly coat with the ghee. Place them in the oven to cook for 6 minutes. Baking them first prevents your English muffins from becoming soggy later. 
  3. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and start topping. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the Punjabi masala in the middle of each muffin. Working quickly with a butter knife, spread the masala out to the sides from the middle until each muffin is completely covered. You can use more masala, but I think this is the perfect amount for a balanced taste profile. 
  4. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of red onion, 1 teaspoon of green bell pepper, 1-2 teaspoons or more of cheese, and a pinch of salt. You can also use paneer but keep in mind that it does not melt. I sometimes combine tiny paneer cubes with a cheese that melts, like mozzarella or cheddar. 
  5. Adjust the muffins on the wire rack so they are not touching and place them in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them. Most recipes only cook them for 10 minutes - I found I loved them at the full 15 for the added crunch. 
  6. Pull them out of the oven and sprinkle them each with a generous pinch of garam masala, chaat masala, or a bit of both. You can also garnish them with chopped fresh cilantro, red chile flakes, and/or a drizzle of Indian As Apple Pie Tamarind Chutney.

Make Them for Later

Cook them for half the time, remove, cool completely, and either refrigerate or freeze in a container with the muffins separated by parchment paper.  They can be finished off by little hands in a toaster oven and make a great afterschool snack. 

Indian Naan Masala Pizza

Try our Masala Pizza on naan, too! Check out the recipe here.

Watch Me Make Indian English Muffin Masala Pizzas!

Check out English muffin masala pizza in the video below! Subscribe to my YouTube channel while you're there and scroll down on this page to print the full recipe! 

 

<[[ recipeID=recipe-2m92w0lbc, title=Oven: Indian English Muffin Masala Pizza ]]

 




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Oven: Indian English Muffin Masala Pizza

ENGLISH MUFFINS SAVED ME FROM STARVING!

I was a latchkey kid. I had to let myself and my younger brother into the house after school and was responsible for snack time. English muffin pizzas were our number one choice. Always around, easily topped with spaghetti sauce and cheese, and even more easily browned to perfection in a toaster oven, they were perfect for our elementary kitchen skills at the time.


Recipe by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie

Servings: 12

Keywords: Masala, Punjabi, Indian Recipes, Pizza, English Muffins

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 21 mins
  • Total Time: 31 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 package of English muffins (six total)
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
  • ¾ cup Indian As Apple Pie Punjabi masala
  • 1 red onion, finely minced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • ½ cup cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, or Mexican blend)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Garam masala or chaat masala, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Position your oven rack in the second-from-top position of your oven and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Split the English muffins in half and place them cut side up on a wire rack positioned above a baking tray. Drizzle each with olive oil or use a pastry brush to lightly coat with the ghee. Place them in the oven to cook for 6 minutes. Baking them first prevents your English muffins from becoming soggy later. 
  3. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and start topping. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the Punjabi masala in the middle of each muffin. Working quickly with a butter knife, spread the masala out to the sides from the middle until each muffin is completely covered. You can use more masala, but I think this is the perfect amount for a balanced taste profile. 
  4. Top each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of red onion, 1 teaspoon of green bell pepper, 1-2 teaspoons or more of cheese, and a pinch of salt. You can also use paneer but keep in mind that it does not melt. I sometimes combine tiny paneer cubes with a cheese that melts, like mozzarella or cheddar. 
  5. Adjust the muffins on the wire rack so they are not touching and place them in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them. Most recipes only cook them for 10 minutes - I found I loved them at the full 15 for the added crunch. 
  6. Pull them out of the oven and sprinkle them each with a generous pinch of garam masala, chaat masala, or a bit of both. You can also garnish them with chopped fresh cilantro, red chile flakes, and/or a drizzle of Indian As Apple Pie Tamarind Chutney.

Notes

Make Them for Later

Cook them for half the time, remove, cool completely, and either refrigerate or freeze in a container with the muffins separated by parchment paper. They can be finished off by little hands in a toaster oven and make a great afterschool snack. 

This recipe is by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie.

If you share or copy this recipe, we’d greatly appreciate it if you let others know where you found it!