A miniature recessed (i.e., cup) surface EMG electrode intended for use in the perioral region during speech has been constructed and tested. In addition to its small size and low mass, a custom acrylic electrode housing features an extruded design to yield secure attachment to the skin with skin cement rather than with conventional double adhesive collars. A durable, commercially manufactured disk of homogeneous silver and silver chloride was utilized to optimize bioelectric characteristics and durability. In relation to the commonly used fine‐wire intramuscular electrode composed of platinum–iridium, this surface electrode demonstrates comparable bioelectric performance in perioral applications including low, stable, and well‐matched skin‐electrode impedance, a low noise floor, a surprisingly wide bandwidth, and good signal‐to‐noise ratios.