BBQ Chicken Pizza
This BBQ Chicken Pizza is loaded with smoky BBQ sauce, seasoned chicken, melty cheese, and crispy bacon. A surprisingly delicious combo that everyone will love!
A Fun Twist On Pizza Night
This BBQ Chicken Pizza has been my son’s favorite pizza recently. This kind of pizza has been around a while, and I think it was California Pizza kitchen that really popularized it! It’s so good and I’ve seen variations of it at other restaurants over the years.
Frequently Asked Questions:
My son loves my Homemade Ranch Dressing to dip the pizza in. It hits sooooo good! But storebought ranch could work too. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
It can seem hard to get a good crispy crust on pizzas cooked in a home oven, but a pizza stone (affiliate link) can really help with that.
Serve with a side of extra BBQ sauce or a side of ranch for dipping. As usual, my go to for sides are a nice, big salad and/ or some steamed veggies. It’s simple, makes a dinner go further and it is never a bad thing to up your veggies.
You can prep the toppings ahead, but pizza is best baked fresh. You can also parbake the crust and assemble later.
It’s important to go with the higher heat to help achieve a crispier crust and a chewy interior. Some people don’t realize how hot an oven needs to be for a pizza, but at least it cooks quickly.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven until warmed through.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- chicken breasts– For a shortcut, use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of freshly grilled chicken. You can also use the pre-cooked grilled chicken in bags that are sold in the freezer section (just make sure it is defrosted first).
- store-bought pizza dough– use whatever brand you prefer, or you can make some Homemade Pizza Dough.
- BBQ sauce– any brand that you enjoy should work nicely. I truly think it’s so important to go with a flavor you enjoy. A lot of times I get what’s on sale, but, Sweet Baby Ray’s is always a good, solid choice. Homemade BBQ Sauce is always a great option too. For a smokier flavor, use a hickory or mesquite BBQ sauce.
- shredded mozzarella cheese– Swap out mozzarella for a blend of mozzarella and smoked Gouda for a deeper flavor.
- bacon– cooked and crumbled. I prefer bacon that you freshly made, but you can use the bagged bacon pieces if you are in a pinch. I like to pop bacon in the oven for easy clean up or make some Air Fryer Bacon.
- red onion– this is an optional ingredient
- Italian seasoning– another optional ingredient
How To Make BBQ Chicken Pizza:
Preheat the oven to 475°F. Rub the chicken cutlets with olive oil and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove the chicken from the pan, let it rest for 5 minutes, then dice into small pieces.
Lightly grease a pizza pan or baking sheet with olive oil to prevent sticking. On a floured surface, stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Use your hands to gently press and shape the dough, leaving a slightly thicker edge around the dough to form the crust. Transfer the shaped dough to the prepared pan.
Prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent bubbling, then parbake the crust in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven and set aside.
Spread half of the BBQ sauce evenly over the parbaked crust, leaving the thicker border untouched for the crust.
Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the BBQ sauce. Evenly distribute the diced chicken, crumbled bacon, and diced red onion over the cheese.
Drizzle the remaining BBQ sauce over the toppings, then sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top. Finish by sprinkling on the Italian seasoning, if using. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the crust is golden brown.
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh or dried parsley before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (see notes below)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounce store-bought pizza dough
- ½ cup BBQ sauce (divided use)
- 1 ½ – 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
- fresh or dried parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (yes, that is the correct temperature.) Rub 2 chicken breasts with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and season both sides with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (depending on the size of the chicken breasts it could take longer to cook, please go by internal temperature not just by time.)Remove the chicken from the pan, let it rest for 5 minutes, then dice into small pieces.
- Lightly grease a pizza pan or baking sheet with olive oil to prevent sticking (or spray with nonstick cooking spray)On a floured surface, stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Use your hands to gently press and shape the dough, leaving a slightly thicker edge around the dough to form the crust. Transfer the shaped dough to the prepared pan.
- Prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent bubbling, then parbake the crust in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven and set aside.
- Spread half of the BBQ sauce evenly over the parbaked crust, leaving the thicker border untouched for the crust.
- Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the BBQ sauce. Evenly distribute the diced chicken, 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled and ¼ cup red onion, finely diced over the cheese.
- Drizzle the remaining BBQ sauce over the toppings, then sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top. Finish by sprinkling on ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, if using.
- Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh or dried parsley (optional) before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- You can purchase store bought cooked chicken (like a rotisserie chicken) instead of cooking up the chicken.
- This recipe makes 1 pizza, which typically serves 2-3 people.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Love pizza! Can’t wait to try this recipe!