BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza — This amazingly fresh bbq pizza reminds me of California Pizza Kitchen’s bbq chicken pizza except I think homemade is better. I’m not partial or anything. In just 15 minutes, you have a meal everyone will love!

Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe

For a while, I was making homemade pizza with my family a few times a month but we fell out of the habit. This bbq pizza is bringing me back into the habit because it’s so good, so easy, and ready in 15 minutes! And everyone, including kids, love pizza for dinner! This easy pizza recipe is almost a guaranteed crowd pleaser, and it’s super easy to make.

If you plan on making your own pizza dough from scratch, give yourself more than 15 minutes to make this recipe. Typically, pizza dough needs at least an hour to rise, so plan accordingly. If you want a high-quality pizza dough but don’t feel like making it yourself, buy some from your local pizza parlor. They usually sell dough by the pound and are more than happy to give it to you! 

Besides that, this bbq chicken pizza is a cinch to make. BBQ sauce, cheese, and shredded chicken are the main ingredients, and you bake this pizza for around 10 minutes. I honestly don’t think I could’ve made this recipe easier if I tried! 

BBQ Chicken Pizza Ingredients 

For this homemade pizza recipe, you’ll need: 

• Olive oil
• Pizza dough
• BBQ sauce
• Shredded chicken 
• Red onion
• Mozzarella cheese
• Fresh cilantro 

You can use any BBQ sauce you’d like, and I prefer using pre-shredded mozzarella cheese for this recipe. 

How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza

Preheat your oven to 475ºF and place a pizza stone in the oven to pre-heat with it (it’s very important that you heat the pizza stone before adding your pizza to it!). Roll or stretch the dough into a circle, then top with BBQ sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese. I like to toss the chicken in a little BBQ sauce first to make sure it’s flavored and to help seal in moisture. 

Bake your BBQ pizza until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden. Once the pizza is out of the oven, sprinkle it with fresh cilantro and slice. Homemade pizza is best fresh, but it can be stored in the fridge for up to five days (reheat it in the oven or in a skillet, not the microwave!). 

How Long Should I Bake Pizza? 

I bake my pizzas on a pizza stone and it’s square, so my pizzas tend to be on the square side, which I like to think of as ‘rustic.’ Baking times will vary based on the dough used, how heavily you pile on the toppings (heavy for me, so my pizzas take 12 to 13 minutes), what surface you’re baking on, and personal preference.

Watch closely starting at about 8 minutes, because it’s a very hot oven and the pizza can go from raw to charred in a minute.

Tips for Making BBQ Chicken Pizza 

The store-bought pizza dough I get is from Trader Joe’s. I don’t even bother with a rolling pin, I just stretch it into place! 

To save yourself even more time, use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken for this recipe (omit the skin though). Rotisserie chicken is super moist and it saves you from having to bake and shred the chicken yourself. 

When cutting the red onion, make sure to slice it quite thinly. This pizza won’t be in the oven for long, and you don’t want to bite down on raw onion. 

If you don’t have a pizza stone, that’s okay! You can use a regular baking sheet, if needed. Your crust may not turn out as crunchy, but your pizza will still taste good. Keep the baking sheet in the oven to preheat anyways though. 

More Homemade Pizza Recipes: 

• Easy Mini Pepperoni Pizzas — Ready in 10 minutes, mindlessly easy, and mini food just tastes better! Great as an appetizer, after-school or late-night snack, or as perfect tailgating party food!
• Pepperoni Pizza and Chipotle Avocado Cucumber Flatbreads – Fun, easy and great for game days!
• Mango Basil Personal-Sized Tortilla Pizzas – Storebought tortilla shells bake up thin, crispy, and are easy to use for personal-sized pizzas! Everyone can choose their toppings!
• Three Cheese Pizza — Homemade pizza is the BEST! And when there are 3 cheeses involved, even better! Fast, easy, and better than calling for pizza delivery.
• Mexican Taco Pizza – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and like eating a taco in pizza form!! Taco-seasoned ground beef on top of refried beans with melted cheese and your favorite taco fixings!!

Print

Yield: 10- to 12-inch pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 13 minutes

This amazingly fresh bbq pizza reminds me of California Pizza Kitchen’s bbq chicken pizza except I think homemade is better.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, if baking on a baking sheet
• one pound fresh pizza dough (scratch or storebought)
• about 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, divided
• 1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• one quarter of one red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups shredded mozzrella cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced for garnishing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475F. Place pizza stone in the oven if using one (don’t add oil to the stone) or lightly oil a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Roll or stretch pizza dough out into approximately a 10 to 12-inch round or an oblong shape (doesn’t have to be perfect). Place dough onto a well-floured pizza peel if using a stone or onto the baking sheet.
3. Evenly spread about 1/3 cup barbecue sauce over the pizza, keeping a 1/2-inch bare margin around the perimeter.
4. To a medium bowl, add the chicken, remaining barbecue sauce, and toss to combine.
5. Evenly scatter chicken over the pizza.
6. Evenly top with red onion, mozzarella, and bake for about 8 to 13 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pizza is done to your liking.*
7. Evenly sprinkle with cilantro, slice, and serve immediately. Pizza is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently if desired.

Notes

*Baking times will vary based on the dough used, how heavily you pile on the toppings, what surface you’re baking on, and personal preference. Watch closely starting at about 8 minutes because it’s a very hot oven and the pizza can go from raw to charred in a minute.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 695mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 17g

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Originally posted July 16, 2016 and reposted May 12,  2021 with updated text. 

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