BBQ Chicken Pizza
by Chungah
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This homemade BBQ chicken pizza is quick, easy and a family-favorite! With leftover rotisserie chicken, BBQ sauce, red onion, and mozzarella!
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With football season in full throttle, we’ve been making a ton of pizzas at the DD house. And it’s been an absolute God-send to keep our freezer overstocked with this homemade pizza dough!
WHY you’ll love BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA
- Crowd-pleaser. BBQ chicken pizza is an absolute crowd-pleaser for both kids and grown-ups. It’s perfect for entertaining, game day, or anytime you have friends and family coming over.
- Lightening fast dinner. With some quick shortcuts, like repurposing leftover rotisserie chicken and freezer pizza dough, you’ll have homemade pizza on your dinner table in less than 40 min – that’s faster than delivery and takeout!
- Perfect family activity. Whipping up a homemade pizza is a great, budget-friendly activity for the entire family (especially the little toddlers) to enjoy on the weekends.
- Make-ahead and freezer options. Make-ahead frozen pizzas for the win! Skip the store-bought frozen pizzas. You can fill the freezer with all the homemade frozen pizzas now, perfect for the speediest weeknight meals or lazy weekends, new parents, or kids going back to school.
What is BBQ chicken pizza?
This is a style of pizza that was popularized by California Pizza Kitchen, replacing traditional pizza sauce with BBQ sauce and then topped with chicken, cheese, and onion.
Key ingredients
Dough
1 ball of pizza dough, homemade or store-bought, brought to room temperature
Base
Your favorite brand of BBQ sauce
Chicken
Cooked, diced or shredded chicken
Cheeses
Shredded cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese
Veggies
Diced red onion
Garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
How to make BBQ chicken pizza
- Prep the dough. Let the pizza dough come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F and lightly coat a pizza stone with olive oil.
- Shape the dough. Roll out the room-temperature pizza dough into a 12-inch-diameter round.
- Add the toppings. Spread the BBQ sauce over the dough in an even layer, leaving a small border for the crust, then top with chicken, cheeses, and red onion.
- Bake. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses have melted, about 20-24 minutes.
- Serve. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.
TOPPING IDEAS FOR BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA
- Pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice: for a little bit of sweetness
- Pickled jalapeño peppers: for a kick of heat
- Crispy bacon: for smoky depth, savory contrast of flavors, and a crispy texture
- Smoked gouda: for smoky flavors and a silky-smooth melt (swap out the mozzarella for smoked gouda or use a blend of both)
HOW TO FREEZE AND STORE BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA
Storage
Leftover pizza can be cut into slices, wrapped tightly (to prevent drying out) in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 375°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 7-12 minutes, baking longer for a crispier crust.
Freeze before baking
Par-bake the crust at 450°F for 3-5 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack; add toppings. Place pizza on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, uncovered, freezing for 1-2 hours until solid. Double wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent from drying out. Label, date, and freeze up to 3 months.
Reheating from frozen
Bake from frozen as directed, adding a few more minutes of cook time as needed
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Tools For This Recipe
BBQ Chicken Pizza: Frequently Asked Questions
While a pizza stone is ideal for a crispier crust, a baking sheet can also be used.
Absolutely! It’s easy, freezer-friendly, and perfect for weeknight pizza nights. You can find it here and keep a few extra batches in the freezer for those last-minute dinner wins.
I love Stubb’s Original BBQ Sauce for its perfect balance of smoky and sweet, but any BBQ sauce you love will work. Go spicy, tangy, or honey-sweet – just be sure it’s a brand you would dip your fries in!
This can be due to excess moisture from wet ingredients. Always use whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella cheese – it melts and browns beautifully.
Leftover pizza slices can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat in the oven at 375°F, covered in foil, until warmed through, about 7-12 minutes.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 10 tablespoons BBQ sauce, such as Stubb’s Original BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups leftover shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup diced red onion
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat a pizza stone with olive oil.
- Working on a surface that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, roll out the pizza into a 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer to prepared pizza stone.
- Using a small ladle, spread bbq sauce over the surface of the dough in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
- Top with chicken, cheeses and onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place into oven and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheeses have melted.
- Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Homemade pizza dough goes a long way. Some of the best pizzas are made with good homemade dough, yielding a chewy, flavorful crust. The best part? Homemade pizza dough can be frozen up to 2 months.
- Local pizzerias will sell dough. If using store-bought, opt for a pound of pizza dough at your favorite local pizza joint, usually ranging from $2-5 per ball. It will make all the difference here.
- For a crispier crust, use a hot pizza stone. While a baking sheet can certainly do the trick, a pizza stone will allow for even cooking, mimicking a traditional wood-fired pizza oven and resulting in a far more superior crust due to its high heat retention.
- Use rotisserie chicken. To save on prep time even more, opt for rotisserie chicken or any leftover shredded chicken.
- Freshly grated cheese is ideal. Although pre-shredded cheese can save a few minutes in the kitchen, pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents to prevent clumping – this can hinder its ability to melt properly. Freshly grated cheese will not only have a better flavor profile but it will also melt more smoothly and evenly, yielding a far more superior pizza.
- Freeze before baking. This will preserve the texture of the pizza and prevent sogginess.
- High heat is key. Ensure that the oven is preheated to 450°F for a crispy, golden brown crust, preventing the dough from becoming soggy.
Did you make this recipe?
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excellent..added some grated smoked gouda & strips of Swiss cheese ..it’s all I had on hand ..but used everything else..had as a side ..along with a small bowl of chicken & Dumplings & buttered corn on the cob ..it was a verry good Breakfast ..thanks for sharing
Incredibly delicious!! We added bacon also. Soooo tasty 🙂
my husband said this was a re-do. So tasty!
Damn delicious is right. Everyone loved it and I’ll definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Quite honestly, making and serving this BBQ Chicken pizza, no one really cared who won or lost Sunday’s NFL football game. Unfortunately is was soooo damn delicious that I have been elected to make this pizza every football game til the end of the season, along with my pepperoni pizzas, my greek pizzas and my “to die for” “finger licking” bbq chicken wings. I feel like a “restauranteur” and not a person just cooking!!!! Should be flattered but just dang tired…will be making pizzas in my sleep