Homemade bbq chicken pizza on made from scratch dough topped with barbecue sauce, chopped chicken, onions, and tons of cheese. Our family's favorite pizza!
It has been a while since I made pizza. I must say there’s nothing quite like a cheesy, soft and crispy, loaded with your favorite toppings, homemade pizza.
Do you have a favorite? I often crave my cheesy and spicy buffalo chicken pizza. This BBQ chicken pizza has become a high priority around here. Sweet and spicy barbecue sauce or your favorite, chopped chicken, sliced onions, and freshly grated mozzarella cheese.
It is amazing!
Why this recipe works
- The dough is easy and comes together quickly. Storebought dough can be used if you are in a time crunch.
- This pizza is the perfect vessel for leftovers chicken.
- Freshly grated cheese is smooth and creamy and melts evenly.
BBq chicken pizza recipe
Pizza is such a fun and easy weeknight meal.
For the chicken, you can easily use a leftover rotisserie. I love to make use of our leftovers this way. If you don’t have any on hand just cook up a large chicken breast.
I recommend simmering it in a pot of salted water until cooked through. Remove it from the water and let it cool completely before shredding.
The chicken will be super tender and moist and it will remain that way once heated again on the pizza.
Ingredients
- Pizza crust: I prefer my homemade pizza crust. It's simple to make and tastes so much better than storebought.
- Barbecue sauce: Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce is my absolute favorite. It works so well with the pizza. But honestly, any brand/flavor you prefer will work.
- Chicken: Boil chicken breast and shred it or use a leftover rotisserie. Just avoid adding raw chicken to the pizza; it won't cook through before the pizza is done.
- Onion: It is completely optional. Leave it off, use red onion instead of white, or use a sweet onion even.
- Mozzarella: Freshly shredded mozzarella is going to work best for pizza. It melts creamier and tastes best.
- Cilantro: Adds a bit of freshness and pop of color to the pizza. It's only meant to be a garnish and is completely optional.
Other tasty toppings to try
- Bacon
- Smoked Gouda
- Jalapenos
- Pineapple
- Green onion
- Ranch dressing
To make this pizza you'll need:
- Pizza pan: I prefer to use this pizza pan because it's easy to transport the pizza to and from the oven. It also has holes in the bottom that promotes a crispy crust.
- Pizza stone: Optionally you can bake the pizza on a pizza stone and use a pizza peel to transfer it to and from the oven.
- Pizza cutter: This pizza cutter works great and makes it easy to get neat slices.
How to make bbq chicken pizza
This pizza has an incredible flavor, especially when you’re using your favorite barbecue sauce. You will fall in love with it! Forget takeout tonight and enjoy a homemade bbq chicken pizza instead.
Step 1: Make the crust
Start with my favorite homemade pizza crust. I wrote a post a while back about how to make homemade pizza dough. You will find a lot of helpful tips to help you along the way.
Once the dough is made and proofed, stretch it out onto a pizza pan.
Step 2: Top the pizza
Top the dough with your favorite BBQ sauce, shredded chicken, and thinly sliced onion. I use about ½ cup barbecue sauce and I like to layer it on so that it doesn’t make the crust soggy.
Spread half over the crust and the other half over the chicken just before you add the cheese. You get sauce in each bite while the crust stays soft and crisp.
I used fresh mozzarella cheese that I grated myself. The soft silkiness of fresh cheese is unbeatable. I feel like they melt better and simply taste better.
But this is not a must-have. If all you have in your fridge is a package of shredded mozzarella cheese, it will work just fine.
Step 3: Bake and enjoy
Bake it for 15-17 minutes at 475°F. Make sure the rack is set to the lower-third position so the crust bakes up crisp.
Rotate the pizza halfway through to promote even cooking.
Tips for success
- When it comes to making my homemade pizza dough, be sure to weigh the flour.
- Don't use raw chicken! Pizzas take very little time to cook and raw chicken may not fully cook through in time.
- Toss the shredded chicken in bbq sauce for additional flavor. See recipe notes.
- If you wish to have a spicier onion flavor, use red onions. For mild flavor, use sweet or yellow onion.
Storing & Freezing
To store: Wrap baked and cooled pizza tightly in plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
To Freeze: Baked and cooled pizza slices can be wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza on made from scratch dough topped with barbeque sauce, chopped chicken, onions, and tons of mozzarella cheese. It's cheap, easy, and fun to make!
Ingredients
- ½ recipe homemade pizza dough, or storebought crust
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup (148 g) bbq sauce
- 1 ½ cups (130 g) cooked shredded chicken
- ¼ cup (24 g) onion, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups (148 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
- cilantro for topping, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the homemade pizza dough according to the recipe instructions.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-third position. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
- Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. You can also do this directly on your pizza pan. If you are using a pizza stone, do this step directly on your pizza peel. Spray your pizza pan with non-stick spray and dust lightly with flour or cornmeal. Once you’ve shaped the dough, gently transfer it to your prepared pizza pan.
- Brush the top of the pizza dough with the oil. Spread half of the bbq sauce evenly over the crust leaving a 1-inch bare rim around the edge.
- Sprinkle the chicken and onion over the sauce. Top with remaining bbq sauce. Spread the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Rotate halfway through the cooking time. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro if desired before slicing and serving.
Notes
- When it comes to making my homemade pizza dough, be sure to weigh the flour.
- Don't use raw chicken! Pizzas take very little time to cook and raw chicken may not fully cook through in time. Rotisserie chicken is great for pizza.
- Toss the chicken in the remaining bbq sauce instead of topping it with sauce in step 5.
- If you wish to have a spicier onion flavor, use red onions. For mild flavor, use sweet or yellow onion.
Make ahead tip
- Wrap baked and cooled pizza tightly in plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
- Baked and cooled pizza slices can be wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 330Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 630mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 16g
* Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy by an online nutrition calculator and is not guaranteed to be accurate. Always seek advice from a nutritionist or medical professional.
Originally published January 2015. Post updated January 2021 with fresh copy and new photos.
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
BBQ Chicken EVERYTHING! I made a version of this and add turkey bacon and red onions. BBQ Chicken Pizza is my go-to when we order from our local pizzeria. Thank you for this recipe. 🙂
Jen says
Turkey bacon sounds fabulous, Erin! Thanks for stopping by!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
This is one of our favorite pizza flavors too! Now you have me craving it again 🙂
mjskit says
I can see why this is your family favorite!! YUM!
Jen says
Thanks, MJ!
Allie | Baking a Moment says
This is totally my favorite too! I love the combination of flavors and your version looks so incredible it's totally making my mouth water!!!
LoveCompassionateLee says
I've been wanting to make homemade pizzas. I think I could wow my family with this recipe...Happy Monday, Jen 🙂
Jen says
I think you could too! 😉
Rachel @ Bakerita says
This pizza looks amazing, Jen! I love BBQ chicken pizza, and your photos make it look irresistible!