Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza on made from scratch dough topped with barbecue sauce, chopped chicken, onions, and tons of cheese. Our family favorite pizza!
Barbecue Chicken 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.
So 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. Hubs has been asking for it for weeks now. Sweet and spicy barbecue sauce or your favorite, chopped chicken, sliced onions, and freshly grated mozzarella cheese.
It is amazing!
How to make BBQ chicken pizza
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.
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.
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.
I used fresh mozzarella cheese that I grated myself. I love the soft silkiness of fresh cheeses. 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.
As for the onion, it is completely optional. Leave it off, use red onion instead of white, or use a sweet onion even. It is completely up to you.
I like to bake the pizza on a this pizza pan but you can use a pizza stone or baking sheet.
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 pizza instead.
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
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
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!