Every once in a while the portion of my brain that is in charge of generating ideas for what to make for dinner seems to go on vacation. My default dinner for when I’m completely uninspired is chicken and rice. We all love chicken and rice, I usually have all the ingredients on hand, only one dish gets dirty, and I can make it super-fast… So we have chicken and rice A LOT!
Since we had already had chicken and rice the night before, and I had no plan for dinner whatsoever, when 3 o’clock rolled around, I sent out a little S.O.S text to my husband asking for any ideas for dinner. Naturally he suggested Barbecue Chicken Pizza and saved the day. Or at least saved us from having a bowl of Cheerios for dinner.
I hadn’t made this in a while and I forgot how much I loved it! And how fun it is to make pizza. When I was shaping my dough, I made a comment about it being a very odd shape, and Little Boy #1 said, “Mom, it’s perfect, just leave it. It reminds me of Africa.” So then we had African pizza, is there such a thing?
We might be onto something!
PrintBarbecue Chicken Pizza
Homemade pizza dough topped with barbecue sauce, grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese and red onions. A family favorite!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 27 mins
- Yield: 2 pizzas 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for greasing)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
- 1 cup grilled chicken, chopped
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix yeast and warm water together. Allow the yeast a few minutes to soften, then add sugar, olive oil, and salt. Mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment, and then gradually add flour. When a dough has formed, turn the speed up to medium and knead with the dough hook for 4-5 minutes. Add additional flour as needed as you go. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be slightly sticky.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, and then coat the inside with a little oil. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover. Allow to rise in a warm place (I use the bread proof setting on my oven) until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Punch the dough down, and divide into two equal portions. On a well-floured surface, stretch the dough into a disk shape. If the dough has too much elasticity and bounces back, you may need to let it rest for 5-10 minutes before continuing to roll it out into the shape of your pizza. I find it easiest to just place it on the baking sheet and then press it to the edges with my fingertips. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Place the dough on greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal, and then spread barbeque sauce, chicken, cheese, and red onion over the top.
- Bake on top rack for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is very bubbly and browned.
- I like to transfer my pizza to a cooling rack for 5 minutes before cutting on a board so that bottom of the crust stays crisp.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pizza
- Calories: 1760
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 3181mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 33g
- Unsaturated Fat: 31.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 175g
- Fiber: 7.1g
- Protein: 103g
- Cholesterol: 299mg
My fam is kind of obsessed with BBQ chicken pizza, and this is one that even I’m sitting here drooling over. Everything from the crust to the drizzle on top looks AMAZING!
Thank you Karly!
Finally, someone gets it! The best pizza starts with barbecue sauce. I usually throw on some mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and a couple of my very many favorite types of cheese as well. (If you haven’t tried Sargento’s Bruschetta Jack, you need to!!)
Beautiful photos! 🙂
Hey Margaret! I’m so glad we are on the same page. Definitely going to check out that cheese! Thanks!
I’ve made this! It’s super yummy & if you’re feeling adventurous, slide it on the grill for a finished “BBQ” flavor 🙂
Love that idea Priscilla!
Lands! Does this look tasty! I pinned and can’t wait to try. And then I thought…I need to create a board that is just LLK recipes because I’m always searching for them on my Pinterest page and it would be so easy just to pull up ONE board where they’d all be saved!!! Hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us. I’ve never been disappointed in what I try! ~Melinda
Melinda, you are too kind. Hearing that you enjoy my recipes makes my day! Thank you!
The pizza turned out fabulous. The CRUST is amazing. I will be making this one again!
So glad Melinda! Thanks for letting me know.
Love that Little Boy #1!! 💜
I clicked to triple the recipe and it says it will make 6 pizzas. What size though?
It will really depend on how thick/thin you roll it. For mine, they ended up being around 12 inches.
Dear Julie,
I couldn’t help but reach out and express my absolute delight and gratitude for your outstanding blog post on “Barbecue Chicken Pizza.” Your recipe has elevated my homemade pizza game to a whole new level, and I am simply thrilled with the incredible flavors and textures that your creation has brought to my kitchen.
What I truly appreciate about your barbecue chicken pizza recipe is its versatility. It can serve as a scrumptious dinner option for a cozy night in or become the star of a gathering with friends and family. The combination of familiar flavors with a twist creates a pizza experience that is both comforting and exciting.
Thank you for sharing your expertise and passion for pizza making. Your blog has become my go-to resource for creative and mouthwatering recipes, and I eagerly await each new post. Your “Barbecue Chicken Pizza” has quickly become a family favorite, and I can’t wait to continue exploring your culinary creations.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Zubair
Can you make the pizza dough ahead of time and then put the toppings on before cooking? If so should you rollout the and refrigerate or leave in a ball?