Description
This Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza features a crispy, golden crust topped with flavorful barbecue sauce, tender shredded chicken, melted mozzarella and smoked gouda cheeses, and thinly sliced red onions, finished with fresh cilantro. Perfectly baked to a delicious balance of smoky and sweet flavors, this recipe delivers a crowd-pleasing pizza with homemade or store-bought dough.
Ingredients
Pizza Dough and Base
- 1/2 recipe homemade pizza dough (or 1 lb. store-bought pizza dough)
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornmeal
Toppings
- 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons (130g) your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1 cup chopped or shredded cooked chicken (about one 8-ounce breast)
- 2/3 cup (70g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2/3 cup (70g) shredded smoked gouda cheese
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (or basil), for topping
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: If using homemade dough, prepare it following your dough recipe through step 3. If using store-bought frozen dough, ensure it is fully thawed before proceeding.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 475°F (246°C) and allow it to fully heat for 15–20 minutes. If using a pizza stone, place it inside to preheat as well. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or pizza pan with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal for extra crunch.
- Shape Dough: Punch down the dough to release air bubbles. Divide dough in half—freeze one half for later if desired. On a floured surface, gently flatten the dough into a disc. Transfer it to the prepared pan and stretch it into a roughly 12-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. Create a lip around the edges by pinching the dough to form a rim. If the dough shrinks back, cover and let rest for 5–10 minutes before continuing.
- Prepare Toppings: Use your fingers to create dents on the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil. Spread 1/3 cup (about 95g) barbecue sauce evenly over the dough. Toss the cooked chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce and scatter it evenly over the pizza.
- Add Cheese and Onion: Evenly distribute shredded mozzarella and smoked gouda cheeses on top of the chicken. Scatter thinly sliced red onions over the cheese layer.
- Bake: Place the pizza in the preheated oven and bake for 14–15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro or basil. Slice and serve immediately. Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Letting the dough rest if it shrinks back while shaping helps relax the gluten for easier stretching.
- Using cornmeal on the baking surface adds crispness and prevents sticking.
- You can substitute fresh basil for cilantro if preferred.
- Leftover pizza can be reheated in the oven for best texture retention.
- Freezing the unused dough half allows convenient fresh pizza another day.
