Jump To Recipe
Author: Sally
Published: 03/11/2014Updated: 01/13/2022
This is a recipe for classic BBQ chicken pizza with tangy BBQ sauce, chicken, and red onion. Gouda cheese gives the homemade pizza the most delicious smoky flavor and cilantro adds a touch of freshness. My pizza dough recipe makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas, so you can freeze half for later. It’s an easy thick-style pizza crust with unbeatable flavor.
Sweet BBQ sauce, chopped chicken, red onions, a dash of cilantro, and tons of cheese.
Though store-bought crust is convenient, I suggest using homemade pizza dough for the BEST flavor. You could also use these toppings on whole wheat pizza dough instead. The bake time is exactly the same. Homemade pizza crust is so much easier than you think.
Homemade Pizza Dough
Let’s talk homemade pizza crust. I make this pizza dough every single week and there’s many reasons why I always go back to it:
- The recipe is perfect for bread beginners
- Only 6 ingredients required
- Most of the time is hands-off
- Crisp edges & fluffy interior
- So, so flavorful.
It’s simply the best homemade pizza crust. I useRed Star Platinum in my pizza dough because it produces the best results. The Platinum line is fantastic; its careful formula strengthens your dough and makes making working with yeast simple. This is awesome if you’re a bread beginner! For this pizza dough, I use only enough yeast to get the job done.
Homemade Pizza Dough Video Tutorial
How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza
After the pizza dough rises, it’s time to bake! Top the pizza dough with BBQ sauce, cooked chicken, lots of cheese, and red onion.
- BBQ Sauce: My husband isn’t a fan of too much BBQ sauce, but I love sauce in each bite. The middle ground is about 1/3 cup of BBQ sauce. Add more if you love extra sauce.
- Chicken: You need1 cup of chopped cooked chicken. You can buy pre-cooked chicken or pick up a rotisserie chicken. Shred it, then use as the pizza topping. Or you can cook your own chicken for the BBQ chicken pizza. 1 skinless boneless chicken breast is plenty. Whichever you use, toss the cooked chicken in a little BBQ sauce right before layering it on top of the pizza; doing so prevents the cooked chicken from drying out.
- Cheese: For best flavor, let’s use TWO cheeses.Shredded mozzarella for that classic pizza flavor and smoked gouda for deep smoky flavor. Smoked gouda pairs wonderfully with the sweet BBQ sauce and fresh cilantro! If you don’t want to make the extra trip to the store, skip the gouda and just use mozzarella.
- Red Onion: Sharp red onion adds so much flavor to each bite. Not a fan of onion? Leave it off.
Pizza is done in about 15 minutes.Once the edges are browned, remove from the oven and top with chopped fresh cilantro. The fresh cilantro on the hot, cheesy pizza knocks every bite out of the park. If cilantro isn’t your thing, no worries! You can leave it off.
The flavors and textures in this pizza are incredible! You have the sweet tang from the BBQ sauce, the meaty chicken, the zesty red onion, fresh cilantro, smoky gouda, soft crust, crispy edges, and ultra cheesy mozzarella covering it all.
Ditch the delivery guy, you’re eating homemade tonight!
More Pizza Recipes:
- My Favorite Pepperoni Pizza Dip
- Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
- Hawaiian Pizza
- Spinach Artichoke White Cheese Pizza
- Homemade Pizza Rolls
Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza
5 from 6 reviews
- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes (includes dough rising)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: one 12-inch pizza
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Save Recipe
Description
This is a recipe for delicious BBQ chicken pizza with tangy BBQ sauce, chicken, and red onion. Gouda cheese gives the homemade pizza the most delicious smoky flavor and cilantro adds a fresh touch.My pizza dough recipeyields about 2 pounds of dough, which is enough for two 12-inch pizzas. Toppings listed below are enough for one 12-inch pizza. Freeze the rest of the pizza dough for another time, or make two pizzas by doubling the topping ingredients. Feel free to use 1 lb. store-bought pizza dough instead of homemade.
Ingredients
- 1/2 recipehomemade pizza dough(or 1 lb. store-bought pizza dough)
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornmeal
- 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons (130g) your favorite BBQ sauce
- 1 cup chopped or shredded cookedchicken (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
- optional: chopped fresh cilantro for topping
Instructions
- Dough: Prepare pizza dough through step 3. If using store-bought frozen pizza dough, make sure it’s thawed.
- Preheat oven to 475°F (246°C). Allow it to heat for at least 15–20 minutes as you shape the pizza in the next step. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat as well. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or pizza pan with 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, which gives the crust extra crunch and flavor.
- Shape the dough: When the homemade dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half and freeze half the dough for another time—see freezing instructions in the pizza dough recipe. On a lightly floured work surface using lightly floured hands or rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a disc. Place on prepared pan and, using lightly floured hands, stretch and flatten the disc into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to stretch it, stop what you’re doing, cover it lightly and let it rest for 5–10 minutes, then try again. Once shaped into a 12-inch circle, lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges. I simply pinch the edges up to create the rim. If using a pizza stone, place the dough directly on a baker’s peel dusted with cornmeal. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for a few minutes as you gather the pizza toppings.
- Top & bake the pizza: Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Brush remaining olive oil all over the dough.Top the dough evenly with 1/3 cup (about 95g) BBQ sauce. Toss the cooked chicken with the remaining BBQ sauce, then scatter all around the pizza. Add the cheeses and red onion.
- Bake for 14–15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro, if desired.
- Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Cover leftover pizza tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freezing and reheating instructions below.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: See homemade pizza dough recipe for how to freeze the pizza dough. You can freeze the baked and cooled pizza or pizza slices. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place wrapped slices in a freezer container or bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Reheating Instructions: Reheat leftover cold pizza in the microwave or cover with aluminum foil and bake on a lined baking sheet/pizza pan in a 350°F (204°C) oven until warmed. (About 10 minutes for slices, 15–20 minutes for whole pizza.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links):Pizza Pan | Pastry Brush | Pizza Cutter
- Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Feel free to use my whole wheat pizza dough recipe instead. You only need half of the dough to make 1 pizza, so freeze the extra dough according to those directions or make 2 pizzas.
- Topping Swaps: If you do not have smoked gouda, replace with the same amount of shredded mozzarella. You can leave off the onion and/or cilantro if desired.
- This recipe was inspired by the BBQ Chicken Pizza at California Pizza Kitchen restaurant.
