This homemade BBQ chicken pizza features tangy BBQ sauce, pre-cooked chicken, and red onion. Mixing mozzarella with smoked gouda cheese makes for the most delicious 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 if you only want one pizza now. Ditch the restaurant because you can really taste the difference here!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This BBQ Chicken Pizza
Tangy-sweet barbecue sauce mingles with the flavors of smoky gouda cheese, sharp red onion, and fresh cilantro for an incredibly flavorful pizza.
Great for anyone who doesn’t really love pizza sauce. (And really loves bbq sauce!)
Uses pre-cooked/rotisserie chicken for convenience.
Gouda + mozzarella: Double the cheese.
Try This Homemade Pizza Dough
Though store-bought crust is convenient, I suggest using homemade dough for the BEST BBQ chicken pizza. Homemade pizza crust is so much easier than you think.
I make this pizza dough every single week and that’s because:
You only need 6 ingredients
Most of the time is hands-off (as the dough rises)
The crust is the perfect balance of crisp edges & fluffy, chewy interior
It’s an easy recipe, perfect for bread beginners new to baking with yeast
And it freezes well if you want one pizza now, and one pizza later.
And it just tastes so, so much better than anything store-bought! I also have an equally simple whole wheat pizza dough recipe that bakes up surprisingly soft. (I love the heartier, wholesome flavor of that one.)
My pizza dough recipe yields about 2 lbs., which is enough for 2 pizzas. You need 1/2 of the dough recipe for 1 BBQ chicken pizza, or you can double the topping ingredients to make 2 pizzas. (If you’re only making 1 pizza, make a batch of cheesy breadsticks on the side or freeze the second half of dough. Because you WILL want to make this BBQ chicken pizza again!!)
How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza
After the pizza dough rises, it’s time to roll it out and add the toppings. Here’s everything you need to top it:
If you don’t have a pizza pan, you can use a regular sheet pan. Grease it with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal, and then press the dough into whatever shape that will fit. Make sure the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. For a thinner pizza, stretch the dough out more.
Top the pizza crust with:
BBQ Sauce: Everyone has a favorite type of BBQ sauce, so use yours here. You need about 1/3 cup, but you can add more if you love extra sauce. Or serve some on the side for dipping your crust.
Chicken: You need 1 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. One 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 desired, you can skip the gouda and use more mozzarella.
Red Onion: Sharp red onion adds so much flavor to each bite.
The pizza takes just about 15 minutes to bake in a very hot oven. Once the edges are browned, remove from the oven and sprinkle 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 or replace with fresh basil.
The flavors and textures in this pizza are simply incredible. You get the sweet tang of the BBQ sauce-smothered chicken, zesty red onion, fresh cilantro, smoky gouda, soft & chewy crust, and melty mozzarella covering it all. By far one of my favorite ways to top homemade pizza.
More Pizza Recipes:
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Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza
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This homemade BBQ chicken pizza features tangy BBQ sauce, pre-cooked chicken, and red onion. Mixing mozzarella with smoked gouda cheese makes for the most delicious flavor, and cilantro adds a touch of freshness. My pizza dough recipe yields 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.
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 the pizza: Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Brush remaining olive oil all over the dough. Spread 1/3 cup (about 95g) BBQ sauce evenly on top of the dough. Toss the cooked chicken with the remaining BBQ sauce, then scatter it all around the pizza. Top with evenly with 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 5 days. 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.
