When you need to get dinner on the table fast, this barbecue chicken pizza recipe hits all the right notes. It comes together quickly with premade ingredients, from the pizza crust to the cooked chicken, and it bakes up in no time. It’s also super adaptable to any taste and easy to scale up if you’re feeding a crowd.
What goes on a barbecue chicken pizza is pretty simple: chicken, barbecue sauce, cheese and onion. But from there you can switch things up according to your taste. Use a different sauce or cheese, or use cooked turkey instead of chicken. Add this one to your all-time favorite pizza recipes.
Barbecue Chicken Pizza Ingredients
- Pizza crust: Premade pizza crust makes this pizza recipe a breeze. If you’d like to make your own, we have a great recipe for homemade pizza dough.
- Barbecue sauce: We like honey-garlic barbecue sauce for this pizza, but use any flavor and brand you like, whether it’s smoky, tangy, spicy or sweet. Or make your own with one of these barbecue sauce recipes.
- Chicken: This is one of the best recipes for using up leftover rotisserie chicken, though you can use already-baked chicken. Just cube it up or shred it to top your pizza.
- Mozzarella cheese: Cheese will always taste and melt better if you grate it yourself at home, but pre-shredded is totally fine to use. Here’s the best mozzarella cheese according to our Test Kitchen experts.
- Red onion: The sharpness of red onion adds just the right flavor and sharpness to a barbecue chicken pizza. Sweet onion or even green onion can be used in its place.
Directions
Step 1: Build the pizza
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the crust on a 14-inch pizza pan. Spread the barbecue sauce over the crust, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge. Sprinkle with the chopped onion, then the chicken and finally the cheese.
Editor’s Tip: While some believe the right way to top a pizza is sauce, cheese and then toppings, we like the cheese last on this pizza so it becomes a nice melty blanket over the chicken.
Step 2: Bake the pizza
Pop the pizza in the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Go for different crust flavors: Try pizza crust with extra flavors like garlic or Parmesan, or go with a whole-wheat crust.
- Use a different cheese: This pizza would taste great with sharp or smoked cheddar, either alone or blended with the mozzarella cheese. Or try smoked mozzarella or gouda. Or feta!
- Try other meats: Have leftover Thanksgiving turkey? This is a fantastic time to use it up. Ham works, too, or pulled pork. You can even use cooked ground chicken, turkey, pork or beef.
- Make it extra saucy: Before you add the chicken, toss it with some additional barbecue sauce, then put it on top of the pizza.
- Other topping ideas: You can top barbecue pizza with chopped fresh cilantro, pineapple chunks, jalapenos or even cooked bacon. There is no wrong way here.
- Grill the pizza: If you use a premade, unbaked dough, you can cook the pizza outside. Here’s how to grill pizza.
How to Store Barbecue Chicken Pizza
Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can wrap each piece individually if desired, but it’s fine all in the same container. It will last up to three days.
Barbecue Chicken Pizza Tips
Should you cook chicken before putting it on pizza?
Yes, please cook chicken before putting it on pizza. This is a quick-cooking pizza, and conventional ovens aren’t as hot as commercial ones. Raw chicken will not cook on a pizza like this. To ensure the chicken is safe to eat, make sure to use fully cooked chicken.
What can you serve with barbecued chicken pizza?
You can serve any kind of salad with barbecued chicken pizza. Our corn and black bean salad will add lots of colors, flavors and textures to the meal while sticking with the barbecue theme.
