Recipe: BBQ Chicken Pizza
Store-bought pizza dough, leftover chicken, BBQ sauce … check, check, check! This weeknight pizza couldn’t be easier. It’s savory, sweet, tangy, and it only takes 15 minutes of oven time. Who could ask for anything more?
I definitely took some shortcuts with the ingredient list here to minimize cooking time on weeknights. I always pick up some prepared dough from the grocery or pizza shop — this dough will keep in the fridge for up to three days — and then I just pull out some leftover cooked chicken breast for the topping.
Cilantro adds a fresh pop of flavor — sprinkle it on top right when the pizza comes out of the oven.
Recipe Tester’s Notes
These pizzas made for such a great weeknight dinner. I took a cue from Stephanie and used a ball of store-bought pizza dough, so the pizzas came together in under 30 minutes. Store-bought dough is perfect for nights when you really want some pizza, but don’t feel like doing too much in the kitchen.
I made one more change to the recipe, calling for low-moisture (aka dry) mozzarella instead of the water-packed variety. When I baked my first pizza with fresh mozzarella, the cheese weeped so much liquid that there was a big pool in the middle of my pizza. All that moisture meant that I wasn’t able to get any browning on top without copious dabbing with paper towels, followed by a last-minute run under the broiler.
Use thinly sliced or shredded dry mozzarella instead — whichever is easier to find at the grocery store. The decreased moisture in the cheese translates to a pizza that’s not water-logged, and it’ll get nice and bubbly brown.
One last note: These pizzas are great for preassembling and freezing. The next time I have leftover cooked chicken on hand, I’ll be sure to throw one of these together and pop it in the freezer for a busy night!
– Coco, March 2015
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Makes 2 (10-inch) pizzas
Serves 4-6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 pound
pizza dough, at room temperature at least 1 hour
Finely ground cornmeal, for dusting
All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough
- 2 teaspoons
olive oil
- 1/2 cup
barbecue sauce, divided
- 1 cup
low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces), divided
- 1 cup
shredded smoked Gouda cheese (4 ounces), divided
- 8 ounces
cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces, divided
- 1/4 cup
thinly sliced red onion, divided
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven, place a heavy baking sheet upside down on the rack, and heat to 450°F.
Divide the pizza dough into 2 pieces. Dust a 12-inch piece of parchment paper with cornmeal, place a piece of dough on it, and stretch or roll into a thin, 10-inch round. If the dough is sticky, dust with a little bit of all-purpose flour.
Carefully remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and use the parchment paper to slide the dough directly onto the back of the baking sheet. Brush the dough with half of the olive oil, then spread half of the barbecue sauce into a thin layer onto dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and smoked Gouda cheeses. Scatter half of the chicken and onions over the cheese.
Bake until the edges are golden-brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and cool for 2 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.