Smoky Chicken BBQ Pizza (Printable)

A smoky pie with grilled chicken, tangy barbecue sauce, red onions, and melted cheese baked to perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 prepared pizza dough (approximately 8.8–10.6 oz)

→ Sauce

02 - ½ cup (120 ml) barbecue sauce, plus extra for drizzling

→ Chicken

03 - 1 large chicken breast (about 7 oz), grilled and sliced

→ Vegetables

04 - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Cheese

05 - 1½ cups (5.3 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - ½ cup (1.8 oz) shredded smoked gouda or cheddar cheese

→ Garnish

07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set oven temperature to 450°F. If using a pizza stone, place it inside to heat thoroughly.
02 - Roll or stretch the pizza dough into a 12-inch round on a floured surface, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza peel.
03 - Evenly spread barbecue sauce over the dough surface, leaving a small border around the edges for the crust.
04 - Distribute grilled, sliced chicken breast evenly on top of the barbecue sauce.
05 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella followed by smoked gouda or cheddar cheese over the chicken.
06 - Scatter thinly sliced red onion evenly across the cheese layer.
07 - Place the prepared pizza in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
08 - Remove pizza from oven, drizzle with additional barbecue sauce, sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired, slice, and serve immediately.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can have dinner on the table before anyone gets too hungry.
  • The combination of barbecue sauce and melted cheese creates this addictive flavor that keeps people reaching for another slice.
  • You can prep everything while the oven heats, so there's barely any cleanup waiting at the end.
02 -
  • Don't skimp on the heat—a lukewarm oven will give you a soggy, disappointing crust, so make sure your oven is fully preheated before anything goes in.
  • Slicing the chicken thin makes a huge difference; thick chunks tend to dry out while everything else bakes, but thin slices cook through perfectly with the pizza.
03 -
  • If you're using a pizza stone, transfer your dough on parchment paper and slide the whole thing onto the stone; the paper will prevent sticking and you can remove it halfway through baking if you want extra crispiness on the bottom.
  • Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a genuine time-saver and honestly tastes just as good as grilling your own, especially when it's getting shredded and mixed with all these flavors.
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