Description
This BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe features a homemade pizza dough topped with tangy barbecue sauce, shredded cooked chicken, a blend of pepper jack and cheddar jack cheeses, pickled jalapeños, red onion, and scallion. Baked on a hot pizza stone, it delivers a perfectly crisp crust with melty, flavorful toppings in just 40 minutes, making it an ideal meal for pizza lovers craving a smoky, savory twist.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
- 2 packets active dry yeast (1/4 ounce each)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for work surface
- 1/4 cup olive oil (for prepping pan)
For the Toppings
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese blend, divided
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken breast
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 scallion, diced
Instructions
- Prep pan and dough: Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast and let it stand until foamy. Whisk in sugar, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Add flour and stir until a sticky dough forms.
- Knead and rise: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat and shape: Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) with a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet placed on the lower rack. Gently press and stretch the dough to cover the pan evenly. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, then stretch again if necessary to fill the pan fully.
- Prepare crust: Pierce the dough all over with a fork to prevent bubbling during baking.
- Add toppings: Brush the dough with barbecue sauce, leaving the edges bare for the crust. Evenly sprinkle half of the pepper jack and cheddar jack cheeses over the sauce, then add shredded chicken, pickled jalapeños, diced red onion, and diced scallion. Top with the remaining cheese blend.
- Bake on the hot stone: Transfer the prepared pizza to the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly and melted.
- Serve: Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- You can substitute cooked rotisserie chicken for a quicker preparation.
- Adjust the amount of barbecue sauce and jalapeños to control the level of spiciness.
- Using a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet helps achieve a crispy crust.
- Resting the dough after stretching ensures it doesn’t shrink back while baking.
- Leftover pizza keeps well refrigerated for 2-3 days and reheats nicely in the oven.
