BBQ Chicken Pizza

Barbecue chicken pizza is a real crowd-pleaser. It combines two all-American favorites: barbecue chicken and pizza. How can you go wrong with that combination?!

This pizza is topped with lots of zesty barbecue sauce, chunks of savory chicken, crisp bacon, sweet red onions, and melty cheddar cheese on a golden brown crust.

You may think pizza is too difficult to make. Actually, it’s really pretty easy if you start with a pre-made crust. I like the frozen balls of dough but there are lots of different options. Choose the one you like best or, if you’re feeling like a superhero, make homemade pizza dough!

Once you try this pizza, you may never do take-out or get pizza delivered again! It’s way more economical to make your own and you won’t have to wait an hour for the delivery person to knock on your door with your semi-cold pizza (no offense to hard-working very busy delivery persons!).

About this Pizza

Okay, so I’ll admit this pizza is not health food. I mean, boneless skinless chicken breasts are low in fat and high in protein but when they’re accompanied by a bunch of bacon and cheese, well, bye-bye healthy food.  But really, it’s no worse than most pizzas.

P.S. Buy whole wheat pizza dough, if you want to make it a bit more healthy. A hearty BBQ chicken bowl with rice, peppers, and onion, or BBQ chicken salad are delicious alternatives.

Ingredient Notes

I’ll run through the recipe here and give you a few extra tips (informative ones, not monetary). As always, the printable recipe card can be found near the end of the post with measurements, complete instructions, and nutrition information.

• Pizza Dough/Crust: There are a lot of options for this. Choose the one you’re most comfortable with. I like to buy a frozen ball of dough. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and it’s ready to roll out. 
• Cooked Chicken: Again, lots of options: leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken, poached chicken, or any cooked chicken you happen to have. I use my Instant Pot to make cooked shredded chicken and I almost always have some in the freezer.
• Bacon: You’ll need a few slices of bacon (or maybe more than a few if you really like bacon).
• Red Onion: Any type of onion will work, just use what you happen to have. Red onion is typically the onion of choice on a BBQ chicken pizza.
• Barbecue Sauce: Make your own or use your favorite bottled brand.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar is a common choice for barbecue chicken pizzas. Some pizzerias use a blend of provolone, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese. You decide.

How To Make This Pizza

Preheat the oven. A hot oven is essential for a good pizza. Find a sheet pan, baking sheet or pizza pan and give it a little coat of olive oil.

Roll or spread the dough onto the pan. Don’t worry about getting it perfectly round. A rustic look makes it look homemade and homemade is good. My kids go for the most unique shapes and have a lot of fun stretching the dough out.

Fry up the bacon. Once it’s crisp, remove it from the skillet to drain the excess grease on paper towels.

Add onions. Next comes chopped red onion. You can either put the onions on the pizza raw or cook them first in a bit of the bacon grease. It’s all a matter of preference.

Sauce it up. Mix the cooked chicken with half of the sauce. Spread the rest of the sauce on the crust.

Add the toppings. Next, put the chicken on. Pile the rest of the stuff on the pizza crust, and top it with lots of shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake the pizza. It will take 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Doesn’t it smell so, so good?

Cool briefly. If you can, let that baby cool on the counter for just a few minutes or everyone will burn their mouths. It’s really good garnished with sliced green onions. They add a touch of freshness and the green looks great on the pizza.

FAQs

Recipe Variations

This is a pizza after all, so tailor it to your liking. It’s so easy to do! Here are a few suggestions:

• Try a different kind of cheese. Provolone, mozzarella, smoked gouda or Monterey Jack are all good; combine two kinds of cheese if you like.
• Not a fan of bacon? Leave it off and just use lots of red onions and cilantro for extra flavor. Pepperoncini are good, too.
• Substitute regular pizza sauce. It’s your pizza so make it the way you love it. If you prefer pizza sauce instead of BBQ sauce, go for it (although you may have to rename your pizza).

Make-Ahead Ideas

To get a head start on making this pizza, prep the toppings up to a day ahead of time. Make sure you have cooked chicken, fry the bacon, chop the onions and fry them, too, if you want, shred the cheese, etc. Make sure your dough is thawing out in the fridge. It won’t take long at all to make your pizza if you have everything prepped.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Really? You have leftover pizza? That never happens at my house. I wish it would. Store leftover pizza in the fridge. It should keep for 3 to 4 days.

Reheat: Put the sliced pizza in the oven or toaster oven on a pan or foil at 350°F until it’s heated. The microwave will work, too, but tends to make the crust get chewy and tough.