If you love smoky BBQ flavor and melty cheese, this Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pizza is your next Friday night favorite. With juicy BBQ-marinated chicken, a crisp crust, and a gooey blend of mozzarella and gouda, every bite bursts with sweet, savory, and tangy goodness. It’s the perfect mix of backyard BBQ and homemade comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 homemade or store-bought pizza dough
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzle
- 2–3 chicken cutlets
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s or your favorite)
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups grated mozzarella
- ½ cup grated gouda
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a bowl, coat the chicken cutlets with ½ cup BBQ sauce and let them marinate for 25–30 minutes for the best flavor.
Step 2: Prepare the Dough
While the chicken marinates, roll out your pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. Chill it in the refrigerator to help it firm up for baking.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until no longer pink inside, about 7–10 minutes. Let it cool, then slice into bite-size pieces.
Step 4: Assemble the Pizza
Brush the chilled dough with olive oil and spread the remaining BBQ sauce evenly, leaving a clean border for the crust. Sprinkle with 1½ cups mozzarella and ¼ cup gouda. Add the sliced chicken and red onions, then top with the remaining cheese.
Step 5: Bake and Serve
Transfer to a pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese bubbles beautifully. Finish with fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of pepper. Slice, serve warm, and enjoy that smoky-sweet goodness!
Expert Tip
Want extra flavor? Brush the crust with garlic butter before baking it gives your pizza that pizzeria-style edge.
Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pizza
Equipment
- pizza pan or baking sheet For baking the 12-inch pizza.
- Skillet To cook and sear the chicken.
- Rolling Pin For shaping the dough.
- mixing bowl To marinate the chicken.
- brush or spoon For olive oil and sauce application.
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 2-3 chicken cutlets
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s or similar), divided
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups mozzarella, grated
- 1/2 cup gouda, grated
- 1-2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat chicken with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce in a bowl. Marinate 25–30 minutes.
- Roll pizza dough into a 12-inch circle and chill on a pan in the refrigerator to firm up.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken 7–10 minutes until no longer pink. Cool, then slice bite-size.
- Brush chilled dough lightly with olive oil. Spread remaining BBQ sauce, leaving a clean 1-inch border for the crust.
- Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup gouda over the sauce. Top with cooked chicken and red onion. Add remaining cheeses.
- Bake on a pizza pan or baking sheet on the middle rack for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden.
- Remove from oven. Finish with cilantro and black pepper. Slice and serve immediately.