I’m already dreaming of Friday, so I’m going to throw a quick little pizza recipe at ya! BBQ Chicken Pizza is such a classic with its sweet, tangy, and salty BBQ sauce, bits of juicy chicken, creamy cheese, and savory onions. But, after making pizzas for a living for a couple of years, I learned that there are so many other fun things you can throw on top of your pizza! So keep reading to grab the classic recipe below, plus some of my other fun toppings that go really well with these BBQ flavors.
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“I make this recipe time and time again. Everytime I’m glad I made it instead of opting for takeout. So flavorful!”
Brittany
Easy Recipe for BBQ Chicken Pizza
Making your own BBQ chicken pizza at home is not only easy, but it’s way cheaper than ordering takeout. Plus, you get to customize it just the way you like. If I’m short on time, I use rotisserie chicken, which I chop up and mix with the BBQ sauce. You could even use canned chicken! If I don’t have chicken on hand, black beans make a great budget-friendly swap (mixed with the spices and sauce listed for the chicken). However you top it, homemade always wins.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Quick BBQ Chicken*
- ½ tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- ⅛ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ⅛ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.02)
- 1 chicken breast (boneless, skinless (about ⅔ lb.) $2.20*)
- ½ Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce ($0.16**)
Pizza
- 1 pizza dough ($0.62***)
- 4 oz. Monterey jack cheese (shredded, $0.98)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce ($0.32)
- 1 jalapeño (sliced, (optional) $0.33)
- ¼ cup red onion (sliced, $0.11)
In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season both sides of the chicken breast with the spices.
Heat a skillet over medium. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the seasoned chicken breast and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF). Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board.
Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces. Add ¼ cup BBQ sauce to the chopped chicken, and stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place the prepared pizza dough or crust on a pizza pan, then spread about ½ cup BBQ sauce over the surface.
Add the cheese, BBQ chicken, sliced jalapeños, and sliced onion to the pizza.
Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are golden brown. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.
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Small Bowl
Skillet
Pizza Pan
**You can use any BBQ sauce you like. I’m not too picky with BBQ Sauce, but I do tend to like Sweet Baby Ray’s brand. Personally, I do prefer smoky BBQ sauces to some of the sweeter sauces. Today, I had this Hickory Smoke BBQ Sauce from Kroger. I think it would be fun to try a spicier BBQ sauce or even a pineapple-flavored BBQ sauce.
***You can literally use any type of pizza dough or crust you like for this BBQ chicken pizza. I used my classic homemade pizza dough, but it would also go well on a thin and crispy pizza crust, on French bread, a baked tortilla, or your favorite store-bought gluten-free or cauliflower crust. The toppings listed here are enough for a 14-16″ pizza crust.
Serving: 2slicesCalories: 532.88kcalCarbohydrates: 54.03gProtein: 30.83gFat: 20gSodium: 2640.13mgFiber: 2.28g
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nutrition disclaimer here.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza Step-by-Step Photos
Season the chicken: Combine ½ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper. Season both sides of one boneless, skinless chicken breast (about ⅔ lb.) with the spice mix.
Cook the chicken: Heat ½ Tbsp cooking oil in a skillet over medium. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken, and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF). You could also opt to make a batch of slow cooker BBQ chicken and use some of that to top your pizza.
Add the BBQ sauce: Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, then chop into small pieces. Add ¼ cup BBQ sauce and stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.
Assemble the pizza: Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place a prepared pizza dough/crust on a pizza pan, then spread ½ cup BBQ sauce over the surface of the dough.
Top the pizza with 4 oz. shredded Monterey jack cheese and the chopped BBQ chicken.
Finally, add ¼ cup sliced red onion and one sliced jalapeño (optional) to the pizza.
Cook: Bake your BBQ chicken pizza in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are golden brown. Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy!!
More Topping Ideas!
Here’s where it gets fun. Here are some of the other toppings I’ve enjoyed on my BBQ chicken pizzas over the years:
- Bacon
- Pineapple (don’t @ me)
- Feta (surprisingly delicious against that sweet BBQ sauce)
- Green onion
- Cilantro
- Cheddar cheese
- Ranch dressing
- Corn
- Black beans
Storage and Reheating
Any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap/foil and stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I like to use my air fryer to reheat pizza because it keeps it crisp and only takes a few minutes. Reheat your pizza in the air fryer at 350ºF for 2-3 minutes or until fully heated through. You can also use your oven, the microwave, or even a dry skillet on the stovetop to reheat pizza!
Our BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe was originally published 6/18/20. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 6/30/25.
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