• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads (Yeast & Quick Breads)
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ร—
    Home ยป Recipes ยป Savory

    BBQ Chicken Pizza

    June 20, 2024 By Sam 2 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe
    collage of bbq chicken pizza, top image of full pizza, bottom image is of the same pizza photographed from above

    Topped with chicken, bacon, and plenty of BBQ sauce, this BBQ chicken pizza will be your new favorite! My recipe works with a homemade or store-bought crust and takes just 15 minutes to prep.

    BBQ chicken pizza topped with red onion, bell pepper, and more.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • Restaurant-quality results at home. This BBQ chicken pizza has an amazing flavor–you won’t believe it’s homemade (and so easy too).
    • Customizable! I had a lot of fun playing with the flavors, but you can get even more creative. Ranch dressing, jalapeno, caramelized onions, and pineapple are also great toppings on this pizza!
    • Can be made on a homemade or pre-made crust. I include instructions for both below.
    • Fun alternative to classic pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. If you want to switch things up even more, try my buffalo chicken pizza!

    I first mentioned this BBQ chicken pizza years ago in my homemade pizza dough post. Since then, so many of you have made your own versions and absolutely loved them. Today, I’m finally sharing mine!

    It starts with a BBQ chicken base and is topped with plenty of cheese, onions, peppers, and bacon before going into a hot oven. Once the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden, it’s ready to slice and enjoy. I think you’re going to like this one just as much as my family does 😋

    Ingredients

    Today’s recipe uses less than 10 ingredients! Here’s what you need to make it.

    Overhead view of labelled ingredients including shredded chicken, pizza dough, bbq sauce, cheese, and more.
    • Pizza dough. You can use a pre-made dough (or crust!), but I personally like to make my own. Sourdough pizza crust would also be great here! Since we’re loading the crust with toppings, I like to par-bake it to keep the dough sturdy rather than soggy.
    • Veggies. Including onion (I like red onion), red bell pepper, and scallions. I like to thinly slice my onion and pepper so they are easy to bite on the pizza.
    • Bacon. You can obviously leave this out if you don’t like bacon, but I always include it. The smoky flavor pairs with the BBQ sauce so well! You can use pre-cooked bacon, or just cook your bacon in the oven.
    • BBQ sauce. Use your favorite BBQ sauce (or my homemade BBQ sauce). Note that different sauces give different flavor, so pay attention to the label and ingredients before you add it (just make sure it’s a sauce that you know you enjoy the flavor of!).
    • Cheese. I tried making this pizza with a variety of different cheeses, blends and single cheeses (like Colby jack, gouda, smoked gouda, all mozzarella, cheddar, etc.); however, I enjoyed a blend of mozzarella and Monterey jack the best. As usual, I recommend you shred your own cheese for the best melting and cheese pulls!

    SAM’S TIP: My slow cooker shredded chicken works perfectly in this recipe! It’s so easy to make too. I recommend setting it up in your crockpot in the morning so you can have it ready for dinner. You can also use rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chopped chicken.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza

    Overhead view of a pizza crust topped with BBQ chicken.
    1. Spread BBQ sauce over your par-baked crust and set aside. Toss the chicken in the remaining sauce, then evenly distribute this over your crust.
    Overhead view of a pizza topped with BBQ chicken, cheese, peppers, and onions before baking.
    1. Add your toppings (start with just half), then add the cheese. Top with the remaining toppings, then transfer to the oven. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, then top with scallions and serve.

    SAM’S TIP: I like to top my pizza with chopped scallions, but cilantro would be tasty too!

    Overhead view of a BBQ chicken pizza after baking.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use pork instead of chicken?

    Absolutely! You technically can use any cooked and shredded meat here; beef, pork, turkey, etc. will all work in this recipe.

    Can I freeze my pizza?

    Yes! To freeze, you will need to wrap the pizza in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. I recommend enjoying within 3 months for the best taste.

    How do I make BBQ chicken pizza with a pre-made crust?

    If your crust is already par-baked, you can just follow the recipe from step 3. If you are using raw pre-made dough, you will want to follow the recipe as written.

    Slice being pulled from a pizza made with BBQ chicken, peppers, onions, and more.

    This pizza would go great with a side of maple bacon brussel sprouts! Yum!

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

    BBQ chicken pizza topped with red onion, bell pepper, and more.

    BBQ Chicken Pizza

    Topped with chicken, bacon, and plenty of BBQ sauce, this BBQ chicken pizza will be your new favorite! My recipe works with a homemade or store-bought crust and takes just 15 minutes to prep.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dinner, Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 305kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 homemade pizza dough click link to make mine, or use a pre-made dough
    • Olive oil
    • 1 ½ cups (200 g) diced or shredded chicken
    • ½ cup (118 ml) favorite BBQ sauce
    • ½ cup (50 g) thinly sliced onion
    • ½ cup (70 g) thinly sliced red bell pepper
    • ½ cup (60 g) chopped cooked bacon
    • ¾ cup (85 g) shredded monterey jack cheese
    • ¾ cup (85 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
    • Scallions for topping optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Pizza pan
    • Mixing bowl

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 450F (230C) and roll out pizza dough into a 12” (30cm) circle. Transfer to a pizza pan and brush lightly with olive oil.
      1 homemade pizza dough, Olive oil
    • Transfer dough to center rack of preheated oven and bake for 9-10 minutes or until crust is just beginning to turn a light golden color. Do not turn off the oven.
    • Spread a spoonful of BBQ sauce evenly over the baked pizza. In a separate bowl, toss together the chicken and remaining BBQ sauce, then layer this evenly over the pizza crust.
      ½ cup (118 ml) favorite BBQ sauce, 1 ½ cups (200 g) diced or shredded chicken
    • Sprinkle the chicken with about half of the onion, red pepper and bacon, top evenly with shredded cheese, then sprinkle the remaining onion, bell pepper, and bacon evenly overtop.
      ½ cup (50 g) thinly sliced onion, ½ cup (70 g) thinly sliced red bell pepper, ½ cup (60 g) chopped cooked bacon, ¾ cup (85 g) shredded monterey jack cheese, ¾ cup (85 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
    • Return pizza to center rack of oven and bake 10-13 minutes/until cheese is melted and bubbly. If desired, top with chopped scallions before serving. Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving.
      Scallions for topping

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 806mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Related Recipes

    • Homemade buffalo chicken on a wood serving platter.
      Buffalo Chicken Pizza
    • BBQ chicken
      Pulled Chicken (Crock Pot BBQ Chicken)
    • Pizza made from a sourdough pizza crust that has been cut into slices for serving.
      Sourdough Pizza Crust
    • small glass jar of homemade BBQ sauce
      Homemade BBQ Sauce
    « The Best Egg Salad Recipe
    Mississippi Mud Pie »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sherry

      July 01, 2024 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      This is now one of our favorites for pizza. We’re having it for our 2 person 4th of July lunch. I’ve made BBQ chicken pizza based on California Pizza kitchen before, but this is hands down the winner. Another great one Sam. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 01, 2024 at 10:03 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sherry! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Warm Weather Recipes

    strawberry cobbler with scoop of vanilla icing on a plate

    Strawberry Cobbler

    slices of bruschetta topped with chopped marinated tomatoes, basil, and garlic

    How to Make Bruschetta

    Glass bowl of ambrosia salad topped with a maraschino cherry.

    Ambrosia Salad

    Overhead view of a pitcher of blueberry lemonade.

    Blueberry Lemonade

    overhead view of three flavors of no churn ice cream including strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate

    No Churn Ice Cream

    large glass pitcher of homemade strawberry lemonade with sliced strawberries and lemons as a garnish

    Strawberry Lemonade

    More Spring Recipes

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    ยฉ 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.