BBQ Chicken Pizza

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What sounds good for dinner tonight? This mouthwatering BBQ Chicken Pizza can be on your table in less than an hour. Featuring an EASY homemade pizza crust, this delish pizza recipe is topped with tangy-sweet barbecue sauce, savory chicken, melty cheese, and spicy jalapeños. Better than take out, your family will love this pizza recipe.

BBQ Chicken Pizza is Loaded with Big, Bold Flavor

Ask the kids “What do you want for dinner tonight?” Standard answer: “Pizza!” You know they expect you to pick up the phone and order delivery. Surprise them with this tasty twist: BBQ Chicken Pizza. Made with your favorite barbecue sauce, chopped chicken, and cheese, this recipe is so fun to make.

Even if you have never made pizza dough at home, you will perfect this recipe by following the instructions below. By using Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast, you only have to wait 10 minutes for the dough to rise. Just mix, knead, rise, and roll out for a tender, flavorful pizza crust YOU make yourself.

This is also a great way to get the kids in the kitchen to help.

Ingredients Needed to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza:

• Fleischmann's® RapidRise® Yeast - the one in the blue and yellow package
• All purpose flour
• Sugar + salt
• Very warm water - between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit
• Canola oil
• Barbecue sauce - a thick variety works best, pick your favorite
• Shredded cheese - we used a blend of mozzarella and cheddar
• Cooked chicken - chop up a chicken breast, use rotisserie chicken, etc.
• Red onion
• Pickled jalapenos

For this recipe, we used Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast because it activates quickly with very little wait time. I have been using Fleischmann’s® Yeast for years. I can even remember my grandmother keeping it in her pantry for all of her baking. The reason I stick with it? I get consistent rise and the best flavor.

TIP: Be sure your water is very warm, but not too hot. If it is too cool, the yeast will not activate. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast. I have found that running hot tap water works great.

If you have never made homemade pizza dough before, this is a great recipe to start with. It is easy to follow and gives consistent results. Plus, this recipe can make either one 9-inch thick crust pizza or one 12-inch traditional crust pizza.

TIP: Feeding a crowd? This BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe is easily doubled. Just follow the pizza dough instructions then portion the dough into two balls before letting it rise. 🙂

How to Make Easy Pizza Dough + BBQ Chicken Pizza:

1. First preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Position the oven rack to the lowest position. Lightly grease a pizza pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup of the flour, one envelope of Fleischmann's® RapidRise® Yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water and oil and mix with a spoon until well blended (about 1 minute).
3. Gradually add the remaining flour, stirring after each addition. Use enough flour until you have formed a soft dough.
4. Next using your hands, form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough ball on a floured surface until it is smooth and stretchy, about 4 minutes.
5. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
6. On a floured surface, pat and roll the dough out to a 12 inch circle. Carefully transfer the pizza dough to the prepared baking pan.
7. Using your fingers, pinch the edges of the pizza dough to create a crust edge.
8. Evenly spread the barbecue sauce on top of the dough, leaving ¾ of an inch edge.
9. Top with shredded cheese, chicken, red onions, and jalapenos.
10. Finally, bake the pizza for approximately 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

This is such a gorgeous pizza, you'd be proud to serve it at a party, too.

If you don't like jalapenos, feel free to leave them off. Or, you can use mild pickled peppers instead. For the cheese, we used a blend of mozzarella and sharp cheddar because that is what we had on hand.

TIP: This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken. I like to chop it into bite-sized pieces and toss it in some of the bbq sauce before adding it to the pizza.

One of the best things about this BBQ Chicken Pizza (besides that fact it is easy to make at home) is that it takes very few ingredients. Most of them you probably already have.

More Recipes to Try:

Deep Dish Pizza Dough Recipe

Homestyle Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Once you get the hang of making your own pizza crust at home, you'll be making pizza all the time. You can even make the dough ahead of time. Once you have the dough ball formed, wrap it in freezer-safe plastic. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge then let it rise at room temperature. Roll, top, bake.

Look at this gorgeous, golden crust. So tender, too. You can use this dough recipe to make breadsticks, too. Roll out, cut into strips, twist and bake for about 12-14 minutes. Brush with garlic butter and serve with your favorite marinara sauce.

Tips for Best Results:

• Preheat your oven and move your oven rack to the lowest position.
• Be sure you use all purpose flour (and NOT self-rising).
• Check the expiration date on your yeast to make sure it is still good.
• Keep your warm water between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Always use a thermometer to check the temperature.
• Don't overwork the pizza dough. Just knead it gently for about 4 minutes.
• How do you "knead dough"? Fold, press gently, massage, repeat.
• If using Fleischmann's® RapidRise® Yeast, be sure to let the pizza dough rest for 10 minutes before rolling it out.
• We used about ¾ cup of barbecue sauce on our BBQ Chicken Pizza. Use more or less to your preference.
• Other cheese varieties to try with this recipe: gouda, parmesan, gorgonzola.
• Swap out the pickled jalapenos for mild banana peppers to bring down the spice level.
• Sprinkle with fresh, chopped cilantro before serving for a pop of flavor.

You can find Fleischmann's® Yeast in the baking section of your local grocery store. It is usually located near the baking soda and baking powder. It comes in packages of 3.

Fleischmann's® has over 150 years of experience and is a quality product you can trust. Plus, nothing beats homemade. 🙂 Click here to visit their website for more baking inspiration and recipes.