BBQ Chicken Pizza with Red Onion and Cilantro

Name: BBQ Chicken Pizza with Red Onion and Cilantro
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 34 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1¼ lb (567 g) pizza dough, at room temperature for 1 hour; 2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, for brushing the crust; 2 cups (280 g) cooked chicken breast or thigh meat, shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces; ¼ cup (65 g) barbecue sauce, for tossing with chicken; ½ cup (130 g) barbecue sauce, thick style, for the base; 8 ounces (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 2 cups); ½ medium (75 g) red onion, sliced into thin half-moons; 2 ounces (55 g) smoked Gouda, coarsely grated (about ½ cup) (optional); ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A crisp-bottomed, smoky-sweet pizza topped with barbecue-tossed chicken, melty mozzarella, sharp red onion and fresh cilantro. It's an easy way to turn leftover or rotisserie chicken into a weeknight dinner.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 14 min
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 34 min
Makes: 1 large 14-inch pizza (8 slices)

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Ingredients

4 servings

1¼ lb (567 g) pizza dough, at room temperature for 1 hour
2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, for brushing the crust
For the topping
2 cups (280 g) cooked chicken breast or thigh meat, shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces
¼ cup (65 g) barbecue sauce, for tossing with chicken
½ cup (130 g) barbecue sauce, thick style, for the base
8 ounces (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
½ medium (75 g) red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
2 ounces (55 g) smoked Gouda, coarsely grated (about ½ cup) (optional)
To finish
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)

Equipment (7)

Pizza stone or heavy rimless baking sheet
Rimmed baking sheet or pizza peel
Parchment paper
Medium mixing bowl
Box grater
Sharp knife and cutting board
Pizza cutter

Steps

Before you start

Take store-bought or homemade pizza dough out of the fridge 1 hour before shaping so it relaxes and stretches without snapping back.
Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat for the full 45 minutes in the first step; a very hot surface gives a crisp crust.
Use fully cooked chicken (rotisserie, poached, or leftover roasted). It only needs to be reheated on the pizza.
Shred the mozzarella from a block if you can; pre-shredded cheese melts less smoothly.

1
Preheat the ovenOven 500°F / 260°C
- Place a pizza stone or an inverted heavy baking sheet on the lowest oven rack.
- Heat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and let it preheat for at least 45 minutes so the stone is fully hot.
- While it heats, let the dough sit covered at room temperature.
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Ready when: Oven reads 500°F (260°C) and has held it for at least 15 minutes
Tip: If your oven tops out at 475°F (245°C), use that and add 1–2 minutes to the bake.
2
Prep the toppings
- Grate the mozzarella (and Gouda, if using) and combine them in a bowl.
- Slice the red onion into thin half-moons.
- Chop the cilantro.
- Keep everything separate from the chicken.
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Ready when: Onion slices are about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick
Tip: Slice onion thin so it softens and chars in the short bake.
3
Sauce the chicken
- In a medium bowl, toss the shredded chicken with ¼ cup (65 g) barbecue sauce until every piece is evenly coated and glossy.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated with no dry spots
Tip: Pre-saucing keeps the chicken from drying out on top of the pizza.
4
Stretch the dough
- Lightly flour a work surface and a sheet of parchment paper.
- Press the dough into a flat disc, then stretch it with your knuckles and fingertips into a 14-inch (35 cm) round, leaving the edge slightly thicker.
- Move it onto the parchment, which should sit on a rimless sheet or peel.
- Brush the outer 1-inch (2.5 cm) rim with the olive oil.
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Ready when: Dough is an even round about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick with a slightly raised rim
Tip: If the dough springs back, cover it for 5 minutes to relax, then continue stretching.
5
Add sauce and cheese
- Spread ½ cup (130 g) barbecue sauce over the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border.
- Scatter about two-thirds of the cheese over the sauce.
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Ready when: Sauce is a thin, even layer and cheese covers it
Tip: Don't over-sauce; BBQ sauce is sugary and burns easily.
6
Top the pizza
- Distribute the sauced chicken and the red onion over the cheese, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- The extra cheese on top helps hold the toppings in place.
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Ready when: Toppings are evenly spread without piles
Tip: Work quickly so the dough doesn't stick to the parchment.
7
Bake the pizzaOven 500°F / 260°C
- Slide the pizza with its parchment onto the hot stone.
- Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 10–12 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is deep golden and the cheese is bubbling with a few browned spots.
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Ready when: Crust edge is deep golden brown, cheese bubbles and has browned in spots, and the underside is crisp
Tip: Parchment may darken at this temperature; that's normal. Trim excess paper so it doesn't hang over the edge.
8
Rest, garnish, and slice
- Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let it rest for 3 minutes so the cheese sets.
- Scatter the cilantro over the top, add black pepper if you like, and cut into 8 slices with a pizza cutter.
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Ready when: Cheese is no longer runny and slices hold together
Tip: Add cilantro after baking so it stays bright green.

Good to know

Tips

Choose a thick, not runny, barbecue sauce; thin sauces make the crust soggy.
Don't skip the hot stone; it's what gives a crisp bottom crust.
Keep the toppings modest. Overloading the pizza leads to an undercooked center.
For extra heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or swap in a spicy BBQ sauce.

Make ahead

"Shred and sauce the chicken, slice the onion, and grate the cheese up to 1 day ahead; store each separately, covered, in the fridge. Pizza dough can be made 1–2 days ahead and refrigerated, then brought to room temperature for 1 hour before shaping."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: wrap leftover slices airtight for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze slices on a tray, then wrap tightly for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 425°F (220°C) oven or a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 5–8 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is hot."

Substitutions

low-moisture mozzarella → Monterey Jack or provolone. Melts well; provolone adds a slightly sharper flavor.
fresh cilantro → Thinly sliced scallion greens. Good if you dislike cilantro; add after baking.
pizza dough → Two 10-inch store-bought pizza crusts or naan. Reduce bake time to 6–8 minutes and divide toppings between them.
cooked chicken breast or thigh meat → Pulled pork or smoked turkey. Use the same amount; make sure it's fully cooked and warm it on the pizza.