Confession. I'm a massive BBQ sauce lover. Like "CALM down with that BBQ sauce" kind of BBQ sauce lover. You know how every normal person ever gets ketchup with their fries? Nope. BBQ sauce. Burger with ketchup and mustard? Well yeah but also...BBQ sauce. Even "this sandwich is boring...it needs...BBQ sauce!".
It's ridiculous. But hey. It's also delicious. So when I discovered the absolute MAGIC that is BBQ sauce plus ALL THE CHEESE on a pizza, it was life changing. It became an instant favorite. So are you ready for this? Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pizza!!!
You know that ideal moment when you slice a piece of pizza and as you pull it away from the rest of the crust the cheese stretches and stretches into gooey goodness? Right? Right. You get it. Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pizza isn't called cheesy for nothin'. ALL the mozzarella, topped with a delicious, lightly tangy gouda for extra flavor. And that BBQ chicken isn't something to scoff at either. Basically, pick up your favorite BBQ sauce, marinate chicken in it (even just 15 minutes is solid), cook it up, slice it, and done. Yeah! Done! Really though. That easy and just that good.
I might even love this pizza more than my go to Five Cheese Garlic Chicken and Pesto Pizza...but shhh don't tell...????
Apart from being coated in BBQ sauce and topped with a half ton of cheese, one of my favorite things about this pizza? I absolutely love the fresh cilantro sprinkled on top of the pizza after cooking. It may seem small but I really wouldn't skimp on it. Plus doesn't it just look delectable? That little splash of color on top of all that golden cheesy goodness.
This recipe does detail how to use raw chicken for the pizza, but if you've got some extra (about 1 cup will do), already cooked chicken and don't know what to do with it, BBQ Chicken Pizza to the rescue! Toss the chicken to coat in some of the BBQ sauce and you're good to go. SO grab a slice and eat up!!

BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 12" pizza 1x
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 (I used Sweet Baby Rays), more if desired.
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups mozzarella, grated
- ½ cup gouda, grated
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- Fresh ground black pepper as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Marinate chicken in ½ cup BBQ sauce for 25-30 minutes.
- Roll pizza dough into a 12" circle. Place in refrigerator to chill.
- Make chicken: Drizzle a little olive oil into a skillet and cook chicken over medium-high heat until the inside is no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Once cooled, slice into bite size pieces.
- Remove pizza dough from the fridge. Gently brush with a drizzle of olive oil then spread remaining BBQ sauce, leaving the edges sauce free.
- Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella and ¼ cup of the gouda all over the pizza, again leaving the edges clean to create a crust.
- Top with chicken and red onion. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Place the pizza on a round pizza pan, or baking sheet and put on the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden.
- Remove from oven and top with cilantro and pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
*If you're using already cooked chicken, toss it in a ½ cup of the BBQ sauce (skipping the marinating) and continue with the recipe.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
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