No need to go out when you can make this BBQ Chicken Pizza at home! A favorite from California Pizza Kitchen, you can now have this delicious pizza at home.
We are a pizza loving family! This BBQ Chicken Pizza is one of my favorites, but some other favorites are my White Pizza Recipe, Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza.
I always have people assume that since I cook so often, that my children have grand palates and that they love everything I make.
That is simply not the truth. As much as I wish it were.
My kids are actually pretty picky. And there is not a lot that I make that all of them enjoy at the same time.
There is one thing, though, that they all love – pizza.
As much as I love a good pepperoni pizza, I like to switch it up. Which is why I have many pizza recipes here on Taste and Tell. But one of my favorites has got to be this BBQ Chicken Pizza.
This pizza recipe is loosely based on the BBQ Chicken Pizza from California Pizza Kitchen. I would say it’s even better, plus it costs less, you know what is in it, and you can wear your pajamas for a pizza night at home!
Ingredients
- Chicken: I like to use chicken breast for this recipe, but you could use chicken thighs, as well.
- BBQ Sauce: Use a bbq sauce that you like, as the flavor is very prominent. I like Sweet Baby Ray’s, but any bbq sauce can be used.
- Olive Oil: This is just for cooking the chicken. Feel free to sub in any oil that you usually use.
- Pizza Dough: I use my homemade pizza dough. You can use a store bought dough, if desired.
- Cheese: For a true copycat recipe, you’ll use both mozzarella and smoked gouda. But you can always just use mozzarella if you can’t find gouda.
- Red Onion: The red onion really makes this pizza, in my opinion. But if you aren’t an onion fan, you can leave them off.
- Cilantro: The cilantro gets added after the pizza has baked. If you have people who don’t like cilantro, you can serve it on the side and people can sprinkle it onto their own pieces.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza
- The first step is to marinate your chicken in half of the bbq sauce. You only need about 2 hours, although you can certainly let it marinate longer, if desired.
- When you are ready to make the pizza, heat your oven. If you are using a pizza stone, let this preheat for at least 30 minutes.
- While the oven is heating, cook the chicken in a saute pan with a little bit of olive oil.
- Roll or stretch your dough to a circle.
- Spread the remaining bbq sauce on the crust.
- Add half of the mozzarella cheese and all of the gouda cheese to the crust.
- Top this with the chicken, then the onions, and finally the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is browned.
- When finished, remove the pizza from the oven and top with the cilantro.
Tips and Tricks
- While you can always buy premade pizza dough, I always recommend making your own. My pizza dough recipe really is so good (just read some of the reviews!) and will really make a difference in your final pizza.
- If you’ve made my pizza dough, you know that I like to use parchment paper when I make pizza. It makes transferring the pizza to a pizza stone in the oven so much easier!
- If you are short on time, you can use precooked, shredded chicken and just mix it with the bbq sauce.
- If you can find smoked gouda, that flavor will be the closest to the pizza at California Pizza Kitchen. It is good with either regular or smoked (but I do prefer the smoked cheese!)
- CPK also has the option to add bacon, which I’ve never tried, but you really can’t go wrong with bacon, right?
- I store leftovers wrapped in foil in the refrigerator. You can reheat in the microwave, but I like to reheat my pizza on the stove.
More Pizza Recipes:
Teriyaki Chicken Pizza
Hawaiian Pizza
Sausage and Peppers Pizza
Antipasto Pizza
Clam Pizza with Bacon
Blue Cheese and Bacon Pizza
Egg Pizza with Creamed Spinach
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BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, about 8-10 oz cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb pizza dough
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the 1/4 cup of the bbq sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven and preheat the oven to 450º-500ºF for 30 minutes while you prepare the pizza.
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the marinated chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Set aside.
- Roll or stretch your pizza dough into a circle about 14-16” in diameter. (See my pizza dough recipe for tips on preparing the dough.)
- Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of bbq sauce over the pizza dough. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the top, followed by all of the gouda.
- Add the chicken over the cheese, then the onions. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with the cilantro. Slice and serve.
Tracey says
I’ve never eaten at CPK but I’ve had their frozen pizzas, and bbq chicken is my favorite!! I can’t wait to try your homemade version!
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
Glad you brought this recipe back to life!
I haven’t been to CPK in so long. Maybe 10 years? Probably more than that. And we always got the bbq chicken pizza! Must make at home.
Jenn says
I was in a pizza making mood last week end too! I made dough from the recipe of the grandmother of one of my italian friends – but the dough only had to rise for an hour. I think it turned out pretty well, but more practice is defintely a must.
BBQ Chicken sounds really good though in the pizza you made. I will have to try that next time the pizza craving kicks in!
http://www.chocolateshavings.ca
Elisabeth says
Thanks for commenting at my blog!
I have this same book too and everything I’ve made in it thus far has been very good.
We love the Ruby Tuesday Potato Cheese Soup and Tony Roma’s Carolina Honeys. It doesn’t get much better then these!
Belinda says
This pizza sounds incredible, Deborah…and I have been wanting to try my hand at homemade pizza for a while now, but have yet to get around to it (isn’t that just always the case?!). And I do love the idea of actually “using” our cookbooks more often, as opposed to just gazing at them! 🙂 Great idea to challenge ourselves to trying a few recipes from a chosen cookbook each month.
Katie B. says
Gorgeous pizza! I think your cookbook quest is a terrific idea – I also count myself as one that buys books but then never cooks from them!
Kevin says
Looks good. I have not tries bbq sauce on a pizza but it sounds interesting.
Carrie says
I LOVE California Pizza Kitchen!
P.S. I just joined Daring Bakers for October. I’m so excited!
Maryann says
I know what you mean about the sore arm! haha (what are we going to do as the daring bakers blogroll grows even bigger?
I’m looking forward to your new project. The pizza looks delicious BTW 🙂
Abby says
I’m the same way with the cookbooks. Just think of them as something you collect. You can collect dishes and not use them all, right? Hey, I can rationalize anything!
That pizza looks often. I admit we never make pizza at home – we’ve bough quite a few frozen ones from California Pizza kitchen, however!
Courtney says
wow Deborah this looks great, i love your blog, such yummy food. i have never made a homemade pizza before and i love the bbq chicken at CPK will have to try this
Kelly-Jane says
Your pizza looks wonderful, and BBQ chicken, oh yum!
Looking forward to your blogging project, sounds like fun 🙂 and you are right, one recipe isn’t enough to judge fully.
April says
I love BBQ chicken pizza, unfortunatly, I am the only one in my family that does. This pizza looks awesome!
Chris says
Don’t you hate when that happens? That happens to my wife a lot when she cooks.
veron says
Looks like we’ve got a thing in common about underused cookbooks. I do read them and they make me wish that I had all the time to make the dishes but darn work is in the way. that pizza looks super yummy!
Anh says
Wonderful looking and sounding pizza! I have bookmarked the recipe. Will be trying out when I have some time!
Arfi Binsted says
ahahahaha!! Daring Bakers are so full of creative people. Sadly, I’m not one of them hehehe… BBQ pizza sounds delicious, Deborah! I love using sourdough for the base. It makes the very chewy and spongey bread.