30-Minute Barbecue Chicken Pizza

All you need is 30 minutes and a few fresh ingredients for this top-rated recipe for Barbecue Chicken Pizza.

My love affair with barbecue chicken pizza began long, long ago. Of course it all started with the famous pie at California Pizza Kitchen, or “CPK,” as us in the biz call it. (And by “biz,” I mean “high school clique who ate at CPK three times a week circa 2000 to 2004.”)

By sophomore year I’d transitioned my loyalties from the barbecue chicken pizza at CPK to the barbecue chicken pizza at Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza. Fast-forward a decade and I find myself here, dreaming up a homemade version that will be on your table faster than a takeout order.

If you have 30 minutes, you have homemade barbecue chicken pizza. And if you’re feeling an extra dose of DIY enthusiasm, step up your slice with homemade pizza dough.

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Ready to see this pie in action? Tune in to the video below and get ready to ditch the delivery for good!

30-Minute Barbecue Chicken Pizza

 PREP: 15 MINUTES

 COOK: 12 MINUTES

 YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough (See Kelly's Notes)Cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet1/2 cup store-bought barbecue sauce, divided1 cup diced rotisserie chicken1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese1/3 cup thinly sliced red onionsChopped cilantro, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 500ºF.

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick.

Invert a baking sheet and sprinkle it liberally with cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, toss together the diced chicken with half (1/4 cup) of the barbecue sauce. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. (See Kelly's Notes. Depending on the shape of your pizza, you may want to add more sauce.)

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese atop the barbecue sauce, and then evenly distribute the coated chicken atop the cheese. Scatter the red onions atop the chicken.

Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it half-way through, until the crust is fully baked and golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven to a cutting board, sprinkle it with chopped cilantro, slice and serve.

NOTES:

The 30-minute version of this recipe utilizes store-bought pizza dough, but if you have the time, I highly recommend making your own pizza dough.

You can roll the dough into a 12-inch round pizza, or divide the dough into multiple pieces to form smaller pizzas, adjusting the baking time as needed.

My all-time favorite store-bought barbecue sauce is a brand called Sweet Baby Ray's, which is available at most major grocery stores.