BBQ Chicken Pizza
Updated Mar 24, 2026
This BBQ chicken pizza is topped with barbecue sauce, chopped chicken, mozzarella, smoked Gouda, red onion, and cilantro.
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BBQ chicken pizza takes all of 12 minutes to Bake!
This BBQ chicken pizza is one of my favorite go-to recipes for pizza night. It’s super easy to make (I take a shortcut and use store-bought pizza dough and barbecue sauce!), and one of my favorite ways to use up cooked air fryer chicken breast without making it feel like leftovers. The barbecue sauce, red onion, and cheese do a lot of the work. It tastes like something I meant to make, not just something I threw together because chicken was already in the fridge.
I like this BBQ chicken pizza because it’s easy, the topping list is short, and the smoked Gouda makes it feel a little different from basic pizza night. Once the dough is stretched, the rest goes fast.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
BBQ Chicken Pizza Ingredients
- Pizza dough: For this recipe, you want to use good-quality pizza dough. I like to use pre-made dough from my local pizza shop, but you can also find dough in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. Feel free to make homemade pizza dough as well, if you prefer! Let the dough sit out for about 30 minutes before stretching so it’s easier to work with. If it keeps springing back, let it rest a little longer and try again. Dividing it into two smaller pizzas makes it easier to handle and helps this bbq chicken pizza cook more evenly.
- Barbecue sauce: Use a barbecue sauce you already know you like, since it sets the tone for the whole pizza. I would not spread it too close to the edge or use much more than called for, or the center can get too heavy. Try my homemade BBQ sauce for something different!
- Chicken: This is a good use for cooked chicken breast, especially leftovers or rotisserie chicken. Just chop it small enough so it spreads evenly over the pizza, and you’re not getting huge chunks in every bite.
- Mozzarella and smoked Gouda: You can buy pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella, but I recommend shredding it yourself; it melts better! If you don’t have smoked Gouda, you can use all mozzarella, but you’ll lose some of that extra flavor.
- Red onion and cilantro: Slice the onion thin so it softens in the oven without staying too sharp. The cilantro goes on at the end, so add it right before serving. If you don’t like cilantro, you can leave it off. You can also try parsley, just make sure you’re washing your herbs thoroughly.
- Flour: You’ll only need a little to dust your work surface (to keep your dough from sticking).
How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza
BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup chicken breast chopped
- ¾ cup mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup smoked Gouda cheese shredded
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Set the pizza dough out for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and dust two baking sheets with flour.
- Dust a work surface with flour. Divide the pizza dough into two smaller dough balls. Stretch or roll each dough ball into a 9-inch circle and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Spread each dough circle with ¼ cup barbecue sauce, leaving a ½-inch rim around the edge. Top each with the chopped chicken, then the mozzarella cheese, and Gouda cheese. Scatter the sliced red onion across the top of each.
- Bake the pizzas until they are browned and crispy around the edges and the cheese is bubbling in the center, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the pizzas from the oven and sprinkle each chopped cilantro.
- Slice each pizza into 6 pieces and serve.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Get your pizza dough from a pizzeria. Small, locally owned pizzerias will often sell pizza dough balls by the pound, and the dough is usually so much tastier than the grocery store stuff! A good pizza is all about the crust, so try to find the best dough that you can (plus, it’s nice to support a local spot in the process).
- Add flour to your pan to ensure no sticking. The flour helps to create a barrier between the dough and the pan so that it’s easy to remove the chicken pizza when it’s done cooking.
- Rotate your baking sheets for the most even cooking. Most ovens don’t heat evenly, so, for the most even bake on my pizzas, I like to rotate my baking sheets between the top and bottom racks and turn them 180° after they’ve been baking for 10 minutes.
Serving Ideas
- Add a side salad. I love pizza and salad together! My go-tos with this BBQ chicken pizza are a fresh house salad, a classic Caesar salad, and a simple green salad.
- Go big on carbs. When eating pizza, I always crave garlic knots and garlic cheese bread!
FAQs
If your pizza dough is not cooked through, the dough may be too thick. Try rolling it out thinner next time. If that doesn’t work, try cooking the pizza dough for a few minutes before adding the toppings.
Sure! Just roll out the dough thinner than usual and bake it for a little less time.
Comments
who at the store did you get the pizza dough from.
Hi Richard, it’s usually by the canned biscuits, or it might be in the refrigerated section of the bakery. You can ask the service desk at your local grocery store and they should be able to point you in the right direction. Hope you enjoy it!