BBQ chicken pizza is one of those dinners that feels special but is still totally doable on a weeknight. It’s cheesy, savory, a little sweet–thanks to saucy BBQ chicken, fresh cilantro, mozzarella + parm and red onion.

bbq chicken pizza with cilantro and red onion

Table of Contents

I always thought BBQ Chicken Pizza needed to have BBQ sauce for the sauce, but it doesn’t! I really prefer using a good tomato sauce instead for balance. I make the chicken pretty saucy so we still get that delicious bbq flavor. If you want more bbq sauce flavor you can still use it for the base OR you can drizzle some extra on top of my version. Let’s make it!

Key Ingredients

Pizza dough – goes without saying of course but you can use store-bought or make your own. My recipe will yield more than 1 lb of dough (about 1.5 lbs). I used the remaining to make some mini cheese pizzas for my son.

BBQ sauce – use your favorite! Mine is Trader Joe’s.

Rotisserie chicken – you can make your own chicken but I love using rotisserie. It makes this pizza super quick. But don’t forget to make your own chicken stock with the leftover bones!

Cheese – I used mozzarella and parmesan because that’s what I always have on hand but you can also use gouda or provolone.

Red onion – red onion is the most classic for bbq chicken pizza but you can use any onion, even green onions!

Cilantro – a key addition to bbq chicken pizza, in my opinion. It adds the perfect pop of fresh flavor to a savory + sweet pizza.

bbq chicken pizza in a cast iron pan, cut into slices

Tips + ways to change it up

Swap the sauce if you want. I love tomato, but you can use BBQ sauce as the base if you prefer a sweeter, more traditional BBQ chicken pizza.
Add heat. A pinch of red pepper flakes or sliced jalapeños is great if you like a little extra spice. I think green chiles could be good too but I haven’t tried it yet.
Make it vegetarian. Skip the chicken and toss roasted veggies in bbq sauce instead. I actually also love throwing a little roasted zucchini or bell peppers on with the chicken.
Fresh cilantro goes on last. Add it after baking so it stays bright and fresh.
Top with green goddess seasoning. I sprinkle the green goddess seasoning blend from Trader Joe’s over this pizza sometimes and I LOVE the flavor it adds.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Print Recipe

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5 from 1 review

This is the best BBQ Chicken Pizza! Tomato sauce as the base, plenty of melty cheese, saucy bbq chicken and a pop of red onion and cilantro for freshness.

Author: Becky Schmieg
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 lb pizza dough *see note
1 cup tomato sauce (I like Rao’s or Mutti)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1/4 cup thinkly sliced red onion
1 tbsp cilnatro

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease a baking sheet or pizza pan with oil or butter. I used a 12″ pan and it yielded a thick crust. Use a larger pan or divide in half and roll thin for a thinner crust.
Spread pizza dough to the edges of the pan. Top with tomato sauce and spread in a even layer.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Combine shredded chicken and BBQ sauce in a small bowl and mix until evenly coated.
Scatter chicken over the top of the pizza.
Add red onion and bake until cheese is melted and slightly browned around the edges. (15-20 minutes)
Top with fresh cilantro before serving and enjoy!

Notes

My pizza dough recipe will yield about 1.5 lbs of dough. You can use all of it and make a large pizza, save it or make some mini cheese pizzas for your picky eater like I did.