Copycat BBQ Chicken Pizza

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/28/21
BBQ Chicken Pizza

 Leah Maroney

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 2 pizzas
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
548 Calories
20g Fat
64g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 548
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Sodium 1041mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 64g 23%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 219mg 17%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 349mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Copycat California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza is delicious and very easy to make. It's topped with bbq sauce, shredded cheddar, mozzarella, and red onions. The cilantro seals the deal with a little herby bite.

You can make it from scratch or get a little help from pre-made dough or sauce, and it comes together in 20 minutes. This pizza is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie or barbecue chicken. Use any barbecue sauce you like. A sweeter sauce will give you the more traditional barbecue sauce taste and will be more similar to the California Pizza Kitchen version. But if you like it spicy go for a spicy sauce. Just stick to the thicker sauces for the best results.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough

  • 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce

  • 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

  • 1 small red onion, sliced

  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    BBQ Chicken Pizza
    Leah Maroney 

  2. Preheat the oven to 475 F. Place a pizza stone or a flat baking sheet into the oven so it can heat with the oven.

    Make sure your dough is at room temperature and cut the dough into two equal pieces. Thoroughly flour a large cutting board or flat surface. Roll each of the dough balls into 10-inch rounds.

    BBQ Chicken Pizza
     Leah Maroney

  3. Place the crust onto a pizza peel or a piece of parchment paper. If you place it directly on the peel make sure there is enough flour so that the pizza can slide easily off of the peel. Shake the peel a little to check. Brush each crust with some of the barbecue sauce. Toss the chicken with the rest of the barbecue sauce in a small bowl.

    BBQ Chicken Pizza
     Leah Maroney

  4. Toss the two cheeses together in a bowl. Place the half of the chicken on one of the crusts and then top with the half of each cheese and then half of the sliced onion. Repeat with the second crust.

    BBQ Chicken Pizza
     Leah Maroney

  5. Bake the pizzas in the preheated oven on top of the pizza stone or baking sheet until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. You can bake them one at a time if you need to.

    BBQ chicken Pizza
     Leah Maroney

  6. Top the pizzas with cilantro and serve with extra barbecue sauce! Enjoy it while it's hot and fresh!

Tips

  • Preheat the oven as far in advance as you can. You want the stone to get very hot so that you will get the crispiest crust as possible!
  • Make sure you are cooking on the regular bake setting, not convection. You want the bottom to brown without the top getting overly brown.