5 Must-Try Easy, Melty, and Smoky BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipes 

Step aside pepperoni pizza — this BBQ chicken pizza is coming to our dinner table tonight!

Poll after poll, pepperoni pizza has always topped the list of America’s favorite pizza flavors. And while it is a classic, I think there are far better pizza options out there — case in point, this BBQ chicken pizza. 

1. Classic BBQ Chicken Pizza

I first tasted BBQ chicken pizza when I went to California Pizza Kitchen a few years back. 

Their iconic version of this classic dish has the perfect combination of sweetness from the BBQ sauce, tanginess from the gouda cheese, and creaminess from the mozzarella.

There’s also a hint of freshness in this pizza due to the addition of cilantro and a hefty dose of red onions. 

As much as I wanted to recreate this classic dish at home, I decided to create my own version, and here’s what I came up with. 

First, I start by preheating my grill to 450°F. While that’s heating up, I roll out my store-bought pizza dough on a floured surface. 

Once my pizza dough is rolled out to the thickness I want, I transfer it to a baking sheet. Then, I spread my favorite BBQ sauce evenly on top, leaving a small space at the edges for the crust. 

If you ask me what my favorite BBQ sauce is, it’s the 12 Bones Blueberry Chipotle BBQ sauce, which I regularly purchase on Amazon. 

The blueberries add a hint of fruitiness that complements the smokiness of the chipotle peppers perfectly. 

So, if you haven’t given this brand a try, I suggest you go online and add a 2-pack sauce to your cart before it runs out!

Now, back to the recipe — after I lay my pizza sauce, I take my cooked and shredded chicken (around one cup) and sprinkle it on top of my sauce.

Then, I slice a small red onion into thin strips and sprinkle them over my chicken shreds. 

Next, I mix a cup of shredded mozzarella and half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese before spreading them evenly over the entire pizza. 

When I’m happy with my toppings, I use my pizza peel to transfer my pizza from the counter to the oven, where I’ll leave it cooking for 12 to 15 minutes.

After the timer’s up, I remove my pizza and let it rest for around 10 minutes max. When it’s cool enough to the touch, I slice it into eighths and serve it with a drizzle of chopped fresh cilantro.

2. Bacon and Ranch BBQ Chicken Pizza

While the classic is a tried-and-tested BBQ chicken pizza recipe, there are so many ways you can play around with this dish. 

Here’s another rendition I enjoy making at home: bacon and ranch BBQ chicken pizza.

Before I stumbled upon this recipe, I never thought of combining bacon with ranch. 

However, when I tried to make this dish, I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor combo these ingredients brought about, which was just the right balance of sweet, smoky, and creamy.

So, if you want to make this recipe, start by preheating your oven like usual. Then, roll out your dough on a flour-covered surface. 

On your dough, spread around a quarter cup of your favorite ranch dressing. Be sure to leave about an inch of space at the edge for your crust. 

When your dough is nice and covered with this white sauce, drizzle a third cup of your BBQ sauce. This will complete your pizza base layer.

Now, take a cup of your grilled and shredded chicken bits and scatter them all around your dough. You can adjust the amount depending on how much chicken you want on your pizza. 

Next, grab four to six strips of bacon and fry them until they’re crispy before chopping them into bite-sized pieces and sprinkling them on top of your chicken.

Here’s a tip: don’t cook your bacon beforehand, or else it might end up getting all soggy when you put it on the pizza. 

If you want that crunch in every bite, you need to fry your bacon on the spot every time you make this recipe.

After spreading your bacon on your dough, the only toppings left are half a cup of red onion slices and one and a half cups of shredded mozzarella. 

Scatter the rest of your toppings on your pizza before sliding it into the oven for 15 minutes tops. Take it out and let it rest for five minutes before grabbing a slice. 

Who knows? This recipe might just become your next favorite.

3. Spicy BBQ Chicken Pizza

Even though I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy food, I always seem to gravitate towards spicy recipes — including this spicy BBQ chicken pizza.

The preparation for this recipe is the same as the previous two. So, start by preheating your oven and rolling out your dough.

Once the initial steps are done, it’s time to move on to your sauce and pizza toppings. For this step, mix half a cup of your BBQ sauce with two tablespoons of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Sriracha).

Depending on how hot you want your pizza to be, you can adjust the amount of hot sauce you put in. But generally, two tablespoons is enough to give you low to medium heat. 

Spread your spicy BBQ sauce mixture over your pizza dough while leaving enough space at the border. 

Then, take a cup of your grilled shredded chicken and scatter it on top of your sauce. 

If you want your pizza to be super spicy, you can also slice two jalapeño peppers and half a red onion. Sprinkle the slices on top before covering your pizza with cheese. 

Although mozzarella cheese is the go-to choice for any pizza dish, you can shake things up by replacing mozzarella with shredded pepper jack. 

This type of cheese adds an extra kick of heat to complete this spicy BBQ chicken pizza recipe. 

When you’re happy with your toppings, slide your pizza inside the oven and let it cook for 15 minutes or until your crust turns golden brown. 

When you take it out of the oven, leave it to rest for five minutes before topping it off with chopped cilantro. This garnish adds some freshness that can balance out some of the spiciness of this pizza.

4. BBQ Chicken and Spinach Pizza

Many people consider pizza as a cheat meal, but I beg to differ. Pizza can be a healthy dish if only you put the right toppings. And this BBQ chicken and spinach pizza is the perfect example.

Following the same prep work, start by preheating your oven and rolling out your dough. Then, spread a half cup of BBQ sauce on top, leaving enough space for your crust. 

With your base done, you can move on to your toppings. For this step, you’ll need to grab a medium skillet and heat one tablespoon of olive oil.

To the skillet, add four cups of baby spinach and sauté until it wilts. This should take no more than three minutes. 

When your spinach is nice and soft, season it with salt and pepper before spreading it out on your dough with the rest of your toppings.

These include one cup of grilled shredded chicken, a quarter cup of finely sliced red onion, and half a cup of feta cheese. 

By now, you know what to do: transfer your pizza to the oven and let it cook for about 12 to 15 minutes. After taking out your pizza from the heat, set it aside to cool down a bit. 

You know what’s great about this recipe? It’s pretty healthy and low in calories.

You see, each slice has about 130 to 150 calories (give or take), which is about half the calories on a regular slice of pizza. 

So, if you’re trying to cut back on calories, this recipe is definitely worth a shot.

5. Avocado-Topped BBQ Chicken Pizza

I bet at first glance this seems odd – putting avocados on pizzas. But hear me out. If we can put them on toast, why not pizzas?

To start, get your oven preheated up to around 450°F and roll out your dough. 

Place it onto your cooking sheet or pizza pan and spread about a half cup of BBQ sauce over the surface leaving some room at the edge for crust.

After setting the base layer, you can move on to the next step: toppings! Remember to keep them nice and simple since you want avocados to be the star here.

That’s why all you need is one and a half cups of grilled shredded chicken, a quarter cup of red onion slices, and one and a half cups of mozzarella cheese.

Transfer your pizza to the oven after adding the toppings and bake it per usual. While your pizza is heating up, prepare the avocados.

During this step, take one or two ripe avocados and cut them in half. Scoop out the flesh as neatly as possible then cut into strips or chunks. 

Your pizza should be done by now. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool down for about five minutes before putting on your sliced avocado. 

Spritz the top with some lime or lemon juice and garnish with fresh cilantro. And then you’re done!

Create Your Own BBQ Chicken Pizza at Home

I totally get it — cooking can sometimes feel scary. Everything needs to be just right in the kitchen, from how much of each ingredient you use down to the minute it takes for things to cook.

But not all of these rules apply when it comes to pizzas because you have some room for creativity here!

You can mix and match toppings however you like or change the shape of your pie entirely if that’s what floats your boat.

Plus, you can turn pizza night into a whole event — you can get everyone involved by having them make their pizzas with you.