Go get your favorite barbecue sauce and make this Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Pizza that the whole family will love. Yep, set aside the pepperoni pizza tonight, and try this unique and delicious pizza recipe.
The Best Barbecue Sauce:
There are some things in life that you should totally be allowed to eat with a spoon. A really good, thick and smoky barbecue sauce is one of them. Not all BBQ sauce meets that criteria, but when you find one that is completely awesome, a nice big spoonful is awfully tempting and it tastes good on just about everything. It’s awfully good used on this Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Pizza.
Sure, there might be a thing or two that the kids might want to pick around. You can customize it how you like, but we like this one just as I wrote the recipe at the end of this post. In fact, I made my son overlook the tomatoes (something he despises) and just take a big bite to see if he liked the pizza. He complied, he took a great big bite, and he agreed that it was delicious. The barbecue sauce and the gouda cheese take over the starring role in the pizza, and the other tidbits just add a little something extra here and there.
How to make Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Pizza:
You can use a store-bought pizza dough if you’d like. I don’t like the stuff in the can, but Trader Joe’s and other specialty stores sell a ball of dough that is usually pretty decent. ALSO… a little secret: pop into your local pizza place and ask them if they’ll sell you a pound of dough. You might be surprised that they will! For this recipe, I make homemade- my favorite: Easy Pizza Dough Recipe. It’s easy to make- just mix and knead a little bit, let it rest and rise for 30 minutes, then roll it out.
Sprinkle some cornmeal onto your baking pan, and then put the crust on top of the cornmeal. Brush the pizza dough lightly with olive oil. Then bake it for 7 to 8 minutes, just until the top is a little bit golden brown.
Spread barbecue sauce on top of the partially baked crust (acting as your pizza sauce). My favorite barbecue sauce of choice for making this Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Pizza is Sweet Baby Ray’s. Use your favorite brand!
Toppings needed for Barbecue Chicken Pizza:
- barbecue sauce
- arugula
- red onion
- chicken
- tomato
- bacon
- Gouda cheese
Sprinkle on the toppings. I recommend you try all of them! Or you can let the kids sprinkle what they want on one side and you sprinkle the other. Or you can just be one of those parents who says, “You’re eating what I make for dinner or you won’t be eating any dinner!”
Bake for another 5 to 6 minutes, just until the cheese is properly melted and bubbly.
Let the pizza rest for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven. Slice and devour! We make this for lunch sometimes, and it’s perfect. Leftovers can be enjoyed for a couple of days after. Enjoy your pizza night!
Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Pizza
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon cornmeal
- One ball store-bought pizza dough (or use homemade)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
- ¾ cup loosely packed fresh arugula or spinach leaves
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ⅔ cup shredded cooked chicken
- ⅔ cup halved pear or small cherry tomatoes
- ⅔ cup chopped, cooked bacon
- 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉.
- Sprinkle the cornmeal on a baking sheet.
- Roll out your pizza dough on a lightly floured mat- into a circle or a rectangle. Move it to the baking sheet. Brush it with oil, then bake 8 to 10 minutes on the bottom rack, just until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Spread the sauce on the partially baked crust. Sprinkle toppings, as desired, ending with the cheese.
- Bake on the middle rack for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
- *Another flavor option is to skip the arugula/spinach and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of cilantro instead.
