Bake the Crispiest BBQ Chicken Pizza
BBQ chicken pizza has a reputation for being all wrong, dry chicken, syrupy sauce, floppy crust. But when it’s done right, it’s a whole different story. The smoky-sweet BBQ sauce balanced by melty cheese, sharp red onion, and juicy, well-seasoned chicken that actually tastes like it belongs there.
And the crust? Crisp enough to hold it all without sagging in the middle. It’s bold, comforting, and a little unexpected, the kind of pizza that disappears slice by slice before you even realize you’re full. Once you try it this way, you’ll wonder why you ever doubted BBQ chicken pizza.
Ingredients
Bread Flour (630 g): Bread flour gives the crust its ideal balance of crispy edges and chewy bite. With its higher protein content, it rises beautifully and holds up under sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Lukewarm Water (420 g): Cold water will slow down how fast the gluten strands form and will allow for a lighter, more open dough. Hot water does the opposite.
Kosher Salt (10 g): A small but mighty addition. Salt sharpens the flavor of the dough and helps build gluten strength for structure.
Sugar (15 g): A touch of sugar boosts browning and helps feed the yeast so your crust develops better flavor and color.
Instant Yeast (10 g): I use Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast because it’s reliable and quick. It delivers a strong rise whether you’re working with a short ferment or an overnight rest.
Cheese Blend (75% Mozzarella, 25% Smoked Gouda): This cheese combo gives you a great melt and pull, and that added smokiness from the gouda.
Olive Oil (32 g): Olive oil adds richness, keeps the dough tender inside, and encourages that golden crisp on the bottom.
BBQ Sauce (Homemade or Store-Bought): Use a smoky-tangy homemade batch or doctor up a bottle of store-bought with vinegar or mustard to cut the sweetness. This sauce sets the whole tone of the pizza.
Chicken Thighs (2–3, boneless & skinless): They stay much juicier and have a bigger "moist and juicy" window than breasts. Cook the thighs whole, then slice and toss in BBQ sauce while still warm.
Red Onion (Thinly Sliced): Red onion adds a little sharpness that balances your BBQ pizza sauce’s sweetness.
Fresh Cilantro (Handful, chopped): A fresh, herbal finish that lifts all the flavors once the pizza comes out of the oven.
Pro Tips for the Crispiest BBQ Chicken Pizza
Pick the right sauce: Skip the ones that taste like liquid candy. Go for tangy over sweet, and if you’re using store-bought, cut it with vinegar or mustard to balance the sugar.
Simmer it down: Reduce it on the stove for a few minutes so it thickens and deepens in flavor before hitting your crust.
Mix it up: A 2:1 blend of BBQ sauce to tomato sauce tones down the sweetness and makes it taste more “pizza” and less like dessert.
Cook your chicken right: Boneless thighs hold juiciness better than breasts. Cook them whole, slice, and toss with BBQ sauce while still warm so they soak up maximum flavor.
Cheese on top matters: Unlike classic pizza, where cheese goes under toppings, BBQ chicken pizza works best when the cheese sits on top.
Steel over stone: If you want that restaurant-quality crisp bottom, preheat a pizza steel for at least 30 minutes at 550°F. It cooks the crust fast and evenly, so you don’t end up with a soggy center or burnt cheese.
Go wood-fired oven for flavor: As the smoke rolls across the ceiling and back down to the cooking surface, it infuses the crust and toppings with that unmistakable wood-fired taste.
