RECIPE: Better than boxed BBQ chicken pizza
Pizza and barbecue might be the best possible mashup of two of America’s most-loved foods. And Barbecue Chicken Pizza is perfect for a 5:30 Challenge meal made with five ingredients or fewer in 30 minutes.
Homemade pizza is not hard to make. The days of cardboard-like frozen pizza or dry precooked crusts are long gone. Many grocery stores stock raw dough in the deli department or refrigerated case. All you need to do is roll it out and top it with your favorite ingredients. (Some stores even sell pre-rolled raw dough.) In less time than it takes for the delivery driver to arrive, you can have hot, crisp pizza on the table.
The sweet and smoky flavors of barbecue sauce can transform ordinary chicken breast. But most bottled versions are sugar-salt bombs that are far from my healthy eating plan. Look for brands with the lowest amount of added sugar and resist the temptation to overpour. I really like Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ sauce. It’s unsweetened, fat-free and low in sodium with bold, smoky flavor.
Store-bought rotisserie chicken has saved many a weeknight meal. I suggest using only the breast meat to lighten things up, but white meat can easily dry out in the hot oven. This recipe calls for tossing the meat in a bit of the sauce to keep the chicken moist. Thinly sliced onions also add flavor, moisture and texture. The last tip to keep the chicken tender is to add the chicken to the pizza in the final minutes of baking, cooking just long enough to warm it through.
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 (16-ounce package) pre-made raw pizza dough
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened barbecue sauce, such as Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce, divided
- 1/2 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 cups finely shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
- 8 ounces rotisserie chicken, white meat only, skin removed
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour. Using fingertips, gently flatten the dough into an 8-inch disk. Using a rolling pin, roll the disk into a 12-inch round, giving the dough quarter turns as you stretch and roll. Leave the outer edge slightly thicker than the center. Transfer dough to a baking sheet.
- Using the back of a spoon or ladle, spread 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce in a thin layer over the surface of the dough, leaving 1/4-inch border around edge. Sprinkle onions evenly over the sauce. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese evenly over onions and sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake until the dough is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons sauce. Remove the par-cooked pizza from the oven and evenly top with prepared chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the chicken is warmed through, and the additional cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Slice and serve warm.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 479 calories (percent of calories from fat, 18), 32 grams protein, 61 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 9 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 66 milligrams cholesterol, 1,107 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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