Amazing, Easy Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

It’s the worst-kept secret that I’m obsessed with grilling pizza.  I’ve been experimenting with different flavor combinations, but keep coming back to this BBQ chicken pizza…I even made it for my birthday dinner this year.  

Why do I love it so much??  It’s such a lovely blend of flavors and textures that feel hearty and indulgent, and makes a perfect transition from summer into fall grilling.

This BBQ chicken pizza is a FLAVOR EXPLOSION.  Warm, spiced BBQ sauce, gooey cheese, a little bite from the red onion, the hearty chicken and sweetness of the butternut squash.  All surrounded by the chewy pizza crust.

First, you have the dough.  I love making my own and it’s so easy!  You can check out my favorite pizza dough for grilling if that’s of interest, or you can easily pick some up from the store and have a fast, easy dinner on the table.  Homemade is sooo good though.

Your toppings should all be made ahead and just assembled, and you can let your heart lead you.  Obviously you have BBQ sauce and likely some chicken, plus your cheeses. 

But from there it’s up to you.  I highly recommend a bit of red onion, and have loved adding roasted butternut squash pieces when I have them.  Pine nuts can add some nice crunch, and fresh cilantro as garnish can brighten it up.

Give it 5-10 minutes on the grill and you’ve got a winner of a weeknight dinner.

I have like 5 different methods for awesome grilled BBQ pizza, but I’ve detailed my current favorite in the recipe below.  It lets you top the dough before it ever goes on the grill, which is SOOOOO much easier than trying to do it already on the grill.

However, definitely check out my post on how to grill pizza…I give detailed instructions for two different techniques, some important tips, talk about a few tools I love that make it easier.  Plus it’s got lots of other flavor combo ideas.

*SIGH* pure cheesy, saucy, crunchy heaven.  I’m so in love with this BBQ chicken pizza and plan to make it all fall and through the winter.

Other pizzas you’ll love:

• Grilled Traditional Margherita Pizza
• Grilled Zucchini & Corn Pizza with Marinated Feta
• A number of different pizza flavor combos

Here’s what you’ll need for your grilled BBQ pizza

• My go-to easy pizza dough recipe
• A good BBQ sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray’s)
• Good quality buffalo mozzarella (Belgioso has these pearls which I love)
• Freshly-grated parmesan (yes, fresh makes a difference)
• Some sharp cheddar if you like
• Other toppings of your choice (I like some red onion, roasted butternut squash, & pine nuts)
• Parchment paper, silicone tongs, spatula for grill
• See full recipe below

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

Yield: 3 medium pizzas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 16 minutes

This grilled BBQ pizza features warm, spiced sauce, chicken, red onion for bite, gooey mozzarella, butternut squash, and more for a wonderful fall dinner recipe.

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Ingredients

• My go-to pizza dough recipe (see the post for recipe link)
• 3-4 tablespoons of BBQ sauce per pizza (*I love Sweet Baby Ray's; see notes)
• Small pieces of cooked chicken (I use grilled BBQ chicken breasts)
• Thinly sliced or diced red onion
• Buffalo mozzarella cheese (torn in pieces, or you can buy "pearls"; see notes) 
• Freshly-grated parmesan cheese
• A tiny bit of shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional:  roasted butternut squash pieces, pine nuts, fresh cilantro (garnish)

Instructions

1. First, you make your dough (if you're going that route).  The one I use is super easy and super delicious.  Or you can definitely pick up some from the store. Prep all your ingredients.
2. So I have like 5 different methods for awesome grilled pizza, but here is my current favorite. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a cutting board or platter.  Roll or stretch your dough out quite thin, and into a circle...or quite frankly whatever the hell shape it wants to be.  South America is a(n accidental) favorite of mine.  
3. Go ahead and top your pizza.  A thin layer of BBQ sauce, a little freshly-grated parmesan.  Then I add some small pieces of grilled BBQ chicken, a little bit of finely-diced red onion, small pieces of butternut squash, and then some of the little mozzarella pearls.  Throw a tiny bit of shredded cheddar on there too.  
4. Then use scissors to cut around the parchment paper very close to the dough.  I had issues with all the excess parchment ending up as black burnt bits in my pizza---this method eliminates that problem.
5. Preheat your grill to medium, probably around 500 degrees.  When it's hot, gently slide the pizza and parchment paper directly onto the grates. Close the lid and let cook for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Then (this will depend on your grill, so you may need to play around a bit) you can use tongs to slide the parchment paper out and discard it.  Keep cooking the pizzas directly on the grill for another few minutes.
7. For me, I've found I need to then either turn the heat directly under the pizza down significantly, or off (and keep the other burners on for more indirect heat).  On my old grill I could keep the burners as-is, so it will depend on how intense your grill is (my new Weber's pretty intense).
8. You'll want to keep a very close eye on the bottom, you don't want to burn it.  Once your cheese is melted and the dough seems cooked through and crisp, use tongs, a pizza peel, or a large spatula to slide it off the grill and onto a large platter or cutting board.
9. Let it sit for five or so minutes, then cut and serve.

Notes

• An assembly line-type approach can work here if you're making more than one pizza
• I'd definitely go with a more Memphis/Kansas City type of sweeter, thicker BBQ sauce vs. a vinegar one; Sweet Baby Ray's is a favorite of mine
• You want the fresh buffalo mozzarella that is NOT in water
• My pizza dough recipe makes about 3 medium pizzas (maybe 4 people?)

Recommended Products

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