In the winter of 2017, in Edmonton, Alberta, I had a family movie night that I’ll never forget. It was the first time I tried my aunt’s homemade BBQ chicken pizza while we were all gathered to watch IT. The pizza had this perfect balance of flavors—sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, tender chicken, and melted cheese—that made it so comforting. Paired with the suspense of the movie, it created an experience that’s still vivid in my memory today.
The record for the biggest BBQ chicken pizza in Alberta was set on July 25, 2023, by "PZA Parlour" in Calgary. The total length of their BBQ Chicken Pizza was an impressive 2.5 meters (8.2 ft). This pizza was made for a community gathering and contained a tasty combination of grilled chicken, smokey barbecue sauce, and other toppings. Guests were left with a lasting impression as it displayed savory creative thinking and community pride.
The restaurant California Pizza Kitchen is credited with inventing the first BBQ chicken pizza. They introduced this creative pizza back in 1985, combining grilled chicken and tangy barbecue sauce with traditional pizza ingredients. Offering unique and creative culinary experiences was a goal of CPK. The restaurant gained popularity for its inventive pizza selections and the BBQ Chicken Pizza quickly became a favorite dish.
You may use a standard sheet pan in place of a pizza pan if you don't have one. Press the dough into the appropriate shape after sprinkling it with cornmeal and greasing it with olive oil. Verify that the dough is approximately 1/2 inch thick. Expand the pizza dough more to get a thinner crust.
Add the following to the pizza crust:
BBQ Sauce: Feel free to use your own favorite variety of BBQ sauce here. Approximately 1/3 cup is required, however if you want more sauce, feel free to add extra. Serve some on the side for dipping your crust.Alternatively, you may prepare your own chicken for the BBQ chicken pizza. You only need one skinless, boneless chicken breast. Either way, make sure the cooked chicken is coated with a little BBQ sauce before adding it to the pizza; this will keep the chicken from drying out.
Cheese: Use TWO types of cheese for maximum taste. Smoked Gouda adds a rich, smokey flavor, while shredded mozzarella gives a traditional pizza taste. The sweet BBQ sauce and fresh cilantro blend very well with smoked gouda. You may use additional mozzarella instead of gouda if you'd like.
Red Onion: provides a lot of flavor to every bite.
You can make this using a regular sheet pan if you don't have a pizza pan. Press the dough into whatever shape then grease it with olive oil and dusting it with cornmeal. Ensure the dough has a thickness of roughly half of an inch. Stretch the dough out more to make a thinner pizza.
Top the pizza with:
BBQ Sauce: Use your preferred kind of BBQ sauce here, as everyone has one. If you enjoy more sauce you can add more, but you'll need around 1/3 cup.
Chicken: One cup of cooked, chopped chicken is required. You can get a rotisserie chicken or purchase precooked chicken. Use it as a pizza topper after shredding it. In order to keep the chicken from drying out, throw a little BBQ Sauce just before placing it on top of the pizza, regardless of the method you use.
Cheese: We're going to use 2 different cheeses for the greatest taste of mixture. Smoked gouda for a rich, smokey flavor and shredded mozzarella for the traditional pizza taste. Fresh cilantro and sweet BBQ sauce work very well with smoked gouda. You can use additional mozzarella and omit gouda if you'd like.
Red Onion: Every bite is enhanced by the flavour of the sharp red onion.
Now throw it in the oven!
The pizza bakes for approximately 15 minutes. When its done remove from the oven and garnish with fresh cut cilantro. Now you have your smoky hot BBQ chicken pizza with your fresh cut cilantro with a strong cheesy bite itll knock you out the park.