BBQ chicken pizza is a California favorite. A chicken crust makes this gluten-free pizza easy to make and so delicious! This is the perfect low carb & keto pizza.
When I first moved to California, one of my favorite restaurants was the California Pizza Kitchen. Imagine pizzas in exciting flavors like tandoori chicken, BLT pizza, Thai chicken, or carne asada. The selections have changed over the years, but the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza is still a menu favorite.
A few weeks ago, I shared my recipe for chicken pizza crust. I mentioned that since the chicken crust tastes like chicken, the secret was choosing ingredients to compliment its flavor. I knew immediately that a keto BBQ chicken crust pizza would be amazing and I was not disappointed!
What is Chicken Crust Pizza?
Chicken crust pizza is a a type of “meatza” made with raw ground chicken, cooked chopped or shredded chicken, or drained canned chicken, mixed with eggs and cheese and baked in the oven to form a crust.
The chicken pizza crust is topped like a traditional pizza and baked again until the toppings are hot and bubbly. Some recipes result in a crisper crust than others. The thickness of the chicken crust and cooking time will also effect the crispness of the end result.
BBQ Chicken Crust Pizza
Traditionally, a BBQ chicken pizza is topped with BBQ sauce, gouda cheese, grilled chicken, red onion, and cilantro. Since the crust of this pizza is chicken, only the remaining ingredients are needed as topping.
You can use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe, but since this is a low carb blog, I used sugar-free BBQ sauce. I actually made my own keto BBQ sauce, but I also like Guys Award Winning BBQ Sauce and G. Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce. There’s no shame in taking shortcuts.
To make this BBQ chicken crust pizza I prepared the chicken pizza crust by patting the ingredients into two 10-inch pizza pans and baked. Then, I topped the chicken crust pizzas with sugar-free BBQ sauce and the rest of the toppings. The pizzas baked again until the cheese melted. Next, I sat back and watched my family gobble it up!
This version may lack the smoky flavor and crisp of a traditional wood fired pizza crust, but it’s easy to make and is really good. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
This delicious BBQ Chicken Crust Pizza is 3 carbs per serving.
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BBQ Chicken Crust Pizza
Ingredients
Chicken Crust
- 1 pound shredded rotisserie chicken (4 cups)
- 1 cup Part-Skim Grated Mozzarella Cheese (4 oz)
- 2 large eggs
Toppings
- 1/4 cup Sugar-free BBQ sauce (or your fave)
- 1 1/2 cups smoked Gouda cheese, grated (6 oz)
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion (1 oz)
- 2 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
- chopped cilantro (or whole leaves) (as much as you like)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Shred the chicken by hand or cut into chunks and place into a food processor to chop. Salt and pepper to taste – until it tastes good! Grate the smoked Gouda cheese and slice the onion.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan (18×13 inch or two 10-inch) with parchment paper.
Method:
- Thoroughly mix the chicken crust ingredients together with a spoon, spatula, or your hand. Pat the chicken firmly onto the parchment, spreading it as thin as you can without leaving holes. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges brown and top begins to brown. (Cook longer for a crispier crust.)
- Spread the BBQ sauce over the crust and top with Gouda cheese, onions and bacon. Bake for 5 minutes more or until the cheese melts. Top with cilantro, cut and serve.
- Serves 4, at 3 carbs per person.
Notes
Nutrition
My Costco sells pulled rotisserie chicken, which will make this recipe even easier. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
This would be delicious as a Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Mix the chicken and mozzarella with Frank’s Hot Sauce to taste, top with bleu cheese dressing and shredded mozzarella.
Great idea! -Kim
Just an update-I made the Buffalo chicken crust pizza and it IS delicious!!
Well, you know what I’m making next, Sue! Lol. -Kim
This is a far reaching question, but do you think nutritional yeast would work in place of the cheese? If not, do you have a recipe for a keto crust without cheese (and preferably without almond flour or coconut flour)?
Hi Monika. The cheese helps hold this chicken together. As far as a crust without almond or coconut flour, could you use sunflower seed flour and bind it with a flax or chia egg? What about vegan cheese? That melts and could take the place of regular cheese. I like Daiya brand. -Kim
This was soon good. I made it tonight for dinner I made my toppings veggies and it was delicious thank you for the recipe. Even my non keto husband loved it
Made this tonight and it was amazing! We ended up just baking skinless chicken breast and then shredding by hand as I found the recipe after our deli area closed but my heart was set on it. Sadly no food processor but even a rough shred and the cheese held the “crust” together just fine. This is one of only a handful of times I didnt miss normal food since going super low carb 3 months ago. Thank you!!
Oh my god! This is something new to me. I am no longer on keto but will surely try this. Thanks!
HI, Do you miss the giuda in with the chicken for the base? Or are both cheeses for the topping? Thanks
I’m sorry about the confusion, Kieran. Mix the mozzarella cheese with the chicken and then use the gouda cheese to top the pizza. -Kim
Hi there! Do you think you could skip some prep and use the canned chicken that practically shreds itself? I find that my greatest difficulty with keto is taking the time to prep (I’ve found a set of quick fix meals that are currently my go to, but Im always hunting for new recipes).
There are recipes that use the canned chicken, Alecia. Another idea is cook up a bunch of chicken over the weekend for salads and meal prep and shred two chicken breasts or weigh what you need for the recipe. -Kim
That looks mouthwatering and yum. Will try it today or tomorrow. As a pizza lover would make that today.
Thank you for sharing the recipe with us.
Btw, a nice and detailed blog on recipes. You got yourself a new regular to your blog.:)
Cheers,
Samantha
Thanks so much, Samantha! It’s my extreme pleasure to share. Have a nice day. -Kim