BBQ Chicken Bacon Pizza

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Pizza Night just got better with BBQ Chicken Bacon Pizza! This classic pizza recipe includes my simple homemade dough, barbecue sauce, rotisserie chicken, bacon, sliced red onion, and plenty of cheese. Homemade pizza that’s BIG on flavor!

A BBQ chicken pizza sliced into 8 pieces.

Chicken Bacon Pizza

It’s no secret that pizza is absolutely THAT food for me – the one I would choose without hesitation if it were my last meal on earth. Give me all the cheesy, saucy goodness and a couple of cold craft beers, and I am one happy girl!

In fact, when Mike and I were dating back in high school, our dates almost always included Godfather’s Pizza followed by an ice cream cone at McDonald’s – and honestly, we were onto something! Still to this day, nothing makes us happier than a big, cheesy pizza and a couple of cold beers (plus an ice cream cone if we still have room). Some things never change!

Why This Recipe Works:

Smoky and savory – barbecue sauce, crispy bacon, and tender rotisserie chicken create an irresistible flavor combo in every bite
White cheddar cheese – sharp, melty, and so much more interesting than regular mozzarella
Easy weeknight meal – rotisserie chicken and store-bought barbecue sauce make this pizza come together in no time
Totally customizable – swap the cheese, change the sauce, or add your favorite toppings to make it your own

Side view of sliced BBQ chicken bacon pizza.

Ingredients you’ll need for BBQ chicken pizza:

Pizza Dough – I used my regular homemade pizza dough for this recipe. My homemade whole wheat dough would also be excellent or, of course, you could use store-bought instead.
Barbecue Sauce – I used some bottled sweet and spicy barbecue sauce I purchased at the store. You could also go the extra step and make some Homemade Barbecue Sauce.
Chicken – Either use some rotisserie chicken, or make your own. Both ways are great!
Bacon – I baked some thick-cut bacon in the oven, and then chopped it and added to this pizza. Pro-Tip – keep some cooked bacon in the freezer for all your needs.
Red onion – Thinly sliced red onion is a requirement for great barbecue chicken pizza!
Cheese – I used some freshly shredded white cheddar cheese. Mozzarella would also be delicious.

Be sure to try out all of our best pizza toppings!

A board of three rounds of soft pizza dough.

How to make barbecue chicken pizza:

1. Make the dough.

Follow my simple recipe for Homemade Pizza Dough. This dough is pretty quick, and you can mix it up about an hour before you start the pizza assembly. It really does make the BEST pizza!
If you want to make it ahead of time, you can mix the dough, let it rise, stick it in the fridge (covered), and remove it 30 minutes before assembly.
Use a baking mat and a rolling pin, with plenty of flour, and roll out the dough in a shape that works for you. If using a cast iron skillet, you’ll want it to fit just right.
I’ve also tried my hand at spinning the dough around with my hands, but haven’t perfected that YET. 😀

2. Assemble pizza.

For all of my pizza recipes, you can choose to bake them 1) in cast iron skillets in the oven or on a grill, 2) on baking sheets in the oven, or 3) on pizza stones in either the oven, grill, or smoker. We tend to rotate how we cook them based on the weather outside and how many people we are feeding.

Arrange dough. To start, roll out the dough. For this occasion (pictured), we grilled the pizza on our Big Green Egg so we used a pizza stone.
Add toppings. Spread a generous amount of barbecue sauce on the dough. Then add the shredded chicken, cooked and chopped bacon, thinly sliced red onion, and the white cheddar cheese.
Finish. Then add some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

A round barbecue chicken bacon pizza with red onion.

3. Cook.

Bake (or grill) – Cook pizza at a high temp. We use 450 degrees in our oven or at least 500 degrees on our grill/smoker.
The pizza is done when the crust is nice and browned on the bottom.

The grilled BBQ chicken bacon pizza on the BGE.

What to serve with pizza:

Let’s start out with some craft beer or red wine, shall we? OR you could whip up some Blueberry Mojitos or some Swirl Margaritas for something fun!
A simple green salad is all you really need with this hearty pizza. But you could also pair it with my Best Italian Chopped Salad which is a great salad to have in the refrigerator all week long.
Dessert anyone? If you’re not feeling the ice cream I shared above, you could go for our all-time favorite cookies, Brown Butter Toffee Cookies!

Several slices of barbecue chicken pizza.

Recipe FAQs:

Is making homemade pizza dough worth it?

YES! The secret to great pizza is the dough. My basic recipe is simple and delicious, and I’ve passed this recipe on to so many people.

Should I pre-cook the dough?

I personally never pre-cook the dough. But if you want a thicker crust (using more dough than normal), then you should pre-cook it.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes, you can make the dough several hours in advance and store it in the refrigerator. About an hour before using, remove it and let it come to room temperature before rolling out.

What pans can I use for homemade pizza?

If grilling the pizza, you’ll need either a pizza stone or a cast iron skillet. If baking in the oven, you can use a stone, a skillet, or even a baking sheet.

Other Delicious Pizza Recipes:

When it comes to pizza, we have lots of choices! Try one of these next.

A plate with two slices of BBQ chicken pizza with bacon.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue