BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe

Directions

1. Make your chicken first. Toss the pulled or shredded chicken with 3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce, a pinch of smoked paprika, and a pinch of garlic powder. Evenly coat and let the chicken be slightly saucy but not wet. Excess moisture on the pizza prevents the crust from crisping properly. Set aside at room temperature.

2. Slice the red onion very finely, thin enough to soften and slightly char during the 90-second bake. Thick red onion on a pizza this fast stays raw and harsh. Thin slices become slightly sweet and caramelized at the edges. The difference is significant.

3. Fire up your Versa 16 Pizza Oven and bring the stone to 750°F. Allow 15–20 minutes for the stone to reach full temperature. Pull dough from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before baking.

4. Flour your work surface. Press the dough ball outward from the center with your fingertips leaving a 1-inch border. Pick up and stretch gently by gravity to approximately 10–12 inches. Lay onto a lightly floured peel.

5. Spread BBQ sauce across the surface in a thin, even layer leaving the border clear. BBQ sauce is thicker and sweeter than tomato sauce. Too much and the center of the pizza becomes a sweet, sticky pool rather than a clean base.

6. Scatter torn mozzarella across the sauce. Distribute the BBQ chicken evenly across the cheese, spread to within an inch of the cheese edge. Add the finely sliced red onion across the top. Add jalapeño if using.

7. Slide onto the rotating stone. Close the door. Bake for 90 seconds at 750°F. Watch for the crust to blister and spot and the cheese to bubble and develop golden patches. The red onion should be slightly wilted and charred at the very tips.

8. Remove with the peel. Immediately drizzle a thin line of extra BBQ sauce across the surface, just enough to reinforce the flavor. Scatter fresh coriander across the top. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt. Cut and serve immediately.