Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I used to always order barbecue chicken pizza out at restaurants, and then I realized that it's not only simple to make at home, but tastes so much better. All you need is the right dough, which can be homemade or store bought, some good quality smokey cheese, red onion, cilantro, chicken, and the perfect barbecue sauce. I use Trader Joe's all natural barbecue sauce, which is super delicious and has just the right blend of sweet, smokey, and spicy flavor. And of course, if you're feeling ambitious or have extra time on your hands, you can make your own sauce. 

Ingredients: 

Pizza dough (I use Trader Joe's whole wheat)

1/3 cup, plus 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce 

2 small or 1 large chicken breast 

1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella

1/2 cup grated smoked gouda 

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

To begin, preheat your oven to 475 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken to the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl to cool. 

Take your dough, and using your hands begin to stretch it out. Then place the dough on the prepared baking sheet, stretching and pressing the outside edges of the dough to fit into the baking sheet and form a crust. Bake without any toppings for 7 minutes, then remove. 

Meanwhile, grate the cheeses, and chop the onions and cilantro.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite size pieces. Add the 4 tablespoons of bbq sauce, and mix with the chicken. 

Once you've removed the pre-cooked crust from the oven, you can begin to top it. First, spread on 1/3 cup of the bbq sauce. Next, add the cheeses. Finally, top with the red onion slices, chicken, and cilantro.

Return to the oven for 7 minutes. 

For crispier crust: after 7 minutes, carefully using an oven mitt, slide the pizza off the baking sheet, directly onto the oven rack, and bake for 2 more minutes. I recommend trying it like this : ) 

For softer crust: keep the pizza in the pan and continue cooking for 2 minutes (9 minutes total)

Remove to a cutting board and slice. Enjoy!