Barbeque Chicken Pizza

Whoever thought up combining BBQ chicken and pizza was a genius! I first had this tasty combo at California Pizza Kitchen and I can't lie-I was a little skeptical. Pizza's supposed to have pepperoni and tomato sauce right? Not right. Since that fateful day long ago, I've had numerous out of the way combinations on pizza {shaved asparagus for starters} and I can say in all honesty they surpass the "typical" italian style we've come to think of every time. Tangy barbeque sauce, crispy crust, grilled chicken, and refreshing cilantro don't get any better. And just so we're clear-I still eat my fair share of italian-style pizza:0)

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

1-2 chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup bbq sauce

1/3 cup tomato sauce

Thinly sliced red onion

Mozzarella cheese, grated

Cilantro

One recipe of your favorite pizza crust (see mine below if needed)

Prepare pizza dough.

Heat grill. Sprinkle garlic salt or other seasoning on chicken. Brush with a bit of bbq sauce on both sides and grill until cooked through. Set aside and let rest before chopping. Mix bbq suace and tomato sauce together in small bowl. In separate bowl mix chopped chicken, crushed garlic, and just enough tomato/bbq sauce to coat.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Shape pizza dough on pizza stone or pizza pan sprayed with cooking spray and dusted with cornmeal. Spread generous amount of bbq sauce/tomato sauce mixture all over. (May not use it all.) Top with chicken and red onions. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and bake at 475 for 10-15 minutes depending on desired doneness. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

PW's Pizza Dough

{Recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook}

1 tsp active yeast

4 cups flour

1 t kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups warm water

Pour water in small bowl, sprinkle with yeast and gently stir. In bowl of electric mixer combine flour and salt. On low speed, gradually drizzle in olive oil into flour/salt. Add yeast/water. Knead with dough hook for a few minutes. Dough should be soft and tacky but not super sticky. Drizzle separate bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Add dough ball and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 1-2 hours, or store in fridge for up to 2 days. When the time comes stretch and shape dough with your hands, the thinner the better!