While barbecue chicken pizza is not an entirely new concept – it was the brainchild of Ed LaDou, who conceived the idea in 1985 – it’s a mainstay for a reason. The original recipe called for a barbecue sauce base covered in smoked gouda, chicken, red onions and cilantro. Here, recipe developer, baker and filmmaker Grant Batty riffs on the classic with a smoky homemade BBQ sauce, delicious spatchcocked and roasted chicken, smoked bacon, mozzarella, red onion and charred sweet corn.
With Grant’s variation, this pizza is slightly more sweet thanks to the corn, and the mildness of the mozzarella balances nicely with crispy pan-fried bacon lardons. For a final touch, a garnish of fresh coriander, or cilantro, pays homage to the original. Trust us: your taste buds are in for a smoky, slightly spicy and sweet treat with Grant's reinvented barbecue chicken pizza. (And as an added bonus, if you’ve got extra sauce left over, it works great for BBQ Potato Salad and Gas-fired “Over-the-Pit” Buffalo Wings.)
While we like to spatchcock and roast our chicken in an Ooni an hour before cooking, you can also use leftover chicken or buy it pre-roasted and shredded to save time. This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think sourdough, neo-Neapolitan or classic pizza dough all work well – just make sure to prep your dough at least 4 hours ahead of time to ensure it rises at room temperature before firing up your oven.
