We can all thank Ed LaDou and his California Pizza Kitchen for creating the genius that is barbecue chicken pizza. Thirty years since its trend-setting creation, it’s still too good to be considered redundant. In this recipe, the popular pizza combination gets a Florida seasonal spin with fresh yellow squash and zucchini.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: Makes 4 servings
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 small yellow squash, grated
- 1 pound pizza dough, room temperature
- Olive oil, for baking sheet and drizzling
- 8 ounces mild cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
- ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- Cilantro, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Combine chicken, garlic, barbecue sauce, and water in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and set aside.
- Bring sauce to a boil, add grated squash, and cook, stirring, until thick, about 5 minutes.
- Shred chicken and return to sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oven to 450°. Stretch or roll pizza dough into a large rectangle and transfer to greased baking sheet.
- Top with chicken mixture, cheese, zucchini, and onion. Drizzle with oil.
- Bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Top with sliced scallions and cilantro and serve.
NOTE: The chicken can easily be replaced with additional squash to make this dish vegetarian. I prefer using homemade barbecue sauce in this recipe, but your favorite bottled sauce will work just fine.
