Barbecue Chicken Pizza
My husband and I love barbecue chicken pizza, but I decided to take it up a notch by adding other toppings that we love, including smoky bacon and creamy Gorgonzola. My mouth starts to water just thinking about it!
My husband and I love barbecue chicken pizza, but I decided to take it up a notch by adding other toppings that we love, including smoky bacon and creamy Gorgonzola. My mouth starts to water just thinking about it!
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
- 6 bacon strips cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
- Carbohydrate 29.920521258044 g
- Cholesterol 61.7490625 mg
- Fat 28.7866475004262 g
- Fiber 1.41519997684561 g
- Protein 22.76247 g
- Saturated Fat 11.47157343755 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (204g)
- Sodium 779.809937529521 mg
- Sugar 28.5053212811984 g
- Trans Fat 2.81277718752001 g
- Calories 473 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 425°. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Unroll and press dough onto bottom and 1/2-in. up sides of a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 8 minutes.
- Spread barbecue sauce over dough; top with chicken, cooked onion, bacon, Gorgonzola cheese and jalapenos. Sprinkle with paprika and garlic powder; top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.
Swapping part-skim mozzarella for low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella alters the fat content and prevents the cheese from releasing excessive water during the 425-degree oven bake. Sugars present in the barbecue sauce caramelize rapidly when exposed to high heat, while the capsaicin in minced jalapeños dissolves into the animal fats from the bacon and cheese, distributing the heat evenly across the palate instead of concentrating it in a single bite. Acidity from the fermented components in the barbecue sauce cuts through the rich, heavy proteins of the chicken breast and the sharp, penicillium-ripened bite of the crumbled Gorgonzola. Slow-cooking the red onion over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars, generating Maillard compounds that complement the smoky flavor profile of the cured pork.
Partial blind baking of the refrigerated dough for exactly 8 minutes in a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan prevents sogginess from the wet sauce and toppings. Without this initial heat exposure, steam escaping from the raw dough creates an impenetrable barrier that leaves the center gummy. Monitor the final 8-to-10-minute baking window closely, watching for the crust edges to turn a deep golden brown and the cheese blends to liquefy completely.
