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For a simple, quick and easy take on pizza try this BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza recipe.
Crusty French bread topped with two varieties of barbecue sauce, grilled chicken, crispy bacon, red onions, lots of mozzarella cheese and baked until cheesy, gooey perfection. Then it’s finished off with cilantro.
BBQ chicken pizza is one of the first non-traditional flavors I discovered back when California Pizza Kitchen was at its prime. Now you can find barbecue chicken pizza at most pizza chains and frozen food section but we prefer to cook at home as often as possible. Scratch-made pizza can be a little fussy for nights when we want to make a quick and easy meal so today I am sharing BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza.
This is an easy hack to making pizza at home. My favorite part is that you can use the same method to create different flavor combinations. Since you slice the bread in half, each side can be different flavors. Of course there is traditional pepperoni or meat lovers, but I love Thai Peanut Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, etc. The options are endless and great for kids!
This recipe post is all about how to make BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza, inspired by CPK.
Why You’ll Love French Bread Pizza
- So easy to make – including cooking the chicken, I had this finished in under 30 minutes.
- Versatile – You can easily change up the flavor combinations on each side of the bread. French bread pizza is perfect for kids!
- No fussy dough to deal with (but if you are looking for delicious homemade Neapolitan pizza, this is an incredible recipe)
- Dinner or an appetizer – these can be served as pizza for dinner alongside a salad. Or, you can slice them up into bread stick sizes and serve them as an appetizer with dipping sauce.
- Relatively cheaper to make then buying pizza – several of these ingredients you may have in your pantry.
Key Ingredients:
French Bread – or an Italian loaf. Make sure they are freshly made and soft.
Protein – we use chicken tenders and bacon in this recipe. Chicken breast or thighs work as well.
Seasonings – chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Alternately, you can purchase a BBQ rub for your chicken.
Sauce – your favorite barbecue sauce, I used Sweet Baby Ray’s combined with a homemade Alabama White BBQ Sauce.
Mozzarella – fresh mozzarella or regular shredded mozzarella.
Produce – red onion and fresh cilantro are used in this recipe.
How to Make BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza:
Here is a quick overview of how easy it is to make this BBQ chicken French bread pizza (the full detailed recipe is in the printable recipe card below):
- Season chicken well and cook in a skillet until temp reads 165 degrees. While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle the bacon with BBQ Rub then bake the bacon until crisp.
- Cut the bread horizontally (length-wise) and pull out some of the excess bread from the inside, allowing room for the meat and cheese to be stuffed down inside.
- Baste the bread with barbecue sauce. Add 2/3 of the cheese then pile on the meat and top with red onions.
- Drizzle with Alabama white barbecue sauce and regular barbecue sauce. Then top with remaining cheese
- Bake until cheese is bubbly per the recipe below. Top with fresh cilantro.
Tools I Love For French Bread Pizza:
Ultra-Sharp Serrated Knife
Rotary Cheese Grater
15″ Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Sauce Bottles for Homemade Sauce
Did Someone Say Quick & Easy Dinner?
Meat Lover’s Pizza Dip
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes (Slow Cooker)
Did you and your family enjoy this BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza recipe? Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback!
If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza (CPK Inspired)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread or Italian bread
- 1.5 lbs chicken tenders breast or thighs work instead
- 5 strips bacon
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
- 1.5 cups barbecue sauce I used regular Sweet Baby Ray's
- 1/2 cup Alabama white barbecue sauce store-bought, or my recipe is below in the notes
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- BBQ Rub store-bought or my recipe is below in the notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Season chicken well on both sides with BBQ rub. Cook in a skillet over medium heat about 3 minutes per side, flipping once. While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle the bacon with BBQ Rub then bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Set chicken aside to cool under tented foil and allow to rest a few minutes then dice into cubes and chop the bacon into bits.
- Cut the bread horizontally (length-wise) and pull out some of the excess bread from the inside, allowing room for the meat and cheese to be stuffed down inside.
- Baste the inside of the bread with regular barbecue sauce, reserving some of the sauce for drizzling. Pile on 2/3 of the shredded cheese, then the chicken, bacon, then the sliced onions.
- Drizzle with Alabama white barbecue sauce and regular barbecue sauce. Then top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is fully melted through. Top with fresh cilantro, slice and serve. I love to serve mine with extra white BBQ sauce or ranch for dipping.
Notes
In a small bowl combine the below ingredients and whisk until smooth
- 1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar white sugar works as a sub
- 2 teaspoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar add 1 tbsp, then a second if more tang is needed
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, combine the below ingredients and mix until combined:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less for less heat)
As my wife said, quite possibly the beat BBQ pizza we had had!