Mastering Flavor: The Ultimate BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza for Two

We all love pizza. It’s the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a cozy night in or a quick, satisfying meal. However, the convenience often comes at a price – literally. Regular takeout or even gourmet frozen pizzas can quickly add up, turning a simple craving into an unexpected expense. And let’s be honest, sometimes those frozen options just don’t hit the spot quite right. But what if you could recreate that magic at home, with a fraction of the effort and cost, and with flavors that truly sing?

Introducing the **BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza for Two** – a game-changer for homemade pizza enthusiasts and kitchen novices alike. This recipe takes away all the common anxieties of making pizza from scratch. Forget the struggle of rolling out a perfectly round dough; with this method, your cast iron skillet does all the shaping for you, promising a delightfully crisp crust every time. It’s an ingenious solution that makes homemade pizza accessible, delicious, and incredibly fun.

The Joys and Challenges of Homemade Cooking

Even for those who pride themselves on crafting homemade meals, there are days when inspiration (or energy) is low. Life gets busy, errands pile up, and suddenly, the thought of cooking a full dinner feels overwhelming. On such days, the siren call of takeout or a ready-to-bake frozen pizza can be hard to resist. While I genuinely love creating recipes from scratch, I understand the need for a helping hand in the kitchen, especially when cooking for one or after a particularly long day.

My own “guilty pleasure” in the kitchen used to be frozen pizza. Over the years, I’ve sampled enough to distinguish the good from the truly terrible. The main drawback, beyond the occasional disappointing flavor, is the cost. My preferred brands often retail for $5 or more, with some premium options even hitting seven dollars! Waiting for a half-off sale just to enjoy a frozen pie highlights the need for a more economical and satisfying alternative.

That’s where homemade pizza truly shines. It’s significantly more cost-effective, using basic ingredients you likely already have or can easily acquire. While it requires a little more initial effort than tearing open a box, the benefits far outweigh the minor inconvenience. One brilliant strategy is to make a larger batch of pizza dough on a free day, then portion and freeze it. This way, you have fresh, homemade dough ready to go for an easy weeknight dinner, transforming a potentially lengthy process into a quick assembly job.

Inspired Flavors: Crafting the Perfect BBQ Chicken Pizza

When considering which beloved pizza flavors to recreate in my own kitchen, one always stood out: Trader Joe’s BBQ Chicken Pizza. It’s a fantastic blend of sweet, savory, and tangy, but accessing it comes with its own set of challenges. Trader Joe’s locations often require a dedicated trip, navigating notoriously busy parking lots, and enduring long checkout lines. This meant my cravings for that particular BBQ chicken pizza were often unmet.

Driven by this desire, I embarked on a mission to create my own **BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza for Two**, drawing heavy inspiration from that classic taste. The result is a truly remarkable pizza featuring tender chicken breast, thinly sliced red onion for a subtle bite, sweet corn kernels, and fresh cilantro, all brought together with a decadent blend of mozzarella and gouda cheeses. Instead of a traditional tomato-based sauce, this pizza uses a rich honey BBQ sauce, which you can either purchase for convenience or whip up from scratch for an extra personal touch. While I won’t claim it’s a precise “copycat,” it certainly captures the essence and deliciousness that inspired it.

The Skillet Secret: Perfectly Round Pizza, Every Time

Here’s a little confession: I’m not exactly a master at rolling out pizza dough into a perfectly uniform circle. More often than not, my attempts result in an oval, a rectangle, or an amorphous blob. This common kitchen dilemma often discourages home cooks from attempting pizza from scratch. However, a brilliant revelation occurred when I stumbled upon a recipe for skillet margherita pizza. A light bulb went off – why had I not thought of this before?

The beauty of using a cast iron skillet is its simplicity. You don’t need to be a seasoned pizzaiolo to achieve a perfectly round base. The skillet itself acts as a mold, allowing you to gently press and shape the dough to fit its contours. This method ensures an evenly thick crust and eliminates any stress about aesthetic perfection. When using my smaller 8-inch cast iron skillet, the pizza naturally takes on a satisfying deep-dish character, with a thicker, chewier crust that’s utterly delightful. If you opt for a larger skillet, your pizza will resemble a more traditional, flatter pie, offering versatility based on your preference and pan size.

The Unbeatable Flavor Profile: BBQ, Cilantro, and Cheese

What truly elevates this BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza beyond other homemade options is its distinctive flavor profile. As a massive fan of cilantro, I can attest that its fresh, herbaceous notes perfectly complement the smoky sweetness of the BBQ sauce. This pairing creates a vibrant contrast that makes every bite memorable. The combination of succulent chicken, the gentle crunch of red onion, and the pops of sweet corn add layers of texture and taste that are simply irresistible.

The cheese blend is also key. While mozzarella provides that classic melty stretch, the addition of gouda brings a rich, slightly nutty, and creamy dimension that truly enhances the overall experience. It’s a sophisticated twist that elevates a simple BBQ pizza into something extraordinary.

And if you find yourself short on time – perhaps it’s 4 PM, and dinner plans are still a mystery – but still crave those incredible BBQ chicken flavors, I highly recommend checking out my Barbecue Chicken and Corn Tostadas. They utilize similar ingredients and deliver fantastic taste on crunchy corn tortillas, offering a quick and satisfying alternative.

Not in the mood for chicken? The skillet pizza method is incredibly versatile. Explore other delicious options like my Shrimp Scampi Skillet Pizza for a seafood twist, or the elegant Prosciutto Arugula Pizza for a gourmet experience. The possibilities are endless when you master the skillet pizza technique!

BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza For Two

Yield:
4 slices

Prep Time:
1 hour 40 minutes

Cook Time:
20 minutes

Total Time:
2 hours

Ingredients

Pizza Dough (makes enough for 2 pizzas – can be refrigerated or frozen)

• 1 1/3 cup warm water (120F – 130F degrees)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Barbecue Chicken Topping

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, patted dry, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, and lightly salted
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon cilantro paste or chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded gouda cheese

Instructions

For the pizza dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, oil, and yeast. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
2. After 5 minutes, add 1 cup of flour, sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture. Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer (or a regular hand mixer), beat until all ingredients are well combined. At this stage, the dough will appear wet and loose.
3. Gradually incorporate the remaining 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Continue to beat until the dough becomes slightly sticky and elastic. If the dough remains overly sticky (which can sometimes happen depending on humidity), you may add up to an extra 1/4 cup of flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
4. If you are using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead for 4-6 minutes, or until the dough effectively pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If kneading by hand, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-6 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free area until it has doubled in size, which typically takes about 60-90 minutes.
6. Once risen, gently punch down the dough to release the air. With floured hands, divide the dough into two equal pieces. You can refrigerate or freeze one piece of dough for future use. Proceed with the remaining dough for this recipe, or refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.

For the barbecue chicken skillet pizza

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. Stir in the sliced red onion, 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce, corn kernels, and cilantro. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Remove from heat.
2. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Place one portion of the rested pizza dough into the center of an 8-inch cast iron skillet. Gently stretch and press the dough with your fingers until it evenly covers the bottom and extends slightly up the sides of the pan, forming a crust edge.
3. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce evenly over the dough, ensuring to leave a small border around the edge for the crust.
4. In a small bowl, combine both the shredded mozzarella and gouda cheeses. Sprinkle this cheese mixture evenly over the barbecue sauce on the pizza dough. Then, spoon the cooked chicken and vegetable mixture on top of the cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is beautifully melted and bubbly. Carefully remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes before slicing, and enjoy!

Notes

This pizza dough recipe is designed to yield enough dough for two skillet pizzas. Having an extra dough portion ready in the freezer is incredibly convenient for those times when you need a quick meal without the added step of making dough. However, if you prefer to only make one pizza, simply halve all the ingredients listed for the pizza dough.

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