Skillet Barbecue Chicken Pizza
Skillet Barbecue Chicken Pizza is sweet, smoky, cheesy, spicy and a Memphis favorite! It’s the perfect at-home pizza night solution when you want something out of the ordinary yet easy, delicious and something everyone will love!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it’s advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HomemadePizzaCrust #CollectiveBias #HomemadePizza
When my husband and I got married almost 25 years ago this year, I also became a stepmom to his son and a daughter who were entering their teens. Anyone who has ever raised children–let alone teenagers–knows how difficult those years can be for everyone!
Because we were a blended family, we had our share of struggles. However, the one thing that brought us all together and got everyone laughing was our family pizza night at home. In fact, those nights were so special and so much fun, we’ve continued our family pizza night at home tradition that now includes our grandchildren for even more treasured memories!
Nothing is better for family pizza night than a hot, sizzling freshly baked pizza from your own oven on a crust you made yourself because it comes from the heart. It’s difficult to say that about a pizza that was picked up or delivered!
If you’ve relied on anything but homemade for a crust, you’re going to be amazed at how simple it is to make an amazing pizza crust with superior taste and quality using Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast! Even when it’s just my hubby and me, we rely on Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast for homemade pizza in 30 minutes!
Although I don’t bake a lot, I do enjoy making pizza dough. There’s something therapeutic about getting flour on my hands, mixing, measuring, pouring and above all–kneading. I used to watch my grandmother and mother knead bread and loved how they transformed such simple ingredients into something so amazing!
Fleischmann’s® was trusted by my grandmother and mother because Fleischmann’s® has been around for 150 years! Visit their website Breadworld.com for information on all their products along with recipes, tips, tricks, videos, frequently asked questions and even the history of yeast which is super interesting!
Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast makes baking from yeast easy, fast with a result you’ll be proud to share. Even if you’ve never worked with yeast before, you’ll be amazed at how easy Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast is to use.
Before I get to this easy and delicious Skillet Chicken Barbecue Pizza, here are a few tips in a nutshell when working with yeast and kneading dough. (Visit their website Breadworld.com for in-depth information and their easy and well-tested pizza crust recipe.)
Tips for working with yeast:
- Be sure to check the expiration date on the package of yeast. Each envelope of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast is clearly labeled with it on the back. If the yeast is expired, it’s often the reason a dough didn’t rise.
- The water needs to be VERY WARM, preferably between 120º F and 130º F for the highest degree of success. If it’s too cold, the yeast won’t activate. The water shouldn’t be extremely hot or steaming either as that will kill the yeast. It’s always best to check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer if you have one.
- Each envelope of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast has full instructions and important tips. Following the package instructions will ensure baking success!
Tips for kneading dough:
- Add just enough flour to the dough each time to keep the dough from sticking.
- Flatten dough and fold it toward you.
- Using the heel of your hands, push the dough away in a rolling motion.
- Rotate dough a quarter turn each time, add flour as needed and repeat the fold–push–turn steps.
- Continue kneading the dough, adding small amounts of flour into the ball of dough until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- The properly kneaded dough should spring back from the touch.
Let’s get rolling on making Skillet Barbecue Chicken Pizza–A Memphis regional favorite!
Origin of Barbecue Chicken Pizza:
Barbecue Chicken Pizza was actually “invented” by a pizza chain in California and caught on very quickly around the country. However, Memphis is famous for barbecue, so Barbecue Chicken Pizza is now a regional favorite that Memphis claims as its own. In fact, most of the restaurants in Memphis that serve it claim they invented it!
How to make Barbecue Chicken Pizza:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place a large, dry un-oiled cast-iron skillet on the lowest rack to also preheat.
- Start by combining dry ingredients in a bowl:
- Start with 1 cup flour. You never want to start with the full amount of flour called for in a yeast recipe. You can always work more in as needed, but if you add too much, your dough will be stiff and dry.
- Add 1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast, sugar and salt and stir to combine per the recipe below.
- Add 2/3 cup very warm (between 120º F and 130º F) water and 3 tablespoons Mazola corn oil.
- After adding the liquids, your dough will look like the first photo below.
- After adding additional flour as needed and kneading for approximately 4 minutes, your dough will look like the second photo below.
- After allowing the dough to rest/rise for 10 minutes, your dough will look like the third photo. Yes, friends! Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast produces quick, easy pizza dough THAT FAST! It’s easy as 1-2-3!
- Have all the other pizza ingredients ready to go:
- Barbecue sauce (we use a good, locally-made barbecue sauce but just use your favorite)
- Pepper Jack and Mozzarella cheeses
- Cooked and diced chicken
- Red onion slices
- Pickled jalapeno slices
- Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle.
- Remove the preheated skillet from the oven.
- >>> CHEF SAFETY TIP: After removing a hot pan from the oven, it’s easy to forget that the handle remains EXTREMELY HOT. Therefore, after setting the pan down, immediately wrap the handle with a thick kitchen towel. If using an oven mitt, place the opening of the oven mitt over the handle.
- Brush the skillet with corn oil (preferably Mazola® Corn Oil which has a high smoke point).
- Place the dough in the preheated skillet and carefully press the dough up the sides. REMEMBER THAT THE SKILLET IS EXTREMELY HOT!
- Add the toppings…
- Place the skillet pizza back in the oven and bake!
Lovely, beautiful, sizzling homemade barbecue skillet pizza made easy with Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast! Y’all enjoy, now!
Don’t forget!
- Visit and bookmark their website Breadworld.com for information on all their products along with recipes, tips, tricks, videos, frequently asked questions and even the history of yeast!
- Visit Fleischmann’s® on social media at:
Skillet Barbecue Chicken Pizza
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Ingredients
Crust
- 2/3 cup very warm water - 120-130 degrees F
- 1 envelope Fleischmann's® RapidRise® Yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons corn oil - or vegetable, canola or olive oil, plus more for the bowl and skillet
- 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour - as needed
Toppings
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce - divided
- 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese - divided
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese - divided
- 1 (8-ounce) chicken breast - cooked and diced
- Thinly sliced red onion rings
- Pickled jalapeno slices
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place a dry, unoiled 12-inch cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack of the oven.
- Combine water, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add 3 tablespoons oil and 1 cup flour. Stir until combined.
- Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. (Dough should form a ragged ball at this point and be slightly sticky.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead, adding additional flour as necessary until smooth and elastic, approximately 4-5 minutes. The dough should spring back to the touch.
- Drizzle a small amount of oil around the sides of the bowl you used to mix the dough.
- Place dough into the oiled bowl, flip so the dough is covered with corn oil.
- Let rest/rise for 10 minutes.
- Place dough on a floured surface and roll to a 12-inch circle.
- Remove the preheated skillet from the oven. Lightly brush the skillet with corn oil.
- Keeping in mind the SKILLET IS HOT, carefully place the circle of dough in the skillet and press dough up the edges.
Toppings
- Spread 2/3 cup barbecue sauce over the crust.
- Top with 3/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese and 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese.
- Toss diced chicken with remaining barbecue sauce and scatter over the cheese.
- Top with the desired amount of red onion rings and pickled jalapeno slices.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
