I LOVE a good gluten-free pizza.
I mean. I love a good pizza. Period.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll indulge on a regular, gluten-filled pizza occasionally. But I love to enjoy some of my favorite cravings without having to lose my gluten-free streak. And gluten-free pizza is a go-to gluten-free food in my home. In my opinion, it can be just as good if not better, especially when it is homemade with all the toppings you love.
Homemade pizza especially is like a comfort food for me. It’s the process of starting from pure ingredients and turning everything into a beautiful and full pizza with toppings that are entirely your own that I love. This pizza is just what you need in your life. It’s golden and colorful and the perfect blend of sweet and savory.
You can take as little or as much time as you want to make this pizza. You can make the gluten-free pizza crust yourself or just pick one up from the store to save on time. You can slow cook the barbecue chicken or toss shredded rotisserie chicken in barbecue sauce for a quick version. You can caramelize the onions or shallots or simply toss them onto the pizza raw (although I highly recommend caramelizing as it makes all the difference). Basically, you can make this pizza your own at every step of the process.
The Barbecue Chicken
For the barbecue chicken, I slowly simmered several chicken breasts or thighs in a mixture of water and barbecue sauce. A lot of barbecue chicken pizzas don’t include barbecue chicken as a topping. The barbecue sauce is typically used only for the pizza sauce, but I love the extra saucy-ness barbecue chicken adds to the pizza. It’s like getting extra sauce without having to add extra sauce and overwhelm the crust. Barbecue chicken means more barbecue flavor.
Use a good-quality barbecue sauce that you love. I can’t stress this enough: that you LOVE. Because this is what will shape the flavor of the pizza. If you like a slightly sweeter barbecue sauce, use that. If you’re a fan of a more vinegar-based or smokey barbecue sauce, be my guest. Good quality doesn’t have to mean expensive. I use Whole Foods 365 brand barbecue sauce, which is unexpectedly amazing. I also love Lillie’s Q Smoky Barbecue Sauce.
I would make sure that the consistency is right for the sauce layer, which I’ll talk about that. If the sauce is too thin, it will likely thicken as it simmers with the chicken, but it may not be the best option for the pizza sauce layer unless you prefer light sauce.
The Pizza Toppings
While the chicken is slowly simmering in the barbecue sauce mixture, I prepare the rest of the pizza toppings: I caramelize the shallots or red onions, grate the cheeses, and chop the cilantro and any other fresh greenery I plan to serve with the pizza. The pizza truly uses simple ingredients so there isn’t much labor outside of cooking the chicken and making the gluten-free pizza crust.
- Shredded Barbecue Chicken: I start with letting the simmering the chicken in barbecue sauce, which I think adds an extra sauciness to the pizza without having to smother the crust with more barbecue sauce.
- Caramelized Shallots or Red Onions: Barbecue chicken pizzas are known for their sweetness. Caramelizing the onions is an essential step to achieve that perfect flavor. I used shallots because (1) I had an abundance of them that I needed to use up and (2) I find that they have a milder bite than red onions. Because shallots have a slightly milder taste than red onions, which are classically added as a topping on barbecue chicken pizzas. If you are planning to add the onions to your pizza raw before putting it in the oven, I recommend using thinly sliced shallots if you want a milder flavor and red onions if you prefer that spicyness that raw red onions bring to the table.
- Three Cheeses: Cheddar and mozzarella are my go-to cheeses. But here’s a pro tip: I used a medium yellow cheddar and a sharp white cheddar along with the mozzarella and the result was phenomenal.
- Cilantro: I top the pizza with freshly chopped cilantro for that classic barbecue chicken pizza taste, but you can use chopped parsley if you would like a more neutral taste or have the cilantro gene.
- The Gluten-Free Pizza Crust: For the gluten-free flour mixture, I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and a bit of almond flour. My crust recipe yields regular thickness and perhaps a slightly thin crust pizza if you spread it to fill a full baking pan. You can use this pizza crust for any gluten-free pizza recipe or for a gluten-free, homemade flatbread pizza so go wild friends.
The Assembly
I’m certain you don’t need me to tell you how to layer a pizza but it’s a fun exercise so here we go (plus some useful tips as you go):
- Using your hands, gently spread the crust out across a prepared baking sheet (add a thin layer of olive oil to the baking sheet and to your hands). The dough will be very sticky so it may take several minutes to stretch out.
- Bake the crust for about 8 to 10 minutes at 425 degrees before adding any toppings.
- Spread a layer of barbecue sauce across the crust and top with caramelized onions or shallots, the shredded barbecue chicken, and shredded cheese.
- Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
- Top with freshly chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
How Do I Keep the Pizza Crust from Sticking?
This is where olive oil is truly your friend. I lightly coat the baking sheet with about a teaspoon or two of olive oil. I wouldn’t recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper because you want the heat from the pan to help give the crust that golden brown color.
OTHER GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Cod Meunière (Cod in Brown Butter and Lemon Sauce)
- Curry Braised Collard Greens with King Salmon
- 10-Minute Shrimp on Toast
Barbecue Chicken Pizza with Homemade Gluten-Free Crust
This is a formal petition to make this Barbecue Chicken Pizza a staple pizza that stands alongside any classic pizza or gluten-free flatbread recipe. It is the sweet and savory gluten-free pizza recipe of your dreams and perfect for a homemade pizza night, date night, or Friday night Netflix and chill vibe. This pizza is topped with double barbecue: barbecue sauce and saucy barbecue chicken along with caramelized shallots and mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce, plus about ½ cup more for the pizza sauce
- 1 cup water
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon granulated or cane sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 ¼-ounce packet of active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the shallots and baking sheet
- 1 to 1¼ pound boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced (or ½ large red onion)
- ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
- ½ cup medium yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
1. For the Shredded Barbecue Chicken: Place the chicken thighs in a dutch oven or large saucepan or stockpot. Add ¾ cup barbecue sauce and 1 cup of water to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 1 to 1½ hours over low to medium heat. While simmering, prepare the pizza crust and pizza toppings.
2. For the Gluten-Free Pizza Crust: Combine all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and xanthan gum in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. In a separate small bowl, combine sugar, yeast, and warm water. Lightly stir and let the mixture sit for 20 to 30 minutes until the mixture creates a bubbly and foamy layer. Add the water-yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and use an electric hand mixer to mix for several minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and rest while preparing the pizza toppings.
3. For the Caramelized Shallots: Add a light drizzle of olive oil to the bottom of a skillet or sauté pan (aluminum or stainless-steel preferred, but non-stick works too) and heat over medium heat.
4. Add the sliced shallots. Cook and toss shallots until they begin to brown, then turn heat down to low and continue to cook until softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, then remove from heat. (If you end up with extra caramelized shallots, store them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
5. Build the Pizza: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the center of a full baking sheet or about a tablespoon onto the bottom of a cast-iron skillet (see notes below).
6. Turn the dough onto the oiled baking sheet. Rub some olive oil on your hands and, starting at the center of the dough and working outwards, press it towards the outer edges of the baking sheet until at your desired thickness. Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes until the crust is opaque but not yet browned.
7. Remove from the oven and top about ½ cup of barbecue sauce (or more if you’d like), caramelized shallots, shredded barbecue chicken, and the mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
8. Return to the oven to bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until the edges of the crust are browned and the cheese is bubbly and golden. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (optional) and serve hot.
Notes
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour: I used Bob’s Red Mill’s All-Purpose Flour. I’m also a fan of King Arthur products, but any all-purpose gluten-free flour blend should work. I would not recommend using 1-to-1 flour (also called measure-for-measure flour) to make the crust for this recipe.
- Storing the pizza: I typically cut the pizza into slices or squares before storing leftovers. Make sure to store the pizza in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. For reheating leftovers, I recommend heating the slices in the oven, or heating in the microwave and popping them under the broiler or a 400º oven for a minute or two to crisp up the crust.
- Making the pizza dough: I have not yet tried this recipe with instant yeast, but I would not hesitate to give it a try. I use instant yeast for similar recipes, so I am confident that it will yield good results.
- For an even crispier crust: There is nothing like fresh-baked pizza right out of a wood-fired pizza oven, but if you’d like to come close and emulate it, bake the crust and the pizza in a large 10 or 12-inch seasoned cast iron skillet or a pizza stone. With either you can achieve a more charred finish because the cast iron can better withstand the high heat of a hot oven and broiler temperatures.
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