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Fresh pizza dough topped with rich caramelized onions, homemade ranch, extra saucy BBQ chicken, three kinds of cheese, and a simple herb topping. The key to this pizza? Bake it on a sheet pan at a high temp until the crust becomes just a little crisp and the cheese is melty. As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, top it with more sauce, slice, eat, and ENJOY. Trust me, every last bite of this pizza is delicious and will leave you wanting more. It’s the cheesy, saucy pizza that’s perfect for game day.
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It’s officially football season! Look, to be honest, I get way more excited that it’s apple season. But in September and October, I embrace football, or at least the idea of it. To me, it signals the start of fall. There’s something kind of fall-ish about Sunday nights with football on in the background. And getting to experience Creighton’s love for his hometown team, aka the Cleveland Browns, is the best.
And with the start of football come game-day recipes!
For me, the fun thing about cooking is creating recipes based on the season, the event, and the vibes/mood that I want everyone to be feeling while enjoying one of my recipes.
BBQ chicken pizza isn’t something I would say I’m overly proud of. However, it sure is a fun recipe that my whole family can enjoy.
And for those reasons, I love it. I love mixing high/low fashion and I love mixing non-fancy recipes with fancy recipes.
No reason the two worlds can’t collide. That’s me with my family, I’m fancy, they’re anything but.
Here are the details
As with most of my pizzas, I use my pizza dough recipe from the HBH Every Day cookbook. It’s easy to throw together and I think it has a great crust! Store-bought pizza dough works too though (Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s both have great options). I know weeknight dinners can be rough. Sometimes simply grabbing store-bought dough from the fridge is best.
For those of you who prefer a thicker crust pizza, I recommend using closer to three-quarters or even one pound of pizza dough. We like our crust thin, so I only use a half-pound of dough.
On to the onions, which my mom, who proofs these posts, will roll her eyes about. But in my opinion, the onions make this pizza. They’re my touch of fanciness.
I caramelize my onions with apple cider. You can also use water or white wine, but the sweetness in the cider helps the onions break down quicker while also adding additional flavor. Basically, the liquid makes caramelizing onions easier.
When you have the onions ready, the rest is easy. It’s basically just assembly.
Use leftover chicken from another night and toss it with your favorite BBQ sauce. I make my own BBQ sauce so I can control what goes in it. But I do love Primal Kitchen’s BBQ sauce as a store-bought option. I honestly use it all the time, works great in a pinch!
Toss the chicken with sauce and fresh herbs. For anyone looking for a vegetarian option, roast up a small head of cauliflower and toss the cauliflower with BBQ sauce.
Grab that pizza dough and start layering on the ranch (homemade recipe is in the notes). Then add the onions, chicken, and all the cheeses!
If you’re looking to add some vegetables, corn would be yummy. Finely chopped broccoli would be great too. For fruit, pineapple would give some nice Hawaiian vibes.
Bake the pizza until the cheese is all bubbly and melty.
When the pizza comes out, add some fresh herbs, then slice it up and serve with extra BBQ and ranch on the side for dipping. It’s very much a game-day pizza, so embrace the messiness!
FAQ:
Can I use more dough for a thicker crust?
Yes—use 3/4 to 1 pound on a quarter sheet pan for a puffier edge; expect a slightly softer center. Keep the oven hot and bake until the edges are deep golden and cheese is fully melted.
What chicken works best?
Leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken is perfect. Toss with BBQ sauce until well-coated so the chicken stays juicy under the cheese.
Do I have to use ranch as the base?
No—skip it or swap with a light smear of BBQ sauce for extra tang. If skipping ranch, add a touch more mozzarella so the toppings still bind.
How do I know the onions are ready?
They should be soft, jammy, and golden with most liquid cooked off. If they look pale or watery, keep cooking until they turn glossy with lightly browned edges.
Looking for more game-day recipes? Here are a few to try:
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Ranch
Sheet Pan Hot Honey Mustard Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 1/2 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing , (homemade sauce in notes)
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded gouda or cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- fresh herbs
Instructions
- 1. Position the oven rack in the upper 1/3 portion of your oven. Preheat the oven to 500° F. 2. Place the pizza dough on a lightly oiled quarter sheet pan. Gently press the dough until it covers most of the sheet pan. Cover and let sit while you prep the pizza.3. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat combine the olive oil, onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add half the apple cider and continue cooking another 5 minutes, until the cider has mostly evaporated. Add the remaining cider and cook another 5 minutes or until the onions are golden and caramelized. Remove from the heat.4. In a bowl, combine the chicken, 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, chives, and cilantro/parsley. 5. To assemble. Grab the dough and spread on the ranch, you may not need it all. Add a drizzle of BBQ sauce if you'd like, then layer on the onions, chicken, and cheeses. Sprinkle with cilantro. Slide into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pizza, and bake another 3-5 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Top the pizza with fresh herbs, additional BBQ sauce, and/or ranch. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I live in El Paso and cannot find apple cider anywhere! Any suggestions for replacement ingredient? Thanks!
Hey Samantha,
You could use wine or broth in place of the apple cider. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Tieghan,
I don’t have apple cider. What wine do you recommend?
I love all your pizzas!!! Thank you for sharing your recipes!!
Vickie
Hi Vickie,
You could use a white wine like sauvignon blanc, apple juice, or chicken broth for this recipe! I hope it turns out well for you! xx
The pizza was delicious but I would recommend skipping the apple cider part. It was truly awful tasting, I’m so glad I tasted them before adding to the pizza. I had to throw them out.
This was so easy and is a new weekly meal of mine!!
Hey Hannah,
Perfect!! ⛄️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
So yummy! My entire family loved this one! My daughter loved helping me with all of the prep work. I added arugula on top – perfection!
Hey Blake,
Happy Thanksgiving!!🦃🍁 I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
What other sauce besides ranch could be used? Would regular pizza sauce taste good? Making this for a family who doesn’t love ranch but the rest sounds amazing!
Hey Anne,
I probably wouldn’t do pizza sauce with BBQ chicken:) But you could do blue cheese, that would be yummy! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This pizza was delicious!! Full of flavor. I’ve never carmelized onions with apple cider – great idea! My family loved this and I’ll definitely be making it again!! Thanks for the awesome game day recipe. Go Phillies!
Hi Karen,
Happy Sunday! 🎃 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
WOW is this delicious!!! Made this for Thursday night football and it was a huge hit! It was full of flavor and super easy to make. Will definitely be having this again – thanks so much for this great recipe!
Hi Kirstin,
Happy Friday!👻 Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
I used Trader Joe’s pizza crust and man was this amazing!!!
Hey Kelly,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx
is this apple cider or apple cider vinegar????
I used apple cider, not apple cider vinegar and it was really good.
Hi Lennie,
This recipe calls for apple cider:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
This was SO yummy!!! We used a bbq rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods and it was perfect for this! When we make pizza at home, getting the middle crust properly cooked is always an issue for me on any pizza recipe. I tossed in the pizza dough before toppings for 3 minutes just to try to give it a cooking boost but it was still soft in the middle (though finally not uncooked – yay!). Any tips for getting it cooked all the way around? I did intentionally make it quite thin in the middle to make sure that wasn’t part of the issue!
Hey Ashley,
Thanks so much for giving this pizza a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have you tried cooking on a pizza stone? I like to use that plus a baking sheet and find that they dough bakes the best that way! xx
This was delicious! Everyone loved it including my 7 yo picky eater.
I used bbq jackfruit on one half to make it veg and it was delicious. THANK YOU!
Hi Katherine,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xx
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I had a little smoked mozzarella and added that as well.
Hi Juraye,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Wow, what a welcome dish for first chilly fall movie night. it was fantastic!!
Hi Warren,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it:)
Looks delicious, plan to try this weekend! Just wanted to let you know you made a small typo in the directions. In direction #5 you said, “…spread on the ranch and drizzle with barbecue…” I’m pretty sure you meant, spread on the barbecue and drizzle with ranch. I only realized it because I also watched the reel on IG. Love your recipes!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for pointing that out! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out:) xx
I used your bbq sauce recipe (which my fussy husband actually really likes) and since I didn’t have cider, I subbed pineapple juice. This was really good and we will be making it again. Thanks!
Hey Kim,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xT
Just made this with the home made ranch dressing – GUYS YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS PIZZA!!!!! So full of flavour! The creamy herby base, the sweet onions and tangy chicken – absolute winner for family pizza night! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hey Lynsey,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for giving it a go!? xT