Chicken Pesto Pizza

This superfast Chicken Pesto Pizza comes together in less than 30 minutes thanks to store-bought pizza dough, leftover chicken and ready-made pesto. The combination of the vibrant pesto and creamy cheeses is kid tested and approved! This easy pizza dinner is a great meal for a weeknight.

Why We Love This Recipe For Chicken Pesto Pizza

Dinner is made in an instant with Chicken Pesto Pizza! You can use store-bought pesto or pesto made straight from the garden. Make it even more convenient by using leftover cooked chicken or frozen chicken, so all you have to do is throw the ingredients on your pizza.

The combination of the vibrant pesto and creamy cheeses are sure to make this pizza a family favorite! 

 Key Ingredients For This Recipe

• Pizza Dough: We used store-bought raw pizza dough that was refrigerated for ease. You can also use whole-grain dough too if desired. If you’re using frozen dough, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and keep in mind that dough is easiest to work with at room temperature. You can also make your own homemade whole-wheat dough.
• Cheese: We used shredded fontina cheese for ease of melting and creaminess. It’s sweet and a bit more neutral to allow the pesto to be the star of this dish. You can also substitute low-skim shredded mozzarella, grated by hand. It’s better and faster to grate your own cheese because pre-grated contains additives like potato starch and natamycin to prevent the strands from clumping in the bag.
• Basil Pesto: You can use store-bought or homemade fresh basil pesto. Of course it only takes five minutes to make pesto from scratch if you have a food processor, but for a busy weeknight we love this recipe with purchased pesto, use the refrigerated options instead of jarred. Refrigerated will give the most vibrant color and flavor.
• Chicken: This recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover cooked chicken or you can use a rotisserie chicken. You can either shred or chop up the cooked chicken. If yours is not cooked you can grill the chicken which will add a nice smoky charred flavor to the pizza. Here’s how to grill the chicken.
• Optional Extras: To amp up the flavor of the pesto you can add in a sliced clove of garlic if you like. We also like a bit of heat so I added in a little red pepper flake or crushed red pepper. I also added on some freshly chopped basil at the end, but this is also entirely optional, so if you are short on time, skip it! Additionally, I like to add a little grated Parmesan cheese for a little added saltiness, but this is also an added step and not necessary if you are trying to streamline this pizza as much as possible.
• Flour: Note that you’ll also want a little all-purpose flour for dusting the work surface and to keep you hands and the rolling pin from sticking to the pizza dough.

How To Make Pesto Chicken Pizza

Step 1: Prepare Oven

Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and begin preheating to 500 degrees F. This post from Serious Eats explains the importance of rack placement!

If you’d like to use a pizza stone or pizza steel or prefer a pan pizza refer to these pizza cooking methods here. Note: if you’re using a pizza stone, place it on the rack while the oven is preheating for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Step 2: Roll Dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin or similar shape. With lightly floured hands, shape it into a 12-inch circle. Don’t use too much excess flour on the surface/your hands or you’ll risk drying out the dough.

Step 3: Transfer Dough

Transfer the circular dough to a large piece of parchment paper set on a pizza peel, a cutting board, or a flat cookie sheet. Adjust to make sure the dough remains in an even circle. Create a lip/edge around the outer edge of the dough by pressing outward with your fingers on one hand, while pressing inward with the fingers on your other hand. Create a 1-inch edge.

Tip: The parchment creates ease in transferring the dough from the peel/pan to the oven rack. It also allows you to move it out of the oven in the same way. We think it is the cleanest and easiest method with similar results.

Step 4: Add Pesto

Spread the pesto evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Use an offset metal spatula to best spread the pesto.

Step 5: Add Cheese Chicken and Seasonings

Sprinkle the pizza evenly with Fontina cheese and parmesan. Sprinkle the chopped chicken, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using.)

Step 6: Bake The Pizza On The Oven Rack

Bake your pizza in the preheated oven, until the edge of the pizza is golden and the cheese is melted. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes.

Tip: The size of your dough will determine your bake time. If you stretch the dough more than 12 inches, you may have a lower bake time. If using a pre-made crust like Pillsbury pizza crust, the bake time would be about 6 to 10 minutes.

Step 7: Slice and Serve Pizza

Once the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted, remove the pizza from the oven. Slide the pizza peel or baking sheet under the parchment to remove it from the oven. Use tongs as necessary. Cut the pizza into slices and sprinkle with chopped basil, if you’re using it.

FAQs and Expert tips

Pizza Cooking Methods:

• Pizza stone: Place the pizza stone in your oven while it’s cold. Then, preheat it to 500F for at least 30 minutes. Slide the pizza in on a peel, back of the baking sheet, and cook it for the same amount of time as the parchment method.  
• Pizza Steel: The new alternative to a stone is a pizza steel. The pizza cooks faster on the steel by about 3 to 5 minutes because it conducts a large amount of heat for a longer period of time and gives the crispiest of crusts.
• Baking Sheet: You can use a baking sheet that has 2 tablespoons of oil, sprinkled with cornmeal.  Just prepare that sheet pan after you turn on the oven.

Additional Pizza Recipes To Try

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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