This delicious post is sponsored by Nature’s Intent Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and all opinions expressed are my own. Enjoy!
This BBQ Chicken Pizza is a fun and healthy dinner idea and easy to make, too! We start with a quick paleo pizza crust and top with homemade BBQ sauce, chicken, onions and fresh herbs. Gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free and free of added sugar.
I think it’s been way too long since I’ve shared a pizza recipe! My paleo pizza crust is disappointed in me, and honestly I’ve been missing it.
No worries though, because I have a DELISH and easy recipe to share with you today – BBQ Chicken Pizza, complete with clean homemade BBQ sauce that you’ll want to eat with a spoon. But don’t go wild yet, we need to save it for the pizza. And chicken! I’m hungry just thinking about it now.
It all starts with the BBQ sauce – after all – we’re making this dairy free so the flavors in the sauce really have to POP! While I’ve made a paleo BBQ sauce before, I definitely thought I could improve the flavor and also make it free of added sugar. Like I do all the time lately, I turned to medjool dates to sweeten the sauce. Date paste is absolutely wonderful for paleo friendly ketchup and as it turns out, it’s AWESOME in BBQ sauce too.
Of course, we need to balance out the sweetness with the tart and smoky flavors that make BBQ sauce truly addicting. After the tomato sauce and paste, this is where a great raw apple cider vinegar can really shine. I used Nature’s Intent Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and it perfectly complemented the flavors in the sauce.
You guys probably already know I’m a big fan of using raw apple cider vinegar in my recipes
and Nature’s Intent Organic Apple Cider Vinegar lives up to all my ACV standards. It’s USDA organic, contains the mother, it’s unfiltered and unpasteurized, gluten-free and Kosher.
After blending and cooking the sauce (which you can easily do ahead of time when you
prep), we toss some with our cooked chicken and some to spread all over the partially baked pizza
crust. Since we’re going smoky today, I subbed in smoked paprika for the Italian seasoning in the
crust, which I highly recommend!
After the sauce, you layer with your chicken and thinly sliced red onions. If you simply can’t have pizza without cheese, this is when you’d add it. However, I was more than happy with the flavors doing it totally dairy-free!
If you’re not adding cheese, you’ll bake the pizza just long enough for the crust to get nice and crispy and the onions to soften. Then, slice and devour! I hope you guys are hungry and ready to cook! Let’s get started!
BBQ Chicken Pizza {Grain Free & Paleo}
BBQ Chicken Pizza {Grain Free & Paleo}
Ingredients
BBQ Sauce
- 3 medjool dates pitted and soaked*
- 1/3 cup water
- 6 Tbsp Nature's Intent Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp spicy brown mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Pizza:
- 1 paleo pizza crust recipe unbaked**
- 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and cubed or shredded
- 1/3 cup bbq sauce to toss with chicken
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup bbq sauce to spread over crust
Instructions
For the BBQ Sauce:
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Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender, then transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil,
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reduce heat and allow to simmer for as long as you want for desired thickness and flavor, mine
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simmered for about 30 minutes.
For the Pizza:
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Preheat your oven to 450 degrees to pre-bake your crust. Spread out the dough into a 10-inch circle on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes before it begins to brown. If you want a less crispy crust, bake for just 5-7 minutes here. Remove from oven and reduce the heat to 425 degrees.
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While the crust bakes, toss your chicken with 1/3 cup bbq sauce and set aside
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Spread another 1/3 cup bbq sauce over the half-baked crust leaving a small border around the
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sides.
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Top with the chicken and sprinkle the sliced red onion over the top. If you want to add a bit of
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cheese here, go for it! Don’t feel deprived if you don’t do dairy though, it was delicious as is.
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Bake in the 425-degree oven for another 10 minutes or until the onions soften and the crust is
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golden brown. Sprinkle with the cilantro, cut into slices and enjoy! Serves 3-4.
Recipe Notes
*If you don’t want to use dates to sweeten, I recommend 2 Tbsp of raw honey, also reducing the water to just 2 Tbsp
**For this recipe, I replaced the Italian seasoning in my pizza crust recipe with smoked paprika to go with the theme
Visit the Nature’s Intent website for more information, recipes and tips:
http://naturesintentvinegars.com/products/Organic-Apple-Cider-Vinegar
Tell Me!
Have you tried sweetening savory sauces like BBQ sauce with dates?
What brand of paleo crust do
You prefer??
I just added the link for my easy homemade crust which is the one I always use!
Would recommend! So delicious!! And adding paprika instead of Italian seasonings to the crust was perfection!