BBQ chicken flatbread pizza made with 4 simple ingredients and ready in about 10 minutes! Inspired by the BBQ chicken flatbread at Panera, this is a delicious way to use up leftover chicken.
Have you ever met a kid who doesn't love pizza? All kids that I have ever met don't just like pizza, they love it! And they usually want plain 'ol cheese pizza. Just think how simple that is!
So, why do us as parents try to complicate things? 😉 Not only does using flatbread instead of traditional pizza crust cut down on cook time, but, because they are smaller, they are easier to personalize.
And I don't know who needs to hear this, but pizza does not have to be made with tomatoes or tomato sauce, lol! I know it's not for everyone, but personally, barbecue chicken pizza is one of my favorite kind of pizzas. 😍
While the more traditional margherita flatbread has all of the familiar flavors of homemade pizza, this BBQ chicken flatbread is a delicious way to change things up!
Jump to:
What is Flatbread?
Flatbread is a bread that is made by rolling dough out very thin. Some flatbreads, like pita bread, are leavened, while others are not. I've noticed that very thin flatbreads are usually rectangular in shape and the thicker flatbreads are either round or oval.
I've used a variety of flatbreads to make pizzas. The flatbread pictured in this recipe is very flat and measures 8 ½ by 4 ½ inches. Still, the great thing about it is that if you end up using a bigger flatbread, all you need to do add extra toppings. So easy!
I have found flatbread in the grocery store, at Trader Joe's, and Costco.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy This chicken flatbread recipe is not just easy to make but it's ready to eat in about 10 minutes from start to finish. You can't beat 7 minutes of cook time!
- Simple Recipe 4 simple ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store: chicken, barbecue sauce, cheese, and flatbread. If you love red onion, add that too! It's such an easy and delicious weeknight meal!
- Kid-Approved Need I say more? 😆 In fact, your younger kids will like it even more if you let them help you put the toppings on themselves.
- Easy to Customize If you don't have red onion, no problem! This chicken flatbread pizza can be made with leftover barbecue chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, small pieces of grilled chicken, or plain shredded chicken breasts. It's a great way to use up what you have!
Dietitian Tip
I've been hearing from so many parents recently that their kids prefer to have everything separate on their plates. As in, they'll eat veggies, but they don't want veggies in with the rest of the meal.
So, while 'one pot' meals and adding veggies to meals like pizza work wonders for so many families, they just don't cut if for others. This is where a quick meal like flatbread pizza comes in handy. Flatbread pizzas can literally be made in minutes, which gives you time to throw together a salad or roast, air fry, or blanch veggies.
Also, remember that not all veggies have to be cooked. When having something like BBQ chicken pizza, raw veggies with dip and either sliced apples or applesauce taste great!
Recipe Variations
- Use Gouda cheese, red onion, and fresh cilantro (and BBQ sauce, of course;). This combination is inspired by the BBQ chicken pizza at California Pizza Kitchen.
- To make this more like the BBQ Chicken Ranch Flatbread Pizza from Panera, use pickled red onion instead of raw red onion, and drizzle a small amount of ranch dressing on top of the flatbread before serving.
- Sprinkle on corn kernels, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, or green onions for more color, flavor, and texture.
- Use naan bread as the flatbread base.
- Brush the edges of the flatbread with olive oil for more of a crispy crust.
- Add extra bbq sauce if you prefer!
Ingredient Notes
- Flatbread You can use any type of flatbread. I used whole wheat lavash flatbread from Trader Joe's in the flatbread pictured here.
- Cooked Chicken I've used plain cooked shredded chicken, pieces of roasted chicken, and leftover bbq chicken breast. Rotisserie chicken would also add incredible flavor!
- Barbecue Sauce Use your favorite BBQ sauce. Sweet baby ray is a favorite around here but use what you have!
- Mozzarella Cheese Use either pre-shredded or buy a block of mozzarella and shred it yourself (this is what I do).
- Red Onion (optional) As one who doesn't like onion, I can tell you that when I add very thin slices of red onion and cook it at a high heat, they caramelize enough to add flavor without hardly noticing it's there.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place flatbread on a baking sheet.
- Spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce on top of the flatbread, leaving about one-quarter of an inch around the edges plain (without sauce).
- Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on top of the BBQ sauce.
- Spread thin slices of red onion on top of the chicken.
- With the flatbread on the baking sheet, place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are light golden brown.
- Slice into pieces. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful
- The ingredient amounts listed are for a flatbread the sized 8 ½ by 4 ½ inches. You will need to adjust the amounts of ingredients when using flatbreads with a smaller or larger surface area.
- Don't overdo it on the toppings. You need just a light layer of toppings because the crust is so thin.
- To add color and flavor, feel free to top this flatbread with chopped cilantro or green onion.
- To make this more like the BBQ Chicken Ranch Flatbread Pizza from Panera, use pickled red onion instead of raw red onion, and drizzle a small amount of ranch dressing on top of the flatbread before serving.
- Use either a pizza slicer or kitchen shears to cut the flatbread into slices.
Questions You May Have
They are not the same, but either can be used to make this flatbread pizza recipe!
I serve flatbread like pizza. And because flatbreads are thinner, they can be served as an appetize or as a main entree.
You can serve a salad, veggies and dip, applesauce, or fresh fruit as sides to make it more of a complete meal.
Eat it just like pizza! I find pieces of flatbread pizza to be easier to eat with my hands than regular pizza because it's thinner and the pieces are smaller.
Still, if you are a fork and knife person with pizza, you may still prefer that with flatbread pizza.
Related Recipes
More Easy Dinner Recipes
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📖 Recipe
BBQ Chicken Flatbread
Equipment
- 1 Basting brush to spread the bbq sauce out
- 1 Box Grater If shredding the cheese from a block.
Ingredients
- 1 Lavash Flatbread Whole wheat, if you can find it.
- 2 tablespoon Barbecue Sauce
- ¼ cup Mozzarella Cheese Packed. Shredded.
- ¼ cup Shredded chicken Packed. Cooked chicken.
- 1 tablespoon Red Onion Sliced very thin.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lay the flatbread on a baking sheet.
- Use a basting brush or back end of a spoon to spread the barbecue sauce in a thin even layer. Keep about ¼ of an inch clear from sauce.
- Spread the cheese in a thin layer to cover the barbecue sauce.
- Sprinkle the chicken and thin slice of red onion over the cheese.
- Bake for 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.
- Slice and serve!
Notes
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- Many brands of Lavash flatbread say that one half of a lavash is one serving. Technically this is what I am referring to. One half of a full-sized piece of lavash makes one flatbread pizza.
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- The ingredient amounts listed are for a flatbread the sized 8 ½ by 4 ½ inches. You will need to adjust the amounts of ingredients when flatbreads with a smaller or larger surface area.
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- Don't overdo it on the toppings. You need just a light layer of toppings because the crust is so thin.
-
- To add color and flavor, feel free to top this flatbread with chopped cilantro or green onion.
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- Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or Gouda cheese can be used in place of some of the mozzarella.
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- To make this more like the BBQ Chicken Ranch Flatbread Pizza from Panera, use pickled red onion instead of raw red onion, and drizzle a small amount of ranch dressing on top of the flatbread before serving.
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- Use either a pizza slicer or kitchen shears to cut the flatbread into slices.
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