Barbecue Chicken Flatbread
If you weren’t hungry, you might be now. Though I’m pretty much always hungry. This barbecue chicken flatbread is so beautiful (how do green onions do that so effortlessly?) and it’s easy to make. You can even do part of the cooking beforehand and this becomes an easy (quick) weeknight dinner for you and the family!
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Barbecue Chicken Flatbread
Growing up, I never would have ordered a dish like this. Then in my first year of grad school at UC Davis, I tried a Thai pizza with shredded chicken, hoison BBQ sauce, and cilantro. I immediately fell in love with the flavors, ordering it every time we went and eventually figured out how to (very easily) recreate it at home.
This barbecue chicken flatbread recipes is a take on that recipe. While that recipe used shredded rotisserie chicken, this one uses ground chicken. I think you could easily interchange the two cuts of meat in both recipes without issue. So, now you have both!
I do love having shredded chicken recipes on hand – since you never know when you’ll have just a bit leftover to use up! And then there’s night when you have nothing going on and just need a good, easy recipe from scratch – this BBQ chicken flatbread is it!
What does Barbecue Chicken Flatbread taste like?
This flatbread recipe is the delectable sum of its parts. The chicken is flavored with a bit of smoked paprika. It’s layered over your favorite barbecue sauce and topped with sliced red onions and gruyere cheese (the perfect cheese for this, in my humble opinion). And then it’s topped with sliced green onions and chives – with bbq sauce and chili flakes on the side – to add to taste. So imagine a bbq chicken sandwich of sorts!!
How do you Make Flatbread?
Flatbread and pizza are very similar. Flatbread is usually rolled into an oblong oval shape, while pizza is usually in a circle (or rectangle depending on where you’re from). The dough is the same. I prefer both flatbread and pizza to have a thinner crust, but that’s just a matter of how thinly you roll the dough.
Can you Make Flatbread ahead of time?
There are some flatbread recipes that would be good warmed ahead of time, but this one is really best served warm. BUT that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with having to pull it all together at once.
There are two things you can do ahead of time. First, the ground chicken is cooked over medium-high heat on the stove with the seasonings. Then it should cool a bit before going atop the pizza. You could absolutely do this ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator, and pull it out before assembling and cooking the pizza.
I also used a premade pizza dough, so there’s no need to make it from scratch (but you know I support such things). You could, in theory bake it ahead of time and then bake and broil everything together before serving. You’ll want to watch out for the bread drying out.
Appetizer or Entree?
I’ve had flatbreads served as both appetizers and entrees. I think it’s just a matter of how big you cut the pieces. The recipe below has it cut into 6 pieces, which is certainly a bigger servings. You could do square cuts and make this an appetizer with 18-24 pieces, depending on size.
If you serve it a an entree, I’d just recommend a salad or something with it! These are my favorite summer salads. Since these has all the makings of barbecue flavors, your favorite coleslaw would be goo. I love this no mayo coleslaw, made with yogurt!
Pizza & Flatbread Recipes
Barbecue Chicken Flatbread
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound prepared pizza dough
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce plus extra for serving
- ¼ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 6 ounces Gruyère cheese shredded
- 2 scallions sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Crushed red pepper for serving
Instructions
- Cook the ground chicken in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink but not fully browned, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 450℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Roll or press the pizza dough into an oval, about 8 inches by 12 inches, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the barbecue sauce evenly over the dough. Top with the cooled ground chicken, red onion, Gruyère, scallions, and chives.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and baked through.
- Turn the broiler on high (about 550 degrees Fahrenheit) and broil for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown the top. Watch closely to prevent the parchment paper from burning.
- Drizzle with barbecue sauce, slice, and serve warm. Serve crushed red pepper on the side.
