Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas

These Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas are an easy-to-make weeknight dinner the whole family will love! Use pitas and precooked shredded chicken for shortcuts and have delicious mini pizzas on the table in under 30 minutes!

What are the ingredients in these Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas?

This recipe uses simple ingredients and is totally flexible based on what you’re able to find in your area. Here are the ingredients I used and info on each:

• flatbreads or pitas – Any flatbread, pitas, or even a lavash flatbread will work if you that’s what you like! Here I used Greek style pitas, which are the perfect size for individual pizzas.
• barbecue sauce – Use your favorite barbecue sauce as the pizza sauce base, as well as to drizzle over the top. I really like Stubb’s!
• mozzarella cheese – Shredded mozz is a pizza requirement! One of my tricks is adding the cheese base but also adding a heavy pinch of cheese over the top, so when it melts, it holds all the toppings in place!
• shredded chicken breast – This recipe is a great use for your already cooked and shredded chicken breasts! I’ve got 3 different methods for cooking chicken in this post: How to Cook Chicken For Meal Prep. And a baked version coming soon!
• green bell pepper – Thin sliced green bell pepper compliments the barbecue flavors so well in my opinion. It’s got a fresh flavor that doesn’t overpower anything else.
• red onion – For a softer onion flavor, I love using red onion on the pizza. The oven cooks it a bit and brings out the slightly sweet flavor.
• cilantro – If you like cilantro, pile it on top of the cooked pizzas. It gives a fresh zesty vibe to the meal, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the pizza.

Equipment you’ll need to make Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas:

There are only a couple of specific kitchen items you need for this recipe – tools for baking, and a knife to cut ingredients:

• For a sheet pan, I recommend a rimmed half size sheet pan like this Half Sheet Pan (affiliate link!) from Nordic Ware. These will work for most oven baking recipes and should last forever! I have two rimmed sheet pans, so this 2-pack is great.
• For my cutting board, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat.
• For my chef’s knife, I use a Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!). This knife is super high quality while being affordable. I’ve had mine for years (and there’s a lifetime guarantee!).

How to make Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas:

If you’ve got your chicken breasts already cooked, this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. This is a really great use of meal prepped shredded chicken – see my post on How to Cook Chicken for Meal Prep here!

Start by preheating the oven to 425F, and then line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup. My very best tip for making these pizzas is to toast the pitas or flatbreads first. That helps give you a crisp, not soggy crust.

Place your pitas on the baking softer side up on the baking sheet. It’s okay if they are a bit squished – they should shrink slightly during toasting. Once the oven is preheated, toast the pitas for 5 minutes. When you remove the pitas from the oven, flip so the toasted side is on the bottom.

Next, gather all your pizza toppings and prepare to assemble. First, add some barbecue sauce to each pita and spread it around with a spoon. You want to go nearly to the edges of the pita, but leave a bit of room for the crust.

After the sauce, add about 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese to each pita, spreading it out on top of the sauce. Shredded chicken is next – you should be able to fit at least 2 ounces on each pita, but definitely add more if you want it.

Disperse the sliced bell peppers and red onions evenly on the pitas after that. I like to cover the chicken a bit with other toppings to help keep it from getting dry. Finish with a heavy pinch of cheese on each pizza. This helps told everything together on top after the cheese has melted.

Place the pizzas in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Check for doneness, and add a couple more minutes if needed (depending on your oven and how many toppings you added). Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Since the pita is already hot, cooking will be quick.

Let the pizzas cool for a couple minutes then transfer to a cutting board and slice into quarters. Top with cilantro and additional barbecue sauce. I like to drizzle some over the top of the pizza to serve, and also use it for dipping.

Best tips for making homemade mini pizzas:

Here are my best tips for making mini pizzas at home:

• Toasting the pitas first helps give you a crisp crust, instead of a soggy pita crust. A simple 5 minute toast before adding toppings does the trick!
• Feel free to let people add their own toppings to each pizza for a family friendly dinner making activity.

What to serve with Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas:

These pizzas are meal-sized enough to serve on their own (29g protein!), but they would also go great with a side salad, veggies you like or garlic bread.

Ways to customize this recipe:

The best way to customize these flatbread pizzas is to add your own toppings. Here are some other pizza ideas that include shredded chicken breast:

• chicken bacon ranch – use barbecue or ranch for the sauce base, then add homemade bacon bits as well.
• chicken bacon pineapple – okay I just thought of this but it sounds good! I would keep the cilantro and maybe add some hot sauce
• buffalo chicken ranch – a mix of ranch and Frank’s Red Hot for the sauce, keep the same toppings!

Ways to meal prep this recipe:

There are a couple ways to save time by preparing all or part of this recipe ahead of time. Here are some options:

1. Ingredient prep: The best way to prep ahead for this recipe is to cook and shred the chicken breast. This cuts the cook time in half and helps get this meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. You could also slice the peppers and onions ahead of time.
2. Whole pizza prep: Whole pizzas can be assembled, cooked and then refrigerated for later. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 375F for 7-10 minutes. I like to add more cheese to cover any exposed chicken so it doesn’t dry out.

How to store leftover Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas:

Save leftover pizzas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you wrap it in foil, do it tightly so the pizza doesn’t dry out.

How to freeze Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas:

I have not tested freezing these pizzas because I think the cooked chicken would be a bit too dry after freezing, thawing, and reheating. If you do give it a try, let me know how it turns out.

How to reheat Barbecue Chicken Flatbread Pizzas:

Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 375F for 7-10 minutes. I like to add more cheese to cover any exposed chicken so it doesn’t dry out.