BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza is a great recipe for dinner on a busy day or a gathering with family or friends. It has tons of flavor and is ready in no time at all. Kids love it, adults love it, big kids love it, it is a winner all around!
BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza – The EASY Way!
BBQ Chicken is a flavor my family absolutely loves. We regularly order or make traditional BBQ Chicken Pizza, BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza, Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread, or Garlic Bread Pizza at home, but I am going to share with you today the all time FASTEST way to get those flavors on the table.
The best part about this pizza is that there is a super easy at-home barbecue chicken pizza recipe you can make on busy weeknights. This BBQ chicken french bread pizza can be made with leftover shredded chicken and doesn’t require all the work of making pizza dough.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy – This oven baked french bread pizza is so darn easy! It uses french bread as the crust and you can use rotisserie chicken on top so there is no hassle of cooking or making anything fancy!
- Quick – This quick and easy french bread pizza only takes a few minutes from start to finish only requiring topping the bread and baking, nearly all hands off!
- Kid-Friendly – I have never met any kid who doesn’t like pizza and barbecue. Plus, pizza is easy for little hands to grab and fun to pull apart the gooey cheese.
- Flavor Packed – Ok, you know that garlic bread that comes in a bag and gets cooked in the oven and has the best flavor on the planet? Yeah, this chicken pizza is that best even better!
What to Serve with French Bread Pizza
Since this dish is much like your favorite pizza, it will pair well with many of your favorite pizza night side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Side salad with Ranch Dressing– Do this homemade ranch for a real treat! It is SO GOOD and only takes 5 minutes to make!
- Pesto Caesar Tortellini Salad
- Bacon Ranch Broccoli Salad– fun twist on a traditional broccoli salad
- Antipasto Salad
- Meatball Pasta Bake – This is more of a hearty option that will pair well to make the meal stretch.
- Rotini Pasta Salad
- Roasted Vegetables– a light and healthy go-to side!
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner. I also a HUGE list of sides for pizza for all occasions – parties, potlucks, or even a middle of the week pizza night!
Recipe Notes
This french bread pizza recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 minutes of prep and only 20 minutes to cook a family-friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricksake french bread pizza the absolute best and most delicious.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card with french bread pizza cooking instructions.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- French Bread – Any store bought french bread will work for this. You can also use sub rolls to make smaller “personal sized” pizzas which are great for getting the kids involved in the process!
- BBQ Sauce – I used Sweet Baby Ray’s but any store-bought BBQ sauce will work! Or you can try this simple homemade BBQ sauce.
- Shredded Chicken – Any chicken you have on hand will work. You can use any shredded chicken breast, thighs, etc, as long as they are neurally flavored. I most frequently use rotisserie chicken. You can pick one up at the store or try this slow cooker rotisserie chicken recipe. Also, this BBQ Slow Cooker Chicken, can be used for a meal earlier in the week, then again to make these pizzas later on!
- Cheddar Cheese – Cheddar cheese is my favorite flavor match but you can use most any cheese you have on hand. Mozzarella, monterey jack, colby, or even a Mexican blend will work well.
- Red Onion – Red onions are the tangier onion of the bunch and are a great compliment to cilantro and BBQ sauce. You could use any type of onion in a pinch though.
- Cilantro – The bright flavor of cilantro is perfect for adding a lite element to this pizza while also adding more depth of flavor.
- Garlic Salt
- Butter
Recipe Tips
- Make it a family affair – Pizza is great not only because it tastes delicious but because everyone can help mae it. Get the family involved by letting them top heir pizza or their part of the pizza with their favorite toppings.
- Toast the bread – By toasting the bread, this french bread pizza will not be soggy and it will have an overall better texture. This easy tip makes it so much tastier!
- Mix it up! You can get creative with toppings. Maybe you like pineapple or olives on your pizza or want to add some spice with jalapenos. Whatever you and your family likes can be used on this pizza.
- Watch it – Like with any pizza and any oven baked recipe, you should keep an eye on it. Oven temperatures can vary so how long to cook french bread pizza can vary slightly. By watching it, you will keep it from becoming too browned, or turn it up to get those crispy edges if needed.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this easy french bread pizza recipe but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use leftover or premade shredded chicken – This is big help for busy weeknights! I will make a large batch of boiled or baked chicken early in the week and use it for a wide variety of recipes like tacos, bakes, and this easy french bread pizza. You can also grab a rotisserie chicken on the way home and use that for this pizza.
- Make-ahead – Pizza is one of those meals that tastes just as good the next day (maybe better if I want to be controversial). You can make this pizza ahead of time and store in the fridge until the next day when you want to eat. I recommend making the pizza completely (including toasting the bread) in advance to make sure it doesnt get soggy. When ready to eat, check out the notes below for reheating.
- Prep Toppings – I always like to prep toppings when I hosting because I don’t want to be crying over onions when my guests arrive. You can prep all of the toppings for this pizza and even toast the bread up to two days before. That way, when you want to eat it or guests are coming over, all you have to do is add it to the top of the pizza and bake. Easy!
Recipe Variations
If you love this homemade french bread pizza as much as we do and want some other recipes for french bread pizza to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- French Bread Pepperoni Pizza – For this classic take on the pizza, toast your bread and then use red sauce, pepperoni, and mozzerella on top of the pizza.
- Garlic French Bread Pizza – Garlic pizza is so good! To make this pizza, I recommend using a white sauce, chicken, Italian blend cheese, and minced garlic as topings.
- Buffalo Chicken French Bread Pizza – To make buffalo style pizza, use a white sauce again, but this time toss the shredded chicken in buffalo sauce and top with mozzerella. Yum!
- Taco French Bread Pizza – Taco pizza may be more on the unique end of pizzas, but it is so good! You can use ether ground beef cooked in taco seasoning or shredded chicken tossed in taco seasoning or enchilada sauce. I recommend using a red sauce for this pizza and topping with the seasoned chicken, cheddar cheese, and jalapenos if you like spice. After the pizza is baked, top with fresh tomatoes and cilantro.
BBQ Chicken Pizza Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this BBQ chicken pizza recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal-sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
How to reheat leftover pizza
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Place the pizza on a baking tray and place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the outside is crispy and cheese is melted through. **You could also do this in an airfryer if you just want a small amount or a single piece.
More Family Friendly Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my family friendly recipes here, or see a few of our reader’s favorite recipes below.
- Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Chicken
- Chicken Bake with Garlic and Cheddar
- Loaded Baked Potato Chicken Casserole
- Feta Chicken Bake with Tomatoes
BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Slice the french bread in half. Butter each half of the bread and then sprinkle on the garlic salt. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until the top is toasty and the edges are golden brown.
- Spread the BBQ sauce on each side of the bread. Top each half with 1/4 of the cheese, then the chicken then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. Add the sliced red onion over the top.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated through. Top with freshly chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Leave a Reply