Easy BBQ Chicken Naan Flatbread Pizza Recipe

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Make BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza at home in minutes! Crispy naan, smoky BBQ sauce, and tender chicken make this easy pizza recipe a weeknight winner.

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Feeling like pizza but you’re too hungry to get delivery or make one from scratch? A BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza - or “naanza” - is the answer!

I have been loving to make a variety of naanza pizza recipes when I’ve made a batch of naan breads! I’ve gotta tell you guys something - pizza really is my favourite food. I kid you not, the word “pizza” is thrown around in my house at least 10 times a day every day. I do say that I couldn’t eat a pizza every day, but is that really true? Only a couple of weeks ago I had literally 5 meals in a row of pizza and its cousins - focaccia flatbread, bread pizza, Domino’s pizza… Yeah, I’m hooked! If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen this pizza mania!

Naanzas are kind of like my take on Pepperoni Pizza Bagels- gives you the satisfaction of pizza without making a full on pizza! Naanzas are more of a flatbread pizza than a “pizza” pizza - you’ll get the full picture soon! Naanzas are awesome because if the naan is already cooked, then making the actual naanza is so fast and easy! Naanzas are a real blank canvas for whatever toppings you desire. I explain this in more depth in my Make Cooking Fun!! guide - my 5 top tips to have the most fun in the kitchen you’ve ever had! - but using what you have and exploring a theme are perfect strategies to give you a delicious and speedy meal! Get that guide for free by signing up for my newsletter, and you’ll also get my Live to Cook one month challenge! If you try a chicken naanza as part of the challenge, be sure to tag me on social media to share your creation with me!

For the full picture of how to put together this exciting BBQ flatbread pizza, then check out the video! I’d really appreciate if you subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and be sure to hit the bell button so you receive the notifications of when all my video recipes go live! For something like a pizza, I find that a video recipe shows all the hands-on aspects well, and it’ll really set you up for success with this recipe! Let’s get cooking!

BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza topped with melted cheese, diced chicken, corn, and fresh herbs on a wooden board.

How is Naan Dough Different from Pizza Dough?▼

In a lot of ways, a pizza dough is similar to a naan dough. A few things, make a naan do distinct, especially since naan is almost always made with dairy, milk, or yogurt. Pizza dough, usually is made with water. Pizzas can also make use of dough starters such as poolish or tiga. While technically, nothing is stopping you from doing the same with a naan dough, it’s usually not the case.

The best part about having this Naan Pizza, is you have a dough, made with milk. That really gives it an amazing richness and softness we love in a great naan, in the form of a pizza pie.

If you are in a rush and have some naan already on hand, you can top the premade naan and broil it until the cheese is molten.

Ingredients for BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza

Let’s go over the ingredients needed to make an irresistible BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza! I’ll break down what we’ll need for the dough, chicken, garlic butter, and the pizza itself! Be sure to scroll to the bottom FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARDfor all ingredient quantities and the full instructions! You can save this recipe for later, and the recipe card will allow you to scale the recipe based on how many naanzas you want to make! The ingredient quantities will be automatically adjusted, so you have the right amount of sauce and toppings for your pizzas!

For the BBQ Chicken Pizza on Naan Bread

Naan Dough (full recipe)
BBQ sauce
Chicken breast, cooked
Onions
Peppers
Mozzarella
Cheddar
Garlic butter

Diced red bell pepper, sliced red onion, chopped green pepper, and shredded cheese on a cutting board.

For the Naan Dough

For the Chicken

Chicken breast
Olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

For the Garlic Butter

Butter
Garlic

Topping Variations for BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza

The beauty of pizzas - no matter what your base is - is that they are a wonderful blank canvas! Get creative and explore new combinations and HAVE FUN! This is just one way to make a BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza, but you can explore different toppings! Here are my suggestions:

Add pineapple for a refreshing sweetness
Drizzle some ranch dressing on top
Explore different flavors of BBQ sauce!
Switch up the chicken - shred it or grill it!
Transform this to buffalo chicken pizzas by using buffalo sauce!
Add chopped crispy bacon
Explore different cheeses - my other favorites for pizzas are white cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, provolone, and Parmesan!
Swap the chicken for shrimp or even tofu for a vegetarian option

How to Make BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza

For the Naan Dough

Mix all of the dry ingredients together and add milk to knead to a smooth, soft and tacky dough.

Dough mixing in a stand mixer bowl with flat beater attachment, showing soft, tacky naan dough texture.

Naan dough mixing in a stand mixer with dough hook attachment.

Lightly grease a large bowl and add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours.

Smooth, soft naan dough resting in a greased glass bowl covered with plastic wrap

Divide dough into 3 equal 13 ounces (370 grams) portions. Working with one portion at a time, fold the dough in half into itself so that you create a tight surface tension as you pinch the fold. Repeat this until the top surface appears smooth.

Three portions of pizza dough on a scale and countertop during proofing stage.

Hand holding a smooth, round ball of pizza dough over a white plate

Hands folding dough into itself to create a smooth dough ball for naan flatbread pizza.

Hand holding a round ball of white dough next to a kitchen scale and white plate.

Lightly grease the dough balls and lightly cover with plastic wrap and let rest for another 2 hours. While the final proofing is happening, proceed with the remaining prep.

Dough ball resting under plastic wrap on a floured surface during proofing.

Dough ball wrapped in plastic wrap resting during final proofing before cooking.

If you are not preparing all 3 portions today, you can portion the rest on a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Add to freezer until frozen and then you can transfer the frozen dough to a freezer safe bag.

To cook a portion from frozen, place the frozen dough ball to a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge to proof for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.

For the Chicken

Place the chicken breast in a Ziploc bag or between two plastic wraps and pound thin using a meat tenderizer (about 1/4 inch thickness) or a heavy object.

Heat a pan on medium heat until hot. Check if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling some water on the pan. If the droplets dance around before evaporating, the pan is ready.

Drizzle some olive oil on the pan and season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Olive oil being drizzled into a stainless steel pan with a dark pool of oil in the center.

Raw chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper on a pink cutting board next to a pan of water.

Then, flip the chicken, turn the heat down to low and cook for 1-2 minutes or until completely cooked. Let the chicken rest for 2-4 minutes before finely dicing the chicken.

Seasoned chicken breast cooking in a dark pan with olive oil on stovetop.

For the Garlic Butter

In the same pan as the chicken, add butter and garlic and roast lightly until the garlic is fragrant and has roasted slightly.

Melted butter and minced garlic roasting in a pan until fragrant and lightly browned.

Butter and minced garlic in a pan, lightly roasted until fragrant and golden brown.

Set aside in a bowl or ramekin along with a pastry brush for later.

Melted butter with roasted garlic and herbs in a white ramekin with blue trim, held in hand.

For the Naan Bread BBQ Chicken Pizza

Place one baking steel/stone on the second highest rack of the oven and another one at the bottom most rack. Preheat the oven at 500 F for 1 hour.

Dust your countertop with flour and starting with one portion of dough at a time, add the dough ball over the flour. Starting from the centre of the dough, press down on the dough and create a rim around the side.

Hands stretching pizza dough wrapped in plastic wrap on a floured surface.

Dough ball dusted with flour on a floured countertop, ready to be stretched for naan flatbread pizza.

Hands stretching pizza dough on a floured countertop for naan flatbread pizza.

Hands stretching pizza dough on a floured surface with yellow chalk circle outline.

Continue pressing down the centre to stretch the dough. Then, hold the dough from the rim and rotate to let gravity stretch it further. You can also you use knuckles to stretch the dough, until the diameter is about 10 inches.

Hands stretching pizza dough on a floured countertop, demonstrating the dough-stretching technique.

Hand stretching naan dough on a floured surface with yellow flour outline guide.

Set oven to Broil mode, let top steel/stone heat for 8-10 minutes.

Dust a wooden pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina and place the stretched dough on the peel.

Wooden pizza peel dusted with cornmeal and semolina flour with stretched naan dough ready for topping.

Hands stretching and shaping naan dough on a cornmeal-dusted wooden pizza peel.

Add 1/3 Cup of the BBQ sauce and spread until the rim of the pizza. Top with 1/2 Cups of mozzarella and 1/4 Cup of cheddar. Add the peppers, onions and diced chicken. Top with the remaining mozzarella (total of 1 Cup per pizza) and the remaining cheddar (total of 1/2 Cup per pizza).

Spreading BBQ sauce onto naan dough with a spoon, with a bowl of sauce visible beside it.

BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza topped with melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese before baking.

BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza topped with melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese, red onions, peppers, and fresh cilantro on a wooden pizza peel.

In a swift push and pull motion, place the pizza on the top baking steel/stone.

BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza on wooden peel ready for oven, topped with cheese, peppers, and onions.

Bake for 2 1/2 - 4 minutes or until the crust has some char or brown spots and the cheese has melted. Rotate the pizza 180 degrees halfway along the cook time.

Hand in blue oven mitt placing naan pizza with melted cheese and vegetables onto baking steel in oven.

Then transfer the pizza to the bottom steel/stone to finish off the crust of the pizza, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Hand removing BBQ chicken naan pizza from oven on pizza stone, cheese melted and crust with brown spots.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Brush the crust with the garlic butter and serve hot and enjoy!

Finished BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza with melted cheese, diced chicken, bell peppers, and fresh herbs being sliced.

BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza with melted cheese, diced chicken, corn, and peppers on a wooden board.

Tips for an Amazing BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza

Be careful not to degas the dough too much as you are folding the individual portions onto itself to prepare for the second proofing step. If you work the dough too much, it will start to resist as you start to stretch the dough for the pizza.
Invest in a baking steel or baking stone. They are cheap, and an essential tool if you are serious about your pizza.
Make sure to preheat the oven at the highest temperature your oven can reach for at least 1 hour.
Use a pair of baking steels/stones if possible, setting up one of them towards the top rack of the oven and the second one at the bottom.
10 minutes before baking the pizza, set the oven to broil mode to make the top steel/stone scorching hot. This will help rapidly cook the crispy crust.

Can I Freeze this Naan Pizza Dough?▼

If you are not preparing all 3 portions today, you can portion the rest on a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Add to freezer until frozen and then you can transfer the frozen dough to a freezer safe bag.
To cook a portion from frozen, place the frozen dough ball to a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge to proof for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.

How to Store Leftover BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza▼

Not to toot my own horn, but I can’t imagine there will be leftovers. However, if there are any or you just want to save some for the next day, then they’ll be just fine if you keep them in the refrigerator! Store your leftover naan flatbread pizzas by wrapping them with plastic wrap or transferring to an airtight container. The best ways to reheat your BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza are in the air fryer and in the microwave.

Reheating your naan flatbread pizza will only take about a minute in the microwave. To reheat in the air fryer, set the temperature to 400 F and set the air fryer to air fryer mode. It will take about two minutes to completely warm through. For those without an air fryer, you can also reheat in a traditional oven, however, it will be a lengthy process since your oven will need to reheat.

I do recommend you reheat the pizza in the oven or air fryer to avoid the sogginess that comes with reheating pizza in the microwave.

Serving Suggestions for BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza

You could certainly have this BBQ Chicken Naan Pizza on its own and it’ll be an incredible meal! However, flatbreads are usually served as an appetizer, since they’re small and thinner than pizzas. You could have this naan pizza as an appetizer for literally any meal, but here are some pairing ideas!

The Best Mozzarella Sticks-as an additional appetizer!
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad- can be a main or on the side
Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Vegetarian Four-Cheese Lasagna

Butter Chicken

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Easy BBQ Chicken Naan Flatbread Pizza Recipe

Make BBQ chicken naan flatbread pizza at home in minutes! Crispy naan, smoky BBQ sauce, and tender chicken make this easy pizza recipe a weeknight winner.

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30 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

4 hr

Rest

4 hr 40 min

Total

medium pizzas

hard

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

For the naan dough

(500 g) all-purpose flourShop →
(7 g) active dry yeastShop →
(6 g) saltShop →
(25 g) sugarShop →
(420 ml) milkShop →

For the naan pizza

(340 g) mozzarella cheese
(170 g) cheddar cheese
(240 ml) BBQ sauce(pick your favourite)Shop →
chicken breast(cooked as directed below)
(43 g) onions(thinly sliced)
(40 g) peppers (mixture of red and green)(finely diced)Shop →

For the garlic butter

(28 g) butterShop →
garlic clovesShop →

For the chicken

chicken breast
(5 ml) olive oilShop →
salt(to taste)Shop →
pepper(to taste)Shop →

Instructions

For the naan dough

1
Mix all of the dry ingredients together and add milk to knead to a smooth, soft and tacky dough.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together and add milk to knead to a smooth, soft and tacky dough.
2
Lightly grease a large bowl and add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours.
Lightly grease a large bowl and add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours.
3
Divide dough into 3 equal 13 oz portions. Working with one portion at a time, fold the dough in half into itself so that you create a tight surface tension as you pinch the fold. Repeat this until the top surface appears smooth.
Divide dough into 3 equal 13 oz portions. Working with one portion at a time, fold the dough in half into itself so that you create a tight surface tension as you pinch the fold. Repeat this until the top surface appears smooth.
4
Lightly grease the dough balls and lightly cover with plastic wrap and let rest for another 2 hours. While the final proofing is happening, proceed with the remaining prep.
Lightly grease the dough balls and lightly cover with plastic wrap and let rest for another 2 hours. While the final proofing is happening, proceed with the remaining prep.
5
If you are not preparing all 3 portions today, you can portion the rest on a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Add to freezer until frozen and then you can transfer the frozen dough to a freezer safe bag.
If you are not preparing all 3 portions today, you can portion the rest on a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Add to freezer until frozen and then you can transfer the frozen dough to a freezer safe bag.
6
To cook a portion from frozen, place the frozen dough ball to a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge to proof for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.
To cook a portion from frozen, place the frozen dough ball to a baking sheet or plate, covered tightly with at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge to proof for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.

For the chicken

1
Place the chicken breast in a Ziploc bag or between two plastic wraps and pound thin using a meat tenderizer (about 1/4 inch thickness) or a heavy object.
Place the chicken breast in a Ziploc bag or between two plastic wraps and pound thin using a meat tenderizer (about 1/4 inch thickness) or a heavy object.
2
Heat a pan on medium heat until hot. Check if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling some water on the pan. If the droplets dance around before evaporating, the pan is ready.
Heat a pan on medium heat until hot. Check if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling some water on the pan. If the droplets dance around before evaporating, the pan is ready.
3
Drizzle some olive oil on the pan and season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Drizzle some olive oil on the pan and season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4
Then, flip the chicken, turn the heat down to low and cook for 1-2 minutes or until completely cooked. Let the chicken rest for 2-4 minutes before finely dicing the chicken.
Then, flip the chicken, turn the heat down to low and cook for 1-2 minutes or until completely cooked. Let the chicken rest for 2-4 minutes before finely dicing the chicken.

For the garlic butter

1
In the same pan as the chicken, add butter and garlic and roast lightly until the garlic is fragrant and has roasted slightly.
In the same pan as the chicken, add butter and garlic and roast lightly until the garlic is fragrant and has roasted slightly.
2
Set aside in a bowl or ramekin along with a pastry brush for later.
Set aside in a bowl or ramekin along with a pastry brush for later.

For the naan pizza

1
Place one baking steel/stone on the second highest rack of the oven and another one at the bottom most rack. Preheat the oven at 500 F for 1 hour.
Place one baking steel/stone on the second highest rack of the oven and another one at the bottom most rack. Preheat the oven at 500°F (260°C) for 1 hour.
2
Dust your countertop with flour and starting with one portion of dough at a time, add the dough ball over the flour. Starting from the centre of the dough, press down on the dough and create a rim around the side.
Dust your countertop with flour and starting with one portion of dough at a time, add the dough ball over the flour. Starting from the centre of the dough, press down on the dough and create a rim around the side.
3
Continue pressing down the centre to stretch the dough. Then, hold the dough from the rim and rotate to let gravity stretch if further. You can also you use knuckles to stretch the dough, until the diameter is about 10 inches.
Continue pressing down the centre to stretch the dough. Then, hold the dough from the rim and rotate to let gravity stretch if further. You can also you use knuckles to stretch the dough, until the diameter is about 10 inches.
4
Set oven to Broil mode, let top steel/stone heat for 8-10 minutes.
Set oven to Broil mode, let top steel/stone heat for 8-10 minutes.
5
Dust a wooden pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina and place the stretched dough on the peel.
Dust a wooden pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina and place the stretched dough on the peel.
6
Add ⅓ cup of the BBQ sauce and spread until the rim of the pizza. Top with ½ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of cheddar. Add the peppers, onions and diced chicken. Top with the remaining mozzarella (total of 1 Cup per pizza) and the remaining cheddar (total of 1/2 Cup per pizza).
Add ⅓ cup of the BBQ sauce and spread until the rim of the pizza. Top with ½ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of cheddar. Add the peppers, onions and diced chicken. Top with the remaining mozzarella (total of 1 Cup per pizza) and the remaining cheddar (total of 1/2 Cup per pizza).
7
In a swift push and pull motion, place the pizza on the top baking steel/stone.
In a swift push and pull motion, place the pizza on the top baking steel/stone.
8
Bake for 2 1/2 - 4 minutes or until the crust has some char or brown spots and the cheese has molten. Rotate the pizza 180 degrees halfway along the cook time.
Bake for 2 1/2 - 4 minutes or until the crust has some char or brown spots and the cheese has molten. Rotate the pizza 180 degrees halfway along the cook time.
9
Then transfer the pizza to the bottom steel/stone to finish off the crust of the pizza, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Then transfer the pizza to the bottom steel/stone to finish off the crust of the pizza, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
10
Remove the pizza from the oven. Brush the crust with the garlic butter and serve hot and enjoy!
Remove the pizza from the oven. Brush the crust with the garlic butter and serve hot and enjoy!

Nutrition per serving

1628

Calories

77g

Protein

186g

Carbs

63g

Fat

Fiber

47g

Sugar

4231mg

Sodium

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen