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This delicious Chipotle Chicken Pizza is made with a crispy golden crust loaded with homemade chipotle sauce, juicy grilled chipotle chicken, lots of cheese and fresh vegetables. It is spicy, creamy, cheesy, and full of different flavors and textures, making it a sight for the eyes and an absolute treat for the mouth!
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.
Why I love this recipe
The flavor combination is out of this world. Imagine the spicy, smoky, creamy, and tangy flavors of chipotle chicken in pizza form – it really is as delicious as it sounds. The wonderful chipotle flavor comes from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
The texture is perfect. The pizza is Detroit style: thick but still super crispy, especially on the edges
It is quite simple to make. Yes, there are a few different elements, but each is easy and fuss-free. So you can definitely make it, even if you’re not experienced making pizzas!
If you enjoy these flavors, you will also LOVE my Hot Honey Chipotle Chicken Sliders made with the same juicy chipotle chicken!
Elements of Chipotle Chicken Pizza
This pizza has 4 main components:
- Pizza crust. It is a simple homemade crust that can be kneaded by hand, no stand mixer required. Of course, you’re also welcome to use pre-made crust
- Chipotle chicken. Boneless chicken is marinated in chipotle adobo sauce and a few different spices, grilled on the stove top, and sliced
- Chipotle sauce. A simple sauce made by blending together chipotle peppers, mayo, honey, lemon juice and seasoning takes the place of regular pizza sauce in this recipe
- Toppings. Of course, the pizza is topped with lots of cheese. But there are also a few different fresh vegetables that bring everything together: tomatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers and olives
Step by step photos
The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let’s go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
1. Make the pizza dough
Add all the flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and warm water to a bowl. Bring together into a rough dough with a spoon. Then turn out onto a surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and stretchy:
Cover and let it rise until the dough doubles in size:
2. Cook the chipotle chicken
Marinate the boneless chicken in adobo sauce, olive oil, honey and all the seasonings for 30 minutes:
Cook the chicken on the stove until cooked through and slightly charred on the surface. Rest for a few minutes, then cut into thin strips:
3. Make the chipotle sauce
Simply blend all the ingredients for the sauce until they form a creamy, smooth sauce:
4. Assemble and bake
Roll out the dough or spread it with your hands in a 9×13″ pan. Spread on a generous layer of the sauce:
Top with the cheese and chicken, and finish with the chopped fresh vegetables:
Bake the pizza until golden brown. Drizzle over any remaining sauce, slice and enjoy!
The secret to a crispy crust
In this Detroit style pizza, achieving a crispy crust is important! Here are some tips to achieve that:
- Use a metal baking pan. Darker colored pans will get you a crispier crust, but lighter pans work too
- Brush olive oil onto the pan before adding the pizza crust. The oil helps the crust crisp up
- Let the cheese go all the way to the edges so it can melt and crisp up nicely
- Bake on high heat. Go as high as your oven allows (500-550F conventional), and cook until the cheese has melted and crust looks golden (keep an eye on the pizza so you don’t overcook, though!)
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can assemble this pizza, cover in cling wrap and freeze it. Then bake from frozen whenever you want it fresh.
Yes, you can make this pizza as a large circular pizza too! Although I like using a 9×13″ sheet pan for a Detroit style pizza and find it easier to make and slice.
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Ingredients
Pizza crust:
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (325g)
- 3/4 cup warm water (180g) + more if needed; ideally around 110F
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Chipotle chicken:
- 1/2 pound boneless chicken tenders (225g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil + more for cooking
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp Adobo sauce (from a 7oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Chipotle sauce:
- 2 chipotle peppers (from can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp honey
Assembly:
- 3 cups shredded cheese; I recommend a mixture of low moisture mozzarella and pizza blend cheeses
- 2 tbsp sliced kalamata olives
- 1/2 tomato, diced
- 1 small jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Pizza crust:
- Add all the ingredients for the pizza dough in a large bowl. Make sure the water is warm, but not scalding. Use a large spoon to bring together the ingredients in a loose, rough dough
- Turn the dough onto a clean surface, and use your palms to knead it for 8-10 minutes with a push-pull motion until a smooth and stretchy dough forms. If it feels too sticky after a few minutes of kneading, add a little more flour (1 tbsp at a time). If it feels too dry, add a small splash of water. The dough should be quite soft and stretchy when done
- Place the dough in a clean bowl brushed with oil, and cover with cling wrap. Place in a warm, humid place for 60-90 minutes until it doubles in size and springs back part of the way when gently poked
- While the dough is rising, work on the chicken and sauce below
Chipotle chicken:
- Add the chicken tenders, olive oil, honey, adobo sauce and all the seasonings to a bowl. Mix thoroughly to fully coat the chicken on all sides. Rest for 30 minutes (you can prep the sauce and toppings in this time)
- Once marinated, cook the chicken on medium-high heat on the stove in a small amount of oil until it is slightly charred on the surface and cooked inside. This should take ~3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness – avoid overcooking!
- Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thin strips. Toss the chicken in its own sauces on the cutting board so it retains all the flavor
Chipotle sauce:
- Add the peppers, mayo, seasonings, lemon juice and honey to a blender or food processor, and blend until a smooth creamy sauce forms. Taste and adjust if needed
Assembly:
- Pre-heat the oven at 500F (conventional), and chop the veggies
- Once the dough has risen, it’s time to assemble!
- Brush oil onto a 9×13″ sheet pan. Roll the dough into a rectangle of the same size and transfer to the pan (alternately, you can transfer the dough into the pan and use your hands to stretch it to size).
- Spread on a generous layer of the chipotle sauce
- Spread on the shredded cheese, taking it all the way to the edges. Then spread the sliced chicken and vegetables
- Bake at 500F for 12-13 minutes until the pizza looks golden on the edges and the cheese has fully melted
- Serve the pizza hot with a drizzle of any remaining chipotle sauce and a garnish of cilantro. Slice and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Notes
Feel free to make this pizza your own with your own choice of veggies on top! It is best eaten fresh, but can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days and reheated in the oven or air-fryer.
Comments
Piya
This looks delicious, Zoha.
I want to try this, however was wondering if I can substitute the chicken with Paneer (since I’m a vegetarian).
Just wondering… how many cubes of paneer would you recommend?
Zoha Malik
Hi Piya! Yes, you should be able to! But adjust the cooking time ofc 🙂 Use the same quantity in grams
Amna
Hey, plz I want to try out this recipe plz on Thurs my ami birthday.. we don’t have chipotle peppers here but chipotle sauce and a recipe for adobo seasoning. Is it OK to use that and how much should I use? Any idea..plz zoha reply..help.. this recipe is pending for so long only because of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Zoha Malik
Hi I am so sorry to hear that! I think you will have to taste and adjust as I haven’t worked with those ingredients myself. Perhaps blend the peppers with some adobo seasoning, and add a little at a time, tasting and adding more as needed
Esther Nailatica
OMG!!! The BESTEST Pizza Dough I have ever worked with❤️ Used your pizza dough recipe to make a Breakfast Pizza for my 6 year old’s brekkie and lunch today, as a back to school treat. He demolished the entire thing😂 I couldn’t even have a single slice😭 He said it was so darnnnn gooood😊 Thanks a million Zoha🙏
Zoha Malik
AW thank you Esther! So happy to read this! Hope next time you’re able to have some too <3
Neelam
ZOHA!!!! Another one of your recipes that has been such a hit for me here in the UK. I have made this over 4 times now and last time alone was for 6 pizzas for the entire family including siblings and their children lol. The only sad bit is we don’t get the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce here so I have to buy them from Amazon lol which costs a pretty penny 🥲 BUT that has still not stopped me lol. Thank you again!
Zoha Malik
Ah, thank you so much, Neelam! I am so touched that you buy them from Amazon specifically for this recipe. means a lot to me!
Cynthia
delicious
Aqsa Rehman
I have tried your few recipes and they literally turned out so so nice 😊 happy and excited to try more o
Zoha Malik
Thank you so much, Aqsa! Hope you love this one!
Shanza Malik
I’ve made this pizza twice now and it vanished the second I served it, it’s genuinely the best pizza anyone can ever make. The Chipotle sauce is so unique in taste, never had anything like this and no restaurant pizza can ever come close.
Zoha Malik
AWWW what a kind compliment, really glad you liked this recipe!
Badra
its really nice ❤️
BS
Have been making it since past two Ramzans now and it’s a hit!
Zoha Malik
Glad you finally did it, hehe
Afshan Hussain
Very delicious..!! I have made the recipe at home and they were delicious.
Nadia
Zoha is phenomenal. I blindly follow her recipes and this one is surely for keeps!
Zoha
AW i am so honored, thank you!
Cory C
Wow, is all I can say! Thank you for this recipe! I had some leftover chipotle chiles in adobe sauce and was searching for a way to use it. This was absolutely awesome.
Cory C
I forgot to give a 5 star rating. Here you go.
Zoha
Thank you!!! I am so thrilled you liked it 🙂
Carol Rajkumar
looks delicious can’t wait to try it.
Moona Eirij
I make this pizza very often. It’s one of the best tasting pizza. My kids love the flavor.
Zahra Ali
Hi Zoha, I love your channel & have tried quite a few of your recipes🤤 they are always so good!
can you please mention a substitute for chipotle sauce & peppers as I don’t think they are available here in Islamabad.
Noor
LOVE how the pizza tasted; dough and chicken recipe are nothing short of perfection! However, the chipotle sauce seemed to split/was a little runny when I made it, resulting in the pizza being slightly more oily than normal. I wonder how that could be fixed for the next time I try out this recipe!
Zoha
That’s strange! What ingredients did you use?
Rabia
Took some time to make it and dissappeared within minutes. so good!
Nemo
I made this pizza today! I added more chipotle peppers to my sauce since I prefer a tangier sauce. Would make again!
Zoha
Haha i know!
Maryam
hi. just wanted to know how we can use active dry yeast instead of instead of instant yeast in this recipe?
Shahnoor J
No one does pizza like you Zoha! This was so delicious and everyone at my party was RAVING about this. YUM!
Sabeetha shyam
would love to try your Chipotle sauce.could I use the Chipotle seasoning aswe don’t get the pepper.Also if I could use the seasoning to marinate the chicken.pls advice.Thank you