When I eat at new (to me) restaurants I love trying new dishes, but there are a few places that I go to for certain foods. When I lived in Florida there was a California Pizza Kitchen nearby and my friends and I would often go there specifically for the BBQ Chicken Pizza. The combo of smoky Gouda and gooey mozzarella is fantastic, and the BBQ sauce adds a great burst of sweet/tart flavor. Despite it being a chain, there isn’t a California Pizza Kitchen near where I currently live, so the only way I get to enjoy this pizza is by making it at home.
I decided to make this pizza a little differently than how I normally make pizza at home. I usually cook my homemade pizza on a pizza stone, but I’ve heard that it also cooks well in a cast iron skillet and I wanted to give it a try for myself. One of the main reasons I love cooking with cast iron is because of its even heating, which ended up working perfectly for making pizza. The one difference I noticed between using a cast iron skillet instead of a pizza stone is that the crust came out thicker. If you’re a fan of stuffed crust pizza, I think it would turn out very well made in a cast iron skillet…I may try that next time!
Cast Iron Skillet BBQ Chicken Pizza (Inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ Chicken Pizza)
(Yield: 1 (12-inch) pizza)
1/2 lb whole wheat pizza dough (either store-bought or homemade)
1/4 c BBQ sauce
6 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz smoked Gouda, shredded
1 small onion, diced
5 oz cooked chicken breast (about 1 medium-large chicken breast), diced or shredded
2 TB minced fresh cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)
Olive oil (to oil the skillet)
12-inch cast iron skillet
Preheat the oven to 500F. Spread a little olive oil inside the cast iron skillet, then stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the skillet and go about 1 inch up the sides; use the tines of a fork to prick the dough on the bottom of the pan. Toss together the 2 cheeses and the minced cilantro. Spread the BBQ sauce on top of the dough (leaving about a 1-inch border around the whole pizza) and sprinkle on half of the cheese. Spread the onion and chicken on top of the cheese, then top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 12 minutes at 500F, then turn the oven down to 350F and bake another 6-9 minutes.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Mmmmm, this looks amazing! I love the idea of doing a sort of deep dish in a cast iron skillet, and bbq chicken sounds like an awesome topping – love CPK! :)
Faith
This was my favorite item at California Pizza Kitchen and just today I was surfing the net and lingered for a long while on a pizza crust baked in a cast iron skillet, which sounded thrilling! There, you made it at home and it looks fantastic!
Great idea using a cast iron skillet. It will be fun to try it next time I make pizza.
Mimi
You know how much I love pizza! I have never had barbecue chicken pizza and definitely need to give it a try! The smoked gouda sounds wonderful.
a new and delicious use for my cast iron skillet–awesome. this pizza is stellar, faith!
My cast iron skillet is just waiting to be used in such a fashion—brilliant idea! Thanks, Faith-
I’ve been to CPK once when visiting my mom in FL. Fun place, but your pizza looks even better, seriously!
*kissses* HH
So scrumptious!
I love California Pizza Kitchen! This pizza looks so good- I love that it’s baked in cast iron. I have a skillet that will be perfect for this- thanks!
This sounds great… I know that a lot of people look down on CPK because it’s a chain, but I love it too!
Yum! I have never made pizza in a cast iron skillet, but I love the idea! And BBQ chicken pizza is my favorite!
That’s my favorite CPK pizza, but yours looks even better! I have a pizza stone, but your skillet idea sounds easier. Do you heat it up first for 20 minutes like the pizza stone?
Lentil Breakdown, Nope, no need to preheat the skillet! :)
I love cooking in my cast iron skillet – it gives crust and breads a nice crispiness. And I love the sound of this pizza! Gouda is one of, if not my most favorite cheese. This looks excellent!
(Fainting and drooling at the same time.)
Your pizza sounds and looks amazing!Love the flavors and I would love mine with cilantro.
Faith, I can’t eat this because of the combination of meat and milk but I can tell you this is one stunning dish. Your photo sells it.
I love CPK! We used to eat there all the time. But your pizza looks 100X better…
This looks and sounds delicious! I have never thought of using a cast iron skillet to bake a pizza…but it is such a good idea! I will have to try this with a deep-crust recipe. Thanks for sharing!
That pizza looks so unbelievably delicious!
That crust looks great, I love using cast iron skillet!
A fabulous pizza! What mouthwatering topping.
Cheers,
Rosa
That is the best pizza in the world! It’s all I ever get at California Pizza Kitchen! I don’t have a cast iron skillet (need one of those too…love my spring form pan ;) ), but I plan to make this next week!! Hubby will love it!
This is a great looking pie. Using the skillet to cook it is close to an inspired idea. I know I’d love this. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
Wow…this looks delicious. I have 3 cast iron pans…still brand new! I should use them to make pizzas! Thanks very much for sharing.
Ooh, this made me hungry! BBQ Chicken Pizza is one of my favorites, & I love cast iron skillets! My mom has a few that she uses quite a bit, & I definitely need one of my own! It’s amazing how many things you can make in one! Mmm, like this pizza.
Happy Wednesday! ♥
http://donandamanda.blogspot.com
This brown crust and the melted cheese makes my heart bit faster. I love it!
wow, that’s interesting, but it’d work the same as a stone really…, great idea Faith.
The only type of pizzas that I had made are baked…this is so totally new to me! Looks yummy!
I think this is the first California-style pizza I first fell in love with. On first thought, you wonder how it could possibly work as a pizza topping. But one bite convinces you that it sure does.
I love cooking with cast iron too – but never thought of it as a receptacle for pizza! How splendid!! :-)
EEEEEE!!!!!! My eyes are POPPING! I MUST email this to a friend for whom I bought a cast iron skillet. I love, love, love this!!!
This pizza is such a great idea. Honestly I did not know you could cook a pizza in a skillet like this. I need to get a cast iron skillet as part of my kitchen essentials-can’t believe I don’t have one :) Great recipe! xo
Awesome! Looks great, I love bbq chicken pizza. I think we were thinking the same today. I made cracklin’ cornbread in my cast iron skillet today and posted it ;)
wow Faith. This is fantastic! I love the idea!
Great job with your pizza. Beautiful. You put the California Pizza Kitchen to shame.
Two thumbs up!
I love bbq chicken pizza and like to add bacon to it. Now all I need is a cast iron skillet-very cool way to prepare it!
Awesome idea to use cast iron – the crust looks amazing, Faith! Love the combination of toppings, too!
You and I have must have very similar tastes because I love me some CPK bbq chicken pizza as well! I’ve never thought to make pizza in my cast iron…but I love the sound of a thick crust!
I love the idea of making pizza in a cast iron skillet!
Great idea to use the cast iron skillet. You can really load it up that way. It looks tasty.
This is a great idea Faith! I’ve seen a skillet cookie too. Plus you would get a perfectly round circle (what I never get when I make pizza at home :P )
I love the idea of pizza in a cast iron skillet. Our California Pizza Kitchen closed, so will have to settle for homemade!
That is one mighty fine looking pizza! Great idea to use the cast iron! Have to try it!
Mmm. I love BBQ Chicken Pizza. I’ve tasted it but not at California Pizza Kitchen. My daughter ordered the Greek and I ordered the Wild Mushroom last time we ate there. They were nice too. It looks like your version turned out just wonderfully. I like the cast iron skillet idea.
Never thought of making pizza in a skillet but what a great idea! I love BBQ pizzas!
Have done grilled pizza and pan fried pizza but never cast iron skillet. Super versatile piece of equipment. Cheers!
OOOH, Faith, Skillet? BBQ? How can anything be wrong in the world with this combination? I love the idea of a pizza in cast iron.. the crust must be amazing. I am making this on the weekend!
I have no words to describe just how amazing this looks!
That looks really delicious. And I like the thought of making it in a skillet
The pizza looks fantastic prepared in cast iron skillet!