Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza Recipe
This Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza combines the iconic spicy, tangy flavors of Nashville hot chicken with the comfort of a cheesy baked pizza. Featuring a homemade Nashville hot sauce, crispy popcorn chicken, melted mozzarella, and topped with chilled dill pickles and sweet onions, this recipe offers a perfect balance of heat and coolness in every bite.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 12-14 inch pizza (serves 3-4) 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Pizza Dough and Base
- 16 oz raw pizza dough (store bought or homemade equivalent)
- 2 tablespoons flour (for dusting)
- corn meal (for dusting)
Chicken and Cheese
- 8 popcorn chicken tenders (cooked & roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Toppings
- chilled dill pickle slices (for topping)
- chilled sweet onion (sliced for topping)
Nashville Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried black garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat for at least one hour before baking to ensure maximum heat retention and a crisp crust.
- Cook the chicken: Prepare the popcorn chicken according to the package instructions, or your preferred method if homemade. Once cooked, allow it to cool, then roughly chop into bite-size pieces.
- Prepare the Nashville hot sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup of butter until it becomes frothy and starts to brown slightly. Whisk in honey, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar until combined. Add cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, dried black garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to integrate all spices.
- Simmer the sauce: Let the sauce simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter at the end until fully melted. Remove the sauce from the heat and keep warm.
- Roll out the dough: Lightly dust a flat surface with flour and roll the pizza dough out to approximately 12-14 inches in diameter and about a quarter inch thick. If using a pizza stone, transfer the dough onto a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking.
- Assemble the pizza: Brush about a quarter cup of the Nashville hot sauce evenly over the rolled-out dough, leaving a border around the edges for the crust. Evenly distribute the chopped popcorn chicken and sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake the pizza: Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Finish and serve: Remove the pizza from the oven. Top with chilled dill pickle slices and sweet onion slices for a refreshing contrast to the spicy chicken. Optionally drizzle a little extra honey over the top for a hint of sweetness before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet, but preheating the sheet along with the oven helps achieve a crisper crust.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper quantity in the sauce to control the heat level.
- The chilled pickle slices and sweet onions provide a classic Nashville hot chicken flavor contrast and should not be omitted.
- You may substitute popcorn chicken with crispy fried chicken tenders for a less processed option.
- Allow the sauce to thicken sufficiently to prevent the pizza from becoming soggy.
Keywords: Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza, Spicy Chicken Pizza, Nashville Hot Sauce Pizza, Popcorn Chicken Pizza, Spicy Pizza Recipe
