Southwestern Mexican Chicken Pizza

Elevate pizza night with one of the best pizzas made from scratch. Mexican pulled chicken, roasted salsa, veggies, & cheese on the most amazing pizzeria-style pizza dough.

Pizza is that one thing, no matter my mood, no matter how I feel, always puts a smile on my face. It’s a way of life for me and honestly where I find solace (well aside from Mr. Fantabulous).  Making the dough from scratch whether it’s with a mixer (FYI this is THE BEST mixer I’ve ever used) or by hand, I find that it just takes all of my frustrations and worries away.

Some folks find that in reading a book, hiking, or going on vacation. Mine is making pizza.

This recipe is one of those follow-on recipes in the sense I’ve already shared with you how to make my famous Pizzeria Style Pizza dough,  my Mexican Shredded Chicken, and my roasted salsa. I’m just showing you how to take those 3 amazing recipes on their own and make one amazing dish out of them!

Grab your ingredients

What I love about this pizza (other than it being pizza) is that it uses stuff that is typically on hand OR is readily available in the store or on Amazon.

• Pizzeria Style Pizza dough
• Mexican Shredded Chicken
• Roasted salsa
• Cheese – I only use Whole Milk, Low Moisture Mozzarella (shred it yourself, please), and also I finished the pizza with Cotija.
• Veggies – I had some leftover grilled corn on the cob (you could use drained canned or thawed frozen) and banana pepper rings
• Cilantro – It’s a Mexican pizza so yes, you use it or omit it. No, there is no real substitute.

One final thing you’ll need is Bench Flour

Bench Flour

Bench flour is 80% 00 flour or bread flour and 20% semolina flour mixed together. If you use straight flour, your dough will have a harder time sliding off of the pizza

Let’s make the Best Homemade Pizza!

While your oven (or grill) of choice is heating up to the appropriate temperature, let’s stretch and top the pizza.

1. Stretch the pizza into a 12″ circle leaving what’s called the ‘cornicione’ or raised rim of the pizza. You’re pushing the air toward the top edge leaving about a 1/4-1/2″ rim. This is what will puff up and give you that airy crust.
2. Add half of the mozzarella, followed by the chicken, corn, and banana peppers.
3. Add the rest of the mozzarella and bake the pizza.
4. When the pizza is done, sprinkle on the cilantro, salsa, and cotija.

How to make a Wood-Fired Pizza

1. If you have a wood-fired oven you want to aim for an oven temp of 725-800 F with a constant flame in the back/side. I move the embers and the flames to the back side right before I place the pizza in the oven as I want the oven floor to be super hot.
2. With a quick jerk, slide the pizza into the oven keeping it about halfway between the embers/flames and the other side of the oven. You don’t want the pizza to be too close to the embers as the crust will burn while the dough remains raw.
3. After about 20-30 seconds, using a metal pizza peel or tuning peel, lift and slide the pizza around in a half circle so the other side of the pizza cooks. The whole process, if your oven is at temp should take about 90 seconds. So don’t walk away.
4. Use your judgment and move the pizza around GENTLY (this takes practice) to help with even cook. Now I keep the door open when I’m making my pizzas as I’m slinging them in one right after the other.

If you’re unsure how to make pizza in a wood-fired oven or turn it, watch my Instagram Reel.

How to Make Pizza in a Home Oven

1. I HIGHLY recommend you use the 2 pizza stone method listed in the instructions. In this case, use a large rectangle stone and a round stone (or you can use another large rectangle stone too).
2. Bake in a preheated 500-550F oven for 8-12 minutes rotating halfway through. The crust should be golden brown and puffed with just a slight char.

Pizzaiola Tip about Pizza Stones

1. 2 pizza stones create a controlled heated area within the oven allowing the pizza to cook evenly. This means no more burnt cheese and puffy crust while the bottom of the crust is white and soft.
2. By using 2 stones you’re enabling your oven to mimic how the stone/brick oven works at your favorite pizzeria.

How to make pizza on the grill

So I LOVE using my Big Green Egg to make pizzas!  This method is for using a pizza stone on the grill. I have other recipes on here that walk you through how to grill pizza.

1. Light the coals
2. Add the convEGGtor legs up, then the grill grate, add the pizza stone, and preheat to 600F! This should take about 15-30 minutes.
3. Stretch/top the pizza as mentioned and slice it directly onto the hot stone. No, you do NOT use parchment. If you use bench flour on your pizza peel, there is zero need for parchment. Parchment catches fire. The only, ONLY time you use parchment is if you’re making a gluten-free style dough. Even though you need to ensure your parchment is not bigger than the stone.
4. Close the lid and bake for 7-9 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted

For a video on how to set up the grill for pizza and use a pizza stone, check out my Instagram Reel!

GBD – Let’s Top This Pizza!

Seriously, this is what a perfect crust looks like. This crust has leoparding so it has spots of crispy char (not burnt), it’s puffy and crunchy. When you pick up a slice there’s zero flop and the toppings don’t plop off.

Once the pizza came out of the pizza oven, I added some salsa and fresh cilantro from my garden.

You can omit the cilantro, chop it super small, or leave it bigger. It’s totally up to you.

If I was thinking I would also have added chopped green or red onions too but I forgot.

More Cheese Please!

I always have Cotija cheese on hand so I crumbled some of that and put it on top to finish the pizza.

Be Pizza Adventurous

I’m one that will pretty much try and pizzafy any dish. What I mean is there’s not too much I won’t put on a pizza.

Except pineapple. Sorry but NO. Now, if my customers want it and they are paying for it, absolutely. All day long. But for me to eat it? Oh heck no!

Pizza Ingredient Swaps

Since making this I’ve made this pizza gosh, 25-30 times and always with different toppings. The salsa, cheese, corn, and cilantro are always a mainstay though.

• Protein – Chicken Barbacoa, Beef Barbacoa, or Carnita meat
• Before Baking Veggies – Black Beans, red onions, jalapenos, bell peppers
• Post Baking Veggies – sliced avocados, radishes, pickled red onions, fresh peppers, elote
• Cheese – Queso Fresco, Oaxaca
• Finishes – Guacamole, Mexican Crema, Lime Crema

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