Smoked Chicken Pizza
There’s nothing like summer nights. As much as possible, we plan both weekend and weeknight meals that can be grilled, so we can relax outdoors in the evening. One of our favorites is to grill unique pizzas–either personal sized or large ones that can be shared. Last night we decided to make use of a large smoked chicken we picked up at the farmers’ market on Saturday, shredding up a bit as a pizza topping. Smoked chicken seemed to call for something a little less ordinary than your standard tomato sauce, so we whipped together a quick poblano pepper sauce for a spicy, flavorful base. Then we finished our pizza off with chunks of fresh mozzarella, strips of roasted red pepper, grilled red onions, and a sprinkle of corn. It was different and SO delicious! Keep reading for the recipe, and I’d love to hear – what are your favorite pizza toppings?
Smoked Chicken Pizza with Poblano Pepper Sauce
1 poblano pepper
1/3 red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 roma tomato, diced
1 tablespoon parsley
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the pizza:
1 pound whole wheat pizza dough (we used Trader Joe’s)
Flour for dusting
1 cup smoked chicken, shredded (we bought ours at the farmers’ market, but you can also smoke your own or sub cooked chicken breasts)
2/3 red bell pepper
2 large balls of fresh mozzarella packed in water, drained and sliced into rounds
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/3 red onion, sliced thinly
Set out the pizza dough at room temp for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the poblano and red pepper directly over gas flames on the stovetop (or under a broiler). Turn until charred all over. Let cool, then peel off their charred skin and remove seeds and core. Thinly slice the red pepper into strips and coarsely chop the poblano. In a food processor, puree the poblano and 1/3 of the red pepper with garlic, tomato, parsley and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.
Heat a grill to high heat. On a lightly floured cutting board or countertop, roll the pizza dough into a ball. Flatten, dust with more flour and roll/stretch the dough into approximately 12-inches wide. You can attempt to make it round, but I just let mine go into whatever shape happens. Transfer the dough onto a large rimless baking sheet, brushed with olive oil. Brush the top of the dough with oil.
Carefully transfer the dough from the baking sheet onto the grill. You may need an extra set of hands here. Grill just a minute or two, until the top side of the dough begins to bubble and the bottom side has char marks. Carefully slide the dough back onto the baking sheet. Flip the dough so the grilled side is up, then spread a light layer of the poblano pepper sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Evenly disperse the rounds of fresh mozzarella around the pizza, then scatter the chicken, red pepper strips, red onion and corn all over. Slide the pizza back onto the grill just another few minutes until the bottom is browned and the cheese is melted on top. Transfer to a cutting board and cut with a pizza wheel.