Alabama Style BBQ Chicken Pizza
Mix up pizza night with a batch of Alabama White BBQ Sauce! This Alabama Style BBQ Chicken Pizza is a delicious combination of flavors!
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Whenever someone says “bbq sauce,” my tastebuds instantly think of the sweet, smoky and somewhat tangy flavor of a good tomato-based sauce. While this style (known as the Kansas City style) is the most popular type of bbq sauce here in the States, it’s certainly not the only style. When I was just 6 years old, my family moved from Texas to the Carolinas. In Texas, barbecue refers to beef topped with tomato-based bbq sauce. In the Carolinas, barbecue refers to pork with mustard-based sauce. To this day, my Dad still tells the story of the first time he ordered bbq in the Carolinas. Needless to say, he was a bit surprised. (We’ll just leave that story there.)
Barbecue sauces change quite a bit by region, and the unique ingredients often trace back to who settled that particular area. For instance, the southern half of South Carolina was settled predominantly by Germans. Pulling from that German influence, BBQ sauce in this area is typically a mustard-based sauce. Very different than the ketchup-based sauces of the Midwest! Before we get to today’s recipe (mmm…Alabama Style BBQ Chicken Pizza!), let’s do a quick tour of barbecue sauces by region. Entire books have been written on this subject. I find it fascinating, but the goal here is just a quick recap:
Barbecue Sauces by Region
The Carolinas: As noted above, bbq sauce in the Carolinas is quite different. This thinner sauce is often used as a mopping sauce to baste the the meat (as opposed to a thicker sauce that gets added after the meat is cooked). Carolina BBQ sauce relies heavily on vinegar with little sugar. The result is a very tangy sauce that some folks (ahem, my Dad) call sour. In parts of South Carolina, mustard also works it’s way into the barbecue sauce.
Kansas City: Far and away the most popular type of barbecue sauce in the States, Kansas City-style sauces are typically thicker, tomato-based sauces that are brushed or poured on top of meat after cooking. A stop by the sauce aisle at any grocery store will yield dozens of options of Kansas City-style sauces.
Memphis: Another bastion of barbecue is Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis-based sauces are very similar to Kansas City sauces. However, Memphis-style sauces often have more vinegar, and they’re sweetened with molasses rather than sugar. As a result of the added vinegar, Memphis sauces are usually tangier and a good bit thinner than Kansas City sauces.
Alabama White: And then there’s Alabama White Sauce. This unique mayonnaise-based style was created by Bob Gibson of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. This legendary bbq restaurant is a must-visit stop on any trip through northern Alabama. Heck, many BBQ-aficionados will make the pilgrimage to northern Alabama just to visit Big Bob Gibson’s. Alabama sauce is creamy and tangy, and it’s often served with chicken.
Alabama Style BBQ Chicken Pizza
Alabama Style BBQ Chicken PizzaFocusing on the Alabama White sauce today, this Alabama Style BBQ Chicken Pizza is delicious! And I took a slightly different turn with this pizza today. I pulled out the cast iron skillet. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, then you know that I love my cast iron skillet. I use it for everything from cinnamon buns to steak. And now we’re adding pizza to that list. (Technically, this is the 2nd pizza as this Deep Dish Skillet Pizza happened a few years ago.)
The cast iron skillet is super versatile for this recipe. First, the chicken gets cooked in the skillet, and then the pizza dough goes in afterwards. (The chicken gets transferred to a cutting board to rest. Otherwise, you’d end up with chicken on the bottom of your pizza. Hmmm, on second thought, that might be fun!)
Up until the end, this pizza is fairly standard. Chicken, cheese and just enough tomato sauce to give the dough a wonderfully chewy and delicious texture. Then comes the Alabama White sauce. The sauce gets drizzled on the pizza after baking, and holy cow – talk about flavor explosion! Truthfully, I used the leftover Alabama White as a dipping sauce for the thicker crust on this pizza. Yum!
If you’re looking to mix up pizza night, then pull out the cast iron skillet and whip up a batch of Alabama White sauce. This pizza is definitely one that will be on repeat here in our house! Enjoy!
Did you make this Alabama Style BBQ Chicken Pizza at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Looking for more fun pizza ideas? Check out these other favorites, too:
Greek Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza Pull Apart Bread
Supreme Pizza Pasta Bake
Pretzel-Crust Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls (aka Chrusties)
Alabama Style BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
For the Alabama-style White BBQ Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ Tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 1 tsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the BBQ Chicken Pizza
- ½ Tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast or cutlets
- 1 batch pizza dough store-bought or homemade
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- ½ medium red onion sliced
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Using a small bowl, add all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce; whisk together until well combined. Set sauce aside.
- Preheat oven to 460°F.
- Using a large (12”) cast iron skillet, add oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken breast and cook 10-12 minutes, flipping once, or until chicken is fully cooked. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest.
- Meanwhile, working on a well-floured surface, roll pizza dough into a 14” circle. Once chicken has been cooked, carefully transfer dough into the hot cast iron skillet, pressing evenly into bottom and sides of skillet.
- Bake dough for 5 minutes.
- Slice the cooked chicken breast thinly.
- Remove skillet from oven and carefully spread tomato sauce evenly on top of dough. Combine both cheeses on a small bowl and sprinkle evenly on top of sauce. Finally, spread sliced chicken and onions on top of cheese.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, Italian seasonings, salt and garlic powder; brush this mixture evenly around the crust of the pizza.
- Bake for 8-10 more minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
- Drizzle BBQ sauce on top of pizza.
- Sprinkle sliced green onions on top of pizza before slicing.
Thanks for the bbq sauce deets, David! I think I just love them all, especially when paired on a pizza with chicken!! Love to hear the rest of that story about when your dad ordered that bbq! It’s only early here yet, but I could totally go for a slice of that pie. It is Friday after all…I think that would be a-ok, don’t you 😉 ?? Happy weekend, my friend!
Oh man, my Dad and Carolina BBQ just don’t get along. I’m pretty sure he thought someone was playing a mean trick on him when he ordered it. I do prefer Texas-style BBQ, but I can get behind other styles, too. And this Alabama style? Oh, I’m 100% on board with this one. It’s SO good!! Thanks, Dawn!
I’ve never had Alabama BBQ sauce, but I think that’s about to change. This is a great way to mix up regular ol’ pizza and get something totally different – and delicious!
Yes, please put Alabama BBQ sauce on the menu soon, Kathy. It pairs really well with chicken, and this pizza was quite tasty. Totally different for sure…but totally tasty, too!
I must admit, I never knew there were so many variations of BBQ sauce! I do love it paired with chicken though – this is a pizza I definitely have to try soon!
Tell me about it! I guess like most foods, BBQ sauce has gone through changes as it moved around the country. This Alabama version is downright delicious, and it pairs so well with a good piece of grilled chicken! Thanks, Alex!
I love learning new things about food! Had no idea about all of these styles of BBQ sauce. And I didn’t even know the one we all know so well is from Kansas. Very cool. (And delicious!) And that pizza! Yum! 🙂 ~Valentina
Tell me about, Valentina! I love learning about different foods, too. There’s always something new to learn about. This Alabama White BBQ Sauce? Put it on the menu soon. It’s delicious, and it goes really well with grilled chicken!
I had no idea that bbq sauces change by U.S. region. And again I haven’t yet done a pizza in my cast iron skillet so that’s something I really need to change. Would love to give that Alabama BBQ sauce a go too. Thanks for another great recipe David!
Yup, there are so many different styles of BBQ sauce out there. To be fair, you can find almost any of the styles wherever you go. However, Alabama White sauce is a bit more unique. It’s an easy one to make at home, and it pairs really well with grilled chicken. Quite tasty!! Thanks, Neil!