Smoked Pizza Highlights
Who doesn’t love pizza? I mean I’m sure there are some people out there who don’t but I don’t know any of them. The thing about pizza is you can pretty much put any sauce and topping on it and it’s going to be amazing and there are a ton of combinations.
Red sauce, white sauce, garlic sauce, ranch, BBQ sauce, pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, jalapenos, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, chicken, I mean the possibilities are endless. Most people choose to cook their pizza in the oven but I think cooking it in the smoker adds another dimension of flavor and makes it even better. If you haven’t tried pizza on the smoker yet, you’re missing out.
Think about it. Would you rather have smoked ribs or ribs that sat in the oven all day? Would you rather have smoked pulled pork or pulled pork that sat in the crockpot all day? Would you rather have baked tri tip or smoked tri tip. You get my point. Most things are better when they come off the smoker and pizza is no different. If you’re not in the mood to acutally make a pizza, Papa Murphy’s is a good option for you. But if you are in the mood to get creative or to follow a recipe, check out our smoked pizza recipe below.
Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza with Bacon
In this recipe, I went with one of my most favorite pizzas of all time, BBQ chicken with bacon. I decided to go with a pre-made crust to save time but the results will be the same or even better if you make your dough from scratch. I used Stubbs Mesquite BBQ sauce, for a little added southwest smokey flavor. Then I smoked the bacon and chicken breast of the pellet smoker.
Smoking the bacon and chicken isn’t necessary but I think it adds to the smokey flavor. I caramelized some onions and then added some sliced cherry tomatoes for a little color and added flavor. Once it was done, I sprinkled some dried basil on it and then hit it with a bit of ranch and let me tell ya, the results didn’t disappoint. Check out the full recipe below.
Smoked BBQ Chicken Pizza with Bacon
Pizza is always a crowd pleaser and this recipe is no different. BBQ sauce, smoked chicken, smoked bacon, caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes and a splash of ranch to top it off. All these toppings mixed together in the perfect bite will make your taste buds sing.
- Smoker, Pizza Stone (Optional)
- 1 Pre-made Pizza Dough
- 1/2 Pound Bacon
- 2 Whole Chicken Breasts
- 1 Medium Sweet Onion
- 1 Cup BBQ Sauce (Use Your Favorite Brand)
- 1 Handfull Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Bag Pizza Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Ranch (Use Your Favorite Brand)
Pizza Toppings Prep
Place chicken and bacon on the smoker. Cook chicken until internal temp is 165 degrees. Cook bacon to your liking. Cooking them on the smoker is optional. You can cook them on the stovetop or in the oven but cooking them on the smoker will add more smokiness to the entire pizza.
Once chicken is done, slice the chicken into 1/4 inch pieces.
Once the bacon is done, crumble into pieces.
Cut up the onion into small pieces. Place in a pan on the stove with some olive oil and cook on low/medium until slightly translucent.
Slice cherry tomatoes into thirds.
Place all ingredients to the side.
Pizza Prep
Place pre-made pizza dough on a cutting board.
Spoon on your favorite bbq sauce and spread evenly across the entire pizza dough.
Sprinkle bacon evenly on top of bbq sauce across the entire pizza dough.
Spread caramelized onions evenly on top of bbq sauce and bacon across the entire pizza dough.
Spread cheese evenly across the entire pizza dough and toppings.
Spread chicken evenly on top of cheese across the entire pizza dough.
Spread sliced cherry tomatoes evenly across the entire pizza.
Smoke Pizza
Preheat smoker to 400 degrees.
Place pizza directly on rack. (If your smoker rack isn't seasoned, make sure to grease it. Also, if you decide to use home made pizza dough, make sure to use a pizza stone. You will have better results and crispier crust.)
Cook on 400 degrees until cheese is bubbling. Usually 12-18 minutes.
Rest
Place pizza on baking sheet or cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
Slice and enjoy!
Smoked Pizza Notes
In this recipe I didn’t use a pizza stone. If you are making your pizza dough from scratch, I would recommend buying a pizza stone to smoke your pizza on. You will end up with better results and a crisper crust if it’s on the pizza stone instead of the rack. Just make sure to oil your pizza stone or use corn meal so it doesn’t stick.
Different smokers will have different options for how hot your smoker will get. Aim for right around 400 degrees when cooking the pizza in the smoker. You need a high temperature to properly cook the pizza dough and get the cheese hot and bubbly. My smoker has a turn dial with different settings. I turned it on high and it was right around 410 degrees. If you can’t get it to exactly 400 degrees, don’t worry, close is just fine. That’s one of the funnest parts about cooking on the smoker, close is good enough and will make amazing food! No need to be a trained chef with precise measurements and exact cooking temperatures.
Smoked Pizza Wrap-Up
If you enjoyed the recipe, drop us a line in the comments section. Or if you decided to go with some different toppings, I want to hear about it and how it was so I can try it out! Check us out on Instagram and Facebook for more recipes, amazing food, awesome pictures and more. As always, if you’re pizza or other food didn’t turn out quite like you wanted on the smoker, keep trying. Learning your smoker and how to cook on it is an art that takes practice.
Also, check out our recipes for smoked tri-tip and smoked beef jerky. You would be disappointed in either!