Thai Chicken Naan Pizza Recipe with Peanut Sauce, Red Pepper & Carrots

A familiar cry rings through our house at the end of each work week. “Friday night pizza!” There’s something comforting about knowing what’s going to be on the menu. At the end of a long week, the last thing I want to do is think…about the menu, about anything. We have a few favorites recipes we fall back on, such as Grilled Shrimp & Pesto Pizza or a good ol’ pepperoni for the kids. For my husband and I, our first choice (and the most-requested pizza by our friends) is a Thai Chicken Pizza, slathered in homemade peanut sauce and topped with fresh veggies, such as red bell pepper and carrots. Heaven!

Usually I mix and knead a double batch of part-whole wheat pizza dough (we like leftovers the next day), but there are times when I don’t even feel that energetic. That’s where some whole wheat naan comes in handy. Naan is a traditional Indian bread served with curries and dals, but it works beautifully as a make-shift pizza dough. You’re guaranteed to find naan at an Indian food market, but many higher end grocery stores carry packages of whole wheat or flavored naans.

The peanut sauce is one I adapted from a Cooking Light Magazine recipe years ago. We mix it with soba noodles or whole wheat spaghetti, or use it in sandwich wraps. It is the star of the show in this pizza recipes.

The recipe:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. If using a pizza stone, heat the stone in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

The peanut sauce:
In a blender, combine sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine, water, rice vinegar, canola oil, brown sugar, ginger and chili garlic sauce. Blend until smooth. (Use any leftovers for sandwich wraps.)

The pizza:
Lay 2 pieces of naan on a pizza peel or on a baking sheet (if you’re not using a pizza stone).

Spread 2 tablespoons of peanut sauce on each piece of naan. Divide half of the chicken, red bell pepper, carrots, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly between the 2 pieces of naan.

If using a baking stone, transfer the pizzas from the peel to the stone. If using a baking sheet, place the baking sheet in the oven.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the naan bread is golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Slice the pizzas and garnish with minced cilantro. Serve.

Other naan pizza recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Vegetarian Naan Pizza with Eggplant & Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto

Food for My Family’s White Pizza with Shrimp on Naan
Iowa Girl Eats’ Fig, Goat Cheese & Bacon Naan Pizza
Lisa’s Kitchen’s Paneer Tikka Pizza on Naan Bread

Tagged as: carrot, chicken, naan, peanut sauce, pizza, recipe, red pepper, Thai, whole wheat