Nothing says summer like Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza with slices of creamy avocado. Perfect for sharing! 296 calories and 8 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. Thank you to California Avocados for helping me share this recipe with you.
Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe with Avocado
Grilled bbq chicken pizza makes me feel as though summertime is here. As soon as the warm weather hits, we put up the patio umbrella, pull the outdoor seat cushions out of storage, fire up the grill and dig out the outdoor serving platters. Kabobs, grilled pizzas, cheese boards, platters of fresh fruit, piles of grilled corn are all fantastic for serving up to friends and family that gather on the long summer evenings.
One of my favorite things about summertime cooking is that I get to dream up shareable foods that are perfect for easy, communal eating during the lazy, hazy days of summer. Grilled pizza is an easy option for this because we can cater to almost anyone’s taste buds. Fill up plates and bowls with various toppings and let your guests create their own pizza masterpieces!
If you’ve been following along with my California avocado-inspired recipes, you know that iconic California recipes are on my mind. First it was Korean BBQ Lettuce Wraps with Avocado Salsa and last month it was Instant Pot Rice & Beans with Fresh Avocado Salsa. If I have any excuse to top, drizzle or toss anything with fresh, creamy avocado, I’m a happy gal! And nothing seems more California-esque than grilling pizzas and layering on slices of avocado.
There are a couple of tricks to making pizza on the grill that I’ve discovered over the years. All of them easy, but necessary.
How to Grill Pizza:
- Be prepared! I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t do anything else on this list, make sure you do this. Grilling pizza is a speedy affair and the toppings are layered on partway through, so be sure to have everything ready to go and sitting beside the barbecue. You don’t want to have to sprint inside for your bbq sauce at the last minute. I even go so far as to line up everything on a baking sheet in the order I’ll be layer it on the pizza. Yep, I’m serious about this pizza grilling thing!
- Preheat the grill. One of the allures of grilled pizza is the light, slightly crispy crust. This is achieved by cooking the pizza in a hot environment, which recreates some of the benefits of a fancy pizza oven.
- Use the freshest ingredients. Since there aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, the flavor of each one can take the pizza from good to great. I used my homemade low sugar bbq sauce for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Save the best for last. Set the avocado slices aside while cooking, then layer them on top of the finished pizzas once they come off the grill. The creamy coolness of the avocados is the perfect foil for the piping hot pizza.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA:
- This list could be five pages long, but I’ll narrow it down to some of my favorites.
- Watermelon and cantaloupe slices or a watermelon feta salad.
- A big summer-inspired green salad, filled with chopped lettuce, blueberries, edamame, tomato and more avocado (!), tossed with a light buttermilk dressing.
- A light BLT slaw or cucumber jicama slaw.
- Grilled corn. Yep, there’s already corn on the pizza, but can we ever have enough corn in the summer?!
If you make a variety of mini grilled pizzas, slice them each into quarters so that everyone can share and sample all of the flavors. Communal eating at its best!
Other shareable recipes for summer:
Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Red Pepper Cilantro Pesto {Cookin' Canuck}
Easy Grilled Salmon in Foil {Cookin' Canuck}
Watermelon & Citrus Shrimp Ceviche {A Farmgirl's Dabbles}
How to Make the Ultimate Cheese Board {The View from Great Island}
Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza with Avocado
Ingredients
- 2 portions store-bought or homemade whole wheat pizza dough 2 lb. total, room temperature
- flour for rolling
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade bbq sauce*
- 1 large cooked chicken breast shredded
- 2 cooked ears corn kernels cut off the cob
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 5 ounces fresh mozzarella thinly sliced
- 1 ½ California avocados sliced
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grate.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into 6 (6-inch) rounds. Lay them on flour-covered baking sheets until you’re ready to use them.
- Before the pizzas go on the grill, arrange all of your toppings and set them beside the barbecue.
- Place the pizza dough rounds on the grill. Depending on the size of your grill, you may have to do this in 2 batches. Close the lid and grill for 2 to 3 minutes, or until there are grill marks on the underside of each round.
- Flip the rounds. As the start to puff up, press down lightly with the back of a metal spatula to release some of the air. Quickly divide the bbq sauce, chicken, corn, onion and mozzarella between the pizzas.
- Close the lid and grill until the cheese melts, about 3 more minutes.
- Remove from the grill, top each pizza with 4 slices of avocado, cut and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by California Avocados as part of their ambassador program. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Liren | Kitchen Confidante
I can't get enough of avocados, pizza and corn so I love that ALL of it is on this pizza!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles
I just printed this off, can't wait to make it with fresh local sweet corn this summer!! (And thank you for the ceviche love!)
Liz Della Croce
BBQ chicken pizza is one of my favorites, and the avocado just takes it to the next level!
Kristina MacK
Why have I never thought to add avocado to pizza? Thinking that grilled pizzas would be a good option for a family party this weekend.