This Easy Pizza Chicken is like your favorite pizza without all the carbs. It’s an easy one pan meal that takes only 5 ingredients and 35 minutes to make, start to finish. And it’s totally kid approved!
Why do chicken thighs always come in packs of five? Isn’t that a strange number, relative to how other things come? Chicken breasts tend to come in fours, chicken legs in twos.
But a package of thighs always seem to contain five. Which, being a family of five, is very convenient for me. And absolutely perfect for making Easy Pizza Chicken.
When I say easy, I mean ridiculously easy. My whole family loves this mouthwatering keto chicken recipe. My kids practically break out into cheers when I tell them it’s on the menu. And I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing I don’t have to face any dinnertime battles.
Chicken thighs vs breast
I advocate for choosing chicken thighs over breasts whenever possible, especially when following a keto diet.
While you can use either in this pizza chicken recipe, thighs have a number of advantages. They are juicier and more nutrient dense than breasts, and because they have a higher fat content, they don’t dry out as easily during cooking. They also tend to be less expensive.
And they cook faster too, so you can get dinner on the table in less time and with less effort. So I usually have several packages of chicken thighs somewhere in my freezer for easy keto dinners just like this one.
Ingredients
Pizza chicken takes only 5 basic ingredients you can find in any grocery store. You will need:
- Avocado or olive oil
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Marinara sauce or pizza sauce (no added sugar)
- Sliced pepperoni
- Mozzarella cheese
- Additional seasonings as desired
How to make the best pizza chicken
It really is ridiculously simple. Let’s get started…
- Choose an oven-proof skillet: The first time I made this pizza chicken recipe, I browned the thighs in a pan and then transferred them to a baking dish. But as long as you own a good pan that can go from stove-top to oven, you can cut out this step entirely. You can also use a dutch oven.
- Brown the chicken first: Browning on the stovetop brings out the best flavor in chicken thighs. And it only takes a few minutes per side.
- Smother in sauce: Choosing a low carb sauce can be tough but you do have some choices. See the frequently asked questions for good options.
- Top with cheese and pepperoni: Sprinkle the cheese over everything and top each chicken thigh with a few slices of pepperoni.
- Bake until golden and bubbly: Finish the pizza chicken in the oven to make sure it cooks through completely.
Customize your pizza chicken!
- Don’t limit yourself to just cheese and pepperoni. Try adding your favorite pizza toppings like sautéed mushrooms, olives, green peppers, basil, artichokes, or spinach.
- Add some garlic or onion into the pan for a little extra flavour.
- Make your own quick and easy pizza sauce. I like to whisk some tomato paste and water, and then add in garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use those if you prefer. But chicken breasts tend to be quite large and each one should be considered two servings. You could also cut them into two chicken cutlets before cooking.
This works as well but you do need to work around the bones in the chicken when eating. They can also take a bit longer to cook through properly.
There are a few decent store-bought choices. Rao’s is a good one, as is Yo Mama’s Foods. I always look for sauce with no more than 5g of carbs per ½ cup serving. Make sure you look at the serving size, as many of them list only ¼ cup.
Pizza chicken is best when fresh, but you can store it in the fridge for a few days and warm it up before serving. It’s such an easy meal to make, and you can scale up or down, as you need.
More delicious one pan meals
- Tomato Basil Chicken
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Keto Greek Lemon Chicken
- Beef and Zucchini Skillet
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Skillet
Easy Keto Pizza Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce (make sure it has no added sugar)
- 2 ounces sliced pepperoni (I like this one from Applegate)
- 1 ½ to 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat (if it’s a cast-iron skillet, be generous with your oil to avoid sticking). Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper and to pan. Cook until lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
- Pour pizza sauce over chicken thighs, spreading to coat. Arrange pepperoni over chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella.
- Bake 25 minutes, then turn on broiler for a minute or two until cheese is bubbly and browned in spots.
Aggie says
It’s been too long since I cooked up chicken thighs, this looks so delicious and my family would love it too!
Sara says
This also works for thighs with bone in. I just baked them for 40 min instead of 25. Tasted amazing and I have leftovers for lunch at work the next 2 days. Definitely will make this again.
Katharine says
I’ve made this at least 5 times! So easy and now I just keep the ingredients on hand to have it as a quick weeknight dinner. Everyone in the family eats is!
Marlene says
Made this tonight. Came out fantastic!! Such flavor and tenderness! I used chicken breasts as that was all I had in the house but it was so delicious! My son loved it as well and even asked me why I didn’t make more! Thank you for so many amazing recipies!!
Julie says
did you adjust your cooking time at all?
Tracey Lago says
Carolyn – thank you so much for your amazing blog and even more amazing LC recipes. I made the pizza chicken last night and it was soooo good! You are such a wonderful asset to us not-so-creative LC cooks trying to keep decent food on the table!
steph says
can i use a microwave as my oven isn’t in good shape?
Carolyn says
No, you would end up with awful rubbery chicken.
Tiffany says
This looks fantastic. Definitely going to try on the weekend. What is a broiler? Does the cheese not get bubbly and browned in the oven?
Carolyn says
In the US, most ovens come with a broiler…the top heating element (as opposed to the baking element which heats from below). Yes, the cheese gets melted and bubbly but I like some little browned spots and a broiler is the best way to do this. It’s VERY hot so it only takes a minute or two. (it doesn’t heat like the baking element, it only turns on super hot).
Erin Parker says
Carolyn, love this but are you sure 1 1/2 thighs per person is close to 45g protein? Seems like an awful lot. Maybe it’s an error?
Carolyn says
I agree, it does seem like a lot. It’s what my MacGourmet software tells me but I have thought for a while that it might be off. Self Nutrition Data says one boneless, skinless thigh is 8g. They both pull from the USDA database so I can’t figure out why my software tells me it’s so high. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/735/2
Carolyn says
But I also have to say…the self nutrition one seems to low. There has to be a happy medium… 🙂
Ann says
The Self Nutrition Date link takes you to the information for a 41g thigh – from a 1 lb chicken. That’s much, much smaller than what is sold in most stores these days. 41 g is a little under 1.5 oz of meat. The site gives 13+ g of protein for a 69g thigh, which is still on the small size. Most thighs are closer to the 3 oz (84g) size or bigger.
Carolyn says
Unfortunately, most grocery store thighs come from “enhanced” chickens, bred to produce far more meat than they should. I often get my thighs at my local farmers market, and they are far far smaller. I try to use these more often. Either way, it’s a high protein meal but for most of us, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Christina says
Would this work with chicken breasts?
Carolyn says
Yes, but I don’t really know how long you’d want to cook the for. Don’t overcook or they will be dry!
Debra Beard says
Made this Pizza Chicken recipe last night.
Wow! Definitely a new favorite!
Didn’t miss the skin one bit.
Was so moist and flavorful.
Thx Carolyn!
Kari says
I can’t seem to find a no added sugar pizza sauce. Which one do you recommend?
Carolyn says
I just got a marinara sauce from my local New Seasons. It didn’t specifically state that it was no sugar added, but I checked the ingredient list. Can’t remember the name of the brand but it was not one of the big names. Some local organic brand.
Tanya says
This looks AmAzInG! Quick question, would the cooking time change for bone-in with skin thighs & would you recommend it for this recipe?
Thank you for ALL of your AMAZING recipes & helping make low carb eating easy. You are my savior for the BEST recipes, I have truly NEVER been disappointed!
Carolyn says
You can definitely use bone in skin on chicken…the only issue being that the topping tends to slide off as you try to cut around the bone, but it’s not that big a deal. Try cooking for an extra 10 minutes in the oven.
Jan says
I made this the day you posted it, though I cut it down for two servings. It was a hit here, too! I’ll be making this again! Thanks!
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Kathleen says
OMG!!!! I was trying to decide what to fix for Superbowl Sunday and after finding the slow cooker cauliflower and ham soup, I discovered this Pizza chicken!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m pulling thighs out to thaw and and we will be having tomorrow!! Yum and Thanks!!
Joshua Hampton says
Wow. I can’t wait to try this pizza chicken. I love cheese in nearly everything and I love how the mozzarella seems to stick to the meat. My boys are going to gobble this up too. Thanks for this recipe.
Pam says
I need a great sugar-free BBQ sauce that is like Sweet Baby Ray’s.
Gracie says
Try GHughes https://www.walmart.com/ip/G-Hughes-Smokehouse-Sugar-Free-Hickory-Flavored-BBQ-Sauce-18-oz/40740655?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227028257513&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=47344750352&wl4=pla-93452831792&wl5=9008704&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=40740655&wl13=&veh=sem
At Walmart, my husband is a diabetic and he loves this stuff. I don’t remember what flavor we got but it was great.
Sarah G says
Family of 10 here, so not only is it impossible to find things in the right number without doubling or tripling) but recipes always say, serving size 4! Well, that’s awkward and I don’t always know how to triple them since not every ingredient will work right if tripled. 🙁
So, Carolyn, I always love your BIG recipes. 🙂
Carolyn says
Whoa, family of 10! Well this makes 10 thighs but that’s only one thigh apiece and you will want more than that. Easily doubled, though. This one will work easily if you just double everything! (but I suspect it will no longer be a one-pan dinner 😉 )
Sarah G says
Haha, no it won’t.
I think with some sides though, a thigh a piece would be filling. We don’t often get seconds anyway. This looks so good!
Kat says
I think that maybe 5 is what fits in the tray (packaging) the best.
Thanks again for all your hard work.
It’s greatly appreciated.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Carolyn, I am so making this! We eat chicken thigh meat at least once a week, maybe every other week but my kids love it when I just bake them with BBQ sauce. . I need to change it up! love this idea! and so easy!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Alice. I can guarantee your kids will love this one!
KalynsKitchen says
Maybe it’s because I am in Utah (the land of big families) but here the chicken thighs almost always come in packs of 10! I don’t know if that’s better or worse.
Your chicken looks great. Please come to my house and make videos for me, lol!
Carolyn says
Ha, that makes sense. All of mine seem to come in fives, which is perfect for me. I buy two because we love leftovers!