Chicken Ranch Pizza! Sauced with Ranch Dressing and topped with Marinated Grilled Chicken, Bacon, and Onions and cooked using the PIE/413 Pizza cook method.
Typically, the ingredients used are the same ingredients in the Chicken Ranch Burrito/Wrap except the lettuce. This is chicken marinated in the same marinade. The liquid smoke can be omitted or included if a smokiness is desired. Then the Pizza is topped with Bacon, Onions & Cheese. For the Cheese, we use the Mozzarella Cheese Blend and a bit of Cheddar Cheese. Additional toppings can include Tomatoes, Green Onions, pickled Jalapeños and more Ranch dressing can be drizzled overtop.
Chicken Ranch Pizza Ingredients
Pizza Dough (either the Overnight Pizza Dough or the Classic Hand-Tossed Pizza Dough), Ranch Dressing, Chicken Breast, Chicken Marinade (Water, Oil, Parmesan, Chicken Powder, Sea Salt, Lemon Juice, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Paprika), Bacon, Onion (Yellow, White, Red, or a mix and can include Green Onions), Mozzarella Cheese. Optionally, with a bit of Cheddar Cheese.
Pizza Dough
Pizza Dough (either the Overnight Pizza Dough or the Classic Hand-Tossed Pizza Dough). Both of these will yield about, 1500g of Pizza Dough to portion out how you see fit. Both recipes will also show you how to prepare and hand toss the pizza for assembly.
The Pizza Dough needs to be started the day before, at about the same time you plan on cooking the pizzas the next day.
Chicken Ranch Pizza Sauce
Ranch Dressing is used for saucing. Additionally, you can squeeze more Ranch Dressing on the top and add Pesto Sauce if desired or have the Ranch Dressing as a side dip.
Chicken Ranch Pizza Toppings
The toppings for this Chicken Ranch Pizza is Marinated Chicken Breast, Bacon, and Onions with a Pizzeria Cheese and a bit of Cheddar. Although, there are other toppings that can be added if desired.
Marinated Chicken Breast
The marinade is the same marinade used for the Grilled Chicken Burger, omitting the liquid smoke. It really brings it together with the other ingredients. Use 1 Chicken Breast and dice it into small bite size pieces. Then combine the marinade ingredients and add the chicken to mix. Marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Cook it in a skillet with the marinade over medium high heat. The water will evaporate and leave behind the fat to brown the Chicken. For Spicy Chicken, add some Sriracha or extra Pepper to the marinade.
Bacon
Chop or mince the Bacon to the desired size. Cook over medium heat until just crispy. Strain out the bacon grease and reserve for other recipes.
Onions
Chop, Slice, or Dice the Onions anyway you like, and include Green and/or Red Onions for nice Aesthetics. Rings are another way I like the onions on this pizza.
Jalapeños
Pickled Jalapeños are a very nice touch and very much desired if you want to kick the heat up for a Spicy Chicken Ranch Pizza.
Mushrooms
Wash and rinse the mushrooms really well and slice, cut in half or quarters. Add them to the Pizza or Sauté in a bit of oil until the desired doneness over high heat and then add them for a topping.
Peppers
I find that chopping the peppers into slivers is very appealing for the Pizza, especially if your onions are cut this way too. Diced, Sliced or Rings works as well. It’s really a matter of preference.
Sometimes I add the Roasted Red Peppers you get in a Jar. Just dice 1 pepper up and add as a topping.
Spinach
Just a few leaves here and there is all you need to make this stand out visually. I use frozen Spinach, so it is really soft and soggy when thawed.
If using fresh Spinach. Blanch or Cook the Spinach for a few seconds and then add to the Pizza, or you can add the Spinach under the cheese. If you place Fresh Spinach on top there won’t be enough moisture and will result in a dry and crisp Spinach which is something you don’t want.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes Diced or Sliced, then rinsed and washed of the seeds. Use Roma or Cherry/Grape Tomatoes.
Pizzeria Cheese
Use a high moisture Mozzarella Cheese designed for Pizzas mixed with Shredded Provolone Cheese, at a ratio of 3:1 Mozzarella to Provolone. This offers up more flavor and better melting. To this add a small amount of Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
Use a food processor to quickly shred the Mozza Cheese and empty into a freezer bag. Do the same for the Provolone and place into a separate freezer bag. In a third freezer bag, combine 3 C Mozza Cheese and 1 C of Provolone Cheese and mix well. Place all three bags into the freezer.
Other Cheeses can be included such as Parmesan, Romano, Monterey Jack Cheese, Habanero Cheese. For the Chicken Ranch Pizza, I like to include a bit of Cheddar Cheese.
Spicy Chicken Ranch Pizza
For a Spicy version add a bit of Sriracha to the Ranch Dressing and some to the Chicken Marinade or use Extra Pepper in the marinade. Pickled Jalapeños can also be included for a topping to kick up the spice.
Garlicky Sauce
For an extra Garlic Kick, brush some Aioli or Garlic Sauce unto the pizza before saucing with Ranch Dressing.
PIE/413 Pizza Cook Method
This is a pizza cook method I created in order to get the best possible outcome for homemade pizzas using an oven, and it’s very effective.
Equipment
- 1 Marinating Bowl
- 1 Pizza Screen
- 1 Pizza Stone
- 1 Pan
Ingredients
- 1 M-L Pizza Dough - Overnight Pizza Dough or Hand-Tossed Pizza Dough
- As Desired Ranch Dressing
- 1 Whole Chicken Breast - diced into bite size pieces
- 2-3 Slices Bacon - Minced
- 1/2 Whole Onion - Sliced, diced or thin rings
- As Desired Mozzarella Cheese Blend - 3:1 Mozza to Provolone
- Small Handful Cheddar Cheese - shredded
Chicken Marinade
- 1/4 C Water
- 2 Tbl Oil
- 1 tsp Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp Chicken Powder & Sea Salt - each
- 1/4 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/8 tsp Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Paprika - each
Instructions
- Preparation: Prepare the Pizza Dough the day before. Roughly at the same time, you plan on cooking the pizzas the next day. Dice Chicken Breast into bite size pieces and marinate overnight or at least 1 hour.Day of — Prepare the Cheese & Onions. Mince the Bacon. Preheat the oven to the highest setting it will go. With 1 rack positioned at the bottom with a pizza stone and another in the middle.
- Cook the Bacon: Place the minced bacon into the pan over medium heat and cook until it starts to crisp up. Strain out the grease and save for other recipes, and set aside the bacon.
- Cook the Chicken: Empty into the same pan set over medium high heat and leave it until the water evaporates and the chicken starts frying. Toss it around to give good color. Set it aside until ready to top the pizzas.
- Assembly: Stretch the Pizza Dough and transfer to a pizza screen. Top in the following order;Ranch DressingChickenBaconOnionsMozza CheeseCheddar CheeseTransfer the Pizza to the middle rack and cook using the 413 Pizza Cook Method.
- 413 Pizza Cook Method:4 Minute Cook: Transfer to the oven to cook for precisely 4 minutes in the middle rack position.1 Adjustment: At the 4-minute mark (3 minutes of cook time remaining), immediately place the oven on broil. Remove the Pizza from the Screen or Pan to come in direct contact with the pizza stone on the bottom rack position. Flip it around so that the front is now facing the back.3 Minute Broil: Broil for 3 minutes. Immediately take the oven off of Broil and back on to the highest setting if doing more pizzas. Then transfer the Pizza back to the Pizza Screen or Pan and remove. Slice the pizza and set aside to cool before serving.
- Drizzle more Ranch Dressing on top if desired. Garnish with Parsley & Chili Flakes or Aleppo. A bit of Pesto over top is nice too.