Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza
Pizza? Yes, pizza! This is one of oldest recipes on the site, but I still come back to it on a regular basis, have you tried it yet? The key is to use a garlic-infused oil as “the sauce” — it’s a simple technique but it makes a huge difference! Please give it a go!
Once your kitchen is stocked with Mexican cooking ingredients they’ll spread out and influence just about everything you make. In a good way!
This Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza is my kitchen’s best example of that phenomenon. I’ve made it at least 10 times over the past few months and I now prefer this style to traditional sauce-based pizzas.
How To Make Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza
It’s tough to say exactly why pickled jalapenos work so well on pizza, but trust me they do. If you’ve never tried ’em on pizza before then push it towards the top of your to-do list.
I used some of these homemade Pickled Jalapenos but store-bought would work in this recipe too.
For the dough I’m using a simple recipe from the kitchn but with slightly less salt. Start by adding 1 teaspoon of yeast to 3/4 cup of warm water.
Give a stir until the yeast has dissolved and then add:
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon of salt
Mix as much as you can with a spoon and then dump it onto a cutting board or countertop.
Use your hands to knead this into a cohesive ball of dough.
It’ll take a few minutes — if the dough is sticking to your hands simply add a sprinkle of flour.
Ideally this dough rises for 1-2 hours, but you are hungry right?! I never wait that long and usually just cover it with the mixing bowl for 30 minutes or so.
This is enough dough for 4 thin crust 10″ pizzas. I usually make two pizzas and save the other half of the dough in the fridge — just wrap it in plastic and foil and it will keep for at least 4-5 days.
While the dough rises you have time to prepare the toppings. (Note that the ingredient amounts for the toppings will be for only two pizzas.)
First let’s talk about the sauce. Or lack of sauce I should say.
I’ve tried this recipe with tomato-based sauce and the results were not nearly as good as using a simple garlic infused oil as the base.
So in the above pic I’ve got:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
a pinch of salt
A thin layer of this is enough to keep the focus on the chicken and pickled jalapenos without the pizza tasting dry. If pizza without SAUCE seems wrong, then you are in for a pleasant surprise!
Smoosh the garlic into the oil using the back of the spoon, this will amp it up a bit. And consider 1 tablespoon of oil per pizza the maximum amount, even just 1/2 tablespoon is enough to keep the pizza from tasting dry.
You’ve got leeway on the seasoning of the chicken so don’t feel like you have to mimic this mix exactly. For this batch I’m using:
1 Tablespoon crushed New Mexican chile
1/2 teaspoon Chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
A chopped chicken breast gets tossed with this mixture and then cooked over medium-high heat. You can also refer to this all-purpose chicken recipe that would work just as well.
Okay, the dough has probably risen enough by now 🙂
Split the dough in half, and then split one of the halves in half.
This amount will roll out into a thin 10″ crust.
It can sometimes be easier to get it thin if you roll it out in stages, i.e. do a rough first pass, let it sit for a few minutes, and then come back for a second pass.
Keep some flour nearby. If it’s sticking then a light sprinkling of flour on the rolling pin or dough should take care of it.
For the second pass consider rolling it out on parchment paper, then you don’t have to worry about it sticking to your work surface and it can be cooked directly on the parchment paper.
Your set-up might vary, but I’ve gotten the best results by baking this dough by itself for 1-2 minutes and then adding the toppings.
This seems to help the center cook through before the edges get burnt. It’s one of the workarounds for not having a pizza stone but you can consider this step optional.
So we are adding the garlic-oil after the dough has already baked for 1-2 minutes at 400F, as pictured above.
And then it’s just a matter of adding the pickled jalapenos, chicken, and cheese.
This will bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes on a plain ol’ sheet pan.
When the edges start to darken you are moments away from a true delight.
Serve immediately as it tastes best right out of the oven.
Who knew pickled jalapenos were so comfortable on pizza? So good!
Optional garnishes include chopped cilantro, Crema if you are feeling crazy, and of course, more pickled jalapenos.
Sound good? I hope this Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza makes its way into your kitchen! It’s a great way to add a curveball to your weeknight meal routine.
Buen Provecho.