12 or more servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom
What you’ll need
3 to 4 pounds Chicken thighs
Bread flour or All-purpose flour
Sugar
Instant yeast
Olive oil
Salted butter
Two 8-ounce packages Mozzarella cheese
5 ounces Parmesan Cheese (If not buy grated and shredded Parmesan cheese)
Two 6 ounce cans Tomato paste (No salt added)
Vinegar
Molasses
Liquid smoke
Honey
Seasonings
Salt
Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
Chef Paul’s Poultry magic
Onion powder
Garlic powder
1 pod Garlic
Fresh Oregano
Fresh Basil
Fresh thyme
(You can use all dried herbs)
Tools you’ll need
16 inch diameter pizza pan
Cheese Grater and shredder
Rolling pin
Food Processor
Squeeze bottle
10 inch round Cast Iron skillet or 9 x 13 inch baking pan
Preparation and baking the chicken thighs
Step 1- Add chicken thighs into a strainer and rinse with cold water. Transfer chicken thighs on to chopping board, pat dry with napkins and trim off any excessive fat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2- Add chicken thighs into a medium sized bowl. Add 2 teaspoons Olive oil, 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, and 2 teaspoons Paul Prudhomme’s poultry magic. Coat olive oil and seasonings with your hands.
Step 3- Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, into cast iron skillet or 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Spread oil around skillet or pan with your hand.
Step 4- Add chicken thighs into cast iron skillet or into 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Place into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 1 hour. For larger pieces of chicken thighs add an additional 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time.
While the chicken is baking, lets prepare the ingredients
Step 5- Chop 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, 1/8 cup fresh basil, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme. Remove the outer skin to 3 cloves garlic.
Step 6- Shred 16 ounces Mozzarella cheese, Grate 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and Shred 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. If you buy all the cheeses pre-grated and pre-shredded you can skip this step.
Making the Marinara sauce
Step 7- Add 1 6 ounces tomato paste (No salt added) and 2/3 cup water. Stir with whisk until combined. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon finely chopped Oregano, 2 teaspoons finely chopped basil, 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir with whisk until combined.
If you are adding dried herbs to the Marinara sauce in place of the fresh herbs. (See step 7A below)
Step 7A- Add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme.
Making the Barbecue sauce
Step 8- Add 6 ounces Tomato paste (No salt added), 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons liquid smoke, 3 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and (Optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Stir with whisk until combined.
Making the garlic butter
Step 9- In a food processor, add 3 tablespoons melted salted butter and 3 whole cloves garlic. Blend for 1 minute.
Final preparation of chicken thighs
Step 10- Remove chicken from oven. Let cool for 20 minutes. Remove meat from the bones of the chicken thighs with a fork. Chop chicken into strips. Transfer chicken into a medium sized bowl, Add 1 teaspoon Tony chachere’s creole seasoning and 1 teaspoon Chef Paul’s poultry magic. Stir and set all ingredients aside. Place mozzarella cheese into fridge.
Making the pizza crust
Step 11- In a stand mixer bowl, add 3 1/4 cups Bread flour or all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir until combined.
Step 12- Place bowl onto stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment. Add 1 1/3 cups water (Temp 100 to 110 degrees F), and 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix on low speed or according to your stand mixers instructions on mixing dough for 2 minutes or until dough doesn’t stick to your hand. If the dough still sticks add an additional 2 tablespoons bread flour or All purpose flour and mix on a low speed for 1 minute or until dough no longer sticks to your hands.
Step 13- Lightly flour surface of table and add dough on top of table. Knead dough 10 times and form dough into a ball. Let dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 14- Add 2 teaspoons olive oil into pizza pan. Spread oil around pan. Set aside.
Step 15- Press dough down with your hands forming a flat 10 inch diameter circle. Lightly sprinkle flour on to dough. Roll dough into a 14 inch diameter circle using a rolling pin. Dough thickness should be the same all around.
Step 16- Transfer dough on to pizza pan. Lightly press and stretch dough towards the edge of the pizza pan. Again dough thickness should be the same all around.
Step 17- Take fingers and carefully make indentations on to the dough 1 inch (inward) from the edge of the pizza dough. This will form the crust. (Demonstration below)
Adding the toppings
Step 18- Add marinara sauce on to pizza dough. Spread around as evenly as possible without passing the indentation markings on the pizza dough. Sprinkle 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese onto marinara sauce. Add shredded chicken on top (Entire amount)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Step 19- Add Barbecue sauce into a squeeze bottle. Drizzle entire contents of the barbecue sauce on top of shredded chicken. Sprinkle 1 pound Mozzarella cheese on top.
Baking the pizza
Step 20- Place into a preheated 450-degree oven on the middle rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and brush the pizza crust with the garlic butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese on top crust. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
YouTube instructional video
