Most of us know and love chicken Parmesan as a pasta dish, so why not try it as a pizza? Chicken parm pizza captures the essence of the classic Italian-American dish with a fraction of the effort. The recipe uses pantry staples like premade pizza dough, jarred marinara sauce and frozen breaded chicken tenders, saving you a special trip to the grocery store. Topped with melty mozzarella and nutty parm, this is a crowd-pleasing pizza everyone will love.
Serve our chicken parm pizza as an easy dinner with a side salad, or double the recipe and serve it as a pizza appetizer at your next party.
Ingredients for Chicken Parm Pizza
- Frozen pizza dough: Chicken parm pizza starts with a pound of pizza dough. We like frozen pizza dough because it’s easy to stash in the freezer, but refrigerated pizza dough will also work. If you forgot to thaw the dough overnight, check out our tips for how to thaw pizza dough quickly.
- Frozen breaded chicken tenders: These convenient bites cook quickly while capturing the essence of chicken Parmesan.
- Marinara sauce: We boost the flavor of store-bought marinara with a bit of garlic powder. You only need 1/2 cup (plus extra for serving), so find your favorite recipe that starts with a jar of marinara sauce to use up the remaining sauce.
- Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses: Mozzarella drapes the breaded chicken with a layer of melty goodness, just like in the classic chicken Parmesan dish. Parmesan gives the pizza a gorgeous finish and a sharp, nutty flavor.
- Fresh basil: You can skip the green addition if serving picky children, but fresh basil is a nice garnish. It adds color, and its herbaceous character balances the richness of the pizza.
Directions
Step 1: Bake the chicken tenders
Bake the frozen breaded chicken tenders according to the package directions. Remove the chicken from the oven. Increase the oven setting to 450°F.
Editor’s Tip: If you prefer to make your own breaded tenders, check out this seasoned chicken strips recipe. Or, if you happen to have leftover fried chicken on hand, simply reheat the fried chicken in the oven or air fryer.
Step 2: Top the pizza
Grease a 12-inch pizza pan. Roll the dough to fit the pan. In a small bowl, stir together the marinara sauce and garlic powder. Spread it over the dough.
Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Top the pizza with the chicken and mozzarella.
Step 3: Bake the pizza
Bake the pizza on a lower oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil. Serve with additional marinara.
Editor’s Tip: Serve the marinara on the side as a dipping sauce, or drizzle it over the pizza for a styled look.
Recipe Variations
- Use a veggie crust: Trying to sneak in your five-to-seven a day? Use a low-carb cauliflower pizza crust in place of the regular pizza dough.
- Make a homemade dough: We recommend this thin crust pizza dough recipe if you want to make your own dough. It makes enough for four 12-inch pizzas (and you can freeze the extras for later).
- Use leftover or rotisserie chicken: It won’t have the same breaded texture, but shredded or chopped cooked chicken also works.
- Make it with eggplant: Make a vegetarian Parmesan pizza using cooked eggplant instead of chicken. Cook the eggplant as you would in your favorite eggplant Parmesan recipe.
How to Store Chicken Parm Pizza
Leftover chicken parm pizza is good for up to four days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat leftover pizza on a preheated baking sheet in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Chicken Parm Pizza Tips
What is the best cheese for homemade chicken parm pizza?
We use a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for our chicken parm pizza—just like you would find in a baked chicken Parmigiana recipe. Parmesan cheese adds a strong umami flavor, and mozzarella melts beautifully to give the pizza a silky-smooth texture.
What should you serve with chicken parm pizza?
Serve chicken parm pizza with a simple Italian salad or vegetable side dishes like roasted broccoli or green beans.
