Go Back
–+ servings
tandoori chicken pizza

Tandoori Chicken Pizza From Scratch

Print Recipe
This Tandoori Chicken Pizza is made from scratch and loaded with intense flavor in every bite!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Italian, Pakistani
Keyword tandoori chicken pizza
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings (2 10-inch pizzas)
Calories 359
Author Izzah Cheema

Ingredients

For the Tandoori Chicken Topping

  • 1 chicken breast cut into thin, small bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
  • 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tbsp crushed garlic or paste
  • 1/2 tbsp crushed ginger or paste
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed
  • 1-2 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt depending on tandoori masala powder
  • 1 tbsp Tandoori masala powder use less if yours is spicy
  • 1 tsp paprika powder

For the Crust

  • 2 ½ cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup warm water 100-110°F
  • 1 standard packet active dry yeast

For the Sauce

  • 1 28-oz (794g) can Italian Whole Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes (or sub equal amount fresh tomatoes)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 small green chili pepper I use Serrano
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium bay leaf
  • 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning or basil
  • 1/2-1 tsp tandoori masala powder
  • 1/4 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, red chili flakes, and increase to taste

For the Pizza

  • 2 Prepared crusts
  • Prepared sauce
  • Prepared tandoori chicken
  • 2 cups quality mozzarella cheese or a blend of mozzarella and preferred cheese or more if desired
  • Additional toppings such as red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red onion sliced
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Tandoori Chicken Topping

  • Marinate the chicken in all of the ingredients for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
  • Preheat your oven broiler to high (mine goes to 550ºF/288ºC) and set the oven rack to the top. Line an oven-safe sheet pan with aluminum foil. If you have skewers, run the chicken pieces through them and place on top of the sheet pan. Otherwise, place the chicken pieces in an even layer.
  • Broil for 5 minutes, then flip the chicken pieces over and broil for another 4 minutes. You're going for a tandoor-like (but not burnt) finish. Cover and set aside.

Pizza Crust

  • Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Stir once and set aside for about 5-10 minutes or until foamy. It must be foamy! If not, something went wrong (i.e. water temperature, old yeast, etc.).
  • In a stand mixture with a dough attachment, add the flour, salt and olive oil. Start the mixer, and then slowly add in the water/yeast mixture. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, adding a bit of water, if necessary. (You may also knead the dough by hand for about 8-10 minutes instead of using a stand mixer.)
  • Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise for an hour or so or until dough doubles in size.
  • Once it has risen, punch it down, knead it a little and then place it on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to two 8 to 10-inch pizzas. Push the dough at the ends so that it’s slightly thicker on the rim. Use a knife to make small slits on the base to help it bake evenly. Cover the crust with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap while you prepare the toppings.

Pizza Sauce

  • Blend the tomatoes, onion, and green chili in a food processor until smooth.
  • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté it for about 20-30 seconds, until the raw smell subsides and it begins to brown. Add the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Lower the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and allow to simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until well cooked (~25-30 min). If using fresh tomatoes, you may need to add water to make sure it’s well cooked and to make it the desired consistency. Remove bay leaf.

Steps and Assembly

  • Prepare Chicken. Cover and Set aside. Prepare the Pizza Sauce.
  • Prepare the pizza dough and set it aside to rise. If using pre-made dough, thaw and roll out.
  • Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) or temperature indicated on Pre-made Pizza Dough. When the dough has risen, follow the instructions to roll it out. Cover it and chop up the vegetable toppings.
  • Place the pizza bases on 2 sheet pans lined with aluminum foil. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza. Top with cheese, chicken, and toppings.
  • Bake for 15 minutes per pizza (See Note), until the crust has baked and the cheese has melted. I like to broil it again for a couple of minutes to further amp up the “tandoor” factor. Serve hot. To maintain the texture of the crust, this pizza is best reheated in an oven instead of a microwave.

Notes

Note: To bake them at the same time, place one rack on the very top and one on the lower rack. Put the two baking sheets on both the baking racks. Bake for 15  minutes, but switch the baking sheets halfway through baking so that both pizzas bake evenly. Broil separately on the top rack.
 
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 1142mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 403IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 1mg