Chicken Chorizo and Chilli Pizza

With the weekend nearing again, why not try this spicy chicken, chorizo and chilli pizza recipe for a delicious treat.

Pizza is definitely a favourite in my household and over the years, I have practiced making different pizzas. While experimenting with different toppings, I created this pizza recipe which is now one of my favourite recipes to make. When I developed and perfected this recipe, I was over the moon. My family all enjoyed it and were all asking me to make it again the following day.

This spicy chicken, chorizo and chilli pizza is absolutely delicious and has lots of wonderful flavours. All the flavours in this pizza complement each other well and if you give this recipe a try, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

The Chicken

• For this chicken pizza recipe, it is easier to begin with the preparation of the chicken. It gives you time to bake, cool and slice the chicken before it is needed.
• The chicken is seasoned for flavour which makes this pizza even more delicious. If you prefer you can even purchase ready prepared chicken breast which is already sliced.

The Pizza Sauce

• This chicken pizza recipe includes the pizza sauce and again you can purchase pizza sauce or use ready prepared passata. I do recommend making the sauce from scratch to get the best tasting pizza. The sauce can be prepared in around 10 minutes.

The Pizza Dough

• I use a stand mixer when making pizza dough but it is easily done by hand.
• Warm water is needed to activate the yeast so ensure the water is around 38^oC/100^oF.
• If you don’t have a thermometer and you are unsure of the right temperature then mix 50ml of boiling water with 100ml of cold water and then measure out the 130ml needed for the dough.
• When the dough is rising ensure the room is not too cold. In the winter, you may have to turn on your home heating to ensure the dough rises.
• If you’re using a pizza platter/pan ensure it is a minimum of 12 inches for this recipe.

The Additional Toppings

• For the cheeses, I use grated mozzarella, cheddar cheese and red Leicester. The combination of these 3 cheeses give the pizza a delicious rich flavour.
• Mozzarella is an Italian cheese that is commonly used on pizza.
• Cheddar cheese is an English hard cheese with a sometimes sharp flavour. It comes in mild, medium or mature and is the most popular cheese consumed in the UK. It is not often used on pizzas but can be used on pizza in small quantities.
• Red Leicester is an English cheese that is very similar to cheddar cheese but is orange in colour unlike cheddar which tends to be more of an off-white colour. The reason for its colour is due to annatto extract being added to it during its production.
• I used Chorizo for this recipe but you can use pepperoni instead.
• If you don’t eat pork, you can purchase turkey chorizo as a good substitute.
• Birds eye chillies are used to make the pizza spicy. They are small chilli peppers that have a pointed end and are either red or green. They are fairly hot but have delicious flavour. If spicy foods are not your thing then you can use omit the chilli from this pizza.

Ingredients for Chicken Chorizo and Chilli Pizza

Please find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post. 

Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken - for this pizza recipe, I use chicken breast.
• Seasonings - salt, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder and black pepper.
• Marinade - soy sauce and olive oil.

Pizza Sauce Ingredients

• Oil - I use extra virgin olive oil.
• Onion - use a brown onion.
• Garlic - fresh garlic cloves.
• Tomatoes - I use a combination of tinned tomatoes and tomato purée.
• Herbs - use fresh or dried basil and oregano.
• Sugar - light brown sugar is used to slightly sweeten the sauce.
• Salt - I use sea salt as I love the flavour.

Pizza Base Ingredients

• Flour - I use strong bread flour.
• Salt - use any salt.
• Sugar - I use caster sugar also known as superfine sugar.
• Yeast - I use fast action dried yeast.
• Oil - extra virgin olive oil.
• Water - use warm water to make the dough.

Additional Toppings

• Cheeses - I use a combination of mozzarella, mature cheddar cheese and red Leicester cheese.
• Chorizo - I use chorizo slices which you can substitute for Italian pepperoni.
• Chillies - for this spicy pizza, I use birds eye chillies. You can substitute them with jalapeños to make the pizza spicy.
• Oil - use extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on the pizza before baking.
• Basil - use fresh basil leaves.

How to Make Chicken Chorizo and Chilli Pizza

Prepare the chicken

1. For the chicken breast fillet. Add the chicken fillet to a bowl and add the salt, onion granules, paprika, garlic granules, black pepper, soy sauce and olive oil. Ensure all the seasonings and marinade coat the chicken then cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/400^oF/200^oC/180^oC fan and bake the chicken for 18 minutes. Once baked set aside to cool then chop into small cubes.

Prepare the Marinara

2. In a small saucepan add the olive oil and heat on a low heat. Add the chopped onions and chopped garlic then lightly fry until slightly brown. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, dried basil, dried oregano, sugar and salt then stir to combine all the ingredients. Allow to simmer for around 4 minutes then remove from heat, cover and set aside to cool.

Prepare the pizza dough

3. To a stand mixer bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, olive and yeast then whisk. Pour in the warm water and mix on a medium setting using the dough hook until it comes together to form a dough. Pour the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film (plastic wrap). Allow the dough to rise for around 1 hour in a warm area.

4. While the dough is rising, grease a pizza platter or a baking tray with olive oil and set aside. Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to gas mark 8/450^oF/230^oC/210^oC fan. Punch the dough to release the air then place the dough on the greased pizza platter or tray and use your hands to shape the dough into a circle. Carefully push and pull the dough outwards in the shape of a circle to stretch the dough. Ensure it is as thin as possible but be carefully not to tear it.

Assemble the pizza

5. Spoon on the cooled marinara and use the spoon to spread it evenly around the dough’s surface. Sprinkle on the mozzarella then sprinkle on the cheddar and red Leicester cheese. Add the chorizo, chopped chicken and bird’s eye chillies ensuring they are even distributed around the pizza. Drizzle on a tablespoon of olive oil.

Bake the pizza

6. Bake the pizza for 12 - 15 minutes or until the crust goes golden brown. Remove from the oven and add the basil leaves then serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition based on 1 serving - Calories: 286kcal | Fat: 14.3g | Saturates: 5.8g | Carbs: 22.4g | Sugar: 4.7g | Fibre: 1.5g | Protein: 17.0g | Salt: 0.9g.

Storage

Store any leftover pizza in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the pizza in an oven for around 10 minutes or microwave for 2 minutes. Reheat pizza thoroughly throughout when reheating.

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