BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza

If you have leftover chicken that you need to use up but you’re bored with chicken salad, then my BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza may be the perfect solution. This recipe is a creative way to use your chicken and avoid wasting food! My BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza transforms dry, leftover chicken into something incredibly delicious, all while being suitable for the Paleo, SIBO, and AIP diets. 

I’ll show you how to make a gluten free pizza dough, a delicious nightshade free BBQ sauce, and how to make this pizza for a quick weeknight meal!

The Myers Way® (AIP) Diet

This BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza recipe, as well as many others, is part of a lifestyle I love to promote. The Myers Way® is a fulfilling, and attainable lifestyle that not only relieves and reverses unwanted symptoms, but it helps give you the healthy, energetic, and pain-free life you desire! 

Following this and other AIP diets first involves an elimination diet. The purpose behind this is to find out your personal triggers and eliminate them for good. 

During the first few weeks, you’ll remove both toxic and inflammatory ingredients. It’s important to note that there is a difference between the two. Toxic foods are bad for everyone, no exception. They lead to inflammation, digestive troubles like leaky gut, autoimmune diseases, and other health conditions 

Avoid these at all costs:

• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• GMOs
• Artificial sweeteners
• Additives, preservatives, and dyes
• High fructose corn syrup
• Trans or hydrogenated fats
• All processed food, junk food, and fast foods

Inflammatory foods vary from person to person, but many contribute to autoimmunity and other health issues. While you eliminate these in the beginning, you may be able to reintroduce some of them back in. 

Some of the most inflammatory foods include:

• Gluten*
• Dairy*
• Nightshades (tomatoes, pepper, white potatoes, and eggplant)
• Citrus
• Yeast
• Corn
• Soy
• Eggs
• Gluten-free grains and legumes (amaranth, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, flax, and beans)

*I don’t recommend adding gluten and dairy back into your diet, ever. They are the top two most inflammatory foods, especially if you have an autoimmune or thyroid condition. 

If you need a little extra guidance on what to eat and what to trash, you can download my free guide Foods to Toss, Foods to Enjoy!

Nightshade Free BBQ sauce

It’s hard to pull off the perfect BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza without the right sauce.

Most BBQ sauces are tomato-based, which can be a problem if you’re sensitive to nightshades. This nightshade free BBQ sauce that is just the right combination of sweet and spicy. You make the smooth, rich sauce by blending carrots, beets, and a few seasonings. It also includes honey for a touch of sweetness.

Unlike most conventional sauces, the vegetables used to create this BBQ sauce make it very nutritious. Carrots are high in beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A to support healthy vision. Beets contain a high amount of folate, which helps keep cells healthy. It also repairs damage to blood vessels, reducing your risk of developing heart disease. Both vegetables are rich in fiber, which keeps our digestive systems healthy.

I start by sauteing diced onion and garlic for a few minutes. Then, I add chopped carrots, beets, and water. Cook until the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork. After this, I transfer everything to a blender. Add ground ginger for a little spice, apple cider vinegar to mimic the flavors of tomato-based sauces, a little sea salt, and honey. Together, we get a strikingly similar taste to what we come to expect from a BBQ sauce. 

Blend everything until completely smooth. Allow to cool, and store your nightshade free BBQ sauce in a sealed jar in the fridge. The sauce will store for up to one week.

This recipe makes two cups of BBQ sauce, but you only need one cup to make the flatbread pizza recipe. This means you will have enough sauce to make another batch of pizza, or use it for your other recipes!

If the sauce separates a little in the refrigerator, just stir it to recombine!

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza Dough

You can make the dough for this AIP flatbread by using three flours in equal ratios: tigernut flour, cassava flour, and arrowroot flour. Each one is commonly used for gluten free baking, and the combination of the three flours makes this the perfect gluten free pizza dough.

There are several benefits to using this combination. For one, it holds loads of toppings even when rolled out thin. It also has both a chewy and crispy texture and is easy to work with. I season the flour with sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.

To make the flatbread dough, sieve each flour to remove lumps. Add olive oil and water. The olive oil contails healthy fat high in monounsaturated oils, with strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Mix everything until a lumpy dough forms. Then, knead the dough until a soft ball forms. If it is very sticky, add small amounts of cassava flour at a time. If it is crumbly and dry, add a little water. The final dough should be soft, dry, and easy to roll out.

Once you roll the AIP pizza crust out, it needs to be pre-baked before adding your toppings. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and roll the dough out on the parchment paper. Roll the whole thing into a flat, even crust about ¼ inch thick. 

Fold the edges over to form a small “crust.” Bake at 425 Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from heat.

Note: You can pre-bake the crust ahead of time and store the cooled flatbread crust in the refrigerator until it is ready to use.

BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza Toppings

I like to top this AIP flatbread with chicken coated in the nightshade free BBQ sauce, crumbled bacon bits, sliced red onion, and fresh basil leaves.

Some other toppings that would work great here are leftover pulled pork or shrimp, sliced olives, mushrooms, and sliced zucchini. Other toppings could include fresh herbs such as chives, green onion, or parsley.

Remember that any meat you add to the flatbread, including bacon, should be fully cooked. This is important because the flatbread will need to cook longer to fully cook raw meat.

Assemble and Bake BBQ Chicken Flatbread

This gluten free pizza is so easy to put together. Spread some nightshade free BBQ sauce on the flatbread, top with chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, sliced red onions, crumbled bacon, fresh herbs, or your favorite flatbread toppings.

Bake at 425 Fahrenheit for another 6-8 minutes, or until the flatbread is heated through. To serve, slice into squares or wedges, drizzle with additional BBQ sauce, and garnish with fresh herbs.

Reheating BBQ Chicken Flatbread

This AIP pizza is best when enjoyed fresh. If you do happen to have leftovers, simply reheat them in a toaster oven for a few minutes. You can also warm it up in the oven at 350°F for about 5-10 minutes, or until the flatbread toppings are warm and the crust is crispy.

Pairing with BBQ Chicken Flatbread

While this AIP flatbread is delicious on its own, pairing it with something makes it even better. I recommend adding a Summer Asparagus Salad as a side dish, along with a Strawberry Pineapple Mocktail to complete the experience.