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This pesto chicken pizza is hearty, delicious, and a great way to switch things up on pizza night. You get tender rotisserie chicken, kalamata olives, red onion, and, of course, crumbles of feta—all finished off with an herbaceous drizzle of basil pesto.
Friday night is pizza night at my house, and though we have our go-tos (mainly this simple but crave-worthy grandma pizza), it’s fun to change things up every once in a while. Pesto chicken pizza is hearty and full of flavors thanks to its bold ingredients, like briny kalamata olives, tangy red onions, salty feta, and herb-y basil pesto. And it doesn’t have to stop there—you can make this your own with a handful of variations that stick with the theme.
Want more easy pizza recipes? Check out my Caprese pizza and cast-iron pizza. Or, if you’re feeling a tad adventurous, try pickle pizza and cheesy garlic bread pizza.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Pizza
- Hearty and filling
- Packed with bold flavors
- Adaptable, so you can get creative
- Great way to use up leftover chicken
Ingredient Overview
A quick look at the essentials before we dive into the recipe card:
- Pesto: I highly recommend getting fresh pesto. This can be found near the fresh refrigerated pasta at the grocery store. It’s brighter in color and in flavor, and it drizzles well.
- Chicken: Already-cooked rotisserie chicken works great. You could also chop up leftover chicken you might have. All you need is a heaping cup’s worth, give or take.
- Cheese: I like using a good shredded pizza cheese as the base, then crumbling about 1/2 cup of feta on top. Pizza cheese gives you the melty goodness you want, while feta adds a pop of salt that pairs perfectly with olives and pesto.
- Olives: Kalamata are my first choice, but canned black olives will do. You could also use mild and buttery Castelvetrano olives.
How to Make Pesto Chicken Pizza
Step 1: Prep the Dough
Be sure to time things accordingly if making dough from scratch. My one-hour no-knead pizza dough is a nice and easy recipe. If the dough is store-bought, let it rise as directed.
Step 2: Grease the Pan and Form the Dough
Preheat the oven to 550ºF and place the rack in the middle position.
Grease a large pizza pan with olive oil and sprinkle cornmeal over it. (The cornmeal is optional, but a great addition.) Transfer the dough to the center of the pan and gently press it outward toward the edges, ensuring it is evenly distributed to avoid holes or thinner areas.
Step 3: Add Toppings
Using a basting brush, coat the entire dough with olive oil. (Optional: sprinkle garlic salt and cornmeal on the edges where the crust will be for a flavorful crust.) Then sprinkle on the cheese in an even layer, followed by the chicken, olives, red onion, and feta.
Step 4: Bake Until Golden
Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Cooking time will vary depending on the oven, so keep a close eye on it.
Step 5: Drizzle with Pesto
Let the pizza sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into it. Drizzle it with a generous amount of pesto, then cut into it and serve! I like using these pizza-cutting scissors to cut pizza.
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Use a GF pizza crust
- Make It Dairy-Free: Good dairy-free cheese is hard to find, but I’ve great reviews for Miyoko’s.
- Different Toppings: You can add sun-dried tomatoes, sliced tomatoes, capers, ribboned baby spinach, chopped fresh oregano, and marinated artichoke hearts. I also like to add toasted pine nuts after the pizza has baked.
- Switch Up the Cheese: Instead of feta, try goat cheese.
- Make It Saucy: Feel free to include tomato sauce! Slather it over the dough before adding the cheese. My Neapolitan pizza sauce is great with this.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Fridge: Let the slices cool, then tuck them into an airtight container or wrap each one snugly in plastic wrap or foil. Store them toward the back of the bottom shelf so they stay fresh and don’t dry out. If you’re short on space, a collapsible silicone pizza container keeps things tidy (and your leftovers intact) for up to 3–4 days.
- Freezer: Once the slices are cooled, wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap and cover with a layer of foil to prevent freezer burn. Transfer the wrapped slices to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: For a crisp result, pop a slice or two in an air fryer or toaster oven and heat in 2-minute increments until heated through. In the microwave, heat in 25-second increments until heated through.
What to Serve With This Pizza
- Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
- Side Salad for Pizza
- Salad With Homemade Caesar Dressing
- Caprese Salad
- For crust dipping, Dill Pickle Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Frequently Asked Questions
Anything you’d normally pair with pesto pasta works wonderfully—like kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, feta cheese, red onions, and roasted red peppers, to name a few.
A nice salty feta, funky goat cheese, or nutty Parmesan.
Pesto can absolutely be part of a healthy diet. Thanks to all those good-for-you ingredients like basil, garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts, it delivers healthy fats, antioxidants, and a solid dose of vitamins and minerals. That said, it’s rich (read: calorie-dense and often high in sodium), so a spoonful goes a long way.
Pesto Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh pizza dough, Try my one-hour no-knead pizza dough
- 1 TBSP corn meal, more to sprinkle over crust if desired
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 8 oz shredded pizza cheese
- 1 cup cooked chicken (rotisserie, or roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta, more if desired
- 1/4 cup basil pesto, more if desired
- Garlic salt, to sprinkle over crust (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 525˚F or as hot as it can go up to that point. (Don’t use your broiler, however. That will burn your pizza and ruin your day.)
- Lightly flour a clean and flat surface. Remove your dough from its packaging and roll the dough out, working it into a nice flat round.
- Place your cast iron pan onto the stove over medium-high heat to preheat the pan. You want your pan to be hot, but not smoking. Once your pan is nice and hot, remove it from the stove (with oven mitts on, please!) and place it on a heat resistant surface. Sprinkle the hot pan with some flour and some cornmeal, then carefully place the dough into the pan. Press and pull the sides of the dough up the rim of the pan to create your crust surface and distribute the dough evenly. Avoid creating thin patches!
- Slather the pesto in the center of the dough. Leave about 1/2-1″ around the edges for your crust. Then top the pizza with your shredded cheese, chicken, olives, red onions, and feta.
- Brush the edges (crust) with olive oil, then sprinkle with some garlic salt for a nice garlicky crust.
- Again, using oven mitts, transfer the pizza into the oven and let it bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and slightly golden.
- Once the pizza is ready, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, dig in.
Thank you, friend! This was amazing! I had it with GF pizza crust on the same cast iron pizza pan. I added the fresh pesto after it baked – great suggestion. For the last two minutes, I had to lower the oven temp. 7yo said “this is the best pizza ever!!!!”
Here is the GF recipe for those interested!
🍕 20-Minute Gluten-Free Pizza Dough (No Yeast)
🛒 Ingredients
• 2 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour blend (must contain xanthan gum)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar (optional but helps browning)
• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
⸻
👩🍳 Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a pan with parchment.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Stir in yogurt, egg, and olive oil. Mix until combined.
(It’ll be soft and slightly sticky — that’s normal.)
4. Lightly oil your hands and press into a 10–11 inch circle.
5. Pre-bake 8–10 minutes until set and lightly golden.
6. Add toppings and bake another 8–10 minutes.
⸻
💡 Kid-Approved Tricks
• Brush crust edges with olive oil + sprinkle Italian seasoning.
• Use less sauce to avoid soggy center.
• For crispier bottom: preheat the pan in the oven first.
I’m so glad this was a hit, and thanks for including a tried and true GF pizza crust alternative! This can be super helpful for those with gluten sensitivities or intolerances. You’re the MVP, Leanne!