Chicken Crust Caesar Salad Pizza is a low-carb, high-protein twist on pizza and salad! Both gluten free and grain free, this fun, quick, and easy dinner is made in just 30 minutes from start to finish. Reimagine pizza night tonight!
“This was so good!! Next time I’m craving pizza I’ll add some sauce, extra cheese on top and pepperonis.”
I’m only half-joking when I say I’m glad TikTok might get banned soon because the app is such a time suck! I swear time moves twice as fast on that particular app. Five minutes of scrolling turns into 15 (or more…ack!) in the blink of an eye.
That said, while Instagram has become extremely polished, and Facebook a little unpredictable, TT still feels fun. I get the best ideas for food, home, and travel there.
It’s where I got the inspiration for this incredible, low carb, high protein, EASY Chicken Crust Caesar Salad Pizza!
Watch How to Make It
High Protein Pizza + Salad Combo
Last year Chicken Caesar Salad Pizzas went mega viral on TikTok. Hundreds and hundreds of people were sharing their versions, and the idea intrigued the heck out of me.
Pizza and salad are a classic pairing, so why not combine them — while eating low carb and high protein too?
Instead of a flour-based pizza crust, chicken was used to create a grain and gluten-free crust that was topped with a fresh and crunchy caesar salad.
The only roadblock for me was that the crust was being made with canned chicken, and the only dish I care to use canned chicken in is my Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Anyway, I swapped canned chicken for GROUND CHICKEN and the results were incredible! I can’t wait for you to try this quick and tasty take on pizza.
Ingredients Needed
This chicken crust pizza has big flavor but doesn’t call for a ton of ingredients — plus they’re all “normal” everyday ones. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground chicken: I use ground chicken breast to keep the pizza lean, but you can use regular ground chicken instead. Both make for a super tender crust.
- Egg: to help keep the pizza crust together.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: helps the crust stay together, plus it adds flavor and a gorgeous, golden brown top.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper season the chicken crust.
- Romaine lettuce: can’t have a Caesar Salad without it! You can either buy pre-chopped romaine, or chop up a heart to use instead. Send it through a salad spinner before using.
- Caesar Salad Dressing: I like Ken’s Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing, which is gluten free. Use what you like best.
- Red onion: sliced very thin for crunch and zippy flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: either freshly grated, or shredded. I actually do like the pre-shredded bags of parmesan cheese for this salad. You can really taste the shreds.
Chicken Pizza Variations
While this chicken + caesar salad combo is incredibly delicious, you can create infinite pizza flavor combinations with the crust! Try…
- BBQ Chicken Pizza: spread BBQ sauce onto the baked crust followed by shredded mozzarella. Melt then sprinkle with minced red onions and chopped cilantro.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza: spread ranch dressing on the baked crust then top with mozzarella cheese and chopped bacon. Melt then top with chopped tomatoes and green onions.
- Pesto Pizza: spread prepared pesto onto the baked crust then sprinkle with shredded fontina cheese and melt. Top with arugula and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
- Classic Pizza: spread pizza sauce on top of the baked crust then sprinkle on shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, black olives, etc., then melt.
Why Isn’t My Crust Crispy?
A ground chicken pizza crust will not become crispy like a typical thin crust pizza. Rather, the chicken is tender, like a thin burger. That said, it won’t become crispy because it’s not supposed to be. :)
Recipe Tips
This recipe comes together extremely quickly and is essentially foolproof. That said, here are a few tips to keep in mind when making the chicken caesar salad pizza:
- Excess liquid: the ground chicken will release a little bit of liquid while it’s baking and that’s ok! It will evaporate by the time the crust is fully cooked.
- Dress then serve: if you don’t think you’ll eat the entire chicken crust the day you make it, wait to dress the lettuce and pile it onto the uneaten crust just before eating, otherwise the dressed lettuce will become soggy.
- What do to with leftovers: I actually love eating the leftover crust chilled, though feel free to warm it up under the broiler or in the Air Fryer until heated through before adding freshly dressed Caesar Salad on top.
So what say you — will you give this salad-inspired pizza a try?!
How to Make Chicken Crust Caesar Salad Pizza
Step 1: Make the Ground Chicken Crust
Start by mixing up the ground chicken pizza crust. To a large mixing bowl, add an egg plus onion and garlic powders, dried oregano, salt, and pepper then stir with a fork to combine. Next add shredded mozzarella cheese then stir to combine.
Lastly, add ground chicken then stir with a fork (or your hands) to combine.
Step 2: Bake the Crust
Scoop the chicken mixture onto a 13″ round pizza pan that’s been lined with parchment paper, or foil sprayed VERY WELL with nonstick spray, then spread the chicken into an 11″ circle with a spatula.
If you don’t have a round pizza pan, use a half sheet pan and spread the crust into a rectangle instead.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the top is golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through.
Recipe Note
You might see some excess liquid when rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. This will cook off by the time the crust is fully cooked through. That said, I recommend placing a half sheet pan on the bottom rack of your oven in case of any drips.
Let the crust cool slightly then slice it into 4 slices. This makes it easier to serve so you’re not trying to slice through the salad too.
Step 3: Top the Crust with Caesar Salad
The last step is to add chopped romaine lettuce and prepared caesar salad dressing into a mixing bowl then toss to coat. Pile the salad onto the slightly cooled, baked chicken crust then top with thinly sliced red onion, shredded or grated parmesan cheese, and a pinch of red chili pepper flakes, if you please, and serve immediately.
I hope you love every bite of this delicious and FUN twist on pizza and salad — while hitting your protein and low-carb eating goals, too. Enjoy!
More Healthy + High-Protein Recipes
- Chickpea Chicken Salad
- Mini Egg Bites
- Chicken Power Bowls
- High Protein Overnight Oats
- Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Jennifer Aniston Salad
Equipment
- 13" pizza pan
Ingredients
For the pizza crust:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb ground chicken breast, or ground chicken
For the toppings:
- 9 oz chopped romaine lettuce, ~1 head romaine lettuce
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup prepared Caesar salad dressing, or more or less, Ken's Creamy Caesar recommended
- 2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese, or more or less
- pinch red chili pepper flakes, optional
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees then line a 13" pizza pan with parchment paper or nonstick sprayed-foil and set aside. Alternatively, you can use a half sheet pan. Place a half sheet pan on the bottom rack of your oven in case of spillovers (the chicken releases a little bit of liquid during the baking process, but it cooks off by the end).
- To a large mixing bowl add the egg, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper then stir with a fork to combine. Add the mozzarella cheese then stir to combine. Crumble the ground chicken over the top then stir with a fork until the ingredients are well combined.
- Scoop the chicken mixture onto the prepared pan then use a spatula to spread it into an 11" circle (spread into a rectangle if using a half sheet pan). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. Note: you may see excess liquid when rotating the pan but it will cook off by the end of the baking time. Set the crust aside to cool slightly.
- While the crust is cooling, add the lettuce to a medium-sized mixing bowl then add the Caesar salad dressing and toss to coat. Slice the chicken crust into four slices (or more) then top with the dressed Caesar salad, sliced red onion, and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you plan on saving some of the crust to eat later, wait to dress the lettuce and top the chicken crust with it until just before eating.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
So amazingly good. Only thing I did was add avocado oil on the pan. Great way to get protein if you don’t like plain chicken. Great for sensory issues.
Oh I’m so happy to hear this, Samantha!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I need to eat dairy free, would this work without the cheese or using vegan cheese as substitute?
Hi Carol! You could try vegan cheese, though honestly I do think it would not hold together quite the same. You could try using an additional egg plus the vegan cheese to see how that works!
This was great! Followed the recipe and baked a few minutes longer. Some ground chicken has more water than others and it took a bit more time. Used two sheets placed in a cross on the round pan. Also placed a little olive oil on each sheet to keep them together while forming the pizza. It didn’t stick at all, and sliced just like a pizza. My husband and I ate almost the whole thing. We’ll be making some of your variations in the future. Thanks!
Forgot the rating
Thank you so very much, Teresa, I really appreciate it and am so glad this recipe was a hit with both you and your husband!
My chicken did not become crispy and got stuck to to the paper. Not sure what I did wrong, I followed the recipe every step
Hey Timea! As I mentioned in the comment below yours, the crust is not meant to be crispy, rather, it will be tender like a thin burger patty. Did you use parchment paper or nonstick sprayed foil to line your pan?
Is the crust supposed to be crispy? I cooked it for 45 minutes, and it still wasn’t crispy. I followed the directions to a T, so I am not sure what happened.
Hey Rachel! The crust is tender like the interior of a chicken nugget (for lack of a better comparison!) vs crispy like thin crust pizza, for example.
This was so good!! Next time I’m craving pizza I’ll add some sauce, extra cheese on top and pepperonis.
Love it, Courtney!! So glad you enjoyed this, and thanks very much for the star rating!
Is the chicken you use shredded cooked chicken vs ground cooked chicken? The picture appears to be shredded.
It’s ground chicken as I have shown and written in the recipe post and recipe.
Is it cooked or raw?
Hey Marcia! Ground chicken is raw, but becomes cooked in the oven during the 20-25 minute baking time. (Canned chicken, since I mentioned it being the original source of inspiration for the recipe, is pre-cooked).
Thank you for getting back to me! I knew the canned would be precooked, but I wasn’t sure if the ground chicken would cook through in the baking time. I had some cooked shredded chicken in the freezer which I used. It turned out great, and the recipe will be on my repeat list. It is a great recipe for me as I am diabetic and GF!
That’s awesome — so glad you were able to make it with the ingredients you had on hand! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating.
Really enjoyed this! I’m always looking for quick meals and lighter meals to serve. 🍕
So, so happy to hear that, Sarah! Thrilled it was a hit. :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
This sounds like the perfect meal for when it is 110 degrees outside . Bake it in the toaster oven and everyone has a nice cool salad with a warm protein, perfect!
Yes, so true! Super refreshing salad on top — it’s great all year round!
I can’t wait to try! I miss pizza! Have you used the crust with other toppings?
I haven’t, but there are soooo many different combinations you could do! I want to try pesto, fontina, arugula, and balsamic glaze next!