The Best Chicken-Crust Pizza Recipe

With all of the first rate pizza dough substitutes on the market, I didn’t anticipate to take pleasure in this one practically as a lot as I did. I knew it could be fairly good—it’s like a giant hen nugget in any case—however I assumed that a lot hen would shortly turn into overwhelming. Nope. Hen crust pizza is solely stupendous. So go on and seize a pound of floor hen: It’s pizza evening. 

One factor I’d prefer to get out of the way in which is that that is not hen parm. Whereas it has the parts of hen parmesan—breaded hen, tomato sauce, and cheese—it’s made in another way (utilizing baked floor hen as a substitute of fried cutlets) and it’s eaten in another way (like a pizza). Hen parmesan is a dish with a history, and generations of Italian-American dad and mom passing on very particular household recipes. Whereas hen crust pizza is rattling good, it’s not precisely worthy of the identical title. Would you dub a hen nugget dipped in ketchup subsequent to a string cheese “hen parmesan”? I relaxation my case.

The right way to make hen crust pizza

Now then, again to our hen nugget—I imply, our high-protein, tremendous satisfying pizza crust substitute. Primarily, you have to bread either side of a really massive hen patty. I take advantage of the assistance of two sheet trays to take action. Additionally they turn out to be useful throughout baking.

1. Make the hen combination

I seasoned a pound of floor hen with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and added an egg. Combine all the pieces collectively completely. It’s a combination akin to a hen meatball, however with none bread crumbs inside to tenderize the construction. There’s no have to over-mix, however on the similar time, you additionally don’t have to fret about preserving it tender. It’s a pizza crust, so that you need the meat to slice and maintain up when it’s time to eat.

2. Form the patty

On an the wrong way up sheet pan, place a silicone baking mat, or a chunk of parchment paper. Spray it frivolously with oil (I used canola, however any cooking oil will do), or daub it on with a pastry brush. Dump the hen combination into the middle and, utilizing your fingers or a rubber spatula, press and form the meat right into a circle a few half-inch thick. My crust ended up about 9 inches in diameter. 

Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

3. Bread the hen

Whilst you might depart the bread totally out of this recipe, I feel it’s far more enticing and texturally pleasing with a crunchy, knobbly panko breading. There are loads of accessible wheat-free choices lately, so if in case you have gluten sensitivities, perhaps go for a gluten-free panko as a substitute of forgoing the breading totally. 

Make a 1:1 combination of effective bread crumbs and panko in a bowl. Sprinkle half of the combination over the hen patty and use your hand to unfold it out and gently press the crumbs so that they adhere to the meat. Don’t overlook the sides. Spray a light-weight layer of oil onto the crumbed-side. It’s time to flip it. 

Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Put one other silicone mat or piece of parchment on prime of the hen. Put one other sheet tray, bottom-side down, on prime of the mat. Seize each sheet pans firmly with each palms and flip them on the similar time so you may bread the opposite aspect of the crust. Fastidiously peel the baking mat off (a spatula will help you if the meat is sticking a bit). Bread the opposite aspect and oil it. Exchange the mat on prime of the hen and the sheet tray, bottom-side down. 

4. Bake the crust

Put the crust, sandwiched by the 2 baking mats and the 2 sheet trays, within the oven. Place a weight on prime. (This may be one other sheet pan or a heavy skillet.) This weight will pressure good contact with the metallic tray to conduct warmth to the crust, and hold it from shrinking or effervescent up. Bake the crust at 400°F for 25 minutes. Take away the burden, prime tray, and prime liner, and bake the crust for one more 10 minutes.

Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

5. Add toppings

Take away the pizza however hold the oven on. Depart the hen crust on the pan and add a couple of spoonfuls of pizza sauce (it doesn’t have to be tomato), shredded cheese, and any pizza toppings your coronary heart needs. Return the pizza to the oven and broil the pizza for 3 to 5 minutes. My oven has a “lo broil” choice, and it took 4 minutes for the cheese to bubble. Cool the hen crust pizza on a wire rack (there’s loads of steam trapped beneath there) for 5 minutes earlier than slicing and serving. 

Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

The crust slices fantastically, and stands as much as being held in-hand, as a pizza ought to. The breading crisps up properly within the oven and, surprisingly, the hen crust by no means feels too heavy regardless of that it’s, nicely, largely a plank of hen. In case you’re attempting to extend your protein consumption, or simply add some pizzazz to your pizza routine, this crust is a must-try. 

Hen Crust Pizza Recipe

Components:

• 1 pound uncooked floor hen

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• A number of cracks of black pepper

• 1 egg

• ½ cup panko

• ½ cup bread crumbs

• Pinch of salt

• A number of spritzes of a impartial cooking oil

• 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce

• ½ – 1 cup of shredded mozzarella

• Pizza toppings (*non-compulsory)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, mix the panko, bread crumbs, and a pinch of salt. Put aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, completely mix the primary 5 components.

3. Place a sheet pan upside-down and lay a silicone mat on it. Spray it with some impartial oil, or when you don’t have any spray oil, rub a teaspoon-ish of oil on the mat. Pile the hen combination into the middle of the mat and pat it right into a circle, about 9 inches throughout and a half-inch thick.

4. Pour half of the bread crumb combination onto the hen patty. Unfold it across the floor, urgent gently, till it evenly covers the hen prime and sides. 

5. Spritz extra oil onto the breaded hen and onto a second silicone mat. Place that mat, oil-side down, on prime of the hen patty. Place a second sheet tray, bottom-side down, on the mat. Holding each sheet trays, flip the hen crust over. Take the tray and mat off so you may bread the opposite aspect. Spritz extra oil onto the newly breaded aspect and exchange the mat and sheet tray.

6. Place the double tray-ed, double matt-ed hen into the oven and place a heavy skillet or a 3rd sheet pan on prime to overwhelm the crust because it bakes. Bake for 35 minutes, taking the highest pan and prime mat off for the final 10 minutes to brown the crust.

7. Take the crust out of the oven and add the pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings (if utilizing). Broil the pizza to brown the cheese and toppings frivolously, about 3-5 minutes. Cool the pizza on a wire rack for about 5 minutes earlier than slicing and serving.