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This easy English Muffin Pizza turns toasty English muffins into crispy little personal pizzas, here piled with smoky BBQ chicken, sweet red onion, and melty cheese. It is my favorite after school and game day fix, the recipe the kids make almost entirely themselves on a busy weeknight. If you love quick homemade pizza, you will also want our margherita pizza.
Ready in under 30 minutes, these mini pizzas are endlessly customizable and perfect for using up leftover chicken.
English Muffin Pizza Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 18 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 28 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 430kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky, sweet, and cheesy BBQ chicken on a crisp toasted muffin
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our buffalo chicken pizza
Quick Answer
Saute sliced red onion in olive oil, toss shredded cooked chicken with BBQ sauce, then split English muffins and place them cut side up on a baking sheet. Top each with BBQ chicken, onions, and shredded cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes until melty. Finish these English muffin pizzas with fresh cilantro and serve.
Jump to:
- English Muffin Pizza Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make English Muffin Pizza
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- English Muffin Pizza FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Pizza Recipes
- BBQ Chicken English Muffin Pizza
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- English muffins make a crisp crust. Toasty English muffins crisp up in the oven into the perfect sturdy, craggy base for personal pizzas.
- Cooked chicken makes it fast. Using shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken means dinner comes together in under 30 minutes.
- BBQ sauce adds big flavor fast. Tossing the chicken in sweet BBQ sauce gives every bite a smoky, tangy punch with no extra work.
- Sauteed onions add sweetness. Cooking the red onion first mellows its bite and adds a sweet, savory depth.
- Everyone builds their own. Mini pizzas mean each person can pile on their favorite toppings, perfect for picky eaters and parties.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They come together in under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights, lunches, and after school snacks.
- They are a fun, hands on meal the whole family can build together, just like our homemade margherita pizza.
- They are endlessly customizable and a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken and odds and ends from the fridge.
Key Ingredients
A handful of simple ingredients make these mini pizzas a snap. Here is what each one brings.
- English muffins: Split in half, they toast into crisp, sturdy mini pizza crusts with the perfect craggy texture for catching sauce.
- Cooked chicken: Shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken keeps this fast. Toss it in BBQ sauce for instant flavor.
- BBQ sauce: Use your favorite sweet variety. It coats the chicken and gives the pizzas their signature smoky tang.
- Colby Jack cheese: Melts beautifully into gooey, golden goodness. Mozzarella or cheddar work too.
- Red onion and cilantro: Sauteed onion adds sweetness and fresh cilantro brightens it all, just like the toppings on our buffalo chicken pizza.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These English muffin pizzas are a blank canvas. Try one of these spins.
- Classic pizza: Swap the BBQ chicken for pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni for a traditional mini pizza.
- Buffalo chicken: Use buffalo sauce instead of BBQ and finish with ranch or blue cheese drizzle.
- Veggie: Skip the chicken and load up on peppers, mushrooms, and olives.
- Breakfast pizza: Top with scrambled eggs, cheese, and crumbled sausage for a morning twist.
- Hawaiian: Add diced pineapple and ham for a sweet and savory combo, or try our margherita pizza for a fresh classic.
How to Make English Muffin Pizza
- In a small saute pan over medium low heat, cook the sliced red onion in olive oil with the salt, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Toss the shredded cooked chicken with the BBQ sauce in a small bowl until evenly coated.
- Place the English muffin halves cut side up on a baking sheet and top each with BBQ chicken, sauteed onions, and shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Toast the muffins first if you like. A quick toast before topping makes the crust extra crisp and sturdy.
- Do not overload them. A modest layer of toppings melts and heats evenly without sliding off.
- Use leftover or rotisserie chicken. It is the biggest time saver and works perfectly here.
- Saute the onions until sweet. A slow cook over medium low heat brings out their natural sweetness.
- Shred your own cheese. Freshly shredded cheese melts smoother than the pre shredded bagged kind.
- Broil for a finish. A minute under the broiler at the end gives the cheese those bubbly, golden spots.
- Add cilantro after baking. Sprinkling it on fresh at the end keeps it bright and green.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
English muffin pizzas are a meal and a snack all in one. Serve them as a fun weeknight dinner with a simple green salad, or cut them into halves for an easy party appetizer or game day spread. They are always a hit with kids and adults alike.
Round out a casual dinner or party with more crowd favorites. We love serving these alongside our buffalo chicken sandwiches, a cheesy pizza pasta bake, and a copycat Chick Fil A grilled chicken sandwich for a fun mix.
These reheat well, so they are great for meal prep. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven or air fryer to re crisp the muffin. For another easy pizza night, try our slow cooker deep dish pizza next.
English Muffin Pizza FAQs
Yes. Assemble the topped muffins, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking. You can also fully bake them, then reheat in the oven or air fryer to keep the muffin crisp.
Toast the English muffins lightly before topping, and do not overload them with sauce or wet toppings. Baking them on a sheet pan, not a covered dish, also helps them stay crisp.
Colby Jack melts smooth and gives great flavor, but mozzarella, cheddar, or a pizza blend all work well. Shred your own for the best melt.
Yes. Assemble them unbaked, freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
These mini pizzas are endlessly customizable. Use classic pizza sauce and pepperoni, buffalo chicken, sauteed veggies, or even breakfast toppings like eggs and sausage.
Reheat in a 350 degree oven or an air fryer for a few minutes to crisp the muffin and re melt the cheese. The microwave works in a pinch but the crust will be softer.
Craving more pizza night ideas? Our buffalo chicken pizza is another easy, crowd pleasing favorite.
Spread our easy homemade pizza sauce on these English muffin pizzas.
Our BBQ chicken English muffin pizzas are a fun, quick snack.
BBQ Chicken English Muffin Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup sweet bbq sauce
- 6 English muffins cut in half lengthwise
- 8 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese
- fresh chopped cilantro to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small saute pan over medium-low heat, saute the red onion in the olive oil with the salt until slightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.
- Toss the shredded chicken in the bbq sauce in a small bowl, set aside.
- Place the English muffins on a baking sheet, cut side up. Top the muffins with bbq chicken, onions, and cheese. Bake for 5-8 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted. Top with the cilantro to serve.
Notes
- These are completely customizable, see my tips above on that.
- Double or triple this recipe easily to feed a crowd.
- Familiar bbq chicken pizza flavors make this a crowd-pleasing recipe.
- These can be baked from frozen, see my note above for that.
- Top with a variety of sauces, or add different spices to make them your own.
Nutrition
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