Satisfy your craving for homemade gooey, cheesy, pepperoni pizza in half the time with my Baked Pizza Chicken stacks.
My kids and I are crazy about pizza, any kind, so you’ll find plenty of pizza recipes here on COOKtheSTORY. I think my favorite kinds though aren’t exactly a traditional pizza, like this Pizza Soup. Today’s recipe combines all of our favorite pizza flavors in sort of a deconstructed stack that’s piled high on top of chicken thighs.
It’s unconventional, but so delicious. Fast, easy, gooey, cheesy, and satisfies that pizza craving without the fuss, so it’s perfect for quick weeknight dinners.
Video: Chicken Stack Variations
How To Make Baked Pizza Chicken
The seasoned panko bread crumbs really tie this entire recipe together with the other ingredients, making it taste exactly like a pepperoni pizza. You’ll want to mix this first to allow all of the ingredients to mingle a little bit while you wait for the oven to preheat and prepare the other ingredients.
Once the panko mixture is ready, set that aside and place the chicken thighs on a parchment-lined sheet pan. A nonstick, silicone mat will work great, too. If the chicken thighs are rolled into a tight bundle inside the package, unroll them to flatten them out. Then, place them about one inch apart on the sheet pan.
On top of each of the chicken thighs, place two slices of tomato, overlapping as needed to get them to fit on top. Then add the mozzarella, pepperoni, and panko to each, in that order. Pop the sheet pan into the oven for 25 minutes, and you’ll have the best (unconventional) pepperoni pizza.
What To Serve With Pizza Chicken
I usually serve this with marinara sauce for dipping, along with crusty garlic bread and a salad. My go-to salad dressing is always my Light Caesar Dressing, which also makes a great dipping sauce for the Pizza Chicken Stacks.
Podcast Episode On Baking Pizza Chicken
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this chicken, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintBaked Pizza Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Satisfy your craving for homemade gooey, cheesy, pepperoni pizza in half the time with my Baked Pizza Chicken stacks.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 20 slices pepperoni
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 2 large chicken breasts cut in half)
- 1 large tomato, sliced thin (8 slices)
- 4 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine panko, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Set aside.
- Unroll chicken thighs into a flat piece; place each chicken thigh on sheet pan, at least 1-inch apart.
- Top each chicken thigh with two slices of tomato, overlapping as needed to fit. Top each stack with one quarter of the mozzarella, then 5 pepperoni slices, and then one quarter of the bread crumb mixture.
- Place pan in oven. Bake until chicken registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer and bread crumbs are browned, about 25 minutes.
Notes
If pepperoni pizza isn’t your thing, other toppings work great, too. Substitute the pepperoni with mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, or cooked sausage crumbles.
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