The Viral Chicken Crust Pizza Recipe (with a Fresh Twist)

If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be pizza. With a nearly endless array of different pizza dough, sauce, and topping combinations, I don’t think I’d ever grow tired of savoring a slice. And hey, with the carbs, veggies, and protein usually in the mix (plus tomatoes, which are technically a fruit) it makes for a pretty balanced meal.

From a classic basil-and-mozz-topped Margherita to the controversial BBQ Chicken-Pineapple Pizza, I’m all in. Speaking of chicken pizzas: An unexpected variation on the theme took over my social media feed lately. For this ultra-popular healthy pizza recipe, the chicken stars in the crust, rather than the toppings. 

To see what all the buzz was about (and with a valid excuse to add more pizza to my menu) I rounded up the ingredients to try this TikTok food trend myself. For the sake of research, of course.

What Is the Viral Chicken Crust Pizza?

This high-protein pizza crust recipe has been making waves on Instagram and TikTok since Breeanna Ford-Dandy (@mamacookslowcarb) originally posted her how-to video last March. The playful mash-up combines a chicken Caesar salad and pizza—arguably two of the most reliably-delicious restaurant orders. A cheesy chicken mixture is shaped into the crust, and in a move that Jennifer Garner would likely approve of, the salad is piled on top.

According to Ford-Dandy, “This was so good, I could cry.” The recipe further skyrocketed in popularity after two other food content creators, Nicole Keshishian Modic (@kalejunkie) and Hannah Kling (@lovelydelites) teamed up to recreate the recipe in April.

“The crust is made with CHICKEN—no bread or flour—so it is packed with protein and will keep you full for hours,” Modic wrote in the caption. “It was a 12/10!!! The crust is nice and sturdy and can handle the weight of your favorite toppings.”

Many followers on all three accounts agreed, chiming in that they tried it and really enjoyed the results. Still, a fair number of others took to the comments to share feedback like, “You lost me at canned chicken.”

You read that correctly: The star ingredient in this high-protein pizza crust is canned chicken.

Generally, our Test Kitchen and recipe developers are big fans of most canned foods. They’re budget-friendly, convenient, portable, ideal to limit food waste, and can even be more nutritious than their fresh counterparts. I frequently add canned tuna and canned salmon to my cart, but I’ve personally found most brands of canned chicken to be muted in flavor (likely due to the water it’s canned in). It often seems to be less firm, and can be a bit mushy. Still, I had zero hesitations about trying Ford-Dandy’s recipe as-is. 

How to Make the Viral Chicken Crust Pizza

In a large bowl, I combined 20 ounces of drained canned chicken, 1 large egg, ½ of freshly-shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper. I used a fork to thoroughly mix and eliminate all of the clumps, then I coated a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. I formed the chicken mixture into a ¼-inch thick round crust, then put it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

It came out golden and ready to dress up with Caesar salad or any other toppings. Since it was my first try, I sampled it in all of its unadulterated glory to get a clear perspective of the flavor and texture.

The results had me rethinking my position on canned chicken—at least for some uses. I found the crust to be fairly sturdy and nicely-seasoned. This chicken pizza crust certainly doesn’t have the same crunch or chew as a yeast- or sourdough-leavened flour pizza crust, but I would definitely make this again. Plus, I love that it’s an easy way to sneak more protein into my diet.

How to Make Rotisserie Chicken Crust Pizza (or Leftover Chicken Crust Pizza)

I didn’t want to leave any more ardent canned chicken critics hanging, though, so I decided to follow the tip Ford-Dandy shared with the haters: “For y’all complaining about canned chicken, you can replace it with finely-shredded rotisserie chicken, or really whatever chicken you like.”

Later in the week, I went back to the kitchen and tried the same exact recipe, just with 20 ounces of shredded leftover chicken I had roasted earlier in the week instead. 

While the canned chicken version was good, I enjoyed the flavor of this iteration even more. It was richer in that savory, roasted quality. It certainly didn’t hurt that I had followed our Herb-Roasted Chicken recipe, which layered on even more herbaceous goodness. Not to worry: The fact that it was moister than the canned chicken didn’t detract from the texture. Just be sure to shred the chicken very finely—or pulse the crust ingredients just a few times in a food processor—to ensure the protein will be a breeze to bite into without crumbling the entire slice.

I imagine that this leftover rotisserie chicken pizza crust would be incredible with a red sauce, mozzarella, basil, and a handful of toasted breadcrumbs on top, reminiscent of chicken Parmigiana.

My Review of the Viral Chicken Crust Pizza

Honestly, neither of these crusts will please purists who believe that pizza isn’t pizza without a classic carb base—be it a cracker-thin, Detroit-style, or deep-dish. That being said, I believe both are worth making again. (Based on my colleagues’ feedback, either would be far better than the trendy cottage cheese flatbread!) If you go into tasting it knowing it won’t offer the same flavor and texture as a flour-based crust, and you season the chicken and egg mixture with salt and herbs to perk up the flavor, I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Otherwise, you can stick with our All-Purpose Pizza Dough to set the scene for your slices. It continues to be one of the most popular recipes on our site for a reason—it’s reliable and the texture is top notch.