Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients

• 250–300 g prepared pizza dough, thawed if frozen and ready to shape
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus a little for the tray
• 150 g fully cooked chicken, cut into small, thin pieces
• 100 g low-moisture mozzarella, grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or sliced spring onion, optional, for serving

For the Parmesan cream sauce

• 10 g butter
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
• 80 ml heavy cream
• 20 g finely grated Parmesan
• Black pepper, to taste

For the Cajun-style seasoning

• ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• A small pinch of cayenne, optional
• Salt only if needed after tasting the cooked chicken

Step-by-step method

1. Heat the oven. Preheat a conventional oven to 240°C/465°F. Lightly oil a sturdy baking tray. Follow the dough manufacturer’s instructions if they specify a different temperature or baking method.
2. Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, without browning it. Add the cream and heat gently until steaming. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and a little black pepper. Let the sauce cool slightly; it should be spreadable rather than watery. If too thick, stir in a teaspoon of water at a time.
3. Season the chicken. Mix the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper and optional cayenne. Toss the fully cooked chicken with the olive oil and seasoning. Taste before adding salt, especially if using salted rotisserie chicken.
4. Shape the base. Stretch or roll the dough into a roughly 30 cm circle on the prepared tray, leaving a slightly thicker rim. If it keeps shrinking back, cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes before trying again.
5. Add the toppings. Spread 4–5 tablespoons of sauce over the dough, leaving a 2 cm border. Scatter on the mozzarella, then arrange the chicken evenly. Avoid piling the chicken in the centre.
6. Bake. Bake for approximately 12–16 minutes, checking from 10 minutes onward. The crust should be browned, the underside cooked rather than doughy, and the cheese bubbling. Check that the reheated chicken reaches 74°C/165°F. Oven performance and dough thickness will affect the time.
7. Finish and slice. Let the pizza stand for 2–3 minutes before cutting so the cheese settles. Add parsley or spring onion if using.

Substitutions and troubleshooting

Using a packaged Cajun blend: Start with 1 teaspoon in place of the homemade seasoning. Blends differ in heat and salt, so taste the cooked chicken before adding more. Sweet paprika gives a milder flavour; smoked paprika adds a smoky note.

Using a ready-baked base: Follow its package instructions instead of the raw-dough baking time. Use small chicken pieces and still check that they heat through to 74°C/165°F.

Soft centre: Use less sauce, drain wet toppings, and keep the dough evenly thin. Low-moisture mozzarella is easier to manage here than mozzarella packed in water. If the cheese browns before the base is ready, move the tray lower in the oven and loosely shield the top with foil.

Grainy sauce: Finely grate the Parmesan and stir it in off the heat. Avoid boiling the sauce hard after adding the cheese. The goal is a light coating, not a large pan of pasta sauce.

Storage, reheating and allergens

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered shallow container at 4°C/40°F or colder. Use within 3–4 days; if the chicken was already a leftover, count from when that chicken was originally cooked. Reheat until the chicken reaches 74°C/165°F. Discard perishable food left out for over two hours, or one hour above 32°C/90°F. See USDA leftovers guidance.

This recipe contains milk and usually wheat. Check prepared dough, seasonings and cooked chicken labels for additional allergens. Do not put raw chicken on this pizza: the baking time is designed for a cooked topping.