Chicken Crust Caesar Salad Pizza is a low-carb, high-protein twist on pizza and salad! Both gluten free and grain free, this fun, quick, and easy dinner is made in just 30 minutes from start to finish. Reimagine pizza night tonight!
I’m only half-joking when I say I’m glad TikTok might get banned soon because the app is such a time suck! I swear time moves twice as fast on that particular app. Five minutes of scrolling turns into 15 (or more…ack!) in the blink of an eye.
That said, while Instagram has become extremely polished, and Facebook a little unpredictable, TT still feels fun. I get the best ideas for food, home, and travel there.
It’s where I got the inspiration for this incredible, low carb, high protein, EASY Chicken Crust Caesar Salad Pizza!
High Protein Pizza + Salad Combo
Last year Chicken Caesar Salad Pizzas went mega viral on TikTok. Hundred and hundreds of creators were sharing their versions, and the idea intrigued the heck out of me.
Pizza and salad are a classic pairing, so why not combine them — while eating low carb and high protein too?
Instead of a flour-based pizza crust, chicken was used to create a grain and gluten-free crust that was topped with a fresh and crunchy caesar salad.
The only roadblock for me was that the crust was being made with canned chicken, and the only dish I care to use canned chicken in is my Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Anyway, I swapped canned chicken for GROUND CHICKEN and the results were incredible! I can’t wait for you to try this quick and tasty take on pizza.
Ingredients Needed
This chicken crust pizza has big flavor but doesn’t call for a ton of ingredients — plus they’re all “normal” everyday ones. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground chicken: I use ground chicken breast to keep the pizza lean, but you can use regular ground chicken instead. Both make for a super tender crust.
- Egg: to help keep the pizza crust together.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: helps the crust stay together, plus it adds flavor and a gorgeous, golden brown top.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper season the chicken crust.
- Romaine lettuce: can’t have a Caesar Salad without it! You can either buy pre-chopped romaine, or chop up a heart to use instead. Send it through a salad spinner before using.
- Caesar Salad Dressing: I like Ken’s Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing, which is gluten free. Use what you like best.
- Red onion: sliced very thin for crunch and zippy flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: either freshly grated, or shredded. I actually do like the pre-shredded bags of parmesan cheese for this salad. You can really taste the shreds.
Recipe Tips
This recipe comes together extremely quickly and is essentially foolproof. That said, here are a few tips to keep in mind when making the chicken caesar salad pizza:
- Excess liquid: the ground chicken will release a little bit of liquid while it’s baking and that’s ok! It will evaporate by the time the crust is fully cooked.
- Dress then serve: if you don’t think you’ll eat the entire chicken crust the day you make it, wait to dress the lettuce and pile it onto the uneaten crust just before eating, otherwise the dressed lettuce will become soggy.
- What do to with leftovers: I actually love eating the leftover crust chilled, though feel free to warm it up under the broiler or in the Air Fryer until heated through before adding freshly dressed Caesar Salad on top.
So what say you — will you give this salad-inspired pizza a try?!
Pair with a Fresh Fruit Salad
How to Make Chicken Crust Caesar Salad Pizza
Step 1: Make the Ground Chicken Crust
Start by mixing up the ground chicken pizza crust. To a large mixing bowl, add an egg plus onion and garlic powders, dried oregano, salt, and pepper then stir with a fork to combine. Next add shredded mozzarella cheese then stir to combine.
Lastly, add ground chicken then stir with a fork (or your hands) to combine.
Step 2: Bake the Crust
Scoop the chicken mixture onto a 13″ round pizza pan that’s been lined with parchment paper, or foil sprayed VERY WELL with nonstick spray, then spread the chicken into an 11×11″ circle with a spatula.
If you don’t have a round pizza pan, use a half sheet pan and spread the crust into a rectangle instead.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the top is golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through.
Recipe Note
You might see some excess liquid when rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. This will cook off by the time the crust is fully cooked through. That said, I recommend placing a half sheet pan on the bottom rack of your oven in case of any drips.
Let the crust cool slightly then slice it into 4 slices. This makes it easier to serve so you’re not trying to slice through the salad too.
Step 3: Top the Crust with Caesar Salad
The last step is to add chopped romaine lettuce and prepared caesar salad dressing into a mixing bowl then toss to coat. Pile the salad onto the slightly cooled, baked chicken crust then top with thinly sliced red onion, shredded or grated parmesan cheese, and a pinch of red chili pepper flakes, if you please, and serve immediately.
I hope you love every bite of this delicious and FUN twist on pizza and salad — while hitting your protein and low-carb eating goals, too. Enjoy!
More Healthy + High-Protein Recipes
For the pizza crust:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb ground chicken breast, or ground chicken
For the toppings:
- 9 oz chopped romaine lettuce, ~1 head romaine lettuce
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup prepared Caesar salad dressing, or more or less, Ken’s Creamy Caesar recommended
- 2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese, or more or less
- pinch red chili pepper flakes, optional
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees then line a 13″ pizza pan with parchment paper or nonstick sprayed-foil and set aside. Alternatively, you can use a half sheet pan. Place a half sheet pan on the bottom rack of your oven in case of spillovers (the chicken releases a little bit of liquid during the baking process, but it cooks off by the end).
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To a large mixing bowl add the egg, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper then stir with a fork to combine. Add the mozzarella cheese then stir to combine. Crumble the ground chicken over the top then stir with a fork until the ingredients are well combined.
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Scoop the chicken mixture onto the prepared pan then use a spatula to spread it into an 11×11″ circle (spread into a rectangle if using a half sheet pan). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. Note: you may see excess liquid when rotating the pan but it will cook off by the end of the baking time. Set the crust aside to cool slightly.
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While the crust is cooling, add the lettuce to a medium-sized mixing bowl then add the Caesar salad dressing and toss to coat. Slice the chicken crust into four slices (or more) then top with the dressed Caesar salad, sliced red onion, and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
- If you plan on saving some of the crust to eat later, wait to dress the lettuce and top the chicken crust with it until just before eating.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 340kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 143mg, Sodium: 838mg, Potassium: 661mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 5869IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 222mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
