Vegan BBQ Chicken Pizza
If you’re looking for a classic BBQ chicken pizza made vegan, this is your recipe. Our unique stovetop method to cook the soy curls infuses the delicious BBQ chicken flavor into them, rather than just rehydrating them in water.
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This vegan BBQ pizza with pineapple has totally changed my mind about pineapple on pizza. When a reader suggested we add pineapple to the equation, I was honestly a little hesitant. But after one bite, I was a convert!
When it came to the plant-based chicken, I knew soy curls were going to be the perfect match. I make a lot of soy curl recipes here on this blog and have been working with them for almost 10 years, so I have learned a few tricks along the way.
Unlike some recipes that call for rehydrating the soy curls in water and then tossing them in BBQ sauce, ours uses a unique stovetop rehydration technique that infuses them with flavor and rehydrates them at the same time, so every bite of this vegan pizza is loaded with BBQ goodness!
And when it came to the cheese we use on this pizza, we went with a combination of vegan mozzarella and a non-dairy smoked provolone from Violife. This really enhances the overall flavor of this pizza and brings in even more smoky BBQ vibes.
This is the seventh pizza we’ve made in our Plant-Based Pizza Palooza series. It’s been a wild ride of really great pizzas and some not so great ones, so we know what to avoid. This is one of the greats – just enough toppings, a perfect fluffy crust, and a flavor that will light you up with nostalgia.
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Ingredients in Vegan Barbecue Pizza
Here’s what you’ll need to make one seriously epic vegan BBQ pizza that will rival the versions you find at Papa John and California Pizza Kitchen!
For the soy curl chicken:
- Soy curls – See more about these, substitutes, and where to buy in the next section.
- Water
- Vegan chicken bouillon powder – We used our homemade vegan bouillon powder which we recommend for best results. It’s so easy to make! You can also use a bouillon cube (just let it dissolve in hot water before cooking) or paste. For paste, i would cut the amount in half.
- BBQ sauce – Use your favorite BBQ sauce. More info on this below as well!
For the rest of the vegan bbq pizza recipe:
- Pizza dough – Check out the section below for more info on vegan pizza dough!
- Vegan mozzarella cheese – We used Vevan mozzarella shreds that melt like a charm! Daiya, Follow Your Heart, and Parmela will also work!
- Vegan smoked gouda or provolone – We sliced up some Violife smoked provolone for a nice smoky blend. Feel free to mix up the cheeses you use or use all mozzarella if that’s your jam! Some vegan feta cheese would be an interesting addition too.
- BBQ sauce
- Sliced red onion – You can skip the red onions if you don’t like them. You can also sub other onions. Shallots would be cool! Peppers (bell peppers, hot peppers, or a mix, your choice!) could be a great sub too.
- Fresh diced pineapple – If you really don’t like it, you can skip the pineapple. You can also play around with the fruit you use. I feel like a blueberry bbq pizza would be delicious!
- Chopped green onions – for garnish
Soy Curls
Soy curls are a dehydrated, minimally processed product made from whole soybeans available through Butler Foods.
A good source of both fiber and protein, these meat-free alternatives are a 100% natural food that is vegan and gluten free. Soy curls are often used to mimic the texture and (when marinated) flavor of chicken or beef for use in a tremendously wide variety of dishes.
It can be hard to find soy curls in stores (unless you have a go-to natural grocery store in your area), so we purchase them in bulk from Amazon.
Check out our Soy Curls Guide for all our best soy curl tips, tricks, and recipes!
Soy Curl Substitutes
You can use your favorite vegan chicken like Daring, Tofurky, or Gardein ultimate, but you will have to adapt the recipe because they will need to be defrosted and don’t need to be rehydrated (so you won’t need the water).
Soy curls aren’t available outside of the US and Canada, but you can find a similar product called “TVP chunks” or “TVP strips” that can be used interchangeably. These have a slightly different texture but will still produce a delicious result!
If you wanted to go more of a whole foods route, you can adapt this recipe to make:
- vegan bbq chickpea pizza
- vegan bbq cauliflower pizza
- vegan bbq jackfruit pizza
Vegan BBQ Sauce
If you’re looking for a homemade BBQ sauce, check out our air fryer BBQ soy curls post!
Many store-bought barbecue sauce (maybe most) is vegan-friendly. Just check the ingredients because as usual, some randomly have animal products like chicken fat or dairy in them.
Organicville is a great tangy BBQ sauce that’s both vegan and healthy if that’s your jam. I love the taste of it!
More Vegetarian Recipes with BBQ Sauce
And if you have leftover BBQ sauce, try these other recipes!
Vegan-Friendly Pizza Dough
We used T’s homemade pizza dough for this pizza crust. We always have some in our freezer! It’s the perfect pizza base – so soft and fluffy. It really takes this pizza to the next level.
We have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour yet, but I think it would work with an all-purpose GF flour like Cup4Cup.
If using premade pizza dough (many are vegan-friendly but again, always check ingredients), I recommend using something frozen for best results.
You can also adapt this recipe to make mini pita pizzas with pita bread. That sounds so delicious!
How to Make Vegan Pineapple Pizza
This vegetarian pizza recipe is mostly assembly. You’ll be shocked how quickly and easily it comes together!
Step 1: Make the BBQ soy curls.
Add all the BBQ soy curls ingredients to a high-walled pan. Cook on medium low (covered) for 5 minutes.
Then, remove the cover and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring every couple minutes to prevent sticking to the bottom.
Step 2: Assemble the pineapple BBQ pizza.
Preheat the oven to 475F and stretch your pizza dough to fit your pizza pan, cast iron skillet, or pizza stone. We prefer stretching the dough rather than using a rolling pin because it produces a better texture with less bubbles.
First, spread 1/3 cup of the bbq sauce evenly over the crust, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Then, sprinkle 1/2 of each kind of vegan cheese over the sauce. Spread the soy curls on top of the cheese and top those with the pineapple and red onion slices. Finally, finish it off with the remaining vegan cheese and drizzle with 1-2 more Tbsp bbq sauce.
Step 3: Cook the BBQ chicken pizza
Bake your vegan bbq pizza for 15-20 minutes, stopping to rotate the pan once halfway through. It’s ready when the crust is golden and the vegan cheese has melted.
Step 4: Finishing touches
Remove and let cool on your cutting board or wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing. Before serving, top with sliced green onions. Feel free to drizzle with vegan ranch if that’s your jam as well.
How to Make in the Pizzadesso
We recently received a Pizzadesso indoor pizza oven from our friends at Salton, and it totally takes our pizzas to the next level!
Here are the instructions for making this pizza in the Pizzadesso:
- Follow the instructions for making each component of the pizza as written.
- Turn on your Pizzadesso and hit the Wood Fire setting. Then, push in the knob to start preheating.
- Sprinkle a hefty amount of cornmeal on your pizza peel + stretch your pizza dough to fit. Follow the instructions for assembling the BBQ pizza as written.
- When the Pizzadesso has preheated, it will beep a couple times & the digital read will switch to “Fill In”. Use the rack handle accessory to safely pull out the rack & transfer the pizza from the peel to the heated stone. Reinsert the rack using the handle, close the door, & the preset countdown will begin.
- 3 min later, the Pizzadesso will have worked its magic. Let cool 5 min before slicing, top with sliced green onions, & enjoy!
More Vegan Pizza Recipes
If you like this BBQ vegan pizza, you’ll love these other homemade pizzas:
- Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza
- Vegan Baked Ziti Pizza
- Vegan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Tofu Chicken Parm Pizza
- Vegan White Pizza
- Vegan Big Mac Pizza
We hope you enjoy this vegan BBQ chicken pizza as much as we did! And we hope it changes your mind about pineapple on pizza too because WOW did it ever for us!
When you make it, don’t forget to leave a star rating and review below. We love joining in on your kitchen adventures, and this helps more people see our recipes!
Enjoy!
Vegan BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients
For the BBQ soy curls:
- 2 oz. soy curls dry
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 ½ Tbsp vegan chicken bouillon powder
- 3 Tbsp BBQ sauce
For the pizza:
- 1 (16-oz) pizza dough
- 3/4 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
- 3/4 cup vegan smoked gouda or provolone
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce plus more for drizzling
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup fresh diced pineapple
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Assemble the pizza: Preheat the oven to 475F and stretch your pizza dough to fit your pizza pan, cast iron pan, or pizza stone. First, spread the bbq sauce evenly over the crust, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Then, sprinkle 1/2 of each kind of vegan cheese over the sauce. Spread the soy curls on top of the cheese and top those with the pineapple and red onion. Finally, finish it off with the remaining vegan cheese and drizzle with 1-2 more Tbsp bbq sauce.
- Bake the pizza: Bake your vegan bbq pizza for 15-20 minutes, stopping to rotate the pan once halfway through. It’s ready when the crust is golden and the vegan cheese has melted.
- Finishing touches: Remove and let cool on your cutting board or wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing. Before serving, top with sliced green onions.
Notes
Pizzadesso Instructions
We love our Pizzadesso pizza oven and highly recommend it if you’re in the market for an indoor pizza oven. Here is how we make this BBQ pizza in it:- Follow the instructions for making each component of the pizza as written.
- Turn on your Pizzadesso and hit the Wood Fire setting. Then, push in the knob to start preheating.
- Sprinkle a hefty amount of cornmeal on your pizza peel + stretch your pizza dough to fit. Follow the instructions for assembling the BBQ pizza as written.
- When the Pizzadesso has preheated, it will beep a couple times & the digital read will switch to “Fill In”. Use the rack handle accessory to safely pull out the rack & transfer the pizza from the peel to the heated stone. Reinsert the rack using the handle, close the door, & the preset countdown will begin.
- 3 min later, the Pizzadesso will have worked its magic. Let cool 5 min before slicing, top with sliced green onions, & enjoy!
