Baked Pepperoni Pizza Chicken is an Italian-inspired chicken recipe dripping with ease, perfection, and tons of cheesy bites.
Deliciously melty and the perfect compliment to the pull-apart pizza bread appetizer, you get the best of both worlds with a full weeknight chicken breast dinner everyone in your family will love.
Reasons to Adore this Baked Pizza Chicken Recipe!
This Pepperoni Chicken offers a unique twist, turning chicken breasts into an enjoyable “pizza” experience that the whole family will rave about.
- Fun & Family-Friendly Recipe: Like pizza casserole, this recipe is a playful blend of classic pizza toppings on a juicy chicken breast, making dinner tasty and kid-friendly.
- Simple Ingredients: With just mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, this meal is easy to whip up for a fuss-free weeknight dinner.
- Choose your Toppings: While the basic weekday dinner idea is easy enough, feel free to get creative! Add traditional simple pizza ingredients like sliced mushrooms, diced green peppers, or olives to customize.
Ingredients
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Italian bread crumbs
- grated Parmesan cheese
- seasonings: kosher salt, oregano, basil, and black pepper
- 1-2 eggs (depending on the number of chicken breasts)
- pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – A slice of fresh mozzarella cheese can be used over shredded if preferred.
- pepperoni slices
- Optional toppings: chopped fresh basil, black olives
SERVE WITH THESE APPETIZERS: Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos Recipe
*note that the timing of this recipe is based on my chicken. If your chicken is extra thick, you may need to pound down breasts to be able to be cooked in 30 minutes OR extend cooking times longer.
How to make Pepperoni Pizza Chicken.
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the chicken from sticking.
Breadcrumb Mixture and Egg Wash:
In a shallow dish, pour in your bread crumbs.
Add the grated cheese, salt, dried oregano, dried basil, and black pepper to the breadcrumbs. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until well combined.
In a separate shallow dish, crack open the egg(s). Using a fork or a whisk, beat the egg(s) until the yolk and white are well combined.
Coating the Chicken:
Dip a piece of chicken breast into the egg wash, ensuring both sides are wet.
Next, press and turn the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture, ensuring both sides are well-coated. Press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere to the chicken. Place the coated chicken in the prepared baking dish.
Repeat the coating process for all the chicken pieces.
Initial Baking:
Once all the chicken breasts are coated and placed on the baking dish, transfer the dish to the preheated oven. Bake the chicken for approximately 20 minutes.
Pizza Topping:
After the initial 20 minutes of baking, remove the chicken from the oven.
Spread pizza sauce evenly over each chicken breast. Top with a generous amount of grated or shredded cheese.
Add sliced pepperoni on top of the cheese.
Final Baking:
Return the chicken to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbled and the chicken is fully cooked. Ensure the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C).
Serving:
Once baked, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Garnish each chicken breast with freshly shredded basil leaves.
Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy your pizza-style oven-baked chicken with herbs and cheese!
Can you stuff the Chicken Breasts?
You can! Stuffing the chicken with more pepperoni might be delicious!
You can easily cut the middle of the chicken, prep as usual, and instead of adding on top at that step, add to the center and continue baking.
Check out Asparagus Stuffed Chicken and Caprese Stuffed Chicken if you need to learn how to stuff chicken for family dinners (as shown below).
Is Baked Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Keto Friendly?
I know so many people are on low-carb diets. This chicken breast recipe is no exception!
You can easily make this dinner recipe low-carb and keto-friendly by removing the bread crumbs and baking naked, then following the instructions with keto-friendly toppings.
If you want the crunch, many people on low-carb diets also use Almond Meal/Flour or a Parmesan cheese and mayo mixture. You can decide what works best for you or skip them all to be sure.
WEIGHT WATCHERS INFORMATION 4 Points per serving for two servings IF you skip the breading and Parmesan cheese and use fat-free mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni.
Perfect Side Dishes for Chicken Pepperoni Pizza.
When enjoying the flavors of Chicken Pepperoni, it’s essential to pair it with the perfect side dishes that complement the main dish and round out the meal.
Other than a typical green salad or a side of garlic bread, here are some helpful side dish suggestions:
- Marinated Tomato Salad: The tangy and refreshing flavors of tomatoes marinated in herbs and vinaigrette offer a light contrast to the rich chicken.
- Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob: A classic favorite, corn on the cob cooked under pressure retains its sweetness and juiciness, making it a great side that’s both easy to prepare and delicious.
- Roasted Mushrooms: Roasted to perfection with herbs and garlic, these mushrooms add a deep, earthy flavor that pairs wonderfully with the Chicken Pepperoni.
- Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, these Brussels sprouts provide a touch of bitterness that’s a perfect counterpoint to the savory main dish.
- Cauliflower Casserole: A low-carb alternative to traditional creamy mashed potatoes, this loaded delight brings in the comforting feel without the extra carbs.
- Pasta: Light chicken goes great with a hearty pasta! Try delicious bucatini, Buffalo chicken ramen, simple garlic noodles, or flavorful Tagliolini al limone.
Easy & Delicious Chicken Meals for Families.
- Easy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Baked Recipe
- Chicken and Rice Bake Recipe
- Chicken Casserole with Ritz Cracker Topping
- Pressure Cooker Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe with Sour Cream Sauce
- Copycat Alice Springs Chicken
As always, thank you for visiting my little spot on the web. If you enjoyed this kid-friendly recipe or made tweaks that worked well, please leave me a comment and let me know. I always enjoy trying your changes as well!
Pepperoni Pizza Chicken
Ingredients
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Lightly grease a baking dish using nonstick cooking spray.
Creating Seasoned Breadcrumb Mixture:
- In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, oregano, basil, and black pepper. Mix well.
Making Egg Wash:
- In a separate shallow dish, add egg and beat well.
Coating the Chicken Breasts:
- First, dip the chicken into the egg wash, ensuring it's coated evenly on both sides.
- Then, press the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat both sides thoroughly. Place the coated chicken onto the prepared baking dish.
- Follow the same steps for any remaining pieces of chicken.
Baking Pepperoni Pizza Chicken:
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake the chicken for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, take the chicken out and evenly spread pizza sauce, Mozzarella cheese, and pieces of pepperoni on top of each piece.
- Put the chicken back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Garnish the pizza chicken with freshly chopped basil before serving.
Notes
Can I use different cheeses for this recipe?
A: Absolutely! While mozzarella is commonly used for its meltiness and flavor, you can experiment with other cheeses like cheddar or provolone.How can I ensure the chicken is fully cooked?
A: A meat thermometer is a great tool. Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C).Can I add other toppings aside from pepperoni?
Of course! Just like a pizza, you can get creative with toppings. Consider adding bell peppers, olives, or even pineapple for a twist.How should I store leftovers?
Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best to reheat in the oven or toaster oven to maintain its crispiness.Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
