Rowdy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza swaps the usual ranch base for a zesty tomato sauce mixed with ranch seasoning and topped with crispy bacon, chicken, and melty cheese!
👩🍳Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza, But Make It Rowdy
We love pizza night at the Batson house. I still have the occasional “no time today” moment where we order Domino’s, but most of the time I make my own. Homemade pizza just hits different, especially when it’s loaded with bold flavors like Buffalo Chicken, Mediterranean, or Spinach and Artichoke.
When we do order in, Brant always goes for the chicken bacon ranch. So this time, I decided to make a version at home that actually lives up to the hype.
I’m not usually a fan of chicken bacon ranch pizza. You know the ones with ranch as the sauce always feel a little flat to me. So I started mixing ranch seasoning into a classic tomato sauce instead, and it completely changed the game. The tangy tomatoes add depth, and you still get all that herby, garlicky ranch flavor. Add crispy bacon, juicy chicken, and a good melt of cheese, and you’ve got something way better than the original.
The real magic, though, comes from my Rowdy Ranch Seasoning blend. It’s bold, punchy, and totally makes the sauce. Finish it off with sweet and sour pickled red onions and you’ve got a pizza worth repeating.
🛒 Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Ingredient List
🥣 Visual Process for Making Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
The Sauce Is So Important
Homemade pizza sauce is way easier than you’d think and way better on chicken bacon ranch pizza, or any pizza for that matter, than anything in a jar. Just grab a big can of whole or crushed tomatoes (San Marzano if you want to be fancy), toss it into a saucepan, and season it up with classic Italian herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, then stir in some tomato paste for that rich, concentrated tomato flavor. Let it all simmer gently for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and deepen. Then hit it with an immersion blender for a smooth, velvety texture or leave it chunky if that’s your vibe. That’s it!
This Pizza Dough Recipe Is My Favorite
Making your own pizza dough sounds fancy, but it’s honestly so simple and way tastier than anything store-bought. I think its the extra love…and maybe the extra sugar.
Start by adding 1½ cups of warm water (around 110°F-like a warm bath, not hot!) to a large bowl. Sprinkle in 2¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast and stir in 2 teaspoons of honey to give the yeast something to munch on. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it gets nice and foamy on top. That’s your sign it’s alive and thriving.
Next, mix in 4 cups of pizza flour (or just good old all-purpose flour), 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir it all together until a shaggy dough forms, then knead it by hand on a floured surface for about 8-10 minutes (or let your stand mixer do the work with a dough hook for about 6 minutes). The dough should be soft, smooth, and just a little tacky but not sticky.
Now shape it into a ball, plop it into a bowl, and cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 to 2 hours, until it’s doubled in size and ready to be turned into crusty, chewy, golden-brown pizza perfection.
Pro Tip: I skip the oil when proofing my dough because it messes with the shaping later. When the dough’s coated in oil, it doesn’t want to come together. It just slips and slides around. Letting it rise in a clean, unoiled bowl gives it a little grip, which makes it way easier to shape when you’re ready to roll it out.
Preheat the pizza stone for the perfect chicken bacon ranch pizza crust
If you’ve got a pizza stone, definitely use it because it makes a huge difference in the crust. Here is the pizza stone I use and I love it. I even use mine on my wood-fired smoker, and it turns out incredible. The key is to pop the stone into your oven (or smoker) while it preheats so it gets blazing hot before the dough hits it. That high, direct heat helps the outside of the crust get perfectly crisp while the inside stays soft and chewy, just like a proper pizzeria pie. And if you don’t have a stone, no worries! A pizza pan or even a baking sheet will still bake up a delicious pizza, you just don’t need to preheat it.
The Ranchy Sauce
Confession time: I’m not a fan of chicken bacon ranch pizza that use a straight-up ranch dressing as the sauce. It’s just too heavy and overwhelms the whole thing. So instead, I mix my ranch-style seasoning right into tomato sauce, and let me tell you, it’s so good. You get all that herby, tangy ranch flavor without losing that bright, classic tomato base.
Spread a thin layer of the sauce over your dough, leaving a little border for that perfect pizza crust edge.
Now for the chicken bacon ranch pizza toppings! Scatter on the chopped chicken, crumble over some crispy bacon, and add a handful of thinly sliced red onion. Keep it even so every bite has a little bit of each flavor.
Then pile on the shredded mozzarellait’s what brings everything together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle a little olive oil over the top, and if you’re feeling fancy, toss on a few pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños for a punch of acid and zip. Into the oven it goes, and trust me, it’s next-level good.
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Rowdy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough
- 1 chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons Rowdy Ranch Seasoning
- dash of hot sauce
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 1½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 strips crumbled bacon (cooked)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- pickled jalapeños
- pickled red onions
Instructions
- Preaheat a skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. You want the skillet hot before adding your chicken to sear in the juices.
- Slice 1 chicken breast in half horizontally. Generously season both sides with 1½ tablespoons (1 ½ tablespoons) Rowdy Ranch Seasoning. Place chicken into the hot skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side or until the chicken is browned and registers at least 165℉ in its thickest part. Chop the chicken up and set it aside.
- Preheat oven, smoker or grill to 475℉. If you are using a pizza stone place it in the oven to preheat. Prepare your dough by shaping it.
- Combine 1 cup (245 g) pizza sauce, dash of hot sauce and 1 tablespoon Rowdy Ranch Seasoning. Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Evenly distribute the chopped chicken over the sauce, ¼ cup (40 g) thinly sliced red onion and 2 strips crumbled bacon.
- Add 1½ cup (168 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Top with pickled jalapeños and/or pickled red onions.
- Bake in the preheated oven, smoker or grill, for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
Storage
Nutrition
FAQs
What’s the best flour for homemade pizza dough?
Great question. The answer is it depends on the texture you’re after. Bread flour gives you a chewy crust, all-purpose flour is more classic and versatile, and 00 flour (Italian-style) makes that thin, crispy Neapolitan-style crust everyone dreams of.
Why isn’t my pizza dough rising?
Usually it’s one of three things: your yeast is dead, the water was too hot or too cold, or the dough wasn’t given a warm enough place to rise. Use active dry or instant yeast and proof in a cozy spot (like inside your oven with the light on).
What’s the secret to flavorful pizza sauce?
Use good-quality canned tomatoes like San Marzano or fire-roasted, and keep it simple: garlic, salt, olive oil, and maybe a pinch of sugar or oregano. Uncooked sauces taste super fresh, cooked sauces get that rich, deep flavor.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Serving Suggestions
This chicken bacon ranch pizza is hearty enough to stand on its own, but if you want to round things out, a fresh side salad is the way to go. I like serving it with something crisp and bright to balance the richness. Think a simple chopped romaine salad with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and a lemony vinaigrette, or even a tangy coleslaw. If you’re feeling fancy, a strawberry spinach salad with a light balsamic dressing would be amazing next to it. Or go for my Olive Garden Salad. My version of their Italian dressing is so good I could eat it with a spoon.
For something a little cozier, try roasted garlic parmesan potatoes or crispy oven fries with a side of extra ranch for dipping. And if you’re feeding a crowd, slice up a big veggie tray, set out some fruit, and maybe even add a dessert like brownies or cookie bars. It’s pizza night. Keep it fun and easy.
More pizza recipes!
If you’re feeling a little lighter on your feet (or just want pizza faster), you’ve gotta check out my Flatbread Pizza Dough.
Speaking of flatbreads, once you’ve got that dough whipped up, you’ll want to dive into my Steak Flatbread with smoky raspberry BBQ sauce, gooey cheese, jalapeños, and tender steak slices. Or sweeten things up with my BBQ Chicken Flatbread with Candied Bacon, because candied bacon belongs everywhere, especially on pizza. And if you’re feeling a little fancy (or just craving something sweet and savory), don’t miss my Strawberry Chicken Flatbread with Balsamic and Honey. Spoiler alert: it’s addictively good.
And hey, if you’re in the mood for something that’s not exactly pizza but still hits all the cheesy, saucy, pepperoni-loving feels, you need to make my Pepperoni Pizza Sliders. They’re basically mini pizza sandwiches, and they vanish faster than you can say “Where’d they all go?”