Homemade Chicken Tikka Pizza Recipe
Baking a fresh, bakery-worthy pizza at home often feels intimidating, but I promise you it is not a herculean task! With a handful of pantry staples and a little patience while your dough rises, you can bring the unmistakable warmth of homemade baking into your dining room. This Chicken Tikka Pizza brings together the best of two culinary worlds: the aromatic warmth of mild Indian tandoori spices and the comforting richness of Italian mozzarella and herbs.
In our home, pizza night is always a celebration. Children love lending a hand—whether it is grating the cheese, stretching out the dough, or scattering the colorful toppings. The real magic in this recipe lies in the crust and the chicken. Instead of firing up an outdoor tandoor, we pan-roast seasoned chicken cubes on the stovetop until tender and juicy, just like the base preparation for butter chicken. When baked together over a pillowy, hand-stretched base, the flavors meld into something truly exceptional.
Helpful Cooking Tips & Techniques
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The Lukewarm Liquid Rule: When activating your yeast, make sure your milk and water are lukewarm to the touch (around 105°F–110°F / 40°C–43°C). Liquid that is too hot will kill the yeast, while cold liquid prevents activation, leaving you with a dense, flat base.
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Tender Pan-Roasted Tikka: Slow-roasting marinated chicken in a covered pan allows it to cook in its own flavorful juices before searing dry. This keeps the meat succulent and prevents dry, chewy chicken bites on top of the pizza.
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No Pre-Baking Needed: This recipe bakes the raw shaped dough together with the sauce, chicken, and cheese in a preheated oven. Docking the dough lightly with a fork prevents unwanted giant air bubbles while allowing the base to rise soft and fluffy underneath the toppings.
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The Two-Cheese Blend: Pairing sharp cheddar with low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella gives you both deep savory flavor and that classic stretchy cheese pull.
Recipes You Might Also Like
If you enjoy baking and savory party snacks, explore these kitchen favorites:
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Savoury Bakes & Pastries: Stuffed Garlic Bread, Kerala Bakery Style Egg Puffs, and Sausage Dinner Rolls
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Party Starters & Grills: Stovetop Chicken Tikka Skewers, Crispy Fish Fingers with Tartar Dip, and Chicken Kathi Rolls
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More Pizza Delights: Homemade Paneer Pizza, Whole Wheat Chicken Pizza, and Turkish Pide
Homemade Chicken Tikka Pizza
Ingredients
For Pizza Dough:
- 400 g Plain Flour / Maida approx. 3 cups
- 4 tbsp Milk Powder
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar divided
- 1.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 cup Warm Milk lukewarm
- 0.5 cup Warm Water as needed
- 0.25 tsp Baking Powder
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Butter or Olive Oil for coating
For Chicken Tikka:
- 450 g Boneless Chicken cut into small bite-sized cubes
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 tsp Red Chili Powder or Kashmiri chili powder
- 0.5 tsp Cumin Powder
- 0.75 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 0.5 tsp Kasoori Methi crushed dried fenugreek leaves
- 4 tbsp Thick Curd / Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil for shallow roasting
For Quick Pizza Sauce & Toppings:
- 4 tbsp Tomato Sauce / Pureed Passata
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano / Italian Herb Mix
- 1 tsp Paprika / Red Chili Powder
- 1 small Green Bell Pepper / Capsicum diced
- 1 medium White Onion thinly sliced or diced
- 1 medium Tomato deseeded and diced
- 1.5 cups Mozzarella Cheese grated
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese grated
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano / Pizza Seasoning for finishing
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander Leaves finely chopped, optional desi garnish
Instructions
Step 1: Marinate & Cook the Chicken Tikka
- For making Chicken Tikka, marinate chicken with salt, Red chilli powder, Cumin powder, Garam Masala Powder, Curd, Kasoori Methi, Lime and Red color. Keep aside for 1 hour or more.
- Heat a pan and sprinkle some oil. Add chicken pieces and stir well.
- Cover and allow to slow roast on small flame till dry. Stir in between.
- Once all the chicken Tikka are roasted, drain and allow to cool.
- Cut into smaller pieces and keep aside.
Step 2: Prepare & Proof the Pizza Dough
- Mix the flour, milk powder, 1 tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt very well.
- In a cup add yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and half of the luke warm milk and mix well. Keep aside.
- Make a well in the center of flour and pour the yeast mix and gently combine.
- Add more lukewarm milk and water to make a smooth dough. Knead for some time. The dough will be sticky.
- Rub little olive oil or butter in your hands and pat the top of the dough, knead again till you can feel that the dough is smooth and soft.
- Cover nicely and keep for 1 -2 hours, till the dough is double the size.
Step 3: Assemble & Bake the Pizza
- Meanwhile, cut the Capsicum (Bell Pepper), Onion, Tomatoes. Grate the cheese and keep aside.
- Once the Pizza dough becomes double in size, punch down and divide into two or three parts.
- Take one part and place on a parchment paper. With your palm gently press the dough starting from the centre to the sides to make a big round base of about ½ inch thickness (you can also dust and roll out with the help of Rolling Pin).
- Leave it covered to rise for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Chicken Tikka Pizza / HomeMade Chicken Pizza
- Make Pizza sauce by mixing Tomato sauce, olive oil, ginger garlic paste and oregano spice.
- Poke the Pizza base with a fork to release bubbles.
- Gently brush the sides with little butter (optional) and put Pizza sauce generously on top.
- Add little grated Cheddar cheese and top with chicken pieces, chopped onion, capsicum and Tomatoes.
- Cover with Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle oregano/ Pizza spice mix.
- Keep covered for 10 more minutes and transfer to a baking tin (with the parchment paper).
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180OC for 20 minutes or till the cheese melts and turn brown.
- Take out and cut into triangles with a Pizza cutter and enjoy the wonderful Chicken Tikka Pizza.
Video
Notes
- Note / FAQ 1 (Paneer Substitution): To make a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with 400 g of paneer cubes. Pan-sear the paneer gently on low heat for just 2–3 minutes so it stays tender and does not turn rubbery.
- Note / FAQ 2 (Stovetop Pan Method): If you don't have an oven, place the assembled pizza on a well-greased, heavy non-stick pan, cover tightly with a domed lid, and cook on low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until the base crisps up and the cheese fully melts.
- Note / FAQ 3 (Storage & Reheating): Leftover slices can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on a dry skillet over medium-low heat with a loose lid over the top for 3–4 minutes to revive the crispy crust and gooey melted cheese without making it soggy.
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