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    Home » Recipes » Main Courses

    Baked Pizza Chicken

    Published: Oct 16, 2024 · Modified: Mar 31, 2025 by Karin and Ken · This post may contain affiliate links. 8 Comments

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    Just 4 ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on kitchen time is all you’ll need to make this Pizza Chicken. The no-fail combination of tomato sauce, chicken, and mozzarella in this dish is what makes it such a hit!  It’s the perfect weeknight meal that the entire family will enjoy!

    Piece of pizza chicken on a plate with a salad.

    When it comes to cooking simple meals for my family, I love experimenting and trying out unique ways to put the same pantry staples together. 

    I’ve tried everything from a hearty cheeseburger pasta to a comforting chicken tortilla soup, and this time, I put my favorite pizza sauce and chicken together, but minus the crust!  And oh boy- it turned out so insanely delicious! 

     Why You’ll Love This Pizza Chicken Recipe

    • Quick and easy: The dish comes together with just under 10 minutes of prep time, making it a great quick and easy family weeknight dinner option.
    • Low carb: It is a great low-carb, protein-rich dish that you can enjoy on its own, or pair with any side of your choice.
    • Perfect for families: The flavors are super delicious and perfect for kids too! You’re going to make this on repeat!
    • Customizable: You can play around with the ingredients and try different variations of the recipe, based on what you have at hand. 

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make pepperoni topped chicken on the counter before preparing.
    • Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They’re quite affordable and have the perfect texture and structure that you’ll need for this recipe. 
    • Pepperoni: For its smoky, salty flavor. And also because I had some leftovers that I wanted to use up. 
    • Mozzarella: For that melty, gooey deliciousness. 
    • Pasta sauce: Use your favorite tomato-based pasta or pizza sauce. If you have homemade pizza sauce, you could use that too! 

    See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

    Variations

    • Top it up: Experiment with toppings like Italian seasoning, fresh basil, and grated parmesan cheese to lend the pizza chicken a nice finishing touch. 
    • Mix it up: Use a mix of two or more of your favorite cheeses if you don’t want to use just mozzarella. Mexican blend, Cheddar, and Monterey Jack are some good choices.
    • Swap the sauce: Lend a bit of flavor variation to the mozzarella stuffed chicken breast by layering it with another sauce like alfredo sauce, ranch sauce, BBQ sauce, or even some buffalo sauce if you want to. 
    • Stuff it up: Try the chicken with some more pizza toppings like olives, sliced jalapenos, onions, bell peppers, and capers.

    How to Make Pizza Chicken

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you get the chicken ready. 

    Raw chicken breast being stuffed with slices of pepperoni using metal tongs, on a white plate.

    Step 1: Cut and stuff. Slice to make a sort of pocket inside the chicken. Stuff at least 5 pepperoni slices inside the pocket, and top it with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese.

    Four raw chicken breasts stuffed with pepperoni and shredded cheese are placed in a glass baking dish on a marble countertop.

    Step 2: Bake. Transfer the pepperoni stuffed chicken breasts to a greased oven-safe pan and bake them for around 25 minutes.

    Four chicken breasts covered in marinara sauce and shredded cheese sit in a baking dish.

    Step 3: Add Toppings. Remove the dish from the oven, top the chicken with the sauce, and some more cheese, followed by a few extra pepperoni slices, and pop it in again. 

    A glass baking dish containing four cooked chicken breasts topped with melted cheese and pepperoni slices, all in a reddish sauce.

    Step 4: Bake and top. Bake the chicken again for 15 minutes, and then turn the oven to broil. Let this broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melty.

    ⭐ Hint: Use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to get the chicken breast to have an even thickness before you slice it.

    If you love the flavors in this dish, try our Chicken Parmesan Pasta next.

    A plate with a chicken breast topped with melted cheese and pepperoni slices, accompanied by mixed greens.

    Storage Directions 

    • Storing: Store your leftover pizza chicken in an airtight box in the refrigerator. It should stay good for 2-3 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to two months. Thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
    • Reheating: Transfer the chicken to a microwave-safe container and reheat it in the microwave, pausing every 30 seconds, until it has warmed all the way through. You can also reheat the chicken in a pan or in the oven, but make sure the heat isn’t too high, or it can dry up the chicken and even end up burning it. 

    Serving Suggestions

    This pepperoni and cheese stuffed chicken makes for a hearty meal when combined with some tasty sides.

    You can pair it with a fresh arugula salad if you want to keep it light, or with a bulkier salad like tortellini pesto salad. 

    Need something to mop up all that delicious saucy, cheesy goodness? Make some easy air fryer garlic bread or some air-fried pepperoni rolls to go with it. 

    And if you want to keep it healthier, serve the pizza stuffed chicken with a veggie side dish like balsamic roasted carrots. 

    A fork cutting a bite of pepperoni pizza chicken on a plate.

    Expert Tips

    • Season it right: Season the chicken breasts with a bit of salt and pepper, or even some garlic powder if you want to, to lend them some extra flavor.
    • Get the time right: Remember that the cooking time can depend on the size of the chicken breasts. Make sure you check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer, just to be sure.
    • Close it up: If you’re worried about the cheese and pepperoni sliding out of the chicken while it is being cooked, secure the open ends with toothpicks.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?

    You can try using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of the breasts, but they can be much more tricky to slice through and stuff. Also, they take less time to cook than chicken breasts, so you might want to keep that in mind too. 

    Can I make pizza chicken in the Air Fryer?

    You can! The chicken should take about 20-25 minutes to cook. Just remember not to overcrowd the Air Fryer, and check the internal temperature, just to be safe. 

    A fork holding a cheesy slice of pizza chicken with a piece of pepperoni and a fresh green salad in the background.

    More Delicious Chicken Recipes

    Do you like chicken for dinner? Here are some of my favorite chicken recipes you may also like to try.

    • Garlic chicken thigh on a white plate with carrots.
      Garlic Chicken Thighs
    • A plateful of air fryer chicken kabobs on the table with more in the background.
      Easy Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
    • A plate with baked salsa chicken garnished with herbs, accompanied by corn, tomatoes and sliced avocado.
      Baked Salsa Chicken
    • Four air fryer buffalo chicken drumsticks on a white plate with carrots and celery sticks.
      Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

    Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

    A plate with a serving of pizza chicken topped with melted cheese and pepperoni, accompanied by a side salad, sits on a woven placemat with gold utensils nearby.

    Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Chicken

    Karin and Ken
    This pizza chicken is saucy, cheesy, meaty, and oh-so-delicious! It has the perfect balance of Italian flavors and is a great weeknight meal for the family.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time, divided 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 541 kcal

    Equipment

    • rimmed baking sheet
    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • cutting board
    • Sharp knife
    • Cheese grater

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 chicken breast boneless, skinless
    • 40 slices pepperoni sliced - (at least 10per breast)
    • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded - (to taste)
    • 1-2 cups pasta sauce tomato based - (any store bought variety or homemade)
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Place chicken breasts flat on your cutting board. With your knife angled downward toward the cutting board, cut a lengthwise slit in each chicken breast, creating a sort of pocket. Stuff each piece of chicken with at least 5 slices of pepperoni. Put the pepperoni slices on the bottom part of the pocket and mozzarella cheese on top. The idea is to position the chicken breast so the opening and the cheese are facing upward otherwise the cheese will likely melt away from the chicken.
    • Bake chicken breasts for 25 minutes at 350°.
    • Remove chicken from oven. Brush or spoon sauce to cover each breast, then top with cheese and lastly the pepperoni slices. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes. Next, leave the chicken in the oven and turn your oven up to broil. Broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese and pepperoni start to turn brown. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Get the time right: Remember that the cooking time can depend on the size of the chicken breasts. Make sure you check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer, just to be sure.
    • Close it up: If you’re worried about the cheese and pepperoni sliding out of the chicken while it is being cooked, secure the open ends with toothpicks.
    • Season it right: Season the chicken breasts with a bit of salt and pepper, or even some garlic powder if you want to, to lend them some extra flavor.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 65gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 208mgSodium: 1220mgPotassium: 1115mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 712IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 306mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword mozzarella stuffed chicken breast, pepperoni chicken, pizza chicken
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This post was originally posted in June 2017. It's been updated with new content and images.

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    Comments

    1. lazyme says

      August 21, 2023 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      My family enjoyed this and especially my great grandson. He said that it was 'yummy'.......which is the highest praise from him. lol.

      It was simple to make and everyone loved it. I served it with linguine alfredo, and a baked zucchini and squash dish which went really well with it. Thanks for sharing this nice keeper.

      Reply
      • Karin and Ken says

        August 21, 2023 at 3:45 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Your dinner sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing. As always I’m grateful. All the best. Karin

    2. Laurie says

      March 09, 2023 at 9:12 pm

      5 stars
      This is FABULOUS! Low cal, low carb & high protein! Very filling, will definitely make this again!!

      Reply
      • Karin and Ken says

        March 10, 2023 at 4:54 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. You made my day! We ate it last night and make it regularly. I’m glad we aren’t the only family that enjoys this chicken! All the best. Karin

    3. Debbie says

      June 06, 2020 at 11:35 pm

      What is a good side dish to go with this/

      Reply
      • Karin and Ken says

        June 07, 2020 at 12:46 pm

        I usually serve this terrific chicken with whatever pasta I have around and a tomato sauce. Usually topped with a little parmesan cheese. We also will just serve it with a salad of some kind. Anything from mixed greens to a caesar salad. My son loves these stuffed chicken breasts on a toasted bun too. Honestly the possibilities are truly endless. Hope I have helped at least a little. Please let me know what you serve your chicken with. I would love to hear how it goes. These chicken breasts are delicious and definitely worth a try. Take care. All the best. Karin

    4. Dawn Borgman says

      February 12, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      Wow, this is delicious!!! Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing, easy and a definite make it again recipe. I did add some extra seasoning to the chicken before cooking, garlic powder, black pepper and sprinkled it with a little italian seasoning.

      Reply
      • Karin and Ken says

        February 14, 2019 at 1:59 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this recipe and I’m happy you added some seasoning to make it taste even better! Can’t thank you enough for taking the time to let me know! You truly made my day! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! All the best. Karin

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    Welcome!

    We are the kitchen divas: Karin and my partner in life, Ken.

    We have been attached at the heart and hip since the first day we met, and we love to create new dishes to keep things interesting. Variety is definitely the spice of life!

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