Cooking on the outdoor grill is one of my favorite parts of summer. When the weather is nice, you can usually find me outside by the grill, with a beer in hand and a spatula in the other. Whether I am trying out a new recipe or simply cooking a few cheeseburgers, I always enjoy getting to cook outdoors.
This summer, I have cooked plenty of burgers, kebabs, chicken, and veggies. But I have been in the mood for a new challenge, which is why I tried my luck at cooking a pizza on the grill. The process was much easier than I had thought and the results were great.
To keep things simple, I used a Pillsbury Pizza Crust and just followed their barbecue chicken recipe. The first step was to grill a couple chicken breasts (you need about two cups of meat) and to chop some green peppers and red onions. I was able to get the veggies chopped in the time it took the chicken to cook.
Pillsbury’s online recipe uses general terms for the cooking temperature for a grill (high, medium, low), so I followed the cooking instructions on the package. This gave me an exact cooking temperature because it was written for those using an indoor oven. I just used watched the temperature gauge on my grill and adjusted the heat as needed to maintain the necessary cooking temperature.
I used a large grilling tray when cooking the the Pillsbury pizza crust. You can find these at most grocery stores in the disposable cookware section. I used the grilling tray because it could hold the weight of the pizza better than a simple layer of aluminum foil. The grilling tray also had holes along the bottom, which allowed the heat to reach more of the crust and to cook it more evenly. I used some non-stick cooking spray and then brushed the top of the dough with a little oil to help it brown.
After about four minutes, the crust had fluffed up and turned a golden brown. I then broke out my ninja cooking skills, placed a second grilling tray on top, and flipped it over so the crust could cook on the other side. I didn’t want to take the risk of using a spatula to flip the crust over and this approach worked like a charm.
Before putting the crust back on the grill, it was time to add the toppings. First, you add a base layer of the barbecue sauce to the pizza. Pillsbury’s recipe calls for a little chili powder to be mixed into the barbecue sauce, which gave it a little kick. Cut your chicken into cubes and then sprinkle it onto the crust. Then add your cheese, onion, and green pepper. And finally, put that bad boy back on the grill.
A couple minutes later, you have a delicious barbecue chicken pizza ready to enjoy. Using the Pillsbury pizza crust keeps things simple and your friends and family will be amazed that you cooked a pizza on your barbecue.
Thank you to Pillsbury for providing a coupon so I could try out their pizza crust!
