Lately I've been a little obsessed with pizza. To be fair, I've always had an extreme love for the deliciousness that is pizza , but...
Lately I've been a little obsessed with pizza. To be fair, I've always had an extreme love for the deliciousness that is pizza, but I've been trying new dough recipes and techniques and experimenting with unlikely toppings. Thankfully my husband is a patient, willing pizza-lover like myself and gamely tries anything I put in front of him on a crust!
My latest try was Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza. Pizza + Indian Cuisine, what could go wrong?
Seriously, the flavor was amazing. You could easily forego the traditional pizza crust and serve it up on naan and it would be delicious.
What have you put on a pizza recently? Check out my friend Jen's "Who's Cooking" feature for more pizza topping ideas!
Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza
Ingredients for the Pizza
10-12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into small cubes)
1 tbsp. butter
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 jalapeno (seeded and sliced thin)
Salt & pepper to taste
Large pizza crust (click here for my No-Fail Pizza Crust recipe)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
1/2 small onion (sliced thin)
Ingredients for the Marinade
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (use less if you don't want it quite as spicy)
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or use 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Ingredients for the Sauce
4 oz canned crushed tomatoes (or use a puree)
2 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. whole milk
Ingredients for the Spice Mix
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garam masala
Instructions
Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Add in the chicken and completely coat with the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least an hour before cooking.
Spray a glass baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and spread the marinated chicken in a single layer on the pan, discard the remaining marinade. Cook the chicken at 450 for 6-8 minutes until no longer pink.
While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the ingredients for the tomato sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl and set aside. Remove the chicken from the pan when it is done and set aside.
Melt the tbsp. of butter in a saucepan, then add in the garlic and jalapeno until slightly softened. Pour in the spice mix and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
Add in the tomato sauce to the pan and stir well to mix. Sprinkle salt to taste and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, another 2 minutes or so.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place the pizza crust on a pan (I use a stone) and brush lightly with olive oil. Spread the sauce/gravy on the pizza crust. Sprinkle on half of the cheese. Arrange the chicken on the pizza. Top it with the sliced onions and remaining cheese.
Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes. Remove the pizza from the pan when is done and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.
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