Chicken Crust Pizza Recipe (Low Carb + High Protein)
This chicken crust pizza is a flourless, high-protein pizza made with seasoned ground chicken, Parmesan, and egg — no flour, no yeast, no dough. It comes together in 45 minutes and holds toppings just like the real thing.
Chicken crust pizza is a flourless pizza made with ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, and egg pressed into a crust and baked until firm and golden. It’s naturally low-carb, gluten-free, and packs 24 grams of protein per slice — without sacrificing that pizza-night feeling.
I’ve made this more times than I can count, and the first batch I ever made was too thick and completely mushy in the middle. Hard lesson learned: spread it to ¼ inch and it’s perfect every time. Now I make it on repeat — and the remakes flooding my Instagram tell me I’m not the only one.
If you love easy, high-protein pizza, also try my Bbq Chicken Pizza and Buffalo Chicken Pizza Recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(Full measurements are in the recipe card below.)
- Ground chicken — go regular, not ultra-lean, so the crust doesn’t dry out when you bake it.
- Parmesan cheese — finely grated, not the shaker-bottle kind. Parmesan is what gives the crust its structure and crispy edges. Its low moisture content is the key — mozzarella has too much water and will make the crust soggy.
- Egg — acts as the binder so everything holds together and the crust doesn’t fall apart when you slice it.
- Garlic powder + Italian seasoning — season the crust itself, not just the toppings. Skip this and it’ll taste like plain chicken. Don’t skip it.
- Salt and black pepper — go light on the salt; Parmesan is already salty.
- Your favourite toppings — pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni is the classic. See topping ideas below.
How to Make Chicken Crust Pizza
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper — not foil.
- Mix the crust. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, Parmesan, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully combined — it’ll look like a thick paste.
- Spread it thin. Transfer to your prepared pan and press into a rectangle the size of your baking sheet or a large circle about ¼ inch thick. Thin and even is everything here.
- Bake the crust first. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the edges are golden and the crust feels firm and dry to the touch. At the 20-minute mark, check the pan — if liquid has pooled around the crust, tilt the pan and carefully drain it before continuing.
- Add toppings. Spread pizza sauce over the baked crust, add mozzarella and your toppings.
- Bake again. Return to the oven for 8–10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Rest before slicing. Let it sit for 3–5 minutes — it firms up as it cools and you’ll actually be able to pick up a slice.
Tips for the Best Chicken Crust Pizza
Spread it to ¼ inch — no thicker. This is the single most important step. A thick crust won’t cook through and will be soft and undercooked in the middle. Thin and even gives you a crust you can hold in your hands.
Drain the liquid mid-bake. Ground chicken releases moisture as it cooks. Seeing liquid pool around the edges at 20 minutes is totally normal — just tilt the pan and drain it. This is the difference between crispy and soggy.
Bake the crust fully before adding toppings. The crust needs to be completely cooked and firm before anything goes on top. Adding toppings early traps steam and makes the crust soft and sad.
Use parchment, not foil. Parchment releases cleanly and helps the bottom crisp up. Foil can cause the bottom to cook unevenly and stick.
Topping Ideas
The crust is your blank canvas. Here’s what works best:
- Classic pepperoni — pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni. Always right.
- Margherita — pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, fresh basil after baking.
- BBQ chicken — BBQ sauce, mozzarella, red onion, and cilantro.
- White pizza — olive oil and garlic base, mozzarella, spinach, and mushrooms.
- Buffalo — buffalo sauce, mozzarella, shredded chicken, drizzle of ranch after baking.
- Veggie — pizza sauce, mozzarella, bell peppers, black olives, and red onion.
Variations
- Ground turkey — swaps in 1:1 for a very similar result.
- Canned chicken — drain it extremely well and shred finely. Works great for a quicker version.
- Dairy-free — replace Parmesan in the crust with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, and use dairy-free mozzarella on top.
- Pesto base — swap pizza sauce for pesto. Pairs especially well with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat and keep the crust crispy, use the oven at 375°F for 8–10 minutes or the air fryer at 350°F for 4–5 minutes. The microwave works but makes the crust soft.
To freeze: bake the crust fully, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, add toppings straight from frozen and bake at 400°F until hot and bubbly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you taste the chicken in chicken crust pizza? Yes, but it’s mild and in the background. Once you add pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings, it eats like pizza — not like a chicken breast. Most people are genuinely surprised.
Why is my chicken crust pizza soggy? The most common reason is spreading the crust too thick, or not draining the liquid that pools around it during baking. Bake the crust fully before adding any toppings — that step is non-negotiable.
Can I make chicken crust pizza ahead of time? Yes. Bake the crust, let it cool completely, then refrigerate or freeze it until you’re ready. Add toppings and do the second bake when you’re ready to eat. This makes it a great meal prep option.
Is chicken crust pizza actually good? Genuinely, yes — and I say that as someone who loves real pizza. It doesn’t taste like flour-based crust, but it holds toppings, has crispy edges, and satisfies the pizza craving. The fact that it has 24g of protein per slice is just a bonus.
Chicken Crust Pizza (Low Carb + High Protein
Ingredients
CHICKEN CRUST
- 450 g ground chicken
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
TOPPINGS
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup mozarella cheese
- 20 pepperoni slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, eggs, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until fully combined.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and press into a ¼-inch thick rectangle of circle.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and firm. Drain any pooled liquid at the 20-minute mark.
- Raise oven to 450°F. Spread pizza sauce over crust, add mozzarella and pepperoni.
- Bake another 8–10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Rest 3–5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is calculated based on industry-standard software and should be used as a general guide only. The information may vary depending on ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques, and individual serving sizes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the nutritional information provided. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical or nutritional advice.
Other High-Protein Chicken Recipes to Try
- Pesto Chicken Crust Pizza
- High Protein Chicken Flatbread
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- McChicken Ground Chicken Burgers
- Smash Chicken Caesar Tacos
- Alfredo Chicken Crust Pizza
If you tried this chicken crust pizza, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a star rating and a comment below — it really helps. Share your creation on Instagram by tagging @basicswithbails or use #basicswithbails on Pinterest.
About Bailey
I love to bake, cook, exercise, and document all of the above. Nutrition is not low fat. It is not low calorie. It’s not feeling deprived or being hungry all the time. It’s nourishing your body with real, whole foods so that you are consistently satisfied and energized to live your life to the fullest! Read more…
Can precooked chicken be used?
Great question! For this recipe, you’ll want to use raw chicken — the chicken is the crust itself and needs to bake from raw to bind together and form the crust shape. Pre-cooked chicken won’t hold together the same way. If you have leftover cooked chicken to use up, I’d suggest a different recipe (like a chicken pizza topping on a regular crust, etc.). Hope that helps!
This chicken crust pizza is an absolute star dish !! I’m never going back to eating a normal pizza again ❤️❤️❤️
It tastes soo good just like actual pizza without all the heavy carbs 😍 thank you for sharing this recipe ❤️
What size pan did you use?
Hi Pamela, thank you so so much for this kind comment!! You have no idea how much this helps my small business!! So glad you hear you loved it!! It’s also one of my favourites, I’m making it again tonight for dinner actually! 🙂
I loved this crust and will make again. My over required a little longer baking time. I flipped the crust over half into the baking time and it turned out great. I used pesto for the sauce which tasted great with the chicken. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Flipping the crust halfway through is such a smart move! 🙌 And pesto as the sauce is genius, going to try that next time. So glad it turned out great. If you have a sec, a star rating would mean the world! 💛
sorry if this makes me sound dumb but this recipe makes 2 pizzas correct?
No dumb questions around here!! It’s only one pizza, the size of your full baking sheet!!
🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Thank you for this comment!! 🙂
Beautiful crust! Yes, not the traditional bread crust but you’re getting so much protein and it tastes amazing!!! I keeps well too! Just reheat and instant meal!!!
Do you use ground chicken breast or just ground chicken (which I think has higher fat content)?
Hi Monica, yes exactly!! Of course a pizza with this much protein will not taste exactly like a woodfire pizza from Italy…. but you feel dang good after eating this one!! Thank you for this comment! 🙂
My husband has requested that I make this every Friday night. So yummy!
Hi Naomi, what a coincidence…. because I’m making it tonight as well and it’s Friday! So happy to hear you’re enjoying it!!
It was good and filled a craving. It was not crisp and a bit eggy but it tasted good. I added a tablespoon of crushed red pepper to the dough. I spread it out to be 12×14 in size, if I make it again, I will try to get it much thinner to see if it will get crispy.
Thank you for the honest feedback! 🙌 Crispy chicken crust is genuinely the tricky part — the chicken releases moisture as it cooks, which works against the crisp. A few things that help: pat the chicken really dry before mixing, bake the crust on parchment at a higher temp (425-450°F) and longer than you’d think before adding toppings (15-18 min until golden), and yes — thinner is better, you’re on the right track. Some people also broil for the last 1-2 min after toppings go on. The crushed red pepper in the dough is genius btw, stealing that. Let me know how round two goes!
What size is your baking sheet? I have 3 different sizes.
Hi Lindy! I used a 10×15 inch baking sheet for this recipe! 🙂
Found this recipe yesterday and made it tonight. So delicious and filling, quick and easy to make, and budget-friendly!
Hi Lisa, so happy to hear you enjoyed it!! I’m a huge fan of it as well so I love hearing when people enjoy my recipes as much as I do (I’m bias of course). Thank you for this comment!! 🙂
I made this but the chicken sticked to the parchment paper and it wouldn’t come off so I had to scrape the toppings off and eat that! It was a mess! Why did this happen ?
Oh no, I’m so sorry that happened — that’s frustrating! 😩 A few things that usually prevent the sticking: (1) lightly spray or brush the parchment with oil before adding the chicken (this is the biggest fix), (2) make sure the crust bakes long enough on the first bake before adding toppings — pulling it too early means the bottom hasn’t set yet and it’ll stick, and (3) let it rest for 1-2 minutes after baking before trying to slide it off. Also worth knowing — some store-brand parchment is stickier than others (Reynolds and If You Care are reliable). Would love for you to give it another try with these tweaks! 💛
I made this pizza tonight. It was delicious! Way better than the last chicken crust I made. It was easy and took very little time to make. We will definitely be making this again!
Hi Brigita, so happy to hear that!! 🙂 Thank you for leaving this kind review!
Chicken crust pizza was delicious! We made it with turkey pepperoni and hot honey. It’s already been declared a do-over for dinner!
Turkey pepperoni + hot honey is the move — that combo is unreal on chicken crust. So happy it’s already been declared a do-over!! 🙌 If you have a sec, a star rating on the recipe would mean so much 💛
I was looking for a recipe to try for a chicken crust pizza. It turned out amazing!!!
Hi Ashley, loveeeee hearing this!! Thank you so much for this comment!! 🙂
SO good and keeps me on track with my workout/eating goals
YES that’s exactly why I love it so much as well!! Thank you for the 5 star review and comment! Helps my business so much!!
Could I make this recipe with lean ground beef instead of ground chicken?
Great question! Honestly I wouldn’t recommend ground beef for this one — beef is much higher in fat than ground chicken, so it would render out a lot of grease and likely make the crust soggy rather than crisp. The chicken works because it’s lean and binds with the egg/cheese into a sturdy, pliable base. If you want a different protein, ground turkey would be the closest swap (same lean ratio, similar mild flavor) — that one I’d say go for it! 💛
I like your blog.
Hi thank you so much!! Let me know which recipes you like the best!! 🙂
What size baking sheet did you use?
Great question! I used a 10×15 inch baking sheet for this one!
Love this recipe so much! I am making it on repeat! So delicious and such a delicious way to get protein in plus one of my fav meals which is pizza!
Hi Diana, I couldn’t agree more with everything you said!! Pizza is also one of my favourite meals and being gluten free and on my high protein diet adventure I needed to create something to satisfy my cravings!! Thank you SO much for this 5 star review and kind comment!!
This crust is so good and so good for me! We have done the first bake, put on the sauce and toppings, then finish bake in our outdoor pizza oven. Delicious!
Hi Lauri, oh my goodness!! I’ve never thought of doing this in my pizza oven. This is pure genius. Thank you so much for the 5 star review and kind comment!!! 🙂
This is seriously unbelievable!!! I couldn’t believe it. I was so hesitant because it’s chicken but wow this is one of my favourite dinners in rotation now!!
Hi Darrin! Thank you so much for the 5 star review. I couldn’t agree more, it’s also one of my favourites!!
Amazing turned out great!
Hi Chelsie, amazing I’m so happy to hear this!! Thank you so much for the 5 star review and comment! 🙂
This sounds like a brilliant recipe! I have not made it, but I bet it is 5 stars.
Can you give me an idea of the size of the crust when pressed 1/4 inch thick so I know what size baking sheet to use.
Thank you!
Great question!! The baking sheet I use is 10×15″ and I spread it out across the entire pan. It will shrink slightly when cooked – so when in doubt, thinner is better than too thick!!