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The Melting Pot
BBQ Chicken Pizza hero image coming soon
1985-present - Chef Ed LaDou and California Pizza Kitchen in Los Angeles
BBQ chicken pizza became a national restaurant-chain signature after chef Ed LaDou developed it for California Pizza Kitchen in the 1980s. It is pure late-20th-century American fusion: Italian American pizza form, California creativity, smoky-sweet barbecue sauce, and a weeknight-friendly topping lineup.
Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
14 minutes
Total time
34 minutes
Servings
2 to 4 servings
Region
California and national chain restaurants
Era introduced
1985-present
Introduced by
Chef Ed LaDou and California Pizza Kitchen in Los Angeles
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BBQ chicken pizza belongs to the family-restaurant era, when American chains helped turn fusion dishes into everyday food. California Pizza Kitchen opened with a barbecue chicken pizza created by Ed LaDou, using barbecue sauce instead of tomato sauce and pairing chicken with smoked Gouda, red onion, and cilantro. The combination traveled quickly because it was recognizable but new: a pizza-night format carrying the flavors of a cookout.
Drafted with BBQ chicken pizza history from Bon Appetit (https://www.bonappetit.com/story/homemade-california-pizza-kitchen-bbqpizza), Los Angeles restaurant history from Eater LA (https://la.eater.com/2025/3/26/24394552/california-pizza-kitchen-los-angeles-history-barbecue-chicken-pizza), and CPK-style topping context from Food52 (https://food52.com/story/22788-a-saucy-grilled-pizza-for-the-cpk-fan-in-all-of-us).
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