Hot Honey Pizza

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – About Hot Honey Pizza with Chicken and Bleu Cheese

First, I will address why I always refer to “bleu” rather than “blue” cheese. Either spelling is correct. I had 5 years of French in high school and college which is when I developed a passion for it. Bleu cheese dressing was invented by the French, and you will usually find it spelled that way on menus.😉 See Bleu Power: The Funky World of Blue Cheese for much more on bleu cheese. It really is a favorite at Andersen casa!

So, how did this unique pizza come together? I recently discovered hot honey, and after seeing the price at my market, I decided I’d make my own hot honey recipe. It cut the cost in half. I next used it in this hot honey old fashioned. In a conversation with our sons, they described having hot honey on pizza, and that got my “wheels turning.”

I love creating unique pizzas like this Greek lamb pizza and this Peruvian pizza. There are a gazillion recipes for pepperoni or sausage pizza. You don’t need another one. I really like spicy, sweet, and savory flavors, and that is why I went this direction. It took a couple of tries, but we are so pleased with the results!

📋 Ingredients Notes

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

• pizza dough – You have several options. I use this NYT Cooking pizza dough recipe and knead it in my bread machine. It makes 2 – 12″ crusts. Many markets now sell pizza dough in their in-store bakery. Frozen pizza dough, and pizza crust in a tube can be found in the refrigerator section. Lastly, you can find good quality pre-made crusts. The choice is yours.
• chicken – You need to start with cooked, shredded chicken breast. A rotisserie chicken is a good shortcut. I usually simmer chicken breast until barely cooked through (165℉). After cooling, I shred it with 2 forks. See How to Cook Shredded Chicken for more information. I have not tried shredding it with a mixer as I’m afraid it will fling chicken around the kitchen. Alternatively, you could probably use diced chicken thigh meat. I usually prefer thigh to breast meat, but I like the way shredded chicken handles the sauce.
• hot honey – As I mentioned in the introduction, I have a hot honey sauce recipe, and it only requires 2 ingredients – honey and dried red chile.
• balsamic vinegar – With such a simple recipe, quality does make a difference. I keep an “every day” balsamic for some recipes, but I use my high quality balsamic for this pizza recipe.
• olive oil
• bleu cheese – Keep in mind that bleu cheese comes in many varieties. Choose one that is crumbly and sharp. Gorgonzola, Maytag blue, or Danish Blue are good choices. If you hate bleu cheese, try substituting an aged sharp cheddar.
• mozzarella – Fresh mozzarella is my choice for pizza. I have not used low-moisture mozzarella or pre-grated mozzarella. Grating fresh mozzarella is hard, so I cut it in thin strips.
• garnishes – I like to garnish with something fresh and not baked with the pizza (texture and flavor contrast). I had lots of fresh basil in my garden, so I chose to chiffonade basil, and chop the green portion of scallions. Oregano is a good choice as well.

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450℉/232℃.

• Glaze the shredded chicken – To a prep bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and hot honey. Whisk to combine. Add the shredded chicken, and stir to combine.

• Assemble the pizza – Lightly spray or oil baking stone or sheet. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Start with the 12-14 inch crust. Arrange both chicken and glaze over top. NOTE: I find tongs are useful in placing the chicken. Spoon out any remaining glaze if desired. Top with crumbled bleu cheese and sliced or grated mozzarella.

• Bake the pizza – Place pizza in the oven. Bake until crust is slightly browned underneath (lift the edge to check), and the cheese is bubbling and browning. This may take 8-12 minutes depending on thickness of your crust.
• Serve the pizza – Garnish generously with basil and scallions, and enjoy!

❓FAQ

💭 Tips

The breast meat from a rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut!

My son proofreads my posts, and he feels this pizza calls for adding caramelized onions. I tend to agree! Next time I make it, I’ll add them, and let you know!

This fusion pizza is not Latin-inspired (except for red chile in the hot honey!), but it is delicious! I’m looking forward to making it in our wood-fired pizza oven. Understanding that most of my readers are not likely to have a pizza oven, I stuck with a regular oven. So, buon appetito, buen provecho, and enjoy the pizza!