The most comforting, cozy, and delicious Baked Pizza Chicken Casserole! Juicy chicken thighs are braised until tender in a luscious tomato sauce. All of your favorite pizza toppings — mozzarella cheese, anchovies, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes — are combined in one pan. A great way to satisfy your pizza craving.
What is Baked Pizza Chicken?
Baked Pizza Chicken is a baked chicken recipe with the flavors of pizza. A chicken casserole that’s hearty, cozy, and comforting with a delicious tomato sauce and lots of gooey mozzarella! BIG pizza flavors. With the ease and convenience of a baked casserole dish the whole family will enjoy.
The marinara (aka the pizza sauce) is flavored with anchovies, capers, and garlic. While the chicken braises in this rich tomato sauce, it absorbs all that good flavor. All you need is a crusty baguette or garlic bread. Dip into the sauce and melty mozzarella. So good!
The secret to this chicken pizza recipe is building layers of flavor in one pan. First, the bacon is cooked. Then, the chicken is browned in the bacon fat. Next, the tomato sauce is cooked. Finally, the chicken is added back into the marinara sauce and baked in the oven until tender.
A favorite cozy meal that’s perfect for the winter. A one pot meal that is an easy weeknight dinner and fancy enough for dinner with friends. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- Chicken. Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs work best. Juicy and flavorful, the chicken stays moist and tender.
- Bacon. A substitute for pepperoni.
- Canned Tomatoes. Canned whole tomatoes make a luscious, rich sauce. I recommend San Marzano tomatoes.
- Anchovies, Capers, Red Chili Flakes. The umami flavor bomb adds depth and loads of flavor to the sauce! If you’re worried about the anchovies, the final dish doesn’t taste fishy. The anchovies melt into the oil and disappear, adding another rich layer of flavor.
- Onions + Garlic. The aromatics make the base for this rich sauce.
- Mozzarella. Cubed low-moisture mozzarella makes for melty, gooey goodness.
How to make Pizza Chicken Bake:
- Cook bacon. In a little oil, fry bacon until crisp and the fat has rendered out. Remove and set aside.
- Brown chicken. Add chicken thighs, skin side down. Brown on both sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Make red sauce. Add anchovies and cook down briefly. Add onion, garlic, capers, and dried chili flakes. Add tomatoes and break down with a wooden spoon (or potato masher).
- Add chicken. Nestle chicken thighs into the tomato sauce.
- Bake. Let the oven do the work for you. Transfer to the oven and bake until the chicken is tender and the sauce reduces to a thick, rich gravy.
- Add mozzarella. Cube mozzarella and nestle between the chicken thighs. Transfer to the oven and melt slowly in the oven’s residual heat.
- Serve. Garnish with a little fresh basil. Scatter reserved bacon all over. Serve immediately, preferably with crusty bread.
Watch how to make:
PRO Tips:
- Cook in a shallow braiser or large skillet. To make it easy to transfer from the stovetop to oven, use a shallow braiser or large skillet that can fit all the chicken thighs in one layer.
- Add your favorite toppings. Add your favorite pizza toppings: black olives, pepperoncini, dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pepperoni, etc. The pizza flavor will shine through.
More chicken recipes:
- Korean-style Rotisserie Chicken Salad
- Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings
- Cheese Buldak (Fire Chicken)
- Chicken Bulgogi
- Korean Gochujang Chicken
Baked Pizza Chicken Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- Shallow braiser or oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 8 chicken thighs, (skin-on, bone-in) (about 2-3 lbs)
- 4 anchovies
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 Tbsp capers, drained
- 1 tsp Italian dried chili flakes (use 1/2 tsp for less spicy version)
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 8 oz ball mozzarella (low-moisture), cubed
- basil (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F/215C.
- Heat a shallow braiser to medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add bacon and fry until crisp on both sides, about 5-6 minutes total. Remove and set aside.
- Season chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Add to the hot pan, skin side down. Cook until browned and crispy, about 4-5 minutes on the first side. Flip to the other side and cook until brown and crispy, about 2-3 more minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. It's ok if the chicken is not fully cooked; the chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
- If the pan has an excessive amount of oil, remove all but 2 Tbsp. In the same pan, add anchovies. Stir and break the anchovies into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. They should melt into the oil, leaving a few pieces behind.
- Add onion, garlic, capers, and dried chili flakes. Mix with a wooden spoon until onion has softened and looks translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and break down with wooden spoon (or potato masher). Cook for 10 more minutes until thick and rich, stirring from time to time.
- Add chicken, skin side up, directly on top of the tomato sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove shallow braiser from the oven and turn off heat. Add cubed mozzarella in between chicken pieces, directly into the sauce. Transfer to the oven and let the residual heat melt the mozzarella gently into gooey puddles, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with basil. Chop bacon into 1-inch strips and scratter evenly over the top. Sprinkle more dried chili pepper flakes, if desired, and a few more grinds of black pepper. Eat immediately, preferably with crusty bread!
When does the reserved bacon go in or doesn’t it?
Thanks for the question — I added that step into the recipe notes. It can be added at the end, right before serving. Enjoy!
Do you recommend canned or frozen anchovies? Thanks!
I use canned or anchovies from glass jars.