This Chicken Enchilada Pizza combines two favorites to make an irresistible meal. Homemade masa crust, freshly made enchilada sauce, and topped with your favorite enchilada inspired toppings.
Mexican food and pizza are two family favorites in our house. So why not combined them to create something amazing?! We love the bold flavors of red enchilada sauce and knew this would make a great Mexican inspired pizza sauce. Top it with rotisserie chicken chunks, a blend of cheeses, cilantro, and sour cream. The crust and homemade sauce is what makes this so good! The kiddos couldn’t stop raving about it.
I took my Whole Wheat Pizza Crust and swapped out some of the flour for Masa Harina. This provided a wonderful texture and flavor. Each bite tastes like a cross between enchiladas and tamales. It is what makes this pizza stand apart from the rest!
If you have the extra 10 minutes, try out this homemade enchilada sauce. The flavors are bold and it is super easy to whip up. All you need are a few pantry items (that you might already have!). If you are in a time crunch, pre-made sauce will work in a pinch!
Tidbits
Masa Harina- Masa Harina is a corn flour that is used to make corn tortillas. It can be found in the flour section of most grocery stores. Masa Harina is different than corn meal as it is ground finer and has been soaked in an alkaline agent (typically lime juice) that provides a distinct flavor. This is what truly gives this pizza crust that enchilada taste and texture.
Flour– Using white whole wheat flour keeps it whole grain, while providing a milder flavor. Don’t have white whole wheat flour? No worries! Sub it out for whatever flour you have on hand- whole wheat, all purpose, bread flour, or even 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
Freezing pre-made dough– This recipe makes enough dough for 3 -10″ pizzas. If you plan on using just a portion of the dough, before you set it out to rise, split the raw dough in half or thirds and tightly wrap the unused dough in plastic wrap. Place wrapped dough in a freezer safe bag and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use it defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. Once defrosted, continue with the rise (step 2).
Chicken– My go-to for precooked chicken is using a rotisserie chicken. This allows me to use a blend of white and dark meat. Plus, I freeze the bones for homemade chicken stock/broth. However, you can use any cooked chicken that you have on hand. Looking to sub out the chicken for other proteins? Cooked ground or shredded beef would be great! Or replace the chicken with beans for a vegetarian pizza.
Toppings- Top your pizzas with your favorite enchilada fillings/toppings. I topped these pizzas with a blend of sharp cheddar and queso fresco, cilantro, and plain Greek yogurt. Onions, Pico de Gallo, and guacamole would make amazing toppings as well!
Chicken Enchilada Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 cups Masa Harina corn flour
- 1 ½ cups White Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Instant Yeast 1 envelope
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 2 teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 ½ cups Warm Water 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit
Enchilada Sauce
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- 1 cup Broth chicken or vegetable
- 2 tablespoon Chili Powder *not cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Water
Toppings
- 2 cups Cooked Chicken diced
- 3 cups Shredded Cheese I use a mix of sharp cheddar and queso fresco
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the masa harina, flour, honey, yeast and kosher salt. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- With the remaining 2 teaspoon of olive oil, grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough to let some of the air out. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces forming them into individual balls. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- While your dough is resting, preheat oven to 475F (baking sheet) or 500F (pizza stone). If using a pizza stone, place it on the lowest rack to preheat with the oven. If using a baking sheet, line with silpat mat, parchment paper, or greased with nonstick cooking spray, lightly sprinkle it with cornmeal or flour and set aside.
Make the enchilada sauce
- In a small bowl, mix arrowroot powder and water, set it aside. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the tomato sauce, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often for 5 minutes. Add arrowroot powder slurry and whisk until combined. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, toss the cooked chicken with ½ cup of the sauce. Set aside.
Shape the dough
- On a lightly floured work surface using lightly floured hands or rolling pin, gently flatten one ball of dough into a thin 10-inch disc. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. If using a pizza stone, dust the stone with cornmeal before transferring the dough to the stone.
Bake the dough
- Bake the crust (naked, without any toppings) on the lowest rack for 12 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven. Top crust with 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce, 1/3 of the chicken, and 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from oven and top with cilantro and sour cream.
- Cut into 8 slices and enjoy!