Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Paleo, Whole30 Option, Under 500 Calories
Smoky, juicy grilled chicken is coated in a rich, delicious marinara sauce and topped with savory sautéed vegetables. Protein packed and bursting with Italian flavor, this easy recipe can also be made in the oven and is perfect for a quick meal anytime of year! Omit pepperoni for a Whole30 compliant dish.
Why I Love This Recipe
This easy low calorie chicken recipe is one of my family's favorites! It was inspired by a version of Chicken Parmesan my husband's Grandma makes. As a child he always referred to it as 'pizza chicken', thus the idea for this version was born.
Grilled Pizza Chicken is ready in only 30 minutes and is great for quick weeknight dinners. This hearty dish is loaded with supreme pizza flavor in a healthier package that is easily customizable and kid-friendly.
Topped with rich, zesty marinara sauce, sautéed sweet green bell peppers, savory mushrooms, briny olives, and salty pepperoni, this tasty recipe is so good you'll never miss out on pizza night again!
Cooking Tips
If you prefer baked chicken in this recipe instead of grilled, no problem! Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, place chicken in a glass dish and bake about 18-22 minutes until thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grilled Pizza Chicken reheats nicely. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10 minutes. Or warm in the microwave on MED-HIGH heat for a total of 2-3 minutes until heated through. I usually don't go higher than power level 6 to warm chicken or you risk drying it out or causing a rubbery texture.
Since this recipe reheats so well, you could double it and prepare a full batch of Homemade Marinara Sauce to have leftovers for lunch or another quick dinner.
Either completely omit the pepperoni or replace with Applegate Farms Prosciutto for a Whole30 approved recipe. Choose a good quality pepperoni like this one from Applegate Farms to remain paleo compliant.
If you're really pressed for time and energy, use a good quality store bought marinara sauce instead. This is my family's favorite because the taste and quality; it has all natural ingredients and doesn't contain additives or preservatives.
Serving Suggestions
Whole30/Paleo: overtop of a bed of spiralized vegetables, alongside a crisp side salad or fresh sautéed green beans. Remember to omit the pepperoni or replace with a good quality prosciutto for a Whole30 approve recipe.
Gluten Free: with any of the above suggestions or on top of protein packed chickpea pasta, alongside gluten free garlic bread or gluten free baguette.
My kids and I like to dice the chicken in to bite sized pieces and heap on extra toppings.
This is also a fun meal to make for bigger family friendly dinners. For these meals, I like to double or triple the recipe, pre-slice the chicken and serve everything separately as a topping bar.
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📖 Recipe
Grilled Pizza Chicken {Paleo, Whole30 Option}
Equipment
- 1 outdoor grill or grill plate
- 1 large plate
- 1 sauce pan
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 4 ½ lb chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2½ teaspoon Homemade Italian Seasoning
½ Batch of Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ¾ teaspoon Homemade Italian Seasoning*
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- ¾ cup water
Pizza Toppings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 med green bell pepper sliced
- 4 oz sliced white mushrooms
- few pinches salt
- 16 pepperonis sliced
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup dairy free cheese** optional
Instructions
½ Batch Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce
- In a small sauce pan, warm oil over MED-LOW. Add garlic and ¾ teaspoon Homemade Italian Seasoning. Sauté garlic and spices in oil stirring frequently until browned and aromatic about 3-5 minutes. This infuses the oil with flavor. If garlic begins to brown too quickly, reduce heat.
- Add tomato paste, mix to combine. Toast the tomato paste, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minutes until slightly darkened in color.
- Add water and mix well. Simmer on low 5-10 minutes or longer to deepen the flavor.
Grilled Chicken
- Pre-heat grill to MED-HIGH around 450°.
- Rub olive oil to evenly coat the raw chicken breasts.
- Evenly sprinkle salt and 2½ teaspoon Homemade Italian Seasoning over chicken breasts.
- Add chicken breasts to grill and close the lid turning every 5 minutes until cooked through at 165℉. This takes about 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts.
- Remove chicken to large plate, cover with tinfoil and let rest for 10 minutes.
Pizza Toppings
- While chicken breasts are cooking start preparing the toppings:In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. When warm add sliced green peppers and a couple pinches of salt. Sauté stirring occasionally until starting to soften. Then add mushrooms and pepperoni. Continue to cook until veggies are soften and pepperonis are slightly crisp.
Pull It All Together
- Top chicken breasts with marinara sauce, dairy free cheese (if desired) and a heaping scoop of the pizza toppings mixture. Serve warm with you favorite sides!
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