BBQ Chicken Calzones

Featured at:



I was browsing recipes to use up some chicken I had in my fridge over at Michelle's Tasty Creations (I highly suggest you visit she has tons of great recipes!  I pinned a bunch for future use!) when I found this amazing recipe for BBQ Chicken Calzones.  Seriously?!?  Can you get much easier or delicious looking?!?

We love BBQ anything in our house...I mean we do live in Kansas City ;)  But this is even better!  It's like BBQ chicken and pizza....yum!  No going wrong there!  I did make my own dough because I have been on a baking kick lately and I had everything on hand.  Since I made my own dough I decided to divide it and make individual 4 medium calzones.


Super Easy Pizza Dough
1 cup warm water, just above body temp about 105-110 degrees
1 package dry active yeast, or 2-1/4 tsp
1 TBS sugar
2 tsp salt
2 TBS olive oil
2 1/2 cups flour

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water until foamy, 5-10 minutes
• Add salt, olive oil, and 1-1/2 cups of flour
• Mix until incorporated
• Continue adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until fully combined, depending on humidity you may need to add another 1/2 cup to total 3 cups (the dough should be tacky but shouldn't sick to you when you touch it)
• On a lightly floured surface knead dough for about 5-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes (add flour 1 TBS at a time to prevent sticking)
• Place in a oiled bowl and toss to coat the dough then let rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled
• When doubled punch down and prepare as needed or you may wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze for later use

While the pizza dough was rising I made a double batch of my Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce.  I was out and I wanted some extra for dipping.  Once those two ingredients were ready (which can be made ahead of time) I moved on to the recipe.

BBQ Chicken Calzones source Michelle's Tasty Creations
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2-3/4 cup BBQ sauce, enough to cover and moisten the chicken
1 pizza crust, homemade or store bought
2 cups shredded cheese, I used marble jack and colby cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
cornmeal for dusting (optional)
olive oil for the tops (optional)
extra BBQ sauce for dipping (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal
• Combine chicken with BBQ sauce and coat well
• Roll out your dough between 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick (I made 4 calzones by separating my dough into 4 equal portions and rolled into 6 inch circles)
• Spread the BBQ chicken over half of the dough 
• Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, parmesan cheese, and the onion
• Fold over and crimp the edges (HERE'S a great video demonstrating how to crimp edges!)
• Cut 2 slits on the top of the calzone
• Brush with olive oil, place on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

This was a big hit!  My daughter had seconds and even my picky little one told me how nummy it was :)  Not to mention how versatile it is.  You can add whatever you like.  Some jalapenos for a kick, crispy bacon, or sweet pineapple would be fabulous!  It's entirely up to you.  Enjoy!

If you are looking for a great way to meet other foodie bloggers or to maybe challenge yourself a bit by taking on other recipes please join us for the Surprise Recipe Swap by clicking the SRS button below and follow the instructions on how you can join in on the fun!

Below is the nutritional value per serving.  This recipe yields approximately 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 132 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 386 Calories from Fat 138

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15.3g 24%

Saturated Fat 7.4g 37%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 59mg 20%

Sodium 1003mg 42%

Total Carbohydrates 38.2g 13%

Dietary Fiber 1.4g 6%

Sugars 6.0g

Protein 22.8g

Vitamin A 7% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 25% • Iron 14%

Nutrition Grade C

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in selenium

Bad points

• High in sodium

Linked to: