Fold all the flavors of a supreme pizza into a high protein weeknight dinner with this gluten free skillet pizza chicken casserole!
One skillet, a handful of ingredients, and dinner ready in under an hour? This gluten free casserole is about to become a favorite.
Quick Look: Skillet Pizza Chicken
⏲️Ready In: 55 minutes
🍽Servings: 4
🥗Nutrition: 595 Calories / 63g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Chicken thighs, pepperoni, diced tomatoes, basil, bell pepper, mushrooms
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free with adjustments
⭐Why You'll Love It: High protein and low carb with lots of classic flavor, all in one skillet!
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Pizza craving? This gluten free skillet pizza chicken recipe has all the classic pizza flavors in one high protein, low carb skillet.
I'm a big fan of skillet recipes than go seamlessly from stovetop to oven, like my husband's favorite One Skillet Roasted Chicken with Potatoes & Onions, Skillet Pork Chops with Maple Pears, or Skillet Rosemary Lemon Chicken Thighs!
Inspired by a pizza chicken recipe on Food52 for pizza chicken, my version uses pepperoni, oregano, basil, and veggies to deliver the flavor.
Change up the veggies to fit your tastes your use turkey pepperoni to cut down on the fat and add even more protein per serving!
Jump to:
Key Ingredients
CHICKEN THIGHS: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the way to go for this recipe. If desired, you can opt for boneless, skinless chicken breasts as well, but make sure to pound them down or butterfly them so they cook evenly like in Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan without Breadcrumbs.
PEPPERONI: I used Applegate pepperoni - you can either use beef or turkey. Each are gluten free! Beef pepperoni is the classic, but turkey pepperoni delivers more protein with less fat, and I didn't think it impacted the results much!
DICED TOMATOES: Regular diced tomatoes work fine, but you can also use fire-roasted diced tomatoes if you'd like!
MOZZARELLA: Omit for dairy free. If you're using it, though, I recommend using a fresh ball of mozzarella, not a block or pre-shredded. Fresh mozzarella makes those stunning, long strands of melty cheese that are a pizzeria advertisement staple! But in a pinch, shredded works.
VEGGIES: I added green bell pepper and mushrooms for a supreme pizza spin and help boost the nutrition of this skillet. Feel free to swap in other veggies.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make skillet pizza chicken
Step 1: Sauté pepperoni for 5 min to crisp it up.
Step 2: Cook chicken thighs for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Step 3: Sauté garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, salt, and red pepper flakes for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Add diced tomatoes, basil, and oregano, and simmer until liquid has reduced a bit.
Step 5: Add chicken thighs and pepperoni back to skillet and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Step 6: Add mozzarella (if using) and return to oven for 2 minutes. Top with fresh basil and serve.
Top tips from Chelsea
Adjust veggies to fit your tastes. Bell peppers and mushrooms not your thing? No sweat! Adjust the vegetables to fit your tastes. Either omit them altogether or add in other favorite pizza toppings like black olives.
Reduce the tomatoes before transferring to the oven. It seems like an easy step to skip, but to prevent the finished dish from being too runny, make sure to simmer the tomato mixture and let it reduce a bit.
Use fresh mozzarella. Tearing into or slicing a ball of fresh mozzarella changes the game here! You can use shredded in a pinch.
Pizza Chicken Skillet FAQs
Yes, if you'd like to, but I'd recommend pounding them to an even thickness or butterflying so they cook evenly.
If mushrooms or green bell peppers aren't your thing, swap them out for your favorite pizza toppings! Roasted garlic, black olives, drained canned pineapple, pepperoncini, spinach, and/or pickles all work!
Sure! I definitely think the pepperoni helps add pizza vibes here, but if you're a big fan of Canadian bacon on pizza, you'll be right at home. Throw in some canned drained pineapple while you're at it!
Serving suggestions
If you're eating low carb, this skillet casserole is plenty hearty enough to be a meal on its own.
That said, you can pair pizza chicken with Quick Cassava Flour Flatbread, gluten free dinner rolls, or rice.
If you're yearning for more veggies, whip up a quick Bacon, Spinach, and Red Onion Salad or Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Honey Mustard while the skillet's in the oven!
Related recipes
Quick gluten free chicken recipes are something of a staple in my house!
Whether it's quick stovetop options like Gluten Free Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls that can be paired with rice and veggies or one skillet meals like Skillet Chicken with Green Beans and Mushrooms, I've got several gluten free chicken dinners to explore.
- Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls (Gluten Free)
- Gluten Free Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
- Chicken Meatballs with Feta & Spinach
- Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Mushroom Sauce
Did you try One Skillet Pizza Chicken? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
Skillet Pizza Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 47 minutes
- Total Time: 54 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb
Description
Pizza craving? This gluten free skillet pizza chicken recipe has all the classic pizza flavors in one high protein skillet. Swap out the veggies if needed, and feel free to use shredded mozzarella in a pinch.
Ingredients
- 4-5 oz uncured pepperoni (such as Applegate beef or turkey), sliced into large strips
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
- ½ cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (or ½ tablespoon dried basil), plus more for garnish
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella (optional, omit for dairy free)
Instructions
- Crisp pepperoni. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepperoni to the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to crisp up the pepperoni. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Partially cook chicken. Season the chicken thighs on each side with salt. Add the olive oil to the skillet and cook the chicken thighs for 3-5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned but not cooked through. Transfer to the same plate as the pepperoni.
- Sauté vegetables. Add the bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and chili flakes to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes and simmer. Pour in the diced tomatoes and stir in the oregano and basil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, while the sauce reduces.
- Add meat and roast. Return the pepperoni and chicken thighs to the skillet. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the skillet from the oven.
- Top with mozzarella. If you're adding mozzarella, turn the broiler on high. Tear the mozzarella into chunks. Sprinkle mozzarella over the skillet, and return to the oven for about 2 minutes. Watch closely! You only want it to be in long enough for the mozzarella to bubble and brown. Sprinkle fresh basil over the skillet, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Add more protein and reduce the overall fat by using turkey pepperoni!
Swap in other vegetables if bell peppers and mushrooms aren't your favorite pizza toppings. Black olives, pepperoncini, drained canned pineapple, and/or spinach can all work great!
best recipe says
Your chicken pizza looks so delicious! You make me hungry now but I’m in the process of losing weight =D
Chelsea says
Thanks for stopping by!
Carla Patterson says
Wow, this pizza looks so delicious. I will definitely to prepare one like this this week - I haven't had a homemad pizza for way tooooo long <3
Chelsea says
Well, it's not QUITE pizza. More like pizza-flavored chicken. 😉 Not a one-to-one replacement, but still pretty dang good. Thanks for stopping by!
Easy Kitchen Appliances says
What do you think the carbs on this would be? It doesn't seem like it has much, if any.
Chelsea says
The carb content would be pretty low! The pepperoni would likely be the biggest culprit.
Easy Kitchen Appliances says
Thanks!