Pizza GAINS: Chicken Crust Pizza (Low Carb, Keto, Gluten Free, Budget Friendly)

2018 Apr 15

When you go keto or low-carb, need a gluten free pizza recipe, or whether you're trying to eat healthier in general, pizza is the hardest thing to "give up." It's a favorite food of loads of people, but isn't seen as very healthy.

We've come up with a very simple crust for pizza that makes it far healthier. And if you're trying to get more protein in, this pizza is GAINS, because the crust is made from chicken, but has the texture and taste of thin-crust pizza. No joke. Mr. Hubs used to get crazy cravings for Papa Gino's, and this pizza has completely fixed that.

Here you go!

Kitchen items you will need:

• Sheet pan or pizza pan (we use one like this) ¹
• Foil to line the pan (we like Reynolds, it seems to be the default foil for most people)

Kitchen items you don't need, but that make this easier:

• Parchment paper (we use this one)
• Rolling pin (we have this one!)
• Pastry cutter (we have this one - I'm all about multi-tasking kitchen tools, and I use this to shred the chicken)

Pizza GAINS: Chicken Crust Pizza

One serving = half a pizza. This makes two servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cans of chicken, rinsed and drained (we use the BJ's version of this)
  • Note: You can also use about 1 lb ground chicken. We just like the ease of the canned chicken because you don't have to defrost it in advance.
• 1 cup of parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Italian or pizza seasoning, added to taste
• Your choice of toppings (tomato sauce to taste, cheese, etc.)

Takes 15 min prep, can serve up to 2.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Layer sheet pan with foil and oil thoroughly.
   1. You can use Pam or an oil of choice for this. If using Pam, spray thoroughly once and then again just before transferring the dough.
3. Thoroughly rinse and drain canned chicken. Add to mixing bowl and shred chicken into small pieces.
   1. We use a pastry cutter to accomplish this quickly.
4. Add parmesan cheese, egg, garlic powder, and Italian/pizza seasoning.
5. Combine all ingredients by kneading/mixing with hands; should begin lumping together, almost like a dough.
6. Form the dough into the crust that will fit on your baking sheet of choice. We aim for about 0.5-1 centimeter of width for even cooking.
   1. TIP: Do NOT form the crust directly onto the foiled sheet. It will stick and you won't get it off the pan at the end of the process.
   2. We have found it's easiest with the following method:
      1. Put "dough" in-between two sheets of parchment paper.
      2. Roll out with the rolling pin.
      3. Use a spoon to push edges in slightly once desired shape/width is met to create a sort of edge.
7. Transfer the crust to the pan.
   1. We place the pan upside down on top of the dough and then use the parchment paper on the bottom to flip both over, like placing a piece of paper under a glass and flipping it over to trap a bug. Horrible analogy for a recipe but hopefully it helps visualize the process.
8. Bake for 20 minutes.
9. Remove crust from oven.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 425.
11. Add sauce (get ultra low carb by making your own sauce). Recommend not going over 0.5 cups of sauce or the crust gets soggy. 1. When I make half of this pizza margherita, I only use 1/8 cup of sauce on that half.
12. Add the rest of your toppings. 1. If making a margherita pizza, add the basil at the end.
13. Bake for 1-2 minutes at 425, then broil at your desired temperature until your toppings are bubbly and cooked as desired.