Cluck & Squeal Genoa Chicken Pesto Pizza

Roasting & bakingPizza
Written By Marc Cardinali

The Cluck & Squeal GENOA's Chicken Pesto Pizza! This pizza offers an array of rich flavours starting from the quality pesto base to the meticulously prepared toppings, expertly seasoned with Cluck & Squeal All Purpose and our signature Himalayan Seasoned Salt. Every bite of this unforgettable pizza delivers a harmonious blend of flavours, leaving you craving more. 

Recipe by Marc Cardinali. From Cluck & Squeal.

Cluck & Squeal Genoa Chicken Pesto Pizza

Prep: 50 min
Cook: 2 min
Serves: 1 pizza (13–14 inch)
Cook temp: 650–700°F / 345–370°C
Method: Wood-fired oven

Ingredients

The Pizza

  • 1 ball pizza dough, at room temperature (for a 13–14-inch pizza)
  • Olive oil, for brushing the crust
  • ¼ cup pesto (quality store-bought or homemade)
  • ½–¾ cup grated brick cheese or high-quality mozzarella

The Toppings

  • 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub, for the chicken
  • ⅓ cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • A splash of white wine
  • ⅓ cup spinach
  • Cluck & Squeal Seasoned Salt (about ½ tsp for the spinach, plus some for the mushrooms)
  • ¼ cup sundried tomatoes (we like Aurora brand in oil)

Directions

1. Prep the Toppings & Dough

Take the pizza dough out of the fridge 1 hour ahead and keep it covered.

Season the chicken thighs with Cluck & Squeal All Purpose and roast them until they reach 165°F / 74°C inside, then slice into strips.

Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the garlic and a splash of white wine, then season with Seasoned Salt once browned. Blanch the spinach, sauté it lightly in olive oil and season with about ½ tsp Seasoned Salt. Soak the sundried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes, drain and toss with our Roasted Garlic Oil (or use a quality jarred brand).

2. Shape & Oil the Crust

Coat the dough ball in flour and stretch it by hand (or start with a rolling pin and finish by hand). Don't overwork it; shaping by hand keeps the crust airy. Build the pizza on a lightly floured metal or wood peel, and brush the outer crust with olive oil.

3. Pesto & Veggies

Spread the pesto over the base, keeping about 1 inch from the edge. Top with the mushrooms and spinach, using less in the centre so the pizza is easier to lift.

4. Cheese & Chicken

Spread the cheese evenly, a little lighter in the centre, to seal in the pesto and veggies. Top with the sliced chicken. Putting the protein on top of the cheese lets their fats cook together.

5. Bake

Bake on the stone floor of a wood-fired oven at 650–700°F / 345–370°C for about 2 minutes, until the crust has the right colour and texture.

6. Finish with Sundried Tomatoes

Rest the pizza on a cooling rack for 1 minute, cut it and top with the chopped sundried tomatoes. Smash a slice!

Tips & variations

No wood oven? Bake on a preheated pizza stone or steel at your oven's hottest setting (500–550°F / 260–290°C) for about 8–12 minutes.

Fresh mozzarella? Don't grate it. Cut it into chunks or thick slices so it doesn't burn. Brick cheese is high in fat and great in wood ovens.

More recipe notes

Rich flavours from the pesto up.

The Cluck & Squeal Genoa Chicken Pesto Pizza starts with a quality pesto base and carefully prepared toppings, seasoned with Cluck & Squeal All Purpose and our signature Seasoned Salt. Every bite delivers a harmonious blend of flavours that'll leave you craving more.

Marc Cardinali