Chicken crust pizza is one of the easiest ways to make a high-protein, low carb pizza that actually fills you up. The crust is made with just ground chicken, cheese, and seasoning, then baked until golden and sturdy enough for your favorite toppings.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Crust Pizza

This chicken crust pizza is one of the easiest ways to get a high-protein dinner that actually feels satisfying. The crust is made with just a few simple ingredients, but it bakes up sturdy enough to hold all your favorite toppings without falling apart.
I like this recipe because it keeps things simple and easy to repeat. You’re not dealing with complicated doughs or hard-to-find ingredients, and it comes together quickly on a sheet pan. It’s the kind of meal you can make on a busy night when you want something good but don’t want to overthink it.
It’s also really flexible. You can keep it classic with sauce and cheese, or add toppings like pepperoni, sausage, or veggies depending on what you have on hand. Once you make it once, it’s easy to repeat without needing to look at the recipe again.
- Made with just a few simple ingredients
- High protein and naturally low carb
- No dough, no kneading, no waiting
- Bakes on a sheet pan for easy cleanup
- Easy to customize with your favorite toppings
Ingredients for the Chicken Crust
This crust is really simple and only uses a few ingredients, but they work together to give you something sturdy enough to hold toppings and still feel like pizza.
- Ground chicken – I use regular ground chicken here, not extra lean. A little fat helps keep the crust from drying out and makes it more flavorful.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – This is what helps bind everything together and gives the crust that slightly chewy, pizza-like texture.
- Italian seasoning – Adds flavor without needing a bunch of extra ingredients. You can swap for whatever you like, but this keeps it easy.
- Kosher salt – Just enough to bring everything together and enhance the flavor. If your toppings are salty (like pepperoni), you can go a little lighter here.
For the toppings
This is where you can make it your own. I usually keep it simple, but use whatever you like on pizza.
- Pizza sauce
- Shredded cheese
- Pepperoni, sausage, or cooked veggies
How to make chicken crust pizza

Mix everything together

Press into a thin crust

Bake until golden

Add toppings, bake again, slice and serve.
Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, mozzarella, Italian seasoning, and salt until well combined.
Step 2 – Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and press it into a thin, even circle or rectangle, about ¼ inch thick. The thinner you spread it, the crispier the crust will be.
Step 3 – Bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is set and lightly golden.
Remove from the oven, add your toppings, then return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Tips from Jennifer's kitchen
This recipe is simple, but a few small things make a big difference in how the crust turns out.
- Spread the crust thin
The thinner you press the chicken mixture, the crispier the edges will get. If it’s too thick, it can stay soft in the center. - Don’t skip the first bake
Baking the crust before adding toppings is what makes it hold together like a real pizza. If you try to top it too soon, it will be too soft. - Use regular ground chicken
Extra lean chicken can turn out dry. A little fat helps the crust stay juicy and gives it better flavor. - Let it rest before slicing
Once it comes out of the oven, give it a few minutes to sit. This helps it firm up and makes it easier to cut clean slices. - Blot excess moisture if needed
The crust will release some liquid as it bakes. If you want a firmer crust, you can gently blot it with paper towels before adding toppings. - Broil at the end for more browning
If you like that bubbly, slightly browned cheese on top, pop it under the broiler for a minute or two at the end.
How I make this a meal
When I make this chicken crust pizza, I don’t overcomplicate it. I treat it like a regular pizza night, just with a little more protein.
Most of the time, I’ll have a couple slices with something simple on the side. If I want something fresh, I’ll throw together a quick salad or use a bagged one to keep it easy. If I’m really hungry, I’ll just eat more slices and call it a meal.
If I’m in more of a meal prep mode, I’ll rotate this with things like my crustless pizza or pizza bowls so I’m not getting bored but still keeping things simple. And when I want a more traditional pizza feel, I’ll make my fathead dough pizza instead.
For something a little lighter, my zucchini boats are another option I’ll mix in during the week.
If I’m focusing on getting more protein in, I’ll round out my day with meals like my protein pancakes, egg bakes, or simple chicken dinners so I don’t have to think about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can swap in ground turkey, but it will be a little leaner. If you go that route, just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out.
About ¼ inch thick is ideal. Thinner will give you crispier edges, while thicker will be softer and more like a flatbread.
Make sure you bake the crust before adding toppings. If there’s excess moisture, you can blot it with paper towels before adding sauce and cheese.
Yes. You can bake the crust ahead, then add toppings and reheat when you’re ready to eat. It’s also good leftover for a quick lunch.
Store slices in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to help the crust crisp back up.
Yes, you can freeze the baked crust or fully assembled pizza. Let it cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze. Reheat in the oven until hot and crispy.

Easy Chicken Crust Pizza (High Protein, Low Carb Dinner)
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Chicken
- ½ Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Your favorite pizza toppings
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You can also use a pizza pan.
- Add the ground chicken, cheese, italian seasoning and salt to a bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
- Dump the mixture on the prepared pan and spread into a pizza shape about ¼ inch thick. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. If any liquid bakes out of the crust, you can carefully absorb it with paper towels.
- Remove from the oven and add your favorite pizza toppings. I added pizza sauce and more cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Use ground chicken that isn’t extra lean (around 90–93%) so the crust doesn’t dry out. If your chicken is very lean, you can add a little extra cheese to help keep the crust from drying out.
- Spread the mixture thin for the best texture. Thicker crusts will be softer in the center.
- The crust will release some liquid as it bakes. You can blot it before adding toppings if you want it firmer.
- Let the pizza rest for a few minutes before slicing so it holds together better.
- This recipe makes about 1 pizza, which I usually cut into 3 servings.






Gigi says
This is now on our weekly keto dinner rotation. Delicious and so easy!! Win!!!
Jennifer says
I was looking for a new chicken crust recipe because my daughter decided to use all of our parm earlier in the day, that I needed formy dinner tonight! And here it is! Turned out better than my original recipe I had! Thank you Jennifer!! Merry Christmas, Jennifer in snowy SD
Linda says
I made this and topped it with peppers, mushrooms and onions. The ground chicken crust release a lot of water. After I changed the parchment paper and put the crust back in the oven, it was fine. Definitely worth a try if looking for less carbs and more protein. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah Schear says
My favorite way to make pizza now! I swap the mozzarella in the crust for grated Parmesan then use mozzarella for the topping.
michele haber says
Excellent , used ground turkey had it defrosted already . Added some garlic powder to mixture . Drained and air fryer it 8 minutes longer before adding toppings. Shredded some jarlsberg cheese , mozzarella, Parmesan on top . Cut up some grape tomatoes too. Then additional pizza spice . Tastes just as good as our local restaurant
Makes!!!
Susan says
I never post comments but this recipe was so good. After the initial baking I put the chicken crust on a wire pizza tray with a solid tray underneath. This got rid of any of the juices. My husband and I really enjoyed it with a side salad. We are trying to stay away from gluten. This gave me back pizza night.
Lauren Hinsman says
We have made this recipe several times lately! It makes great leftovers.
Nora Pawlik says
Great recipe! My pizza turned out delicious. If I didn't know the crust was made out of ground chicken, I would have thought it was regular flour dough. I put tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni on the pizza I made, so it was kinda loaded with more calories. Next time I'll slim it down a bit. It is very filling, so a little goes a long way. I'm not running back for seconds.
Lisa says
I made this for the first time tonight for dinner. It was very easy and it tasted absolutely delious!! My husband and I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and our doctor wanted us to go with a low carb diet for 3 months to determine if we would be prescribed meds. My husband said that the only thing he would change would be to make more! Recipes like this will help us maintain a low carb lifestyle! Thank you!!
Gayle Nykerk-Jones says
I used 7% fat minced turkey breast. This is a great recipe
Anshirley Corathers says
Can I skip the cheese as I am dairy intolerant?
Jennifer Banz says
Yes, that should work.
Michael D says
You could also get a dairy free cheese substitute. You can find this at many stores. I found it at Walmart and Aldi. The flavor is a little off but still really good.
Margie Hall says
Wow, pleasantly surprised! This is delicious , I made the crust crispier by cooking about 8 minutes longer .
It turned out delicious !
Sherry says
This is quite good! And it is certainly better and less expensive than a frozen gluten free pizza crust. It was very easy to make. I took it off the parchment paper once I added the ingredients, hoping to make it crispier. FYI, I was referred to your recipe by the YouTube channel Keto Twins. Thank you!
Jennifer G says
I was just reminded how much I like chicken/bacon/ranch pizza...and I realize how well that would go with a chicken crust pizza! I'm so excited to try it out now. Thanks for this recipe.
Ellen Bornstein says
I have tried with both ground and canned and they are both wonderful but canned is much easier.
Stephanie says
oohh! I just submitted a review but forgot to rate it 5 stars! ????
Laura says
This was so simple & so good! Thanks for the great idea/recipe!
Stephanie says
I make this EVERY TIME I crave pizza!!!! I am diabetic, and have tried EVERY type of KETO crust out there....even cauliflower pizza.... This chicken crust pizza is, by far, the absolute best....no question about it! I press mine really thin, and bake for 30 minutes....until the chicken crust kind-of browns... just my preference with chicken. The topping possibilities are endless! Tonight I am having turkey pepperoni, pineapple, jalapeno, and spinach. I am so endlessly grateful to you for posting this wonderful recipe and giving me pizza back! I have shared this with any and everyone... *hug*
Ryan Clancy says
How the heck do you say the pizza crust alone is 400 calories? A pound of ground chicken ALONE is double that!
jenniferbanz says
Correct. The nutrition is for 1 serving and the recipe makes 2 servings. 1 pound of ground chicken is around 600 calories. Half of that would be 300.
Sumer Coile says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! By far the BEST pizza crust option I've found for Keto pizza.
Marcia Cunningham says
My family loves this chicken crust pizza! Sometimes I use Alfredo sauce instead of a pizza sauce. I add thinly sliced onions and mushrooms before I add the cheese topping. We like a little cheddar cheese also.
Cindy says
Trying tonight! Looks amazing!
gerly gonzales latimore says
The hubby just made this and we both loooooved it! We put Italian sausage, onions, more mozzarella cheese and peperoncini! ??? this is a keeper indeed, thanks for sharing!
Jennifer Rinaldo says
Delish! I love this recipe! So unique, flavorful and satisfying! Thanks for posting this!!!
Ryan says
Crust only review! I only used this recipe for the crust portion and it had really good flavor. The only suggestion that I would make is that 1/2" is too thick and gives it an odd texture, IMO. Will definitely make again but I'll roll it out thinner to make it a bit crisper. Oh yeah, aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray will work in place of parchment paper.
Bob S says
Recipe says 1/4”
terdralynn says
I've made other keto/low-carb crusts, but none compare to this one. My husband and I like this crust a lot, but my youngest LOVES it! He's always asking when I'm going to fix pizza with this crust again.
jenniferbanz says
That makes me so happy! Thank you so much for the review!
Nora Thomas says
This is from the recipe:
I put the parchment paper with the crust in the oven directly on the rack.
Place the pizza crust and the parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet snd bake for 20 minutes.
So I’m reading two different references about how to bake the crust in the oven. Could you clarify for me as I may be misunderstanding the directions? This sounds so yummy and I’m looking forward to trying it.
Thanks so much for your response and for sharing this very interesting recipe.
jenniferbanz says
Sorry about that, Nora. I did change the recipe to place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet so the crust doesn't drip in the oven. I will update the post and thank you for bringing that to my attention!
Emily says
Any reason ground turkey wouldn't work as well? I have ground turkey on hand....
jenniferbanz says
It would definitely work!
Jessy says
So delicious and Keto approved! Thank you!
Holly says
Is there a way to smoke this on a Traeger?
jenniferbanz says
I am sure there is but I have no idea how, sorry!
Carole says
What a great recipe. I had a problem with the parchment paper though. As it turned out, mine wasn't non- stick. I didn't realize there were differences in papers. I wish I had checked the link in the recipe first! My husband said this is a keeper.
Sandra says
Sorry if this is a dumb question but is the 408 calories just for the crust or with the toppings too (new to eating healthy lol) I wanna make this exact recipe but I'm currently doing keto so I would like to log my correct info. 🙂
jenniferbanz says
It's for just the crust. Each serving is half of the pizza
Carole Richardson says
What a great recipe! The idea is pure genius! My only problem was the fact that the parchment paper I used didn't do well with the oven temp (read crispy) and the crust stuck to the paper. I should have checked your choice of parchment in the recipe. Non-stick parchment, who knew. My husband said if I could figure out the paper, they were a keeper! Thanks.
Tammy Reimer says
How do you dry canned chicken in the oven in preparation for this recipe?
Amber says
Do you think canned chicken would work?
jenniferbanz says
I am not sure. If you try, let me know how it works out for you!
Dori says
How much is one serving?
jenniferbanz says
1/2 of the pizza
Anna says
What is the net carb ?
jenniferbanz says
1 Net carb for just the crust
Kevin Nickerson says
This looks awsome.
I'm going to try it topped with 1. BBQ sauce and red onion and bacon.
Or 2. Buffalo sauce with crumbled blue cheese.
Looks like a 5 star recipe I'll let you know.
jenniferbanz says
Both of those sound amazing! Let me know what you think!
Kevin Nickerson says
Just devoured the bbq pizza. Buffalo one is in oven. Very good just had to pat off moisture before adding toppings
Tristan says
What kind of pizza sauce do you use that is ok for keto?
jenniferbanz says
I just look for one with the least amount of carbs
Lauren says
Do you put out nutrition information for your recipes?!
Momof2under2 says
I’m looking at my crust 10min into baking and it’s juicing like crazy! Why? ?
jenniferbanz says
That happens, it's no big deal! Chicken will release moisture as it cooks.
Sues says
omg best idea ever. I love my carbs as much as the next person, but a chicken crust? It's seriously genius and is so, so delicious!
jenniferbanz says
So glad you liked it!
Marjory says
I'm always trying veggie pizza crusts. But, this is genius!!! Great recipe!
jenniferbanz says
Thank you, Marjory!