Pepperoni Pizza Chicken

Name: Pepperoni Pizza Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup marinara sauce; 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 2 oz pepperoni

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With this delicious Pepperoni Pizza Chicken, you can enjoy all the flavors of pepperoni pizza in a low-carb and protein-packed meal.

A platter with cooked Pepperoni Pizza Chicken topped with fresh basil.

Pepperoni pizza is a classic favorite of kids and adults. Traditional pepperoni pizza can be high in carbs and gluten, making it inaccessible to a variety of eaters. This Pepperoni Pizza Chicken takes the classic ingredients from pepperoni pizza, serving them in an easy, low-carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free and high-protein meal that the whole family is sure to love. (For low-carb, keto and gluten-free be sure to check the labels on your ingredients to ensure they are compliant.)

Want another grain-free low-carb dishes with pepperoni? Try this Pizza Bowl, Bocconcini Tomato Salad or this Italian Chopped Salad.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
Recipe
Food safety
Comments

Ingredients

Here's what you need to make Pepperoni Pizza Chicken:

Chicken breasts, pepperoni, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.

boneless skinless chicken breasts
pepperoni
marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Here's how to make Pepperoni Pizza Chicken:

A cutting board with chicken breasts sliced into cutlets.

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise into cutlets.

A sheet pan with raw chicken cutlets seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Place the chicken cutlets on a greased sheet pan. Brush each cutlet with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.

A baking sheet with cooked chicken cutlets topped with marinara sauce, pepperoni and mozzarella and ready to bake.

Once the chicken is cooked, spread 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce on each cutlet. Top the marinara sauce on each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella, then top the mozzarella with several slices of pepperoni. Bake an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

A sheet pan with cooked Pepperoni Pizza Chicken.

Once the cheese is melted, allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Hint: Line the baking pan with parchment paper or foil prior to baking for easy cleanup.

Substitutions

Want to substitute an ingredient in this Pepperoni Pizza Chicken bake? Here's how:

Chicken breasts - use store-bought chicken cutlets in place of the breasts to skip the step of slicing them.
Garlic - sprinkle garlic powder oven the chicken when sprinkling with salt and pepper.
Pepperoni - use turkey or chicken pepperoni in place of classic pepperoni for a lighter dish.
Mozzarella cheese - use an equal amount of grated parmesan in place of the mozzarella.
Marinara sauce - use an equal amount of pizza sauce in place of the marinara sauce.

Variations

Try one of these variations of Pepperoni Pizza Chicken:

Spicy - add sliced jalapenos or red pepper flakes on top of the pepperoni to add some spice.
Supreme - add crumbled sausage, sliced cooked mushrooms, sliced black olives, diced onions and diced green pepper on top of the pepperoni to make Supreme Pizza Chicken.
Caprese - omit the pepperoni, then cook the chicken to melt the mozzarella and top each finished piece of chicken with fresh basil leaves for Caprese Chicken.
Stuffed pizza chicken - for a more involved preparation, stuff a butterflied chicken breast with the marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni, then brush with the oil and season with salt and pepper and bake for 30 minutes at 425.

Equipment

This equipment comes in handy when making Pepperoni Pizza Chicken:

Storage

Store leftover cooled baked Pepperoni Pizza Chicken in an airtight dish in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Top tip

Cook this Pizza Chicken in the air fryer at 400 for 15 minutes (or until a meat thermometer registers 165 when inserted into the chicken) rather than in the oven, then proceed with adding the toppings and cooking an additional few minutes to melt the cheese.

FAQ

Is pepperoni chicken or meat?

Most varieties of pepperoni are made from a combination of beef and pork. However, there are varieties of pepperoni that are made entirely from chicken, turkey or that are meatless, these types of alternative pepperoni will be clearly marked on the front of the package.

Looking for other easy chicken recipes? Try these:

Pairing

Serve this Pepperoni Pizza Chicken with one of these side dish recipes for a balanced meal the whole family will love:

Recipe