Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls

These cheesy BBQ chicken pizza rolls take everything great about BBQ chicken pizza and turn it into soft, spiraled rolls stuffed with melty mozzarella, tender chicken, sweet BBQ sauce, red onion, and salty bacon bits. Rolled up like a cinnamon roll, sliced, and baked until golden and bubbly, they’re a fun, shareable twist on pizza night. They’re easy to customize with your favorite fillings, and served with extra BBQ sauce for dipping, they make a fantastic appetizer, party food, or a fun family dinner.

The magic of these rolls is in the technique: rolling the filled dough into a tight cylinder just like a cinnamon roll, then slicing it into individual rounds so each piece has a spiral of cheese, chicken, and BBQ sauce running through it. Baking them cut-side down in a skillet lets the bottoms get golden and slightly crisp, while a final sprinkle of cheese on top melts into a gooey, bubbly finish. They’re easy to make, fun to eat, and endlessly adaptable to whatever fillings you love.

Why this works

A few key techniques are what give these pizza rolls their great texture and shape, and they’re worth understanding.

Rolling the dough into a tight cylinder creates that classic spiral. Starting from the long side and rolling the dough away from you, tucking and pulling gently as you go, creates a tight spiral of filling running through the dough, just like a cinnamon roll. Pinching the seam closed keeps everything sealed as it bakes.

Cutting with dental floss (instead of a knife) gives clean slices. Sliding a piece of dental floss under the dough log and pulling it up through the cylinder slices through the soft dough and filling cleanly, without squashing the roll the way a knife can. It’s a genuinely clever trick that’s worth trying.

Baking cut-side down develops a golden, slightly crisp bottom. Placing the sliced rolls cut-side down in an oiled skillet or pan lets the cut surface, where the filling is exposed, caramelize and turn golden as it bakes, adding great flavor and texture to the base of each roll.

And adding cheese in two stages keeps it perfectly melted. Sprinkling some mozzarella inside the roll before rolling, then adding more on top for the last few minutes of baking, ensures the cheese is both melted throughout the filling and forms a bubbly, golden layer on top.

What goes in

The ingredient list is simple and very adaptable.

this now & bake later ❤️

You’ll need pizza dough, sweet BBQ sauce (plus extra for serving), part-skim mozzarella cheese, cooked chicken, red onion, optional crushed red pepper flakes, optional cooked bacon, fresh parsley for garnish, and vegetable oil for greasing.

A few notes. Use fresh, frozen, or refrigerated pizza dough, thawed and brought to room temperature before rolling. Rotisserie chicken or any cooked, finely chopped chicken works well. Pre-cook all meats and any hearty vegetables (like peppers or mushrooms) before adding them, since these rolls bake relatively quickly and won’t fully cook raw fillings; finely minced onion is fine to add raw. And this recipe is easy to customize, swap in pizza sauce and traditional toppings, or try fillings like ground beef, Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, Parmesan, well-drained crushed pineapple, fresh basil, olives, jalapeños, pesto, peppers, onions, mushrooms, or spinach.

How to make them

If using frozen dough, thaw according to package instructions. If using refrigerated dough, place it in a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let it come to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.

Lightly oil a large 9 or 10-inch round skillet or baking pan (cast iron works well). Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll the room-temperature dough into an 18×10-inch rectangle. If the dough springs back and won’t hold its shape, let it rest an additional 5 minutes, then roll again. Spread the BBQ sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella evenly over the dough, then top with the chicken, onion, red pepper flakes, and bacon, if using.

Starting on the long side, roll the dough away from you into a tight cylinder, tucking and pulling gently as you go. Pinch the seams together to seal. Cut into 8 equal slices (dental floss works great for this) and place cut-side down in the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top and continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately with additional BBQ sauce for dipping.

Tips, serving, and storing

A few things help. Let the dough fully come to room temperature so it rolls out easily without springing back. Try the dental floss trick for slicing, it makes a real difference in getting clean, even rolls. Pre-cook any meats or hearty vegetables before filling the rolls, since the bake time is short. And don’t overfill, an even, moderate layer of filling rolls and slices more neatly than an overstuffed one.

A couple more. These are endlessly customizable, try a classic pizza sauce and toppings version, or get creative with the filling inspiration ideas like ham and pineapple or pesto with vegetables. And serve extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping, since that’s part of the fun.

These pizza rolls are perfect for game day, parties, or a fun family dinner night. Serve them warm, straight from the oven, with extra BBQ sauce for dipping. They’re great alongside a simple salad or some extra veggies to round out the meal, or served solo as a shareable appetizer.

For storing, keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to bring back the crispy bottom and melted cheese (the microwave will make them softer). They also freeze well: freeze baked rolls in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 to 3 months, and reheat from frozen in the oven until hot through.

This makes 8 rolls. Cheesy, saucy, and packed with BBQ chicken flavor, these pizza rolls are a fun, shareable twist on pizza night, and the customizable filling options mean you’ll never run out of new versions to try.

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