I tried making the viral Caesar chicken-crust pizza, and I get why the easy high-protein dish is so popular on TikTok
Terri Peters
- I tried the high-protein, low-carb Caesar-salad chicken-crust pizza I keep seeing on TikTok.
- The dish uses canned chicken to make a low-carb, high-protein pizza crust and is easy to make.
- The recipe was delicious and I'd absolutely make it again, maybe even with other toppings.
My social media feeds have been inundated recently with clips of home cooks biting into crispy Caesar-salad-topped pizzas made with a protein-packed chicken crust.
Millions of TikTok users have viewed Caesar-salad chicken-crust pizza videos in which creators share recipes and promise the viral dish tastes fresh and flavorful. Plus, it's fairly low-carb and high in protein, especially when compared to a typical pizza.
I had bariatric surgery over a year ago and strive to eat about 100 grams of protein each day, so when I saw a pizza that replaced a more traditional bread-style crust with chicken, I was intrigued.
So, I made the viral Caesar-salad chicken-crust pizza in my own kitchen — and my family and I were pleasantly surprised.
Here's how to make it and why I think it's an excellent high-protein lunch or dinner for busy folks to add to their rotation.
Terri Peters
I watched lots of videos online about how to make the Caesar-salad chicken-crust pizza and ultimately used a pretty straightforward version I found on TikTok as my road map.
The crust requires simple ingredients: a drained 10-ounce can of chicken, one egg, ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
I also needed one head of romaine lettuce, Caesar salad dressing, and a little more Parmesan to use as pizza toppings.
I used a 12-½-ounce can of chicken in the recipe but it didn't seem to negatively impact my results in any way. If anything, it added more protein — the whole can of chicken contains a whopping 52 grams of protein.
Terri Peters
After draining the water from my canned chicken, I tossed the shredded meat chunks into a mixing bowl with the egg, cheese, and spices and mixed until combined.
Although I followed the recipe I found on TikTok pretty closely, I think this step is a great time to experiment with different spices and flavors. I could've easily added red-pepper flakes or onion powder to the mix to change things up a bit.
Terri Peters
The well-mixed version of the pizza crust ingredients looked just like chicken salad.
The juicy shredded chicken and added spices were held together well by the egg and Parmesan cheese and the whole mix smelled delicious.
Terri Peters
I spread the chicken mixture onto a parchment-paper-covered baking sheet and used my hands to flatten it and shape it into a round crust shape.
This step was surprisingly easy. I had expected my hands to get messy, like when I make meatballs using ground beef, but the clean-up was minimal. It didn't take long at all to get the perfect, round crust shape I was going for.
Terri Peters
Ultimately, I made a pizza crust that measured about 9½ inches in diameter, making it about the size of the average small pizza.
Terri Peters
The chicken crust needed to bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 40 minutes, so I popped it into the oven and got to work on my Caesar salad.
After chopping one head of romaine lettuce, I added Caesar dressing, shredded Parmesan, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper to the bowl and tossed everything together.
Terri Peters
After 40 minutes in the oven, the chicken looked like a thin-crust pizza I'd grab from my local pizza place.
The thin, crispy crust was golden brown and the aroma of garlicky chicken filled my kitchen as soon as I removed it from the oven.
Terri Peters
There's no sauce on this chicken pizza. Instead of mozzarella or marinara, the viral dish calls for the chicken crust to be topped only with a fully-dressed Caesar salad.
Once my crust had cooled just a bit, I followed the TikTok's lead and dropped salad right on top.
Terri Peters
Recreating viral recipes at home can be hit-or-miss, but my pizza was indeed a dead ringer for the versions I've seen on my TikTok "For You" page and Instagram Reels.
It looked tasty and vibrant, and I liked that it was topped with fresh greens and packed with lean protein.
Terri Peters
When it was time to taste my Caesar-salad chicken-crust pizza, I was blown away, as were my husband and teenage daughter.
Even though it was on the smaller side, the pizza's protein-dense nature made it quite filling. It fed the three salad-eaters in my home just fine once we paired it with a side of mac and cheese.
We truly did not miss the bready crust pizza is normally made of and found the chicken alternative to feel lighter in our stomachs and be more filling in general because of all the protein.
I would definitely make this dish again and I'll be saving the chicken-crust recipe, too.
Next time, I'll try baking the crust, then topping it with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and baking it a little longer. My husband and I both agreed that chicken-Parmesan pizza just may be the next big trend.