If you love bold Thai flavors but still want an easy, family-friendly dinner, this Thai chicken pizza is one you’ll eat on repeat. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and packed with flavor thanks to a creamy peanut sauce, tender chicken, melty cheese, and crisp veggies. Best of all, it comes together in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients and a few smart shortcuts.
Copycat CPK Thai Chicken Pizza
This recipe is my homemade take on the famous California Pizza Kitchen Thai chicken pizza. Made with store-bought pizza dough, leftover shredded chicken, and a quick homemade Thai peanut sauce, it’s an easy recipe that really delivers on flavor.
The Thai peanut pizza sauce is incredibly rich and flavorful, made with natural peanut butter, Sriracha, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. A pinch of red pepper flakes gives it just a touch of heat that goes so well with the fresh veggies.
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Balance the Peanut Sauce Before It Hits the Dough
Thai peanut sauce is all about balance. Before spreading it on the pizza, take a moment to taste it and adjust. If it tastes too thick or intense on its own, it will feel heavy once baked. Thinning it slightly with water helps it spread evenly and keeps the crust from getting soggy, while tasting for sweet-spicy balance ensures the sauce complements the cheese instead of overpowering it.
Thai Chicken Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender or Food Processor
- Pizza Stone, Pizza Pan, or Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the Thai Peanut Sauce:
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter (*)
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (**)
- ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (***)
- 3 cloves fresh garlic (minced, or ¾ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Pizza:
- 1 pound pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided****)
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken (*****)
- ½ red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- ⅓ cup red onion (thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- 1 green onion (chopped)
Optional Garnishes:
- 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
- fresh cilantro
- Thai basil leaves
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F with a pizza stone or overturned baking sheet inside.
- Combine sauce ingredients in a food processor or small blender and pulse until well combined. If necessary, add water to thin it out a bit to ease spreading.⅓ cup natural peanut butter, 3 tablespoons Sriracha, 2-3 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 3 cloves fresh garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Stretch and shape pizza dough and place on a pizza peel or pan. Dock the dough with a fork to keep it from springing back on itself.1 pound pizza dough
- Spread the peanut sauce over the surface of the dough.
- Scatter 1 cup of the cheese over the sauce.1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Scatter the shredded chicken, pepper, onion, carrot, and green onion over the cheese. Top with the remaining cheese.1 cup shredded cooked chicken, ½ red bell pepper, ⅓ cup red onion, ¼ cup shredded carrots, 1 green onion
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted. Remove the pizza from the oven and garnish it with the peanuts, cilantro, and basil, then serve.1 tablespoon chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, Thai basil leaves, lime wedges
Notes
- Let refrigerated dough sit out for 30-60 minutes before stretching. Cold dough is harder to shape and more likely to spring back.
- Taste the peanut sauce first. If it’s too spicy, add a touch more peanut butter or brown sugar. If too thick, thin with water 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Easily roll out the pizza dough into a circle using a rolling pin or gently stretch it with the tips of your fingers while rotating as you go.
- Sprinkle your pizza pan or dough with cornmeal to prevent sticking.
- Don’t oversaturate the dough with sauce; otherwise, the pizza may end up soggy.
- Feel free to swap out any of the veggies for something you like better, such as bean sprouts or mushrooms.
- If using veggies with higher moisture (mushrooms, fresh bean sprouts, pineapple), lightly sauté or pat them dry first so the pizza doesn’t get watery.
- Make sure your oven is super hot! You may want to preheat to 500°F, then reduce to 475°F just before adding the pizza to ensure a crisp crust and an even bake.
- Use a pizza stone or an overturned baking sheet as a base for your pizza. If using a pizza peel, deposit the pizza directly onto the pizza stone/baking sheet. If using a pizza pan, place the pan on top of the pizza stone/baking sheet.
- Let the pizza rest for 2-3 minutes before slicing so the cheese can firm up a little.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Thai Chicken Pizza Step by Step
Prep: Gather up all of the ingredients needed to make this Thai chicken pizza recipe. Bring the pizza dough to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before beginning so it’s easier to shape. Preheat your oven to 475°F with a pizza stone or overturned baking sheet inside. Grate the ginger, mince the garlic, shred the cheese and carrots, slice the pepper and onion, and chop the green onion.
Make the Sauce: Combine ⅓ cup of natural peanut butter, 3 tablespoons of Sriracha, 2-3 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, ½ tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar, 3 cloves of minced fresh garlic, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes in a food processor or small blender and pulse until well combined. Taste and adjust to suit. If necessary, add water to thin it out a bit to ease spreading.
Stretch the Dough: Using a rolling pin or gently stretching with your fingertips, shape 1 pound of pizza dough, and place it on a pizza peel or pan. If the dough continues to spring back, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before continuing to stretch. Dock the dough with a fork to keep it from springing back on itself.
Sauce the Dough: Spread the Thai peanut sauce over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the perimeter for the crust. Don’t oversaturate the dough with sauce, or your pizza will turn out soggy. Use just enough to get a thin layer. You can drizzle the rest over top or save it for another use.
Top the Pizza: Scatter 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce to create a base for your pizza. Then, scatter 1 cup of shredded cooked chicken, ½ of a thinly sliced red bell pepper, ⅓ cup of thinly sliced red onion, ¼ cup of shredded carrots, and 1 chopped green onion over the cheese. Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese to protect the veggies and chicken from burning.
Bake the Pizza: Slide your Thai chicken pizza onto the pizza stone (or place it on top of the overturned baking sheet) and bake in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Remove the pizza from the oven and garnish it with 1 tablespoon of chopped peanuts, cilantro, and Thai basil, if desired, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over top.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover Thai peanut chicken pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes. Add an additional 5-6 minutes if reheating directly from frozen.
More Exclusive Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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