Restaurant-Style Chicken Tikka Pizza

Pizzeria-style chicken tikka pizza with aggressive 15-minute knead, 440 g dough balls, creamy tikka sauce, and the restaurant flavor secret.

Written by Zahid Tayyab Original recipe by Chef Amir Zubair Proofread by Chef Amir Zubair Published October 3, 2026

International

Prep Time:1 hour 45 minutes (includes marination and pan rest)

Total Time:2 hours 20 minutes

Servings:1 twelve-inch pizza, serves 3-4

Allergen warning

This recipe contains: Gluten, Dairy. If you have a food allergy, check every ingredient label before cooking.

On this page

🧂 Ingredients
Method
Nutrition
Pro tips and troubleshooting
FAQs
Conclusion

Commercial pizzeria deck ovens run between 250 and 300 degrees Celsius, and that single fact explains why restaurant pizza tastes different from most homemade versions. I bake this chicken tikka pizza in that same heat, where the crust puffs, the cheese blisters, and the tikka chicken stays juicy. This recipe comes from a working Pakistani restaurant kitchen. It uses a professional dough formula with bread improver, a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce, and chicken marinated in real tikka masala. Read through the method once before you start, because the dough rest and the high-heat bake make or break the result.

Estimated nutrition per serving
Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat
780	38 g	85 g	32 g

Estimated values per serving. See the Nutrition section below for details.

🧂 Ingredients

For the dough

All-purpose flour: 500 g
Milk powder: 14 g
Salt: 5 g
Bread improver: 4 g
Dry yeast: 4.5 g
Sugar: 6 g
Warm water: 240 ml
Oil: 10 ml

For the sauce

Professional mayonnaise: 30 g (use the site's professional mayonnaise recipe)
Dry oregano: 1/2 tsp
Dry parsley: 1/2 tsp
Dry milk powder: 1 tbsp
Chili flakes: 1 tsp
Garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Cream: 10 g

For the chicken

Chicken breast, cut in small cubes: 100 g
Tikka masala powder (any good brand): 4 tbsp
Yogurt: 3 tbsp

For topping and assembly

Capsicum, medium, cut in rings: 1
Onion, medium, cut in rings: 1
Mushrooms, cut in rings: 4-5
Black olives, cut in rings: 8-10
Cheddar cheese: 60 g
Mozzarella cheese: 140 g

Method

Step 1

Pour the warm water into a bowl.

Step 2

Stir in the dry yeast, sugar, and bread improver.

Step 3

Cover the bowl and leave it for 5 minutes to activate.

Step 4

Combine the flour, salt, and milk powder in a large mixing bowl.

Step 5

Pour the activated yeast mixture into the dry ingredients.

Step 6

Mix everything into a shaggy dough.

Step 7

Add the oil.

Step 8

Knead aggressively for 15 minutes without stopping, until the dough turns smooth and elastic.

Step 9

Cover the dough and rest it while you prepare the other components.

Step 10

Cut the chicken breast into small cubes.

Step 11

Mix the tikka masala powder with the yogurt in a bowl.

Step 12

Coat the chicken cubes in the marinade.

Step 13

Marinate for 1 hour.

Step 14

Cook the marinated chicken on high flame for 10 to 15 minutes, then set it aside.

Step 15

Whisk the mayonnaise, oregano, parsley, milk powder, chili flakes, garlic paste, and cream into a smooth sauce.

Step 16

Cut the capsicum, onion, mushrooms, and olives into rings.

Step 17

Shred the cheddar and mozzarella and combine them in a 30/70 ratio.

Step 18

Weigh 440 g of dough and form it into a ball.

Step 19

Roll the ball out to a 12-inch round.

Step 20

Place it in an oiled pizza pan and rest it for 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 21

Preheat the oven to 250-300°C.

Step 22

Spread the sauce evenly over the rested base.

Step 23

Sprinkle a light layer of cheese over the sauce.

Step 24

Arrange the chicken and vegetable rings over the cheese.

Step 25

Finish with the remaining cheese on top.

Step 26

Bake for 20 minutes until the crust turns golden and the cheese bubbles.

Step 27

Rest the pizza for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 28

Slice and serve with a cold drink.

Nutrition

One serving provides about 780 calories. It carries roughly 38 grams of protein, 85 grams of carbohydrates, and 32 grams of fat. These values assume the 12-inch pizza divides into 4 servings. The cheese and chicken provide most of the protein, and the flour base provides most of the carbohydrates. Cooked chicken breast provides about 31 grams of protein per 100 grams according to USDA FoodData Central. Adults need around 2000 to 2500 calories per day according to the World Health Organization. One serving covers about one third of that.

Note

These values are estimates. Extra cheese raises the fat count.

Note

One quarter of the pizza is a full meal. Pair it with a salad, not a second slice, to keep the meal balanced.

Pro tips and troubleshooting

The 15-minute aggressive knead builds the gluten network that gives the crust its chew and structure. Under-kneaded dough tears and bakes flat, so push, fold, and turn with real force for the full time.

Bread improver strengthens the dough, helping the crust rise evenly and hold air pockets. Four grams suits 500 g of flour. Do not add more, because excess improver makes the crumb gummy.

Professional pizzerias portion dough by weight, not by feel. Use 440 g per 12-inch pizza. A heavier portion gives a thick, bready base, and a lighter portion tears during rolling and bakes thin and dry.

Rest the rolled dough in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes. This second proof relaxes the dough so it does not shrink in the oven.

Preheat fully to 250-300°C for at least 20 minutes before the pizza goes in. High heat sets the crust fast, melts the cheese evenly, and chars the edges. A cooler oven dries the pizza out before the crust colors. The sugar in the dough aids browning, so do not skip it.

The restaurant secret sits in the chicken marination. To make malai boti pizza or any other flavor, change only the marinade and keep everything else identical. The spiced juices release during baking and infuse the whole pizza.

A soggy center comes from too much sauce or overloaded toppings. Spread the sauce thin and evenly, and bake on the lowest oven rack so the base sets before the cheese fully melts.

Dry chicken comes from uneven cubes or overcooking. Pull it off the heat as soon as it cooks through, because it finishes in the oven.

FAQs

Can I skip the bread improver?

Yes, but expect a denser crust. Improver gives extra lift and a softer crumb, so knead the full 15 minutes without it.

Can I use store-bought dough instead?

Yes. Use a fresh 440 g ball of pizza dough and rest it in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes.

Can I turn this into malai boti pizza?

Yes. Replace only the tikka marinade with a malai boti marinade and keep everything else identical.

Will the cheese burn at 300°C?

No. Mozzarella and cheddar handle 250-300°C for 20 minutes. The cheese blisters and turns golden, which is the look you want.

Can I bake this in a regular home oven?

Yes, if your oven reaches 250°C. Preheat it for at least 20 minutes before the pizza goes in.

Conclusion

This pizza brings the restaurant to your kitchen. Weigh the dough, knead it hard, marinate the chicken properly, and bake it hot. Serve it with a cold drink.