This BBQ Chicken Flatbread is a healthy pizza alternative for diabetics, and a favorite at my house. With flavorful and tangy barbecue sauce and melted cheese on an easy-to-make homemade crust, this recipe is always a winner!

It’s perfect for a fun at-home lunch date or to eat while the game is on tv. And it’s great to make when company comes over because it’s in the oven when they arrive, and you are free to chat with your guests while it finishes cooking.

The kids can help with this one, too. When we have homemade pizza night, my kids love to help with the assembly. Toppings are their favorite. (Just like on the apple nachos they love.) And it’s easy, cheap, and fun!

HOW TO MAKE THIS PIZZA ALTERNATIVE FOR DIABETICS

For people with diabetes, this is definitely a more diabetes friendly option than a super greasy pizza that may send your blood sugar numbers for a wild ride. You can control the ingredients, so you can control the carb counts. So, let’s dive in!

1. SHRED CHICKEN FOR THE BBQ CHICKEN FLATBREAD

The first thing I do is make sure my chicken is cooked and shredded. I like to shred a rotisserie chicken for mine, which is pretty easy since it’s already cooked. But you can always cook and shred your own if you prefer.

Then I mix the shredded chicken into my barbecue sauce. I cover and refrigerate it for several hours until I’m ready to make the flatbread.

2. MAKE THE BBQ CHICKEN FLATBREAD CRUST

This recipe has got to be one of the simplest homemade crusts I’ve seen. All you need is just flour, baking power, salt, milk, and olive oil. You’ll stir all the ingredients together until a soft dough forms, knead the dough, and cover it to let it stand 10 minutes. That’s it — it doesn’t get much easier than that.

3. PREP THE TOPPING INGREDIENTS FOR THIS HEALTHY PIZZA ALTERNATIVE for diabetics

While the dough is resting, you can prep your topping ingredients. (It’s a good time to preheat your oven now, too!)

The toppings for this barbecue chicken flatbread are pretty simple as well. You’ve already got the chicken in the barbecue sauce, so now it’s a matter of chopping green onion and tomato, and getting out the shredded mozzarella cheese.

You can certainly shred your own if you like. Or you can go the quick route and buy pre-shredded cheese.

4. ASSEMBLe YOUR BBQ CHICKEN FLATBREAD

Once the dough has rested and your other ingredients are ready to go, it’s time to assemble your flatbread.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out to roughly 9×13 inches to fill a baking stone. Then top with the chicken, and cover with mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.

5. BAKE YOUR HEALTHY PIZZA ALTERNATIVE

The flatbread will need to bake on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Cook time will be 12-15 minutes in your preheated oven, or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Then you can remove it from the oven and top it with the green onions.

Be sure to allow the flatbread to cool for several minutes before slicing to serve.

Does this not look completely delicious? And you can feel much better eating something like this than you can feel about eating a greasy pizza… but it still kind of feels like you’re eating a pizza!

BBQ CHICKEN FLATBREAD CARBS

The carbs in a flatbread are sometimes a bit tricky to count because of the shape of the crust and coverage with toppings. But I make it just as even as I can get it.

In this particular recipe, we have most of our carbs in the crust and barbecue sauce. With the specific brand of ingredients I used for this recipe, the entire total was 180g of carbs. So 1/4 of the flatbread totals 45g of carbs. If you use a more mild barbecue sauce, your total may be less. If you use a sweeter sauce, it will be more.

Be sure to work this into your diet how you best manage your diabetes. And be sure to count the total carbs (or net carbs) in the specific products you use. Different brands vary in ingredients, so be doubly sure of the nutritional information in what you’re eating.

WHAT MAKES THIS PIZZA ALTERNATIVE DIABETIC FRIENDLY?

Great question! Here’s the thing with something being “diabetic friendly.” We all have different diets and preferences and ways to manage our diabetes. And although most people with type 2 diabetes limit carbs and sugar intake for a low carb lifestyle, some people with type 1 diabetes will tell you they can eat literally whatever they want as long as they dose for it. And I won’t say that’s not true.

For me, after living with type 1 for 30+ years, I consider something to be diabetic friendly if it is either:

• a recipe that combines whole grain, protein, and healthy fats to help stabilize blood sugar levels to avoid a blood sugar spike
• a healthier alternative to the ingredients you would normally find in a traditional recipe

This recipe is absolutely the second of those two options. When you order a pizza from a restaurant, you don’t fully know every ingredient in it. You can certainly look up the carb counts, but traditional pizza is notorious for instigating blood sugar roller coasters. With this recipe, you can know you’re using good ingredients, measure the ingredients with carbs, and still “eat pizza” with a fraction of the grease and fat.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS BBQ CHICKEN FLATBREAD

The evening we had this particular barbecue chicken flatbread, I served it with some kid-friendly breadsticks and a salad. You could easily eat it by itself for a lighter meal as a lunch, or you could serve it alongside other appetizers for a fun dinner.

VARIATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE

• You could certainly switch up the ingredients here… I’m thinking a Margherita flatbread with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella would be amazing! Fig and prosciutto would be delicious in case you felt like getting fancy. How about spinach and goat cheese, or artichoke and ricotta? Some of these I could even see as a side dish to a main meat entree. The possibilities are endless.

• Another variation would be to use a pre-made crust — that would save some time for sure.

• And I’ve not made the dough with whole wheat flour just yet. Once I do, I will update the post. But that would certainly make it a little healthier and more diabetes-friendly than traditional all-purpose flour. (If you have a whole wheat dough recipe, please let me know in the comments!)

STORING FOR LATER

This flatbread with store nicely in the refrigerator for several days. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To crisp it as you reheat, consider warming in a skillet on the oven or for a few minutes in an air fryer.

And now on to the recipe…

DID YOU MAKE this recipe?

If you’ve made this recipe, would you please leave a comment? I would love to hear from you!

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NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. Nothing here should be taken as professional medical advice. Any nutritional information provided should be used as a general guideline and estimate only. For the most accurate information, please calculate based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as any changes you make to the recipe.

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