I made this pizza for a Friday night dinner and the pesto, fontina, and grilled chicken on a charred crust was so good that we skipped the second course entirely. Two chicken breasts marinated in pesto for thirty minutes, then grilled six to seven minutes per side. Sliced. Two ten-inch pizza doughs brushed with olive oil and grilled until charred. Topped with shredded fontina cheese, the sliced chicken, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Returned to the grill with the lid closed until the cheese melted.
Fontina melts into long, stretchy strands that pull when you lift a slice. The pesto-marinated chicken is herbal and slightly oily, and the sun-dried tomatoes are chewy, sweet, and concentrated. The grilled crust has a smoky char that an oven cannot match. This is the pizza that made me stop ordering delivery on Fridays.
Tips for Making Grilled Chicken and Pesto Pizza
Marinate the chicken in pesto for at least thirty minutes
A quarter cup of pesto coats two chicken breasts. Let them sit in the fridge. The herbs and garlic in the pesto flavour the meat from the surface inward. 
Grill the chicken before assembling the pizza. Slice after resting for five minutes.
Grill the dough, then top, then grill again
Brush the dough with olive oil and grill two to three minutes until charred on the bottom. Flip, add toppings to the grilled side, close the lid, and cook another five to seven minutes.
The two-stage grill sets the crust first. Adding toppings to raw dough on a grill makes the bottom burn before the cheese melts.
Grill Like an Italian with Colavita: Grilled Chicken and Pesto Pizza with Fontina
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Makes 2, 10-inch pizzas 1x
Description
Grilled pesto chicken tops pizza dough cooked on the grill with fontina cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, creating a gourmet masterpiece.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 2 10-inch pizza doughs
- 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- Olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken breasts in pesto for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Grill the chicken until fully cooked, about 6-7 minutes per side. Remove and slice.
- Roll out the pizza doughs and brush with olive oil.
- Place the doughs on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes until grill marks appear.
- Flip the doughs, then top with fontina cheese, sliced grilled chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Close the grill lid and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the grill, slice, and serve.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
Frequently Asked Questions
What is fontina cheese?
An Italian semi-soft cheese that melts smoothly. It is creamier and nuttier than mozzarella. If you cannot find it, provolone or young Gouda are good substitutes.
Can I use store-bought pesto?
Yes. Jarred pesto works for the marinade and as a spread on the dough. Fresh pesto has a brighter flavour but is not required.
Can I bake this in the oven?
Yes. Preheat to the highest setting with a pizza stone. Bake for eight to ten minutes. The crust will not have the smoky char but the toppings taste the same.
