Drunken Deep Dish Pizza

Drunken Deep Dish Pizza is a Chicago style pizza that's topped with a pink vodka sauce, fresh Mozzarella cheese, basil and grilled chicken. 

OMG! This Chicago style Drunken Deep Dish  Pizza with grilled chicken is AMAZING! So amazing that I've already made it twice and THAT says A LOT! Technically, I had to make it twice because the first time I made it, I put a little too much sauce on top and it was very soupy. See?

After it was refrigerated overnight, the sauce did seep into the crust, but I really wanted to get the measurements right so that you  can make it at home without any issues. I'm so glad I did, because it really made a difference. 

What is Drunken Pizza?

I first heard of drunken pizza from a local Italian restaurant. They had it on their special menu as a flat pizza and the term "drunken" comes from using vodka sauce instead of marinara or pizza sauce.

They also had other ingredients in their sauce like ham, chicken and olives. It sounded delicious to me, but I wanted to make something a little more plain.

When I told my daughter about it, she said that her and her boyfriend actually ordered it and said it was delicious, but the crust was little too flimsy with all of the toppings on it.

I decided I was going to experiment with a simpler version using just the sauce, grilled chicken and cheese. Then I would make it a deep crust pizza instead so it would hold the sauce better. 

What kind of pizza dough should you use?

Most of the time I'm looking to save some time in the kitchen; which is why all of my pizza recipes use already prepared pizza dough. I prefer to use either dough that I've purchased from our local pizza restaurant or the kind you can buy either frozen or refrigerated in the grocery store.

Here in NJ we have great pizza and many of our restaurants will sell you the dough. I don't really recommend the dough that comes in a tube in the refrigerated section as it has more of a bread consistency.

However, if that is all you have available to you, I'm sure it would work, but the taste and consistency may be different. 

What is Deep Dish Pizza?

Deep Dish Pizza was thought to originate in Chicago and is baked in a round pan so that it has a high edge and thicker crust. It's similar to Sicilian pizza, but instead of being rectangular its round. 

How do you make Vodka Sauce?

You can make your own vodka sauce by following this recipe for Penne alla Vodka or you can make a quick version using jarred sauce. You only need 3 tablespoons of sauce for this drunken chicken pizza.

My suggestion is to make the full batch of sauce, take out what you need for the pizza; then either toss it with pasta for another meal or freeze the remainder for another time.

How do you make Drunken Deep Dish Pizza?

For this recipe you'll need pizza dough, vodka sauce, EVOO, fresh Mozzarella cheese, basil and grilled chicken. 

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. If using frozen pizza dough, take it out of the freezer at least 4 hours before so that it has time to defrost and come to room temperature.

If using refrigerated dough, take it out of the refrigerator 1 hour before you're ready to stretch out the dough. Trust me, it will be much easier and quicker to stretch out. 

Add the olive oil to an 8-inch cake pan; then add the dough and using your hands stretch it out so that its evenly spread on the bottom and sides of the pan. It may seem like a little too much, but it will help the pizza get crispy on the bottom and allow it to come out of the pan easier. 

Next, add the vodka sauce and spread it over the bottom of the dough. Add the Mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken and top with fresh basil. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes until the dough has puffed up, the cheese is melted and the sides are light brown. 

What other toppings can you use?

I chose to use grilled chicken on our pizza; however, you can also use any of the following; as long as they are pre-cooked:  

1. Chicken Strips come already cooked and sliced in your grocers refrigerated section in a variety of flavors
2. Italian Sausage
3. Shrimp
4. Vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach, etc.)

Like I mentioned earlier, this grilled chicken Drunken Deep Dish Pizza was incredibly delicious. Depending on how you're serving it, you can cut it into 4, 6 or 8 pieces.

We like to switch our pizza up and bit and alternate between thin and thick crust. This recipe is by far one of our favorites so far. ~Enjoy!

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