Some people prefer to add chunks of pineapple on top of their pizza crust, while other people prefer to stick to a trusty and true Margherita pizza. No matter what, though, one thing’s for sure – everyone loves this traditional Italian food!
Despite its Mediterranean roots, pizza is a popular food dish that is loved by people across the globe and, thanks to its versatility, it means that many different cultures and nations have been able to put their own spin on it with interesting and delicious toppings, and the Chinese pizza is a crowd-pleasing favorite.
Whether you are looking for the perfect appetizer or simply want to switch up your everyday meals throughout the week, today I’m going to be showing you how to elevate your standard, regular pizza with a taste of Asia! Read on for the recipe.
What Is Chinese Pizza?
As we’re sure you might have already guessed from the name, Chinese pizza is a type of pizza that is made with a variety of different traditional Asian ingredients.
These ingredients can include various vegetables and meats, although the most popular types of ingredients used to make Chinese pizza are water chestnuts (check out our water chestnut flour recipe), chicken, soy sauce, and Chinese pea pods.
To equip you with a little bit of context surrounding this popular Asian dish, Chinese pizza rose to prominence in the early 2000s when many different pizza chains began opening up in China. This led to a significant increase in the amount of pizza that was being consumed in China (both by tourists and locals) and was the main reason why cheese became an everyday culinary ingredient in Chinese cuisine (check out our chinese ham recipe) – which was relatively unheard of up to that point.
With the hugely significant increase in pizza consumption in China, many local chefs and pizza restaurants began putting an Asian twist on the traditional-style pizza, and this was how the much-loved Chinese pizza was created.
Combining all of the ingredients that make pizza one of the most popular and well-loved foods in the world, Chinese pizza looks like any other type of pizza, the only difference being that it contains a variety of delicious Asian ingredients that many people around the world would associate with traditional Chinese cuisine.
Chinese Pizza Recipe
Chinese Pizza Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
What You’ll Need:
- 1 tablespoon of chili oil (or vegetable if you want less of a spicy kick)
- 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger root
- Chilli puree with added garlic
- 1 dash of soy sauce
- Pizza dough crust (store-bought or homemade – whichever you prefer)
- One red onion (sliced)
- Grated mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Chinese pea pods
- 2 chopped chicken breast
- Tomato sauce
- Cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- To begin, warm your oven to around 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, while your oven is heating up, take a large, wok-style cooking pan and add your oil, your chicken breast, the ginger root, tomato sauce, soy sauce, and chili puree.
- Ensuring that you are keeping a close eye on your chicken mix so that it doesn’t overcook, then proceed to take your pizza dough (I personally prefer to buy them pre-made for extra convenience) and then spoon all of the contents from the wok into the middle of your pizza dough!
- Once you have spooned all of your chicken mixture into your pizza dough, you should finish by adding in the Chinese pea pods, the sliced red onion, and then sprinkle with a delicious topping of mozzarella cheese, just like you would while making regular pizza.
- Once you have completed making your pizza, you should then go ahead and place your pizza inside your oven (which you will have already given enough time for it to preheat) and then bake your pizza for around 15 to 20 minutes, or until you notice that the pizza is piping hot and all the cheese has melted.
- Using an oven glove, remove the pizza from the oven and then place it on your kitchen countertop so that it can cool down a little. Then, while you have set your pizza on the counter, grab some fresh, chopped cilantro and sprinkle it over the top of your pizza.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy your Chinese pizza!
Tips:
The recipe that I have shown you above is just one way that you can make your very own Chinese pizza, and there are many other toppings you can add according to your own preferences.
In particular, if you want to venture out and add a little extra something to your Chinese pizza, then I recommend adding in additional Asian vegetables that will help to create a truly authentic dining experience.
So, in addition to your water chestnuts and Chinese pea pods, you can also opt to add bamboo shoots, sliced mushrooms, and even spring onions. In addition to that, you could also even add pineapple or even Asian cabbage – feel free to get as creative as you like!
Plus, if you’re planning to entertain guests or want to feed more than one person, then I strongly recommend cutting your pizza into small square slices, rather than your traditional triangle shapes.
I find this to be hugely helpful when entertaining guests and friends, as it means that there will be a little bit for everyone to enjoy.
As a side note, seeing as you’re going to be creating a traditional Chinese pizza (as opposed to a regular cheese or ham one), you might find that you have some trouble finding all of the ingredients you need to include within the recipe at your local grocery store.
For that reason, I strongly recommend that you visit your local Asian or Chinese food store in your area, as you will be able to find all of the ingredients that you might be having a hard time trying to locate!
Plus, who knows, maybe you’ll even find some other Asian foods and snacks there that will allow you to try out a variety of other traditional Chinese recipes!
