California Club Pizza — A Grown-Up Twist on Pizza Night
If you’re a fan of California chicken club sandwiches or love a good salad, you’re going to adore this recipe. It’s our team’s favorite grown-up twist on pizza—an easy, satisfying way to bring some California flair to your kitchen.
This is our own version of the California Club Pizza—inspired by the one at California Pizza Kitchen, where we always stop whenever we’re in Atlanta. (Yes, we’re that loyal!) Since the closest location is a bit of a trek, we started making it at home to satisfy those cravings without the long drive.
What sets this pizza apart is that it’s both comforting and fresh. It has all the best elements of a classic pizza—crispy crust, gooey cheese—but the toppings lean more toward a salad, making it feel lighter and more sophisticated.
We’re excited to share the recipe so you can indulge at home, too! Stay tuned for the step-by-step guide below, and let us know if you give it a try.
– Serves 2 –
Ingredients
- 1 12-inch round pizza dough (premade or homemade)
- 3 chicken tenders
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- 4 pieces of bacon, cooked
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup arugula, rinsed and dried
- 1.5 tsp Hellman’s light mayo
- ⅛ tsp lemon juice
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 tbsp salted butter, melted
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 4 tsp heavy cream
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella
- ¼ c parmesan (finely grated)
- Salt & pepper
- All-purpose flour
Initial Setup
1. Let the pizza dough sit at room temperature for at least 2-3 hours. While the pizza dough is sitting at room temperature, preheat the oven to 550°F and put a pizza stone in the oven to preheat for approximately 1 hour.
Prepare the Toppings
2. Season chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. In a small pan on medium heat, cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F. Remove chicken, set aside, and cover. In the same pan, cook bacon until desired doneness, remove, set aside, and tear into pieces once cool.
3. Slice Tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, and let the slices drain on a paper towel.
4. Rinse, pat dry, and slice the iceberg lettuce. Toss it with arugula, mayonnaise, and lemon juice.
5. Slice avocado and season with salt and pepper right before the pizza goes into the oven, so it stays fresh.
6. In a small bowl, melt butter and mix with minced garlic.
Prepare the Pizza
7. On a flat pizza peel or flat-sided cookie sheet, sprinkle a generous amount of flour on the surface and press out the pizza in a round shape. Use fingertips to create a 1-inch crust edge. Drizzle 4 tsp heavy cream on the dough, add mozzarella in small chunks, sprinkle grated parmesan, and top with black pepper to taste.
8. Use a pizza peel or a flat-sided cookie sheet to slide the dough carefully onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake until the crust is a lighter golden brown, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Use pizza peel to remove the pizza from the oven and brush the crust with garlic butter mixture.
9. Immediately top with most of the chicken and bacon, lettuce mixture, tomato, and avocado. Top with remaining chicken and bacon.
Serve and enjoy!
