BBQ Flatbread (Black Bean Pizza)

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This healthy, flavorful BBQ Flatbread pizza with corn, black beans and red peppers is easy to make at home and is low in calories. Loaded with fresh veggies, this black bean pizza recipe is a fun twist on traditional pizza and keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days!

The first time I had BBQ sauce on a pizza, believe it or not, was at California Pizza Kitchen back when I was in college (it was their Tostada pizza)! I remember being skeptical about what BBQ sauce on pizza would taste like – but I gave it a shot and LOVED it. 

Now, BBQ chicken flatbread pizza has become very popular! You can find it on most pizza menus. But even the home chef can make this simple recipe at home!

I decided to try to recreate my own bbq flatbread recipe at home — into a vegetarian version with black beans! Thanks to the gooey melted cheese, tangy bbq sauce, and tons of flavor, my whole family was blown away by how delicious this recipe was! And my kids gobbled it up like it was running away from them 😂 All in all, it was a huge success!

Latest Recipe Video!

✔️ BBQ Sauce for Pizza

You can use a store bought BBQ sauce, however, making your own homemade BBQ sauce is easy, much healthier, and super tasty! Did you know BBQ sauce is high in sugar? By making your own you can use an unrefined sugar for added sweetness, as well as processed ingredient contents and preservatives that are added to the store bought kind.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• A fun new recipe for pizza night!
• Vegetarian Version of BBQ chicken pizza.
• Serve it on its own, or alongside a bigger spread with appetizers and small bites like these bacon wrapped onion rings and these roasted zucchini and mushrooms!
• Add to your easy meals rotation!
• Great for special diets such as vegetarians.
• Crispy flatbread crust!

🍽 Tools and Equipment

• Pizza Pan 
• Cooking Brush
• Chopping Knife
• Cutting Board
• Wooden Spoon or Large Spatula
• Large Skillet

🥘 Ingredients and Notes

• Whole Wheat Flatbread: I use a whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe’s. However, you could also use whole wheat naan bread, a garlic naan flatbread, or even a large tortilla for the crust. I also love this recipe for a homemade crust if you want to make your own pizza dough recipe from scratch! There are also premade flatbreads available in most deli sections.
• BBQ Sauce: I recommend making your own BBQ sauce, but if you don’t want to take the extra step, then I recommend using Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. It’s my favorite BBQ sauce. It’s available at your local grocery store.
• Mozzarella Cheese: Since this pizza has so many flavor combinations, you really don’t need too much cheese! But it does bring the flavors together and make it an authentic flatbread/pizza! It’s a great idea to add some cheddar cheese, smoked gouda, or monterey jack cheese with the mozzarella for a twist on flavors.
• Black Beans: Be sure to rinse and drain the can of black beans. Use organic if possible, and no salt added.
• Corn: Fresh or frozen corn will work for this recipe.
• Red Pepper & Red Onion: Finely dice to sprinkle over top. If your kids aren’t fans of onions, you can leave them off. Or you can use a bit of green onion or fresh cilantro as a garnish on top.
• Olive Oil and Chili Powder: Used to sauté and flavor the black beans. You can also use a teaspoon ground cumin, and a pinch of black pepper for more spice.

📖 Variations

• BBQ Ranch Flatbread: Drizzle some ranch dressing over the top of your flatbread for even more creaminess and flavor, or serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping!
• BBQ Tofu Flatbread: For more plant based protein, add some tofu crumbles along with the black beans as a topping for this quick bbq flatbread!
• Make it Vegan: Replace the cheese with vegan cheese and feel free to add some tofu or plant based crumbles too!
• BBQ Pineapple Flatbread: Add some diced pineapples instead of, or along with, the red peppers! A squeeze of lime juice to top the pizza tastes great with the pineapple too!
• BBQ Chicken Flatbread: If you want to add some more lean protein, feel free to add slices from a rotisserie chicken or from leftover chicken breast you’ve already prepared. You can also make this into a vegetarian friendly BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza by using vegan chicken pieces!
• Create Your Own Flatbread: Make these into individual flatbreads, by giving each person a small tortilla, or individual pizza crust.
• Make it Spicy! Add a drizzle of hot pepper sauce or your favorite hot sauce to the top of your pizza!
• Taco Pizza: Give this pizza a taco twist by topping it with a couple tablespoons salsa, sour cream and guacamole!

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread out the flatbread dough on a pizza pan, and press dough so that it forms a crust around the edge of the pan. Spread the barbecue sauce on top of the pizza.

Step 2: Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, add a little oil, black beans, diced red onions and chili powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then reduce to medium heat and cook another 3-5 minutes until the caramelized onions are ready.

Step 3: Spread black bean mixture over barbecue sauce.

Step 4: Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Then sprinkle diced red pepper and corn on top of the cheese.

Step 5: Place flatbreads in oven. Bake in oven for 10-15 min, until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the crust are lightly golden brown. (Cooking time varies depending on pizza dough and heating instructions)

Step 6: Remove from oven, drizzle 1 Tbsp barbecue sauce over the mexican black bean pizza. Serve and enjoy!

🥗 What Makes This Pizza Recipe Healthy?

• Whole Grains: This recipe uses whole wheat pizza dough or flat bread dough instead of regular (more fiber, less refined grains)
• High in Protein: We replaced the “base” of the pizza with protein and fiber packed black beans (instead of sauce + cheese)
• Less Cheese: While this black bean pizza still has cheese, using less of it reduces the amount of fat and calories in this recipe without losing any of the flavor.
• High in Vitamins and Minerals: Red peppers are loaded with vitamins like Vitamin C, E and A; and they are rich in antioxidants thanks to their bright red color. Corn is a whole grain, which makes it high in fiber and surprisingly rich in protein. I recommend loading up each slice with as many peppers and corn as it will hold. You’ll be getting fiber and nutrients from the fresh veggies and it adds complexity to the pizza toppings as well! See nutrition facts in the recipe card for more information.

❓Recipe FAQs

🫓 How Do You Make a Homemade Pizza in the Oven?

I love making pizzas at home, and this one is so full of flavor you won’t mind skipping takeout for it! In total, the pizza takes around 30 minutes to make, including cooking time, and is baked in the oven. To bake pizza at home:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you’re using a pizza stone, put it in the oven while it preheats.
2. When baking fresh pizza: add a sprinkle of cornmeal to your baking pan before adding your pizza dough and toppings on top. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate and bake another 2-7 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly on top.
3. When baking a frozen pizza: You don’t have to defrost the pizza first, you can bake directly from frozen. Add a sheet of parchment to your pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate and bake for another 5-7 minutes until cooked through.

💭 Expert Tips

• Be sure to pre-heat your oven before cooking the pizza.
• Use a whole wheat pizza dough for extra fiber. For store-bought refrigerated dough, let it sit it at room temperature for two hours prior to baking.
• Use a barbecue sauce that is low in sugar.
• If planning to freeze this pizza for future use before baking, place a piece of parchment on a metal pizza pan or heavy-duty piece of cardboard, assemble your pizza on the cardboard (or pan) and freeze altogether.
• To make vegan, just substitute the mozzarella with a vegan cheese. You could also omit the cheese completely and it’ll still taste great!

🍕 More Healthy Pizza Recipes!

• Veggie Supreme Pizza
• Green Pepper and Onion Pizza
• Mexican Pizza
• Margherita Flatbread

📋 Recipe Card