This is what I like to call “eating color.”
I mean, there’s a lot of green here — in several forms — and it all works beautifully.
This dish walks the line between bread and pizza: think of it as a quick, delicious faux pizza built on store-bought French bread. No homemade dough, just a crusty loaf transformed with bold, layered flavors.
It’s perfect party food — indulgent, shareable, and impressive. It might feel a little fussy while you assemble it, but it’s worth the effort. Trust me, you’ll see.
This version is inspired by the buffalo chicken French breads I made years ago — the idea is the same: an ideal game-day appetizer or a satisfying dinner. It’s the kind of comfort food you’ll reach for during late-night TV marathons when you need something fantastic and uncomplicated to eat.
These French breads solve a lot of problems: they’re comforting, shareable, and full of bright, savory contrast.
The assembly is simple but flavorful: a generous drizzle of BBQ sauce, two kinds of cheese, cooked chicken tossed in sauce, crumbled bacon, and caramelized shallots. It bakes until the cheese is golden and bubbly, then is finished with a fresh shower of chives, scallions, cilantro, parsley and another drizzle of BBQ sauce. Use your favorite BBQ sauce; a mix of tangy and sweet works especially well.
It’s so good it might make you do the ugly cry — in the best way.
BBQ Chicken French Breads
4
to 6
1 hr
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 shallots, sliced
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large French baguette, sliced in half
- 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
- 8 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup snipped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Heat a skillet over low heat and add 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. Add the sliced shallots with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook 4–5 more minutes to deepen the flavor.
- Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping as needed. Remove from heat and toss with 1/3 cup BBQ sauce.
- Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce over each bread half. Sprinkle half of the fontina cheese on both sides of the bread to act as a light “glue.” Top with the BBQ-coated chicken, caramelized shallots and crumbled bacon. Cover with the remaining fontina and the white cheddar.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly and the bread is toasted. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining BBQ sauce. Top generously with sliced green onions, cilantro, parsley and chives. Slice into squares and serve warm.
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It’s Friday — devour it.