Preheat your oven to 450°F and position the rack to the middle position. While the oven heats, prepare your mise en place: thinly slice the red onion into half-moons, finely chop the fresh cilantro, and measure out the BBQ sauce and smoked paprika. Having everything ready before you start assembling ensures the pizza goes together quickly and the crust doesn't dry out while you're searching for ingredients.

In a bowl, combine the cooked chicken with 1/2 cup of the BBQ sauce and the smoked paprika, stirring until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of sauce for drizzling on top later. This step ensures the chicken is flavorful throughout rather than having sauce only on the surface.

Unroll the Pillsbury pizza dough onto a pizza pan or baking sheet and gently stretch it to fit. Brush the entire surface with olive oil to prevent sogginess and help it brown. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 6 minutes until it's just set but still pale. This pre-baking creates a better crust texture and prevents a soggy bottom.

Remove the par-baked crust from the oven. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce evenly over the crust as a thin base layer. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese, then distribute the BBQ-coated chicken from Step 2 evenly across the surface. Scatter the sliced red onions over the chicken, then top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. I find that layering the cheese strategically—some before and some after the toppings—helps everything melt together beautifully and keeps the toppings from sliding around.

Return the assembled pizza to the 450°F oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the fresh cilantro over the top. The heat will gently wilt the cilantro slightly while keeping it vibrant and aromatic—this is much better than adding it raw before baking, which would dry it out.