This Pizza Bagel is a quick high protein meal with BBQ chicken, melted mozzarella, and a tomato base, perfect for anyone who wants an easy macro-friendly lunch or speedy dinner. It delivers pizza flavour in a single serving without the effort of making a full pizza.
If you love this kind of high protein meal, try our Smash Burger Tacos next
Pizza Bagel
Pizza Bagel is a simple recipe made with a halved bagel topped with tomato sauce, cottage cheese, cooked BBQ chicken breast slices, and mozzarella, then cooked until hot and bubbling. It has all the familiar pizza flavours, with a chewy base, creamy topping, and savoury finish, while still keeping the protein high.
It works as a lighter, macro-friendly version of pizza because the cottage cheese adds extra protein and creaminess, while the cooked BBQ chicken keeps the topping lean and full of flavour. Using a bagel as the base also keeps the recipe quick and convenient.
This recipe makes one serving, so it is ideal for a solo lunch, easy dinner, or post-workout meal. With 32g of protein and 447 calories, it is a satisfying option that can help keep hunger under control.
Why We Love this Recipe
- High in Protein: This Pizza Bagel gives you 32g of protein in one easy serving.
- Quick and Easy: It takes just a few minutes to prep and cooks fast in either the air fryer or oven.
- Pizza Flavour: The tomato, basil, BBQ chicken, and mozzarella give it all the flavour of pizza with much less effort.
What is a Pizza Bagel?
A pizza bagel is a halved bagel topped with sauce, cheese, and pizza-style toppings, then cooked until hot and crisp around the edges. It is a quick way to enjoy pizza flavours without making dough.
This version is made more high protein and macro friendly by using cottage cheese and cooked BBQ chicken breast slices. It suits anyone looking for a filling, simple meal that fits their goals.
Pizza Bagel Nutrition
This recipe is a useful choice when something quick, cheesy, and satisfying is needed without letting protein drop too low. It works well as a balanced single-serve meal for busy days. Here’s the nutritional breakdown per serving:
Calories: 447
Protein: 32g
Carbs: 56g
Fat: 10g
Ingredients
- Low fat cottage cheese: This adds creaminess and boosts the protein while sitting nicely on top of the sauce.
- Tomato ketchup: Ketchup adds a touch of sweetness and helps create a quick pizza-style base.
- Tomato puree: This gives the sauce a stronger tomato flavour and more richness.
- Bagel: The bagel acts as the base and gives the recipe its chewy, hearty texture.
- Cooked BBQ chicken breast slices: These add smoky, slightly sweet flavour while keeping the topping lean and protein rich.
- Mozzarella: Mozzarella melts well and gives that classic cheesy finish.
- Dried basil: This brings a simple herby flavour that works well with the tomato base.
- Salt: A small pinch helps bring out the savoury flavours.
- Black pepper: This adds a little warmth and balances the creaminess of the cheese.
How to Make Pizza Bagel
See recipe card for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Start by slicing the bagel in half and mixing together the ketchup, tomato puree, dried basil, salt, and black pepper. This creates a quick tomato base with a more balanced pizza-style flavour.
Spread the sauce over each bagel half, then spoon over the cottage cheese. Add the mozzarella next, then finish with the cooked BBQ chicken on top.
Cook in the air fryer at 200C for 3 minutes for a quick crisp finish, or bake in the oven at 200C for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is hot and lightly golden. Leave it for a minute before serving so the toppings settle slightly.
Tips
- Season the sauce, not the top. Mixing the basil, salt, and pepper into the tomato layer helps spread the flavour more evenly.
- Spread the sauce evenly. This helps every bite taste balanced and stops one side from getting too wet.
- Lightly toast the bagel first if needed. If you want a crispier base, a quick toast before adding the toppings can help stop the middle from going soft.
- Do not overfill the bagel. Too much topping can make the middle soft instead of lightly crisp.
- Keep an eye on the cheese. It melts quickly, especially in the air fryer, so check it near the end of cooking.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Swap the protein for another topping. Lean ham, turkey pepperoni, or tuna all work well here.
- Change the cheese: Reduced fat cheddar or a light mozzarella blend both work well.
- Add extra veg: Thinly sliced red onion or peppers pair nicely with the BBQ chicken.
- Adjust the herbs: A little oregano can be used instead of basil for a more classic pizza flavour.
Storage
This recipe is best eaten fresh for the best texture. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheated in the air fryer or oven until hot. Freezing is not recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but it helps make this version higher in protein and adds a creamy texture. If preferred, it can be swapped for a little extra mozzarella or another soft cheese, though the macros will change.
Popular options include ham, pepperoni-style slices, peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and jalapenos. Keeping toppings fairly light helps the bagel cook better.
This usually happens when the bagel is overloaded or the toppings are spread too thickly. Keeping the layers even helps the base stay firmer.
More High Protein Lunch Recipes
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Pizza Bagel
Equipment
- 1 Oven or Air Fryer
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 4 tbsp Light Cream Cheese
- 30 g Mozzarella (grated)
- 45 g BBQ chicken breast slices
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Basil
- 1 Bagel
Instructions
- Slice the bagel in half.
- In a small bowl, mix the tomato ketchup, tomato puree, dried basil, salt, and black pepper.
- Spread the tomato sauce mixture evenly over both bagel halves.
- Spoon the cottage cheese over the top of the sauce.
- Sprinkle over the mozzarella, then top with the cooked BBQ chicken breast slices.
- For the air fryer: Cook at 200C for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- For the oven: place the topped bagel halves on a baking tray and cook at 200C for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use the air fryer for the fastest results
- Use cooked chicken only, as this recipe is designed to heat it through rather than cook it from raw.
- The oven method works well when making more than one serving.
