The Recipe Ree Drummond Wishes She Could Erase – “Fried Chicken Pizza Disaster: When Culinary Genius Takes a Wrong Turn”

Ree Drummond is a force of nature in the culinary world.

Since launching The Pioneer Woman TV series in 2011, she has delighted audiences with her hearty, comforting dishes inspired by life on a ranch.

With hundreds of recipes shared across her show, blog, and cookbooks, Ree’s influence on home cooking is undeniable.

But perfection is elusive, even for Ree.

In a rare moment of honesty, she revealed a recipe she deeply regrets: a fried chicken pizza.

Yes, you read that right—a pizza topped with fried chicken, pickles, coleslaw, and a drizzle of honey.

The concept, on paper, seemed like a brilliant twist blending Southern comfort with pizza night.

Unfortunately, the execution was far from perfect.

In response to a reader question in The Pioneer Woman magazine, Ree candidly described the fried chicken pizza as a culinary misstep.

The vision was clear: “big beautiful pieces of homemade fried chicken and thick-cut pickles with a drizzle of honey.”

Instead, the recipe called for frozen bread dough and frozen chicken tenders, which she admitted “had not won any chicken strip beauty pageants.”

To make matters worse, the addition of coleslaw—intended to add texture and tang—turned into “a sea of confusion,” breaking all the rules and overwhelming the dish.

Ree even revisited the disaster in her memoir Frontier Follies, bluntly calling the pizza “absolutely awful.”

Could this recipe have been salvaged? Ree herself suggested some tweaks might help.

The problem, she said, was that the toppings were too much, drowning the simplicity that makes a great pizza.

For starters, she recommended ditching the jalapeño slices since the pickles already provided a zingy kick.

The coleslaw, though a star in its own right, distracted from the pizza’s harmony.

Ree proposed adding toasted almonds to the slaw for crunch or frying it to caramelize the flavors.

She also suggested swapping the sweet barbecue sauce for a tangier one to balance the sweetness and prevent sogginess.

And then there was the chicken.

Relying on frozen tenders was a shortcut that didn’t pay off.

Ree encouraged home cooks to fry their own chicken using one of countless great recipes out there, promising that with proper preparation, the chicken could be the pizza’s shining star.

Despite Ree’s own harsh assessment, many fans found redeeming qualities in the fried chicken pizza.

The recipe, still listed on Food Network’s website and featured in season 19, episode 12 of The Pioneer Woman, has attracted positive reviews.

Some praised the unique flavor combinations, calling it a fun twist on pizza night.

Others swapped homemade dough for store-bought and chopped the chicken into bite-sized pieces, improving the texture and presentation.

However, not all feedback was kind.

A Facebook video clip of the episode sparked jokes and criticism.

One commenter mockingly dubbed the recipe “submitted by a local 19-year-old stoner,” while another offered a more constructive suggestion to cut the chicken into chunks rather than plopping strips on the pizza.

Yet, this one flop hasn’t slowed Ree Drummond’s momentum.

The Pioneer Woman brand continues to thrive, proving that even the best chefs have their “kitchen clangers.”

After all, who hasn’t had a recipe that didn’t quite turn out as planned?

In the end, Ree’s fried chicken pizza stands as a reminder that innovation in the kitchen sometimes means taking risks—and occasionally facing spectacular failures.

But with a little tweaking and a lot of heart, even the most regretted recipes can find a second chance.

So next time you’re hesitant to try a wild recipe idea, remember Ree’s fried chicken pizza.

It might just surprise you—or at least make for a good story.