Load up all of your favorite Southwestern toppings on this easy Taco Pizza! This fun, customizable dinner idea is always a hit, even with picky eaters.
Make Pizza Night Even More Fun!
Pizza night and taco night: two beloved menu traditions! Amirite? 🫶 It seems like we just can’t get tired of crunchy tacos and melty, cheesy pizza. But did you know you can combine the two? This might just break the Internet.
Basically, taco pizza is my life now. With a store-bought crust (or a homemade one, if I’m in the mood), it’s so easy to pull together. You could even assign older kids to make this, with your supervision, to get a little hands-on experience with cooking.
How Is Taco Pizza Made?
Another thing to love about taco pizza? It’s so much better for you than takeout or fast food. Take a look at these simple ingredients, and you’ll agree:
- Pizza Crust: One pre-baked pizza crust. You can use a store-bought pizza crust, refrigerated dough that you shape and bake, or homemade pizza crust.
- Onion: One small onion, chopped.
- Ground Beef: Lean is fine, or you can use a fattier ground beef like ground chuck.
- Taco Seasoning: A packet of taco seasoning, or you can make your own if you prefer.
- Refried Beans: I use canned refried beans.
- Salsa: Go crazy with your favorite salsa! Any kind will work. You can use regular tomato salsa, tomatillo salsa for a more tangy flavor, or salsa with mango for some sweet, tropical vibes.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, plus shredded mozzarella for that stretchy, irresistible pizza vibe!
- Crushed Tortillas: We love the addition of crispy crushed tortilla chips, but feel free to leave these out.
- Sliced Black Olives: Canned and drained. These can also be omitted, if you prefer.
- Hot Sauce: If you like things a little spicy, add dashes of hot sauce all over the pizza. Taco sauce is also great for this.
- Additional Toppings: The finished pizza is topped with diced tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper, sliced green onions, and shredded lettuce.
Let’s Make Taco Pizza!
Now that we’ve covered the ingredients list, it’s time to take a look at the cooking process. This pizza recipe is so easy to make! It’s as simple as layering the ingredients and throwing it into the oven.
- Cook the Taco Meat. Start by preheating the oven to 425°F. That way, when the pizza is assembled, it can go right into the oven. Next, cook your ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Break the beef up as it cooks, and when there’s no pink left, drain away the excess grease. Stir in the water and taco seasoning, and cook for another few minutes to thicken up.
- Make the Refried Beans. To make the “pizza sauce,” combine the salsa and refried beans and mix well with a fork (a spoon works too, but a fork is easier).
- Layer the Ingredients. Take your pizza crust and spread the refried beans evenly over the top. Leave a little border around the edge. Top the beans with the ground beef. Next, sprinkle on the cheddar, crushed tortilla chips, and mozzarella. Finally, add your sliced black olives and dashes of hot sauce (if you’re using hot sauce).
- Bake! Place the pizza in your preheated oven. You can use a pizza pan, pizza stone, or place it directly on the rack. Bake it for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
- Add More Toppings. Once the pizza is baked, take it out of the oven and add any additional toppings that you like: diced tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, sliced green onions, and shredded lettuce are some of our favorites.
- Enjoy! Cut into slices and serve it warm.
Tips for Success
When it comes to making this dish, you really can’t go wrong. Still, I do have a few pieces of advice to share. Let’s talk tips!
- Drain Well: Make sure to drain the grease from your beef mixture thoroughly. Too much grease can run over the pizza and soak into the toppings. You might also want to drain the salsa a bit if it’s very liquidy.
- Toppings: While the toppings in this recipe are pretty popular in my kitchen, not everyone is a fan of black olives, hot sauce, bell pepper, etc. And on the other hand, you may want to add other toppings like chopped cucumber, a tangy slaw, or sauteed mushrooms. Feel free to customize this dish to suit your family’s taste!
- Ground Beef: If you want a lighter option, try substituting ground chicken, turkey, or even tofu crumbles instead of beef.
Side Dish Inspiration
What goes well with taco pizza? You can whip up all of your favorite Southwest-style sides to go with this zesty main dish, or you can just serve it with the normal sides you like with pizza! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Garlic Knots: Soft, chewy Garlic Knots are a cinch to make with refrigerated dough, and go equally well with taco pizza and regular pizza. You’ve got to try these!
- Mexican Street Corn Salad: The only thing missing from this Mexican Street Corn Salad is the cob – but that just makes it easier to nosh. Yum!
- Asparagus Fries: Pizza and fries? You heard that right! These Parmesan Panko Asparagus Fries are fun to eat and loaded with veggie goodness. A light sprinkling of Japanese breadcrumbs makes them that much more delicious.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
- You can store leftover taco pizza in the refrigerator for up to two days. I recommend wrapping each piece in plastic wrap or foil.
- You can also place the pieces in a large, shallow, airtight container. If you stack slices, put a sheet of wax paper or parchment in between to prevent sticking.
Can I Freeze Taco Pizza?
- I don’t recommend freezing this dish, because some of the toppings and add-ons are delicate and won’t freeze well. Instead, I recommend making this fresh and enjoying it within a day or two.
Taco Pizza
Load up all of your favorite Southwestern toppings on this easy Taco Pizza! This fun, customizable dinner idea is sure to be a hit, even with picky eaters.
Servings: 6
Calories: 698kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked 12-inch pizza crust
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup water
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
- ½ cup tomato salsa
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups tortilla chips, crushed
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- hot sauce, optional
Optional Toppings
- fresh diced tomatoes
- chopped red bell pepper
- sliced green onions
- shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Transfer the ground beef and onions to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until beef is browned; about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the water and taco seasoning. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl combine refried beans and tomato salsa; mix and stir until well combined.
- Spread the refried beans mixture over the pizza crust, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Spread the ground beef mixture over the refried beans.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and crushed tortilla chips over the pizza.
- Add the black olives and sprinkle with hot sauce, if using.
- Place the pizza in the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and top with diced tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, sliced green onions and shredded lettuce.
- Cut and serve.
Notes
- Pizza Crust: To make things easier and quicker, I almost always use refrigerated pizza dough and roll it out. For this recipe, you can use your favorite pre-baked pizza crust or grab some pizza dough and follow the prep instructions on the label.
- Beef: I used lean ground beef, but feel free to use your favorite. Also, mix it up and use ground chicken, turkey, or ground pork. Tofu crumbles will also work.
- Toppings: Use your favorite combination of taco toppings to create your pizza.
- Storing: You can store leftover taco pizza in the refrigerator for up to two days. I recommend wrapping each piece in plastic wrap or foil. You can also place the pieces in a large, shallow, airtight container. If you stack slices, put a sheet of wax paper or parchment in between to prevent sticking.
- Nutrition: The nutrition facts are only an estimate, provided as a courtesy, and do not include nutrition facts for the added optional toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 698kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1134mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 482mg | Iron: 4mg
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