Who says you need a passport and travel to travel to Italy to discover some of the world’s best pizzas? Let’s explore the 10 best American pizza styles to try here in our own backyard!
Pizza immigrated to the US over a century ago and as Italian immigrants spread throughout the country, they took their own pizza heritage (which isn’t just from Naples) and introduced it to us. Naturally, differences in the ingredients that were available as well as different palettes resulted in pizzas taking twists and turns into an even broader variety than can be found back in “The Boot”.
So what are the 10 best American pizza styles to try? Well, here our list for you to start your own exploration! Click on any of the images to take you to a recipe to discover these at home!
Our Top 10 Best American Pizza Styles to Try
1. New York-Style Pizza Surely, the most famous of American pizza styles, this thin, hand-tossed, and famously foldable pizza is probably the reason pizza got its start here. With its characteristic large, wide slices and a crispy, yet chewy crust, it’s perfect for on-the-go eating (which New Yorkers often do). NY style pizza is also characterized by its tangy tomato sauce and a generous layer of mozzarella, which is why even plain cheese pizza is a delicacy for so many.
2. Chicago Deep Dish Although a deep dish pizza like Roman or Sicilian, this pizza, originating from Chicago, is vastly different from what was likely its Italian roots. Chicago deep dish pizza features a deep, thick crust filled with copious amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce. It’s a hearty, fork-and-knife affair that turns the traditional pizza concept on its head because the sauce is on top of the cheese.
3. Detroit-Style Pizza This is another deep dish pizza with the sauce over the cheese. However, the Motor City pizza is served as a rectangle which has a thick, chewy crust, crispy edges, and is traditionally topped with Wisconsin brick cheese in the center with white cheddar around the edges cooked right to the pan. The final touch is generally “racing stripes” of sauce over the top of this Detroit hotrod!
And if you want a short-cut in making this pizza, check out our Whole Foods Pizza Dough version!
4. New Haven-Style ‘Apizza’ This contribution to the pizza world from New Haven is its “apizza” (pronounced ah-beets). This style features a thin, coal-fired crust and simple toppings. The classic “white clam pie” is a must-try if you want to really break the mold.
5. New Jersey Tomato Pie Likely inspired by the New York thin crust, this pie born in Trenton, NJ is another reverse-order pizza with cheese over the crust and sauce on top. An unusual but popular variation puts spicy brown mustard between the crust and the cheese!
6. Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza This is a pretty new pizza invention and maybe doesn’t hold the same pedigree as some pizzas that didn’t make this list. But, this newcomer is so delicious, it truly does deserve a spot in our Top 10. This pizza puts the delicious, spicy flavor of Nashville Hot Chicken on pizza – pickles and all!
7. St. Louis Style This slugger of a pizza stands out with its ultra-thin, cracker-like crust, made without yeast. Topped with Provel cheese (which is a blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone), St. Louis’s style offers a distinctively tangy taste on each crispy bite.
8. South Shore Bar Style South Shore bar pizza (sometimes just called “bar pizza”, is a regional favorite on the South Shore of Massachusetts. This pizza features a thick, puffy crust with American white cheddar cheese and toppings all the way to the edge on an indulgent, buttery, and cracker-like crust.
9. Colorado Mountain Pie Known for its very generous size and thick crust, the Colorado Mountain Pie is a feast in itself. The folded-over mountain-high crust is visually iconic. These pies are typically loaded with toppings and finished with a drizzle of honey and fans often dip the crust in more honey!
10. Ohio Valley Pizza The signature of “the poor man’s cheesecake“, which was created in Steubenville, Ohio, is the addition of the toppings part way through the baking process. Ohio’s own pizza generally uses a sweeter pizza sauce on a square or rectangular pizza and cut into squares when served. It’s also unique in that the toppings are added after baking the crust!
Topping-Style Pizzas
Where as the first pizzas on this list are more about the crust and/or the sauce, there are some styles of pizzas that are characterized mostly just because of the choices that have gone into the toppings and can often be served on any type of crust:
California Style California pizza isn’t known for a specific recipe so much as it’s known for its use of creative, non-traditional toppings. Think of a thin crust topped with anything from goat cheese and artichokes to BBQ chicken (possibly BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce) or smoked salmon. It’s a pretty solid reflection of California’s eclectic culinary spirit.
Greek-Style Pizza Made popular in New England, Greek-style pizza is generally baked in a pan, resulting in a crust that’s chewy and puffy, with a slightly oily texture. The toppings often include a mix of mozzarella and cheddar as well as toppings common to a Greek salad: olives, red onion, feta cheese, and possibly a fish like sardines or anchovies.
Wild Cards
And of course there are a few pizzas that don’t quite fit the mold of what this article is about. Still, it’s simply not possible to omit these unique pizzas:
Hawaiian Pizza The reason this pizza is a wild-card in the list is because it’s not American at all. It’s Canadian! But I think everyone will know this pizza for its use of pineapple and ham with seasoned pizza sauce on a variety of crusts.
Canadian Pizza While on the subject of Canada, we need to include the topping combination that’s known in Canada as the Canadian Pizza: pepperoni, bacon, mushroom.
Pastrami Pizza is basically a pastrami-on-rye-sandwich except on rye flour pizza dough!
Kansas City Style isn’t “officially” a style at all. But if you love the food Kansas City is famous for (or maybe just their football team), this is a delicious and fun recipe!
In Closing on Top 10 Best American Pizza Styles to Try
America’s pizza landscape is as diverse as it is delicious – and surprisingly, far more diverse than found back home in Italy. Each of these 10 best American pizza styles to try reflects a part of the country’s culinary culture and history making a pizza tour (particularly of the Northeast) a delicious way to explore America’s diverse flavors! Most importantly, no matter what you like best about pizza – thick or thin pizza crust, strong or mild sauce (or sauce that doesn’t use tomatoes), lots of toppings or little, and several options for cheese – I’m sure you can find the top American pizza style for you!
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.