You ever have one of those nights where you can’t decide between tacos or pizza? Me too. That’s how this Easy American Taco Pizza Recipe was born—a ridiculously good combo of crispy pizza crust, seasoned beef, melty cheese, and all the taco toppings I love. It’s a little messy, a lot delicious, and basically my new favorite way to crush two cravings at once.
This recipe is a collab with our friends at A Food Lover’s Kitchen, who know a thing or two about easy, crave-worthy meals. We’re keeping their method intact, but I’ll walk you through the history, some variations, and my personal take on this deliciously Americanized taco pizza recipe.
Wait… Is This American Taco Pizza Recipe “Authentic”?
Uh no. But that doesn’t mean it’s not amazing.
Traditional Mexican tacos usually involve soft corn tortillas, slow-cooked meats (like carnitas or barbacoa), fresh toppings like cilantro, onions, and lime, and salsa for extra zing – and often some slices of radish on the side. Taco Pizza, on the other hand, swaps the tortilla for pizza dough and loads it up with refried beans, seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, and more American taco toppings.
From what I’ve found, Taco Pizza got its start in the Midwest, particularly Iowa, where a chain called Happy Joe’s claims to have invented it in December 1974. “Happy” Joe Whitty (who apparently started off as a manager for a Shakey’s Pizza). Joe’s version has broken up “taco” chips on top, which you’re welcome to do too!
Since then, it’s become a go-to for anyone who loves both tacos and pizza (which is basically everyone) and available in numerous variations from a lot of pizza parlours.
Is Americanized Mexican Cuisine Too Basic? A Cultural Insult to Mexico?
Some culinary critics and enthusiasts argue that our Americanized version of Mexican cuisine can sometimes be a milder, less complex version of traditional Mexican food. This perception arises because our version of the food often emphasizes ingredients like cheddar cheese and ground beef, which are not as prevalent in authentic Mexican dishes. We also often tone down the spiciness to cater to a broader American palate, potentially losing some of the depth and variety found in Mexican cuisine.
Tex-Mex (Pizza) versus Mexican (Pizza)
Some of the key differences between Tex-Mex and traditional Mexican cuisine include the use of ingredients such as shredded cheese, particularly cheddar and Monterey Jack, which are uncommon in Mexican dishes (Cotija cheese being more the norm). Tex-Mex also incorporates more cumin, an ingredient introduced by Spanish immigrants from the Canary Islands.
While this pizza is certainly not a truly Mexican interpretation of a pizza – for that, our Elote pizza is a far better choice:
Still, I think most people will find this to be closer to the kind of pizza they’ve grown up with (I mean most of the pizza chains offer some form of Taco Pizza). This is also because Tex-Mex cuisine more commonly uses flour for tortillas and our Taco Pizza Recipe uses a traditional flour pizza crust. Coincidence?
Tex-Mex vs. American Taco?
Yes, you might already know that we have an entirely different Tex-Mex Pizza recipe. And that’s okay! Because that’s an entirely different variation…and yet very similar in that both are born from the American-twist on Mexican food…transported onto an Italian flatbread.
Read both recipes and decide for yourself which you want to try!
Things to Try in YOUR Taco Pizza Recipe
While we didn’t use these particular options in our Taco pizza recipe, you can certainly experiment to find your own perfect version!
More Mex than Tex:
- More Mexican Meats: Try experimenting with different meats, such as marinated pork (al pastor is my absolute FAVORITE) or slow-cooked beef (barbacoa).
- Cheese: While you might not choose to drop the melty goodness of cheddar and Monterey jack, you can certainly add the complexity of Cotija cheese!
- Herbs: Cilantro might not be originally from the Americas, but it has certainly established itself as a staple herb in many Mexican cuisines. You can also give Mexican Oregano a try.
- Mexican Salsa: Because we live in Southern California, we have access to an abundance of amazing Mexican salsas that don’t grace the shelves of grocery stores. Go to your favorite Mexican restaurant and get a couple ounces of really good salsa for your pizza sauce!
- Citrus: Citrus is also a staple of many Mexican foods. Why not a spritz of fresh lime over the top of the pizza before serving?
More Tex than Mex:
- Refried beans: You can make a thin layer of refried beans on your pizza. In this case, I strongly recommend cooking your pizza on a pizza pan or screen since applying the beans will likely make the pizza very hard to launch.
- Jalapeno peppers: Depending on your personal spice tolerance, you can introduce more heat with the use of peppers. Pickled sliced Jalapeno peppers would be the most Tex-Mex.
- Black olives: This really gets the pundits fired up. You’ll see this on a 7-layer dip or a taco salad all the time, but many people see this as a cardinal sin! You be the judge.
- Chili Con Queso: This is probably not something you want to put on top of your pizza, but if you don’t mind the extra calories, this can be fun to dip your crust in!
- Doritos: Be like Happy Joe and crush up some Doritos and sprinkle on top for a lot of extra crunch!
Ingredients For Our Easy Taco Pizza Recipe
Again, our focus on this pizza was “easy” and Americanized. Feel free to change what you want to make this your perfect pizza.
- Pizza dough
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Avocado
- Sour Cream
- Chalula hot sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
1️⃣ Prepare the Ground Beef
Preheat your oven to the temperature recommended by your dough recipe. With a conventional oven, that’s often around 450°F (200°C).
While the oven heats up, brown your ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.
Add taco seasoning, stir well, and set aside.
You can use a packet of seasoning, like the one from Old El Paso (going for the Easy Taco Pizza, right) but our favorite is the one from Spice House. Or you can make your own, in which case, we suggest checking out this recipe for homemade taco seasoning.
2️⃣ Pre-Bake the Crust
Stretch your pizza dough out and transfer to a slightly oiled pizza pan and bake for JUST ~3 minutes (less if you’re cooking at high temperature). Don’t fully cook the dough!
This helps keep the crust from getting soggy under the toppings. Between the beans and the beef, this gets to be a heavy pizza and pre-baking the crust will give it extra strength!
3️⃣ The Refried Beans
Once your crust is pre-baked, spread a generous layer of refried beans over it. This acts as the “sauce” and adds that familiar taco flavor.
Again, this is an “Easy” Taco pizza, so we’re going to recommend canned refried beans like from Old El Paso. However, if you’re against canned food, or just want to try making them yourself, you can find A Food Lover’s Kitchen recipe for refried beans here
4️⃣ Layer on the Meat & Cheese
Sprinkle the seasoned beef evenly over the beans.
Now use as much or as little Mexican hot sauce (we like Chalula) over the beef and beans.
Then, top with shredded cheese—as much as your heart desires (or can handle!). We suggest a taco-cheese blend from the store for this (sticking with easy).
5️⃣ Bake Until Golden & Melty
Return the pizza to the oven and bake for about 13 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is browned.
6️⃣ Top It Off With Fresh Veggies
Once out of the oven, let it cool for a minute, then pile on the fresh toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños, cilantro, and (if you want) more hot sauce.
7️⃣ Slice & Serve
Cut into slices and enjoy! Feel free to serve some salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream for dipping.
Final Thoughts on This Pizza Party Favorite
If you love tacos and pizza, this Easy Taco Pizza Recipe is a no-brainer. It’s quick, fun to make, and loaded with bold flavors that everyone at the table will love. Plus, you can switch it up with different toppings each time!
Big thanks to A Food Lover’s Kitchen for this delicious collab—if you try this recipe, be sure to tag us both on social media!
Easy Taco Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Outdoor pizza oven Optional
- 1 Pizza Screen/Pizza stone/Pizza steel/Pizza Pan Also optional for cooking your pizza in your indoor oven. I prefer the pizza screen for getting the crust extra stiff.
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Pizza dough Try using Trader Joe's pizza dough if using pre-made or try our Thin Crust Dough recipe if making yourself.
- 1 cup refried beans Easy = canned, but you can make them yourself if you prefer. 240 grams.
- ½ pound ground beef 227 grams
- 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning We love Spice House's taco seasoning but you can use Old El Paso or make your own.
- 1 teaspoon Chalula hot sauce Optional and to your taste
- 1 cup Mexican Blend cheese shredded
- ¾ cup lettuce dried and shredded
- ½ cup tomatoes chopped
- ½ Avocado chopped
- ½ cup Jalapeño peppers diced and to your taste
- 1 teaspoon Cilantro optional and to taste
Instructions
Preheat Your Oven
- Preheat your oven to the temperature recommendation of your pizza dough.
Prepare Your Toppings
- Wash and dry your vegetables. You definitely don't want them wet when it's time to top the pizza.
- Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the taco seasoning and cook until browned, breaking the pieces up into small bits with a spatula.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool.
Prepare Your Dough
- Make sure your dough is at room temperature.
- Stretch or roll out your pizza dough on a floured surface.
- You might want to dock the dough if you prefer it to be really flat.
- Place the dough on your peel or pizza pan.
Par-bake the Pizza Crust
- Partially bake the pizza crust on the lower rack of the preheated oven for 3 minutes and remove from the oven. If you are using an outdoor pizza oven, cook just until the crust is formed but not yet browning.
- Remove from the oven.
Top the Pizza with Beans and Beef
- Spread the refried beans over the crust.
- Top with seasoned beef.
- Add the hot sauce to your taste.
- Spread the grated cheese across the entire pizza.
Bake the Pizza
- Transfer the topped pizza to the oven.
- Bake for the time per the dough recipe (probably about 12 minutes in a regular oven), and until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly on top, and the crust underneath is browned and firm.
- Remove from the oven.
Top Your Pizza With Fresh Veggies and Serve
- Let the pizza rest about 2 minutes until the cheese begins to firm.
- Add the fresh toppings (avocado, tomato, jalapeños, lettuce).
- Cut and serve!
Nutrition
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.