Think pizza is just about marinara sauce and mozzarella? Think again! Our Tex-Mex Pizza breaks the mold with a fusion of zesty salsa, smoky ground beef, and a blend of sharp white cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Add a few daubs of guacamole and sour cream and you’re in for quite a twist that I found delicious!

The Origin of Tex-Mex Cuisine
According to Wikipedia, Tex-Mex cuisine originates from the Tejano people, Texans of Mexican heritage, who began blending their native Mexican flavors with ingredients readily available in Texas. This culinary fusion dates back to when Texas was part of New Spain and later Mexico. Over time, as the United States’ influence grew, so did the adaptation of Tex-Mex 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 Tex-Mex is not going to be a truly Mexican interpretation of a pizza (our Elote pizza is a far better choice for that), I think most people will find this to be closer to their expectations of a “normal” pizza. This is largely because Tex-Mex cuisine more commonly uses flour for tortillas, while Mexican cuisine favors corn tortillas. And similarly, our Tex-Mex Pizza uses a traditional flour pizza crust versus the corn-covered flour pizza crust we use in our Elote pizza.

Ingredients for Tex-Mex Fusion Pizza

Like any pizza, you can go very far afield in selecting what you want to put on your Tex-Mex. I’m going to show you my favorites, but scroll down a bit to find out how you can introduce some of your own individuality in making this your own best Tex-Mex fusion pizza!
- 11 ounces of pizza dough (will make slightly thicker 12″ pizza or thinner 13″+ pizza)
- Store-bought: we recommend trying Trader Joe’s pre-made dough
- You can use a pre-made dough but why not try making our Easy Peasy Dough?
- 5 ounces ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning
- 1/2 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, roasted and sliced
- 1.5 ounces salsa (your choice of mild, medium, or hot)
- 4 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mix of white cheddar and Monterey jack)
- 1 ounce sour cream
- 1 ounce guacamole
Is Tex-Mex Cuisine Too Basic? A Cultural Insult to Mexican Cuisine?
Some culinary critics and enthusiasts argue that Tex-Mex cuisine can sometimes be a milder, less complex version of traditional Mexican food. This perception arises because Tex-Mex often emphasizes ingredients like cheddar cheese and ground beef, which are not as prevalent in authentic Mexican dishes. Additionally, Tex-Mex dishes might tone down the spiciness to cater to a broader American palate, potentially losing some of the depth and variety found in Mexican cuisine.
How can I elevate my Tex-Mex Pizza?
To elevate a Tex-Mex pizza and bring it closer to the arguably more flavorful and spicy Mexican roots, one can incorporate more authentic Mexican ingredients and cooking techniques. Using fresh, high-quality chili peppers, homemade salsas, and traditional spices like epazote and Mexican oregano can enhance the flavors.
and incorporating more fresh herbs and citrus can add layers of complexity and authenticity.
Things to Try in Your Tex-Mex Pizza
While I didn’t use these particular options in my Tex-Mex pizza, 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: Crush up some Doritos and sprinkle on top for a lot of extra crunch!
How to Make Tex-Mex Pizza
Roast the Peppers:
- You can choose to roast the peppers in your regular oven or in an outdoor pizza oven.
- Preheat your oven. Indoors: 400°F. Outdoors: 700°F.
- Dice the red and yellow peppers.
- Drizzle a baking sheet (indoors) or cast iron skillet (outdoors) with olive oil, and roast until the skins are slightly charred and peppers are tender.
Prepare the Ground Beef:
- In a skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef, season with taco seasoning (or salt and pepper if you prefer it more mild) then add the roasted peppers (which will infuse some of the flavor into the meat).
- Cook until the meat has browned. Break it into crumbles as it cooks.
- Once done, set aside.

Assemble the Pizza:
- Preheat your oven according to the pizza dough instructions (for a conventional oven, that’s probably 425°F but we used our outdoor pizza oven and cooked at 700°F).
- Spread the salsa evenly over the pizza crust, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Evenly distribute the cooked ground beef and peppers over the salsa.
- Sprinkle the shredded white cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the toppings.
Bake:
- Place the pizza in the oven and bake according to the pizza crust instructions, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
- Beware that low-moisture cheese can burn quite fast in the high temperatures of an outdoor pizza oven, so you may wish to turn the temperature down as soon as you launch.
Add Finishing Touches:
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool slightly.

- Add small dollops of sour cream and guacamole across the top.
Serve and Enjoy:
- Slice the pizza and serve hot. Enjoy the burst of Tex-Mex flavors in every bite!


Tex-Mex Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Outdoor pizza oven Optional
- 1 Pizza stone/Pizza steel Also optional for cooking your pizza in your indoor oven
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 Pizza Dough ball (10-11 ounces) (Refer to one of our dough recipes such as our Easy Peasy Dough)
- 5 Ounces Ground beef (Option to switch to turkey if you want lower fat content)
- 1 Teaspoon Olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon Taco seasoning
- ½ Yellow Pepper (can substitute green)
- ½ Red Pepper
- 1.5 Ounces Salsa (Can use store-bought but we like getting it from a Mexican restaurant)
- 2 Ounces White cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 Ounces Monterey jack sheese shredded
- 1 Ounce Sour cream
- 1 Ounce Guacamole
- 2 Tbsp Flour (For working the dough on the bench and peel)
Instructions
Roast the Peppers
- Preheat your oven 400°F. You can use either your regular indoor oven or else use
- Dice the red and yellow pepper.
- Place the red and yellow peppers on a skillet (outdoor pizza oven) or baking sheet (indoor oven), drizzle with olive oil, and roast until the skins are slightly charred and peppers are tender.
Preheat the Pizza Oven & Ready the Dough
- If you are using the same oven, pre-heat it to the recommended temperature for your pizza dough. Otherwise, if you are using an outdoor pizza oven, preheat it to about 700°F. For indoor cooking instructions, see the notes section.
- If you are using a pre-made dough ball out of the refrigerator, give it at least 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
Prepare the Ground Beef
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to a skillet and turn to medium heat.
- Add the ground beef, season with taco seasoning (or salt and pepper if you prefer it more mild) then add the roasted peppers (which will infuse some of the flavor into the meat).
- Cook until the meat has browned. Break it into crumbles as it cooks.
- Once cooked, set aside.
Prepare the Dough
- Put 2 tablespoons of flour on your work surface
- Put 1 tablespoon of flour on the pizza peel.
- Begin stretching your pizza dough on your work surface. With 8 ounces of pizza dough, you should be able to make an 12" to 13" pizza, depending on the dough.
Prepare Before Putting the Dough on the Peel
- If you are using block cheese and shredding it yourself, shred it now and mix.
- Check your pizza oven temperature. Do not proceed to the next step if your oven is not ready.
Assemble the Pizza
- Transfer your dough to the pizza peel.
- You will want to quickly apply your toppings and get the pizza into the oven before the dough sticks to the peel.
- Spread the salsa evenly over the pizza crust, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Evenly distribute the cooked ground beef and peppers over the salsa.
- Sprinkle the shredded white cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses evenly over the toppings.
Cooking with an Outdoor Pizza Oven
- Check the pizza oven temperature again. If you have an infrared thermometer, check for the hottest part of the pizza stone.
- Launch the pizza into the oven on the hottest part of the stone without being in the flames.
- Because this cheese is more susceptible to burning than fresh, moist cheese, you may want to turn down the oven temp to 650°F.
- Before rotating the pizza, make sure that Rotate the pizza one quarter turn every 30 seconds. Generally, the pizza will be done in about 5 minutes or less. So watch it closely! If the cheese is cooking too fast, you can turn the oven down more or even off.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for about 3 minutes.
The Finishing Touches
- Add small dollops of sour cream and guacamole to the pizza so that there's a bit of each on each slice.
- Cut and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are going to cook this in a conventional oven, use the temperature suggested for your dough.Â
- If you have a pizza stone (or pizza steel), that’s going to help a lot in getting the most authentic crust. If not, a pizza pan (or cookie sheet) will still turn out a great pizza.
- You can either start the pizza on a pan (or cookie sheet) and transfer it to the stone after about 15 minutes (when the crust is firm enough to be safely transferred). At this point, turn off the oven and let the pizza cook on the stone for another 5 minutes. Remove and let rest on a cutting board for another 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Alternatively, you can start by launching the pizza directly to the pizza stone in your oven. This is more tricky and you might want to practice with some dough with no toppings!
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.