Wanna have a li’l Taco Tuesday twist, of fun? How about the Mexican Pizza? Inspired by the popular Taco Bell favorite, crispy flour tortillas, seasoned ground beef, and flavorful topping make this recipe a family-favorite. The best is that it is easy and allows for some customization if you want it your own way. You can make it for your entire family, or have a single-serve version. Here is the perfect Mexican pizza recipe that’ll make for the perfect meal.
The Perfect Mexican Pizza Recipe
Mexican Pizza is one of the best dinner idea for a night when you’re craving a li’l something with a little flair, and it’s full but also easy to prepare. It’s like a mashup between a Taco Bell dish and an authentic pizza. Using fried flour tortillas as a crust, seasoned ground beef, refried beans, melted cheese, and even some fresh diced tomatoes and green onions add the best flavours of tacos and pizzas together.
Fun Idea to Spice Up Dinner
This dinner idea is great for families and busy weeknights since it uses the minimum of basic ingredients, prep time, and short bake times. The fried golden tortillas create an ideal base for layers of beans, beef, and cheese. Once baking the layers of cheese just for a short time, you can taste the gooey savoury goodness in every piece of food. It’s a versatile recipe, where you can easily make it vegetarian by replacing the ground beef with black beans or veggies.
Unlimited Options for Sides to Pair With
For an added twist in fun, Mexican Pizza pairs extremely well with authentic sides of Spanish rice, guacamole, or chips and salsa. It also does a really good job with upgrading dinner on Taco Tuesday nights while giving the family something to look forward to for next time.
Ingredients to Make Mexican Pizza
To make your own Mexican Pizzas at home, you will need the following ingredients:
-> 1 lb ground beef, 1 chopped onion, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
-> 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin.
-> 1 tsp dried cilantro, 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (to taste), 1 TBSP minced garlic.
-> Small flour tortillas for fajitas, 1 can of refried beans.
-> Taco sauce (We use Ortega Medium, but you can use the brand you like best).
-> 2 cups Colby Jack shredded cheese. You can also use shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese.
-> Diced tomatoes, green onions (chopped), and vegetable oil are used to fry tortillas.
Mexican Pizza: Step-by-Step Instructions
Below are the simple steps to make your Mexican Pizza at home:
Prepare the Ground Beef Mixture
Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then:
- Add choppy onion to pan with beef and cook! Up until the beef is browned throughout and the onion is transparent.
- Drain excesses of grease from the pizza pan to avoid having a greasy pizza base.
- Spice time: don’t hesitate. Sprinkle salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, dried cilantro, and cayenne on the beef. This spice mix is perfect for adding depths of flavorfulness, but you can also use a store-bought taco seasoning packet if you want.
- Add minced garlic and stir well. Let it cook for a minute or two to make the aroma more intense. Now that the beef is seasoned, set it aside.
Fry the Tortillas for Mexican Pizzas
The secret to an authentic Mexican Pizza is a crispy tortilla base.
- Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in another skillet so it just barely covers the bottom.
- Fry each flour tortilla for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
- Place fried tortillas on paper towels to absorb excess grease.
Repeat with the tortillas until you have enough to make as many pizzas as you wish to make; you will need 2 tortillas per pizza, on average.
Assemble Your Mexican Pizzas
It’s time to start assembling your Mexican pizzas, aka the Taco Bell pizza.
- Heat refried beans. This will make it much easier to smooth them over tortillas.
- Place a fried tortilla on baking sheet, spread with a thick portion of refried beans! And then top with a chunky scoop of the seasoned ground beef mixture, sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese, then top with another tortilla and spread taco sauce on that one, sprinkle some cheese on top to make it gooey. Do this for every Mexican pizza you’re making.
Bake the Pizzas: Taco Pizza Recipe
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place the assembled Mexican pizzas on baking sheet and bake ‘em about 10 minutes, or until all cheese is fully melted.
Garnish and Serve
When your pizzas come out of the oven, it’s time to add your finishing touches. It is just like a Taco Bell Mexican pizza recipe:
- Top with diced tomatoes and chopped green onions. These fresh toppings add flavor and texture, making each bite of your Mexican pizza irresistible.
- Cut each pizza into 4 pieces for easy serving. These Mexican pizzas are delicious as they are, but feel free to add extra toppings like sour cream, guacamole, or jalapeños!
Tips for the Perfect Mexican Pizza
- Small tortillas are the best for individual pizzas to be fried and layered without much hassle. Closest to the taco bell Mexican pizza.
- Shredding cheese, rather than buying pre-shredded, is probably better when melted.
- Feel free to bump up or down the level of cayenne or chili powder to your preferred spice level.
- Toppings can be personalized, using sour cream or salsa to add a little more punch to jalapeño or even olives to give some extra zing.
- The beef head can be cooked and seasoned ahead of time but refrigerated. This way, the pizzas can just be assembled whenever you feel it’s the right time.
Flour Tortillas: Substitutes
While the classic Mexican Pizza uses flour tortillas for a crunchy base, you can completely make this dish using corn tortillas should you desire that instead. Remember, though, corn tortillas cook up quite a bit faster and probably a bit differently, but all those ways are tasty, too!
How to Make These Mexican Pizzas Vegetarian
Simply omit the ground beef or replace it with a vegetarian alternative! Something like seasoned black beans, soy-based crumbles, or yum roasted veggies. For many more filling options, you can add extra cheese and refried beans to make one of the best Mexican dishes.
Types of Taco Sauces You Can Use
Do: Use Ortega Medium Taco Sauce, or the taco sauce of your choice. Mild, medium, or hot will work well in this recipe, so choose one based on your own preferences. Try different brands too to find the best taste for you.
How to Reheat Leftover Mexican Pizza?
For leftover, it can be re-put in the oven 350°F (175°C) to warm for about 5-10 minutes. Warm-up in an oven best preserves the tortilla crunchy texture while it turns softer if microwaved.
Which Sides Best Goes Along with Mexican Pizza?
It is served completely for a meal accompanied by Spanish rice or black beans. A simple salad does fine, too. Best alternatives can be chips accompanied by a salsa or a spoon of guacamole.
Mexican Pizza’s Charm
This Mexican Pizza is fun and appetizing as the flavours of Mexican food take on an entirely new meaning. Breading tortillas gives this pizza a crispy crust wonderfully contrasting to creamy refried beans and savoury ground beef. Then, with a little melt cheese along with fresh toppings, there comes rich layers of flavours that come into a delight at each single bite.
Conclusion
Regardless of whether you like the old-school version from Taco Bell or you want to vary the Taco Tuesday, these will really come in handy. Get your ingredients in line, get frying, and enjoy those delicious Mexican Pizzas! With easy ingredients and custom toppings, Mexican Pizza is a recipe to keep on hand for family dinners or casual gatherings. Easy to make and fun to eat, packed with flavors we all love, this is a classic from Mexican cuisine. Enjoy!
FAQs
1. Can I make Mexican Pizza gluten-free?
Answer: Yes! Swap flour tortillas for gluten-free tortillas, and ensure all seasonings are gluten-free.
2. What’s the best way to store leftovers?
Answer: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven for crispiness.
3. Can I freeze Mexican Pizzas?
Answer: Yes, assemble, but don’t bake. Freeze on a tray, then wrap in plastic. Bake from frozen at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.
4. Can I make these pizzas vegetarian?
Answer: Substitute ground beef with seasoned black beans, tofu crumbles, or extra veggies.
5. How do I keep the tortillas crispy?
Answer: Avoid adding too much sauce and reheat in the oven rather than the microwave to keep them crispy.
