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This easy Taco Pizza starts has a store-bought crust, salsa-flavored refried beans, seasoned beef, cheese, and crunchy tortilla chips. Bake until bubbly, then top with lettuce, tomatoes, and your favorite hot sauce!
Meggan’s notes
As a classically-trained chef and busy mother of three, I’m always looking for ways to balance from-scratch home cooking with store-bought convenience. This Taco Pizza hits all the right notes, both flavor-wise and convenience-wise! This semi-homemade pizza starts with a store-bought crust, and then from there, you can use pantry-friendly items or mix in some of your own homemade favorites.
Make your own favorite salsa or guacamole, or mash up the bag of cooked beans you have in the back of your freezer. Add plenty of fresh veggies, and think beyond just lettuce and tomato! Try chopped bell peppers, jalapeños, black olives, or sliced scallions.
Your kids will love the fun flavors, and you’ll love the price. So much cheaper than takeout, and no delivery driver to tip, either!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Pizza crust: A store-bought, pre-baked pizza crust such as Boboli means you can have this on the table in about 20 minutes.
- Salsa: To make a basic pico de gallo, In a medium bowl, add 1 pound diced tomatoes, ¼ cup finely chopped red onion, ¼ cup minced cilantro, 3 minced jalapeños, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. lime juice, and salt to taste. Stir to combine. Or, substitute 1 jar store-bought.
- Taco seasoning: A store-bought packet works great. To DIY a packet’s worth of homemade taco seasoning, whisk together 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like ½ teaspoon). Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch if you prefer a thickener in your taco seasoning.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain well. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Place crusts on un-greased pizza pans or baking sheets. In a medium bowl, combine refried beans and salsa. Spread evenly over pizza crusts.
- Top with taco meat mixture.
- Top with shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Sprinkle with lettuce and tomatoes.
- Drizzle with hot sauce or pass separately. Serve sour cream on the side.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas, enough to feed 8 people (¼ pizza each).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The beans and salsa mixture can be combined up to 1 day in advance. The seasoned ground beef can be prepared 1 day in advance, too. Reheat the meat on the stove or in the microwave to ensure the baking time is still the same.
- More toppings: Add or substitute your other favorite Mexican-inspired toppings such as black olives, diced avocado, minced white onion, bell peppers, cilantro, or dollops of sour cream and guacamole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most taco pizzas have a combination of beans, taco-flavored meat, cheese, vegetables, and sauces like salsa and sour cream. You can feel free to mix and match your own favorites.
This Taco Bell cult favorite has a tostada crust (a crunchy fried corn tortilla) instead of a pizza crust. There’s a second tostada above the meat layer, too!
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Taco Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 (12-inch) pre-baked pizza crusts (see note 1)
- 16 ounces refried beans (about 2 cups)
- 3/4 cup salsa (see note 2)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning (see note 3)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups tortilla chips crushed
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- hot sauce for serving
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain well. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Place crusts on un-greased pizza pans or baking sheets. In a medium bowl, combine refried beans and salsa. Spread evenly over pizza crusts. Top with taco meat mixture.
- Top with shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with lettuce and tomatoes. Drizzle with hot sauce or pass separately. Serve sour cream on the side.
Notes
- Pizza crust: A store-bought, pre-baked pizza crust such as Boboli means you can have this on the table in about 20 minutes. Or, bake up your favorite homemade pizza dough.
- Salsa: To make a basic pico de gallo, In a medium bowl, add 1 pound diced tomatoes, ¼ cup finely chopped red onion, ¼ cup minced cilantro, 3 minced jalapeños, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. lime juice, and salt to taste. Stir to combine. Or, substitute 1 jar store-bought.
- Taco seasoning: To DIY a packet’s worth of homemade taco seasoning, whisk together 1 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin, ¾ tsp. paprika, ½ tsp. ground coriander, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like ½ tsp.). Add 1 tsp. cornstarch if you prefer a thickener in your taco seasoning.
- Yield: This recipe makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas, enough to feed 8 people (¼ pizza each).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Hey Meggan-
Looks awesome!
Quick question! Would the taco pizza hold up using the pressed crescent rolls like in your Veggie Pizza Recipe as opposed to a Boboli?
Hi Inoj! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’ll have to give it a try as well. Take care! – Meggan
Mamma says I’m to make this. Lol