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    Home » Real Food » Main Courses

    Taco Pizza

    April 13, 2022 | By Kristen Chidsey | 46 Comments | *This post may include amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Made with refried beans, salsa, taco meat, cheese, and topped with all your favorite taco toppings, this Taco Pizza is a delicious and easy spin on pizza night.

    Tacos meet pizza in this delicious Taco Pizza Recipe! Made with refried beans, salsa, taco meat, cheese, and topped with all your favorite taco toppings, this Taco Pizza is a delicious and easy spin on pizza night.

    Slice of taco pizza with toppings on white plate.

    Most everyone I know loves tacos and pizza. So it just makes sense that Taco Pizza is a good thing. A really good thing.

    Inspired by Papa Murphy's Taco Pizza, this recipe for Taco Pizza combines everything you love about tacos in pizza form.

    Soft pizza dough is topped with refried beans, salsa, taco meat, and sharp cheddar cheese and baked until bubbly and browned. While you can stop right there and your taco pizza will be downright delicious, I love topping my taco pizza with shredded lettuce, olives, tomatoes, sour cream--any and everything you like on tacos.

    Taco pizza is a family-favorite recipe. And my absolute favorite way to transform leftovers from taco night into a delicious, hearty, new meal.

    Notes on Ingredients

    Ingredients for Taco Pizza labeled on counter.

    One of the BEST things about Taco Pizza is that you can adapt it to suit any dietary need/preference. You can also use leftovers or begin this recipe entirely from scratch. I will walk you through both options!

    • Pizza Dough: For this recipe, you need 1-pound of pizza dough. I opt for homemade pizza dough, but store-bought works in a pinch.
    • Refried Beans: Use either homemade refried beans or canned refried beans. I do suggest using vegetarian refried beans to avoid added lard.
    • Salsa: Instead of pizza sauce, use jarred salsa to top this taco pizza. This is one instance where fresh salsa is NOT best, as it has a lot of excess moisture that may cause your pizza to become soggy.
    • Taco Meat: For a Copycat Taco Murphy's Pizza, seasoned taco meat is best. While I show you how to make homemade taco meat for this pizza, this is a great time to use leftover taco meat, or for a meatless taco pizza, use leftover sofritas. 
    • Cheese: Use sharp cheddar cheese or a Mexican blend cheese, as it pairs best with the Tex Mex flavor.
    • Toppings: Just like tacos, taco pizza is even more delicious when served with your favorite toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocados, guacamole sour cream, olives, etc. Use whatever you like!

    How to Make Homemade Taco Pizza

    Taco pizza comes together quickly using premade pizza dough, canned refried beans, and leftover taco meat. Or you can prepare the pizza dough and taco meat starting from scratch. It is not hard to do, just a bit more time-consuming.

    Step One: Prepare Pizza Dough

    • Combine the water and yeast and let sit to proof for about 5 minutes until foamy.
    • In a large bowl combine the proofed yeast with the honey and oil in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.
    • Add in the flour and salt, a small amount at a time, mixing to incorporate.
    • Knead the dough until shiny and smooth and then place the dough ball into a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
    • Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.
    Pizza Dough risen in glass bowl.

    Step Two: Prepare Taco Meat

    • Brown the ground meat in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small chunks as it cooks.
    • Once browned, drain off excess grease if needed, and then return the meat to the skillet.
    • Add in tomato sauce, water, and taco seasoning.
    • Simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.
    Side by side photo of taco meat before and after seasoning ground beef.

    Step Three: Prepare Taco Pizza

    • Roll the pizza dough out onto a greased 12-inch pizza pan.
    Pizza Dough Rolled Out on Pizza Pan
    • Spread an even layer of refried beans over the pizza dough.
    • Spread the salsa over the refried beans to cover.
    • Sprinkle the taco meat over the salsa and then top with the shredded cheese.
    Collage of 4 photos showing assembling taco pizza toppings.
    • Bake the pizza until golden brown and bubbly.
    Baked taco pizza on pizza pan.
    • Once you remove the pizza from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes to rest.
    • Top the pizza with your favorite taco toppings OR slice the pizza and let each person top as desired.
    Taco Pizza topped with lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, and olives.

    Variations on Taco Pizza

    • Vegetarian Taco Pizza: Be sure your refried beans are vegetarian and skip the taco meat. In place of the taco meat you can use sofritas, lentil taco meat, or just keep it simple and skip "meat" altogether.
    • Vegan Taco Pizza: For the pizza dough, replace the honey with maple syrup for a vegan option. Use vegetarian refried beans, skip the meat or use sofritas or lentil taco meat, and leave the cheese off the pizza. You can certainly use a vegan cheese replacement, but I find the pizza plenty flavorful without the need for it.
    • Taco Pizza with Chicken: Replace the taco meat with leftover Instant Pot Chicken Taco Meat, or use ground chicken in place of the ground beef to prepare taco meat. You can also use 1 to 2 cups of leftover rotisserie chicken tossed with 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning.

    More Pizza Recipes

    • English Muffin Pizzas
    • Buffalo Chicken Pizza
    • Pita Pizza
    • Easy Pull-Apart Pizza Bread
    • Tomato Pizza
    • Spinach Pizza

    Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

    If you gave this recipe for Taco Pizza a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

    Slice of taco pizza with toppings on white plate.

    Taco Pizza

    Tacos and pizza collide in this delicious and easy recipe for Taco Pizza.
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 328kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    For the Pizza Dough

    • ¾ cup warm water 100-105 degrees
    • 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
    • ½ tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ tablespoon honey
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ¾ cup flour

    For the Taco Meat

    • ½ pound ground beef or chicken or turkey
    • ¼ cup tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning

    For the Pizza

    • cooking spray
    • 1 pound pizza dough using recipe provided or store-bought dough
    • 1 cup refried beans
    • ¾ cup salsa
    • 1-2 cups prepared taco meat using the recipe provided or leftover taco meat
    • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
    • Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, avocado, olives, sour cream, etc
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    For the Pizza Dough

    • Combine the water and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes in a large mixing bowl (or bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached until the yeast is foamy.
    • Add the honey and oil to the yeast mixture, stirring to combine. Add the flour and salt slowly, mixing as you go, until well combined.
    • Once mixed, knead the dough for 5-9 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface or with your dough hook on low-medium speed for 3-4 minutes. You want your dough to form a shiny ball.
    • Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 20-30 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.

    Taco Meat

    • In a medium skillet, brown the ground meat over medium-high heat, breaking it into small chunks as it cooks. Once browned, drain off excess grease if needed, and then return the meat to the skillet. Add in tomato sauce, water, and taco seasoning. Simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until thickened.

    For the Taco Pizza

    • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray or brush with oil.
    • Roll out the pizza dough onto the lightly greased pizza pan.
    • Spread refried beans out evenly over the pizza crust. Top with salsa, spreading to cover the beans. Sprinkle the prepared taco meat over the salsa and then top with cheese.
    • Bake for 15-18 minutes until crust is cooked through and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
    • Let the pizza cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and topping with your favorite toppings.

    Notes

    Pizza Dough: You need 1-pound of pizza dough. Use the homemade recipe or your favorite store-bought dough.
    Salsa: This is one instance where fresh is NOT best. Jarred salsa is best because it is thicker and will not water down the pizza as much as a fresh salsa would. 
    Vegan Taco Pizza: If you would like to have a Vegan Taco Pizza, use sofritas instead of taco meat and omit the cheese. Top with avocado after baking if desired. 
    Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 325 degree F oven until warm, about 10 minutes. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 842mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 2mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!

    This recipe was originally published in 2017 but updated in 2022 with new photos and video.

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    Categorized Under: Beef Recipes, Budget Cooking, Kid Friendly, Leftovers, Main Courses, Real Food

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brandy

      April 19, 2022 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      Two of my favorite meals in one! This recipe was easy to make and so delicious. My family really enjoyed it!

      Reply
    2. Liz

      April 16, 2022 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      Ok it's like my two favorite foods got married and I'm HERE FOR IT! New family favorite, for sure.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 17, 2022 at 4:20 pm

        Thanks Liz! It is a favorite here as well.

        Reply
    3. Tayler Ross

      March 04, 2019 at 9:58 pm

      5 stars
      Two of our favorite meals combined! It was a hit with the whole family! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 05, 2019 at 7:10 am

        WAHOO!!! Love it when the family is happy!

        Reply
    4. Taryn

      March 04, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      Such a great addition to our taco Tuesday meal rotation. Love it!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        March 05, 2019 at 7:10 am

        So glad your family enjoys Taryn!

        Reply
    5. Analida's Ethnic Spoon

      June 03, 2015 at 9:59 pm

      I love leftovers too! Make mini appetizers or something creative. Love this!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        June 04, 2015 at 9:17 am

        Leftovers can be so creative, if you use your imagination!

        Reply
    6. Hirra Pervaiz

      June 03, 2015 at 8:00 am

      Why I never thought of this before? This is brilliant!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        June 03, 2015 at 9:12 am

        Thanks Hirra! It is so easy and so yummy!

        Reply
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