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This Easy Taco Pizza layers refried beans, seasoned beef, salsa, and cheese over pizza dough for a family-friendly dinner perfect for any night of the week!
While I have included instructions for preparing the taco meat, this recipe was designed to give taco-night leftovers a delicious makeover. Top pizza dough with leftover refried beans, salsa, taco meat, and cheese, bake until bubbly, then add your favorite toppings. Leftovers never tasted so good!
Taco Pizza at a Glance
- Serves: 6 (or 4 very hungry adults)
- Time Needed: 10 minutes to prep when using leftovers; 20 minutes to prep if starting without leftovers + 15-18 minutes to bake
- What to Expect: A tender pizza crust topped with creamy refried beans, tangy salsa, seasoned meat, and melted cheese.
- Repurpose Leftovers or Not: You can use leftovers from taco night to make this pizza, or start by preparing taco meat specifically for this pizza.
Kristen's Key Tips for Taco Pizza
After finding myself with some random leftovers from taco night, I decided to recreate one of my favorite to-go pizzas from my childhood, Papa Murphy's Taco Grande Pizza.
It was an instant hit, but after making this pizza for over two decades, I have a few tips to share before we get cooking. They are especially helpful for preventing your taco pizza from becoming soggy.
- Bring refrigerated dough to room temperature. If working with store-bought dough, pull it out of the fridge 10-30 minutes before assembling the pizza so it is easier to roll out. I typically set it out when I am preparing the taco meat if I am not starting with leftovers.
- Use refried beans as the base. They create a barrier between the dough and the toppings, helping prevent a soggy crust and adding flavor at the same time.
- A chunky, thick salsa is best. A thin salsa adds too much moisture to the pizza, which can lead to watery toppings and a soggy crust, even with that refried bean base.
- Ensure the meat is not watery. If starting with ground meat, simmer the mixture until the sauce has thickened and clings to the beef (or turkey). If using leftovers, such as crockpot carnitas, Instant Pot barbacoa, or sofritas, drain off any excess liquid before adding it to the pizza to prevent a soggy crust.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: Use 1 pound of fresh or refrigerated pizza dough. Homemade pizza dough works too, but prepare it about an hour ahead.
- Salsa: Use a thick, jarred salsa rather than fresh salsa or pico de gallo, as their extra moisture can make the pizza soggy. Choose a thick, jarred salsa your family genuinely enjoys.
- Refried Beans: Use canned refried beans or leftover Instant Pot refried beans.
- Meat: Use ½ pound freshly prepared ground meat seasoned with tomato sauce and taco seasoning or 1 to 1½ cups leftover taco meat (or another Tex-Mex-flavored protein).
- Cheese: Use sharp cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend, as it pairs best with the Tex-Mex flavor. For the smoothest melt, I recommend grating the cheese from a block rather than using bagged shredded cheese.
How to Make Taco Pizza
Step One: Start with Pizza Dough
If using store-bought dough, pull it out of the fridge, place it on a lightly floured surface, cover with a clean towel, and let it rest for 10-30 minutes to take the chill off. If preparing homemade pizza dough, prepare an hour before assembling the pizza.
Step Two: Prepare Meat (Skip if Using Leftovers)
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces, until fully browned and cooked through. Drain off excess grease if needed.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and a splash of water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and clings to the meat.
Step Three: Roll Out Pizza Dough
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to a lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan, or press and roll it directly on the pan. Just be sure it is evenly rolled out, so that it bakes evenly.
There is no need to prebake the dough for this recipe. Baking it once with the toppings produces a soft, tender crust, while prebaking creates a crisper result.
Step Four: Assemble Pizza
- Spread the refried beans out over the pizza dough, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges. If you find them hard to spread, heat them briefly to loosen.
- Add a thin layer of salsa, spreading to cover the refried beans. Use just enough salsa to lightly cover the beans. Too much can make the toppings watery and the crust soggy.
- Scatter the taco meat evenly over the salsa. Avoid piling it on too heavily, as excess meat can weigh down the dough.
- Cover with a generous layer of shredded cheese.
Step Five: Bake
Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the edges are golden, and the underside of the crust is lightly browned. Check the bottom of the crust by carefully lifting one edge with a thin spatula.
Step Six: Serve
Let the pizza rest for 5-10 minutes, so that it is easier to slice and will not burn your mouth.😉 Add the fresh toppings to the whole pizza before serving, or let everyone top their own slice. We like the following taco pizza toppings:
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced green or black olives
- Minced cilantro
- A dollop of sour cream
- Diced avocado or homemade guacamole
Recipe Variations
This taco pizza recipe is highly customizable. You can swap out the type of salsa, meat, and toppings to tailor the pizza to suit your taste preferences or what you have on hand.
- Meatless Option: Skip the meat and use vegetarian refried beans. You can skip the additional protein or add leftover Sofritas or lentil taco meat.
- Swap Out the Taco Meat: Replace the taco meat with 1-1½ cups of leftover Instant Pot chicken taco meat or shredded chicken taco meat, Instant Pot barbacoa, Instant Pot carnitas, or slow cooker carnitas.
- Dairy-Free Option: Skip the cheese entirely as the beans and seasoned meat bring plenty of flavor. Add a scoop of homemade guacamole for a rich, creamy, fresh finish.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the taco meat and refried beans up to 3 days in advance. For the best crust, assemble the pizza immediately before baking rather than storing it fully assembled.
- Refrigerate: Store leftover taco pizza without fresh toppings in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, or air fry individual slices at 350°F for 2-3 minutes, until hot and crisp. Add fresh toppings after reheating.
More Taco-Inspired Creations
While we love classic beef tacos at our house, we also love changing things up to keep dinner interesting. This taco pizza is a huge favorite, as are the following creative taco-night recipes.
- Taco Casserole with Tortilla Chips
- One-Pan Taco Rice Bake
- Easy Stovetop Taco Soup
- One-Pot Taco Pasta
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Taco Pizza
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- ½ pound ground beef, or chicken or turkey
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup refried beans
- ¾ cup thick salsa
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- fresh taco toppings, optional
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.
- Remove the prepared pizza dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 10-30 minutes to make it easier to roll. I just let it sit out while preparing the 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 ¼ cup tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. Simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until thickened and the sauce clings to the meat.
- Roll out on a lightly floured surface, then carefully transfer it to the greased pan. Alternatively, press or roll the dough out right onto the greased pan. Either way, be sure the dough is rolled into an even layer so that it bakes evenly.
- Spread refried beans out evenly over the pizza crust, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges. Top with salsa, spreading to cover the beans. Sprinkle the prepared taco meat over the salsa and then top with an even layer of cheese.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden, the bottom of the crust is lightly golden, and the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown slightly.
- Let the pizza cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and topping with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Why I never thought of this before? This is brilliant!
Thanks Hirra! It is so easy and so yummy!
I made a vegetarian taco pizza one time and it was SO good! I thought it was going to be a weird combo (with the crust and taco flavors) but it was just a giant slice of taco and it was ah-mazing!
The first time I had it, I thought it would be odd as well. But yep, so great!
We use left overs all the time Less food wasted and more money stays in my pockets! I have not tried this recipe yet, but I will be now!
This is a great dish to add to your money saving repertoire.
What a fabulous way to repurpose leftovers. Love that you made something totally different.
Thanks Christie!
I am trying to use my leftovers more often also!
Such a great way to save money!
I love switching up leftovers too (hate eating the same thing two nights in a row!). Pizza crust is always such a great vessel for leftovers. Yours looks amazing!
Pizza can take on so many flavors--it is truly so versatile.
Looks like a great fusion of Mexican and Italian food 🙂 Love the idea of turning leftovers into something yummy!
Using leftovers to create something new (and yummy) is something I LOVE to do!