I live in the Midwest and Taco Pizza can be found in virtually every restaurant that sells pizza, and even in gas stations! One restaurant in particular, Happy Joe’s, is where Taco Pizza originated in 1974. And I live very close to the one where it was first created! In a town called Davenport, IA. For a more complete look at the history, just click on the Happy Joe’s link in the previous sentence! Another establishment that you will find on nearly every block of every town in the Midwest is Casey’s General Store. They do not claim to be the creators of this famous pizza, but they do make a hefty claim about it being the best in the Midwest. That’s a pretty tall claim for a gas station pizza! And as someone who lives here, people have very strong opinions about who really does have the best! But we’re not here to settle any arguments. I am going to show you how to make your very own at home!
And while you are here, check out these other great easy recipes!
Reuben Sliders, one of my most viral recipes ever! Over 20 million views across all social media channels!
What Is Taco Pizza
Taco Pizza is honestly just what it sounds like! It is a pizza crust, topped with your typical taco ingredients. Refried beans, taco sauce, taco meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes! You can of course, get optional toppings such as onions, black olives, jalapenos, etc. But we are sticking with the basics and what you will find on most menus.
Ingredients:
Now, even though we are making “homemade” taco pizza, we are using mostly prepackaged items. You can certainly take it up a notch by making everything from scratch, but this is much easier and just as tasty!
To make it you will need:
- 1 lb of ground beef
- 1 oz Packet of Taco Seasoning
- 16 oz can of Refried Beans
- Salsa: I used about 3/4 of a cup of jarred salsa
- 1 package of refrigerated pizza dough
- Taco Flavored Doritos
- 8 oz Cheddar Cheese
- 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 cups of chopped Iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup of Chopped Tomatoes
Let’s get started!
You will start by browning your ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. (Drain the excess grease if desired. I did.) Then add in the taco seasoning and water. I use the seasoning packet for the water. Just fill it up about 3/4 full. It is the perfect amount!
Let that simmer on low until it thickens up and set it aside.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Now you want to roll the dough out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I was happy to discover that this particular brand came with parchment paper already, but I did trim off the excess on the ends.
Then you will use a fork to poke holes all over the crust and prebake it for five minutes. This will ensure that you end up with a nice crispy, evenly cooked crust!
The first thing to go on is the refried beans. We love lots of beans on ours so I used the whole can. If you want less, use less. Then spread on the salsa. I used about 3/4 of a cup. The cooked taco meat goes on after that followed by the cheese.
Pop it back in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly!
Once the pizza is done baking, you will add the rest of the toppings. I used roughly half the bag of Doritos and poured them onto a plate and broke them up slightly. Then add the lettuce and tomatoes and you are set!
If you order this pizza from any establishment, it always comes with hot sauce and sour cream as additional toppings to add on. I love putting hot sauce and jalapenos on mine. I didn’t have any jalapenos the night I made this though.
This is always a hit at our house and my family gobbles it up! We don’t have to worry about leftovers.
It is much cheaper than ordering delivery or takeout and in my opinion tastes so much better! It’s a great addition to family pizza night.
*Note* If you do not plan on eating this right away, or you want to save some for leftovers, do not add the chips, lettuce and tomatoes until ready to eat as they will get soggy!
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating! I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
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Taco Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef Ground turkey, sausage or chicken will also work, as will chorizo
- 1 oz Packet of Taco Seasoning
- 2-3 tbs water
- 1 Refrigerated Pizza Dough
- 16 oz Can of Refried Beans
- 3/4 Cup Salsa
- 8 oz Grated Cheddar Cheese
- 8 oz Grated Mozzarella Cheese
- 3-4 Cups Taco Flavored Doritos, slightly crushed Or any flavor of Doritos that you like
- 2 Cups Shredded Lettuce
- 1 Cup Diced Tomatoes
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Drain the grease if needed and add the taco sauce and water. Let simmer until thickened up then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Roll the pizza dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a fork to poke holes all over the dough and prebake for 5 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven then spread on the refried beans, then the salsa, and top it with the cheese.
- Bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Top with the crushed Doritos, chopped lettuce and tomatoes and any additional toppings you like.
JMoses
Hi, what is taco sauce in the instructions? I don’t see it in the ingredients. Also, when do we add the meat? Your pictures show that it is added after the refried beans and salsa, but it isn’t mentioned in the written instructions.
Thanks!