An easy Mexican-inspired ground beef pizza. This pizza made with taco seasonings and fresh cilantro is a copycat to Taco Bell pizza and Pizza Hut Fiesta recipes. | sipbitego.com
1ball pizza doughstore bought or homemade (rise on a counter 2-6 hours in advance for best fluffy pizza crust results)
1tbspflourall-purpose
1tspolive oilsubstitute ghee or unsalted butter
1.5cuppizza sauce
½tsptaco seasoning
1.5cupsmozzarella cheeseshredded
½cupcheddar cheeseshredded
1tspcilantrofresh chopped (optional, garnish
Instructions
How to cook ground beef for pizza (can make a day ahead)
Add all the ground beef and vegetables to a large skillet over medium - high heat with olive oil and salt and pepper. I like to arrange the vegetables on one side and the beef on the other to start. Don’t add taco seasoning yet.
Stir ground beef taco meat in a pan for 10-15 minutes until it’s completely browned. Add taco seasoning according to the package (it usually says to add water which you’ll definitely need at least ¼ cup to ½ cup of). Turn down heat to low and simmer, xo covered, for a few minutes until water evaporates. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate or bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and toss to combine.
How to make ground beef pizza taco style
Help the dough get fluffy. Let pizza dough rise, ideally 4+ hours during the day, on the counter.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (with pizza baking stone in it - or preheat it to whatever pizza stone temperature is safe for the stone you’re using).
Prepare pizza dough for parbaking. Sprinkle half the flour on the work surface (large cutting board, etc.) and put half the flour to the side of the board to use as you stretch the dough.
Stretch pizza dough. (Beginners should watch this pizza dough stretching tutorial on Sip Bite Go for help with this step.) The gist of how I make it is to first push the ball of pizza dough against a floured cutting board, getting flour all over it. Then I start pinching the outside 1” of pizza dough, to outline the pizza crust and help form a circle shape. (Note: I don’t force a perfect circle, so there aren’t issues with holes appearing in the pizza dough). Then I switch between pressing the center of the dough against the cutting board, and then using the back of my knuckles to stretch the dough from underneath, pulling it outwards from the center. I always add a little extra flour as the dough stretches, so it holds a bigger circle shape and doesn’t shrink back together (and sometimes I use a rolling pin at the end to really flatten the dough evenly).
Bake pizza crust on stone without toppings. Carefully remove pizza stone from the oven and prepare the crust quickly. Brush half the olive oil on the top of the pizza stone. Add the stretched pizza dough on top. Brush remaining olive oil on the outside inch of the pizza dough crust then bake pizza dough “naked” for 8 minutes on the middle or top oven rack. When done it will be lightly browned and starting to hold a puffy pizza shape. Remove it from the oven - but leave the oven on.
Add ground beef pizza toppings. Leave an inch around the outside of the dough for the crust when you assemble toppings. First, add dollops of pizza sauce on the parbaked dough and spread it around. Then sprinkle with taco seasoning and top with mozzarella cheese. Add cooked ground beef taco meat on top of pizza, then finish with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
Bake ground beef taco pizza in the oven at 475°F for 8-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and starts to bubble. The bottom pizza crust will be golden brown.
Allow pizza to cool and serve it. Transfer pizza-stone pizza to a cutting board, sprinkle cooked pizza with fresh chopped cilantro. Slice and enjoy when taco pizza is cool enough to eat.
Video
Notes
How to meal prep this taco pizza for two nights of mealsDay 1 - Make ground beef tacos for dinner. Double up the ground beef taco recipe in this pizza recipe. Use half the first night with your favorite corn, flour tortillas, or lettuce wraps.Day 2 - Use the leftover ground beef for this recipe. You can put it on the pizza cold, right from the fridge without reheating it. It will heat up again in the fridge.See the recipe: https://sipbitego.com/ground-beef-pizzaWatch the full-length YouTube recipe video for extra tips on topping pizza with ground beef on Sip Bite Go’s YouTube channel.