Eat It: Taco Pizza

Remember last year, with the butter chicken poutine? How I nearly lost my damn mind? Well, it happened again. And it happened with butter chicken again, although this time it was PIZZA and it was so so so good. My friend Morrison made it and I swear, I reached nirvana. It really opened my eyes to the glorious versatility of the pizza crust. 

Well, this is not a butter chicken pizza recipe (although the jist of that is: butter chicken sauce instead of regular tomato. YOU’RE WELCOME). This is a taco pizza recipe, because I thought, “hey! A pizza crust is just like a big ol’ soft plate of nachos!” And guys, I might never go back. This might beat out real tacos for me, and that sounds like crazytalk, but it’s only crazytalk to someone who hasn’t tried taco pizza. Come on now – it’s time to become a believer.

I remembered to take a picture only after we had attacked –
the draw of the taco pizza was too strong.

Taco Pizza 

Serves three normal people or two hungry people 

From countertop to tabletop: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:
1 package of ground meat (I used turkey, but beef or soy would be equally delicious)
1 package of taco seasoning
1 pizza crust (my grocery stuff was out of fresh dough, so I used a pre-made crust)
At least 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (I used a little cheddar too)
1 quarter of a green pepper, diced
3 green onions, chopped

For Garnish:
Salsa
Sour cream
Avocado or guacamole
Fresh cilantro, chopped


1. If you’re using fresh pizza dough*, sprinkle down a little flour and roll it out. This is no time for thin crust, so go thick because your loaded pizza will need a solid base. A little cornmeal on the underside of the crust would probably just knock your socks off (but if you don’t have cornmeal, there’s no need to go hogwild and buy it – a little flour’ll do). I used a premade crust, so I just stuck it on the pan. Trust me, if this is your only option, just go for it anyway – the effect will still be amazing.

2. Brown your ground turkey, drain any excess grease, and follow the taco seasoning instructions. Usually they’re something like, “add a half cup of water and seasoning, then let simmer for 5 minutes.” Just do that. We’re not reinventing the wheel here. The only thing I’d recommend is not too let it get too dry – you want the meat to still be a saucy in the end.

3. Sprinkle a thin layer cheese on your crust to help keep this delicious mess together. When the taco turkey is ready, spread it thickly overtop, leaving only your crust for grabbin’ clear. Layer your veggies on top – I used green pepper and green onions, but hey! You might like to put diced tomato or corn or black beans or olives or jalapenos, if that’s your kinda thing. Listen to your heart and the contents of your pantry!

4. Sprinkle a thick layer of cheese overtop, then pop that baby in an oven preheated to 400°F. It should start looking good after about 5 minutes, then turn it up to broil for the last minute or two, so the top gets nice and browned.
* If you're using fresh dough, baking will take longer. Your oven should be turned up to about 450°F, and it'll probably take closer to 10–15 minutes.

5. Once your pizza’s baked and you’ve taken it out of the oven comes the hardest part – WAITING. Give it a couple minutes to cool down and stiffen up, so you won’t be trying to eat a burning, messy slice of goo. You’ve waited a few minutes? Okay, slice that pie up.

6. This is the step that took this pizza out of mere good territory and into the realm of greatness – THE TOPPINGS. I spooned a little salsa onto each slice, a couple small dollops of sour cream, a handful of fresh cilantro and a few slices of fresh avocado. Now dig in, you patient thing you – you’ve waited long enough. Eat it like a slice of pizza and bask in the deliciousness.

Bon appetit!