Taco Pizza

Taco pizza is one of my ultimate indulgences, and my top choice is undoubtedly from the legendary Midwest establishment, “Happy Joe’s.” Ever since childhood, I have been completely captivated by their taco supreme.

The Happy Joe’s taco supreme is a delicious sausage pizza. It is topped with crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, onions, olives, sour cream, and crunchy crushed tortilla chips. No one does it better than them, and I’ve made it my mission to recreate that perfect flavor at home. After some experimentation, I’m thrilled to say that this recipe comes remarkably close to the original.

Taco pizza is a fantastic American interpretation of a taco, and to elevate each slice, we drizzle on my own Taco Sauce recipe. It packs a flavorful punch and is strikingly similar to what you’d find at the pizza parlor.

How are the ingredient different from traditional pizza

The pizza dough includes beer, which adds a slightly stronger yeasty flavor. This unique ingredient gives the dough a taste reminiscent of Happy Joe’s pizza crust.

The sauce consists of a creamy blend of tomato sauce and refried beans. This combination transforms a basic pizza sauce into one with a more Mexican-inspired flavor. You can prepare the sauce in larger batches, portioning it into 1.5-cup servings, and freeze it for up to three months.

For the meat mixture, use a combination of half a pound of ground beef and half a pound of ground pork. To reduce waste, consider doubling the meat mixture recipe. You can cook one pound of each meat at a time and freeze the other half of the cooked meat for later use. Trust me, you’ll want to make this again!

When it comes to leftovers, the fresh ingredients on the pizza can make reheating difficult. Additionally, the tortilla chips tend to lose their crunch after being refrigerated. Personally, I don’t mind enjoying cold pizza the next day! Alternatively, you could add fresh toppings to each slice only as they are served. Doing this may sacrifice the beautiful presentation of a fully loaded pizza.

Taco Pizza

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Equipment

• stand mixer
• cast iron skillet
• Small saucepan
• 18 inch pizza pan

Ingredients

  

Pizza Dough Ingredients

• 1 tsp Instant yeast
• 3/4 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Lager beer, room temperature
• 3 cup Bread flour
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Sea salt

Meat mixture Ingredients

• 1/2 LB Ground pork
• 1/2 LB Ground beef
• 1/8 tsp Sea salt
• 1/8 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Taco seasoning

Pizza Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup Refried beans
• 1 tbsp Taco Sauce

Topping Ingredients

• 1½ cups Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup Romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 cup Roma tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup black olive slices
• 1/4 cup White onion, diced
• 1/2 cup Tortilla chips, crushed
• 2 tbsp Sour cream

Instructions

 

Taco Pizza Dough

• Combine instant yeast and water in a stand mixer and allow to rest for a few minutes.
• Add beer, bread flour, olive oil, and sea salt.
• Using the dough hook, knead the dough on low for about 8-10 minutes, or until it forms a soft dough ball.
• Cover and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Taco Pizza Meat

• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. Mix to combine.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
• Cook the meat mixture until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain grease on a paper towel lined plate.
• The taco meat can be cooked ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Taco Pizza Sauce

• In a medium sized saucepan, simmer tomato sauce over medium heat.
• Once sauce is hot and simmering, add the refried beans and taco sauce. Stir to combine.
• Remove the pizza sauce from the heat and allow to slightly cool before spreading on the pizza.

Putting the pizza together

• Preheat the oven to 425℉
• Punch down the dough and spread to an 18 inch circle on a floured surface.
• Place the pizza dough on the pizza pan.
• Spread the taco pizza sauce over the dough, leaving 1/2 to 1 inch crust around the outside.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozzarella on the pizza sauce.
• Next, spread the meat mixture over the pizza.
• Cover the meat with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the cheddar cheese.
• Bake the taco pizza for 15-18 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is slightly brown.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes while preparing the fresh toppings.
• Spread the lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives, and tortilla chip pieces over the entire pizza.
• Put sour cream into a small sandwich bag, cut a small corner off the end to make a piping bag.
• Drizzle the sour cream over the entire pizza.
• Serve immediately.