Skip the drive thru and make Mexican Pizza at home, with layers of crispy flour tortilla, seasoned ground beef and refried beans, all topped with your favorite taco toppings. It’s a simple kid friendly dinner that’s way better than the original!
This recipe will make about 4 Mexican pizzas, but it’s very versatile and you can play around with the ingredients and the amounts.
What is Mexican Pizza Made of?
The Mexican Pizza is a unique fusion of two of the most popular foods on the planet – tacos and pizza! Made popular by Taco Bell in the late 1980s, it was one of my favorite items on the menu. In fact, it still it!
The original Taco Bell Mexican Pizza had 8 delicious layers:
- Crispy flour tortilla
- Refried beans
- Seasoned ground beef
- Another crispy tortilla
- Enchilada sauce
- Three cheese blend
- Sliced green onions
- Sliced olives
The recipe has changed a bit over the years. Taco Bell removed the olives at some point and the green onions were removed in 2006 due to an E.coli outbreak. Even though the outbreak was under control within a few months, they decided to leave them off the famous pizza.
The great thing about make a Mexican Pizza at home is that you can add these beloved ingredients yourself.
How to Make Mexican Pizza
- Crispy Tortillas – Bake tortillas in the oven to get them nice and crispy. You can use flour (preferred, and in the original recipe) or corn tortillas.
- Refried Beans – Heat refried beans in a saucepan on the stove.
- Seasoned ground beef – Cook ground beef with taco seasoning and water to form a thick sauce.
- Assemble Mexican Pizzas – Spread beans on one tortilla, then some of the ground beef. Top with the other tortilla and spread enchilada sauce on top. Top with cheese, olives and green onions. Bake until the ingredients are hot and the cheese is melted.
Top Tips and Variations
- Spray tortillas with cooking spray or brush with canola oil before baking to help them crisp and turn golden brown.
- For super creamy refried beans, I like to add a splash of milk to make them. Or, make refried beans from scratch. Mashed black beans would also be completely delicious.
- Add your favorite taco toppings to your baked Mexican Pizza, like pico de gallo, sour cream, diced tomato, cilantro or diced red onion.
- Use any of your favorite meat instead of ground beef. Try with Spicy Shredded Mexican Beef, Chicken Tacos meat or even ground turkey.
Serving Suggestions
Mexican Pizza is an easy meal on it’s own, but you can make it even better by adding a few sides. We like to include Mexican Rice and a simple Black Bean and Corn Salad.
More Mexican Inspired Food
Planning a fiesta of your own? We make Mexican food at home at least once a week, from Ground Beef Tacos to Slow Cooker Carnitas to Mexican Chicken Casserole. If you want some delicious authentic and Mexican inspired recipes, you’ve got to try our Instant Pot Barbacoa, Shrimp Ceviche and Chicken Tortilla Soup. My husband swears by my famous homemade Guacamole and my kids rave about my Homemade Taquitos. Don’t forget the Margaritas!
Or, you can check out all of our favorite Mexican recipes in one place!
Homemade Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
- 8 flour tortillas soft taco or fajita size
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 packet
- 1/2 cup water
- 15 ounce can Refried beans
- 1-2 tablespoons milk optional
- 15 ounce can red enchilada sauce
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded jack cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 2 ounce can sliced olives drained
- 2 Green onions thinly sliced
- Other optional toppings: Sour cream cilantro, avocado, guacamole, sliced jalapenos
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the 8 flour tortillas onto baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, flip each tortilla over and bake 5 minutes more until crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up into very small pieces with a spatula, until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and water and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, heat refried beans with 1-2 tablespoons of milk (optional, but helps to make the beans nice and creamy).
- Prepare the Mexican pizzas on the foil lined baking sheets. Set out one tortilla and spread a thin layer of the beans evenly on top. Add about â…“ of the meat mixture, spreading evenly, then top with a second tortilla. Spread a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce on top, then add diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, sliced olives and green onions. Repeat for the remaining 3 pizzas.
- Bake the pizzas in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
Very tasty! Enjoyed every crunchy bite. I didn’t have any cayenne pepper so substituted with black pepper. Quick and easy. Thanks!
Your are so welcome Arpita Patel!