This easy Taco Pizza is quick to make and serves a ton of people! You can serve it for dinner or as a party or holiday appetizer!
Do you remember when Taco Bell first came out with their Mexican pizza? Oh man, I remember it was a special treat if our parents let us order the Mexican pizza instead of the traditionally allowed 49 cent burrito! But move over Taco Bell! We have taken those same great tastes from a taco and combined it with our love of pizza to bring you this easy homemade taco pizza recipe.
Now you can whip up this easy taco pizza and serve your family a delicious meal on less than what it would cost to take your family to Taco Bell! What?! Is that crazy or what?! But that is our goal here at Easy Budget Recipes, we are trying to bring you great quality recipes that won’t break the bank! Plus, this recipe serves a TON! If you’re just serving the pizza, then it will serve 8. If you’re serving the pizza with sides, it will serve 12+.
This taco pizza recipe is almost like getting a two for one. If you want to mix up taco Tuesday, just serve this taco pizza recipe. If you want to mix up your Friday night pizza night, just serve this taco pizza! It’s a win-win either way you go! When will you serve it?
EXTRA BONUS: This recipe is also great as an appetizer. This recipe will serve about 24 people as an appetizer.
Taco Pizza Recipe Questions Answered:
Who invented the Taco Pizza?
Who would have ever thought that pizza and tacos would go together?! Well, Happy Joe Whitty, the founder of Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream Parlors, thought it made perfect sense to bring the two meals together in 1974. Apparently, one of his pizza shops had the idea to add tacos to their menu to compete with a taco place that had recently opened up close to their shop. So Happy Joe went to the store to get the taco ingredients. When he came back he added them to the top of his pizza dough instead of putting it in a typical shell. And that is how the taco pizza was first created. Thank you Happy Joe!
What goes on a Mexican pizza?
There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to adding toppings to a Mexican pizza. The toppings we like to add include:
- ground beef
- refried beans
- sour cream
- shredded lettuce
- Cheddar cheese
- Tomatoes
- Black olives
- Red onions
- Green onions
- avocado
What other Mexican recipes can I cook?
How to Make Easy Taco Pizza Recipe:
- First, move the oven racks to the lower-middle and upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Next, unroll 1 can of crescent dough into a rectangle right on top of each of the baking sheets. Pinch and press the seams together. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating pans halfway through baking. Move baking sheets to wire racks.
- Meanwhile, add refried beans to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat, using the back of a wooden spoon to break up the meat while it cooks. Once browned, stir in taco seasoning and water, and continue to cook and stir until most of the water has evaporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and cream cheese until combined.
- Finally, layer each pizza half of refried beans, sour cream mixture, taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, olives, red onion, green onions, and avocado. Slice and serve.
How to get the kids involved with this recipe:
- Ages 2-3: Let them help spread out the beans onto the pizza dough.
- Ages 4-5: Let them help prepare the toppings and put them on top of the crust.
- Ages 6-8: Let them roll out the pizza dough into the pans and then spread out the cream cheese mixture.
- Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
- Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.
The Flavor and Recipe Variations:
- Substitute our Instant Pot Shredded Chicken for the ground beef.
What to Serve with Easy Taco Pizza:
- Serve some refried beans and a can of corn to round out your meal.
How long is this good for:
- Serve: The taco pizza will keep at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Store: Leftovers will keep, wrapped in foil for up to 24 hours. After that, the crust starts to get really soggy).
- Freeze: Because of all of the fresh toppings and dairy, we do not recommend freezing this recipe. A word of caution, this recipe makes 2 pizzas and it will serve at least 8 people. So, it might be best for you to make 1 pizza and then serve it with a bunch of sides so you don’t have a ton of leftovers.
How much will this Easy Taco Pizza cost:
RECIPE COST: $17.17
PER SERVING COST: $2.15
To find out more on how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
- 1 pound ground beef – $3.60
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning – $0.14
- 1/2 cup water – $0
- 2 cans Pillsbury crescent dough – $4.16
- 1 can refried beans – $1.00
- 1/2 cup sour cream – $0.72
- 4 ounces cream cheese – $1.00
- 1 cup shredded lettuce – $0.32
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese – $2.56
- 1 Roma tomatoes – $0.26
- 3.8 oz canned sliced black olives – $1.96
- 2 Tablespoons finely diced red onion – $0.14
- 3 green onions – $0.33
- 1 avocado – $0.98
Easy Homemade Taco Pizza
Recipe Cost $17.17 Recipe Serving Cost $2.15Equipment
- rimmed baking sheets
- cutting board
- knife
- large skillet
- small saucepan
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cans Pillsbury crescent dough
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- 16 ounce can refried beans
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes deseeded and chopped
- 3.8 ounce canned sliced black olives drained
- 2 Tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 large avocado diced
Instructions
PREP OVEN:
- Move the oven racks to the lower-middle and upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
BAKE CRUSTS:
- Unroll 1 can of crescent dough into a rectangle right on top of each of the baking sheets. Pinch and press the seams together. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating pans halfway through baking. Move baking sheets to wire racks.
WARM REFRIED BEANS & BROWN THE BEEF:
- Meanwhile, add refried beans to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat, using the back of a wooden spoon to break up the meat while it cooks. Once browned, stir in taco seasoning and water, and continue to cook and stir until most of the water has evaporated.
MIX “WHITE SAUCE”:
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and cream cheese until combined.
ASSEMBLE AND SERVE:
- Layer each pizza half of refried beans, sour cream mixture, taco meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, olives, red onion, green onions, and avocado. Slice and serve.
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