Mexican Pizza Recipe-Taco Bell Copycat

Skip the drive-thru and make this Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza right at home! Crunchy, full of flavor, and a quick dinner the whole family will enjoy!

Have you heard the news? Taco Bell had officially removed their Mexican Pizzas from the menu but decided to bring them back. Now, maybe you aren’t a Taco Bell fan and yes, I know it’s not the best quality food…. but it sure is a tasty occasional treat!

A Taco Bell copycat, this Mexican Pizza recipe is made with fried tortillas, refried beans, taco meat, cheese, and your favorite taco toppings. It’s a flavor packed alternative to your everyday tacos and quick and easy to prepare!

This recipe is easy, simple, and delicious. In fact, I always have the ingredients ready for those days when I’m short on time.

Essentially, you need the ingredients for basic taco night, but this is way more flavorful than a basic taco.

What is Mexican Pizza

The Mexican Pizza, originally called the Pizzazz Pizza, is a menu item at the U.S.-based chain Taco Bell. Consisting of two tortillas with a filling of seasoned beef and refried beans, topped with enchilada sauce, cheese, and diced tomatoes.

This dish is a cross between a quesadilla and a taco pizza! With a crispy, crunchy base layer and flavor packed toppings, it has quickly become an American favorite.

Why you’ll love this Mexican Pizza Recipe

• Easy- this recipe is basically foolproof. Make it your own, add your own spin on it, and have fun with toppings!
• Quick- from start to finish, you can be enjoying this in about 15 minutes!
• Flavor Packed- If you aren’t up for going out, but craving that fast food, this recipe is for you. Forget the drive-through! Plus, you can add your favorite toppings!

Mexican Pizza Ingredients

This tortilla pizza is quick, easy, and bursting with flavor! You only need a few common pantry items and your favorite toppings for a meal the entire family will love!

• Refried Beans- 1 standard sized can is all you need, 15 ounces
• Ground Beef- I use 80/20, but whatever you have on hand works great too
• Taco Seasoning- create your own taco seasoning or use a store-bought packet. They even sell Taco Bell seasoning at the store for a more authentic flavor.
• Tortillas- use the standard soft taco flour tortilla size
• Red Enchilada Sauce- use the original or spicy blend for an added kick
• Mexican Cheese- shredded, fresh is best, but the bagged cheese works in this as well
• Toppings- (see below for ideas)

Ground Beef and why it is necessary for this recipe

Using seasoned ground beef, this addition enhances the flavor of the Mexican Pizza and is a great protein packed addition. Use store bought taco seasoning, or try my from scratch seasoning to control the flavors a bit more. About 1/2 cup of cooked, seasoned ground beef is all you need for each Mexican Pizza.

For a healthier alternative, ground turkey works as well, or feel free to omit entirely if trying to make these vegetarian.

Sauce to go with your Mexican Pizza Recipe

The Taco Bell Mexican Pizza sauce is a tomato-based sauce with zesty flavor from green chiles, onion, and spices. It tastes like a red pizza sauce combined with enchilada sauce. The sauce is tomato-y, tangy, and full of seasonings like chili powder and oregano, however, even a store-bought jar of red enchilada sauce can give your Mexican pizza that authentic Taco Bell taste.

Optional Toppings

• Tomatoes– diced, this is a standard addition to the classic drive-thru meal
• Green Onions– chopped, adds a nice, slightly spicy flavor to this dish
• Black Olives– a classic addition to any Tex-Mex meal
• Onion– diced, these add a great crunch
• Lettuce– shredded, adds a crisp burst of freshness to the top of these pizzas
• Salsa– feel free to use mild, spicy, or whichever blend you prefer
• Avocado– diced, this may go down as my fav addition as I LOVE fresh avocado

Mexican Pizza Recipe Variations

Just like tacos, there are many ways to switch up this Taco Bell pizza to fit desired tastes.

• Make it spicy. Like some heat to your food? Add some chopped jalapenos or use the hot taco sauce.
• Use ground turkey. Swap out the ground beef for ground turkey, if desired.
• Can I omit the beans? Technically, yes, but without the beans, it may fall apart a bit more as there is nothing to “hold” the meat in.
• Make it vegetarian. For a vegetarian Mexican pizza, simply omit the ground beef in the recipe and use the beans only.
• Change up the sauce. Feel free to use a green sauce, homemade red sauce, or even salsa depending on what you have on hand.
• Use different cheeses. Shredded Monterey Jack, Pepperjack, Cojita, and more are all great cheeses to use as well.

Flour or Corn Tortillas?

Does Taco Bell use flour or corn tortillas to make their Mexican pizza? This is one of the most common questions I receive when people read this recipe. According to their website, they use flour tortillas – however, when they first released the pizzas, they were made on corn tortillas that were fried to get super crispy. Feel free to use whatever you prefer! We stick with flour because that is what my kids prefer, but you can’t go wrong either way.

Step by Step Instructions

These Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas come together in less time than it’d take you to go to the drive-thru following these simple steps. (Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the measurements and details, and don’t miss the video tutorial)

1. Prep: In a microwave safe dish, add the refried beans and heat until warm. About 45 seconds. Toast tortillas by spraying a little cooking spray on a skillet and adding a tortilla on top. Allow to cook for about 30-45 seconds on each, until slightly golden brown and toasted. Continue process until both sides of each tortilla are crisp. Place 6 toasted tortillas on a cookie sheet (you may need 2 cookie sheets to fit all).
2. Cook the meat: In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain fat and add in the taco seasoning. Stir to coat meat entirely. Set aside.
3. Assemble: Spread about 1-2 tablespoon of refried beans onto the tortillas. Divide the cooked beef evenly between the 5 tortillas. Place another tortilla on top of the meat, creating a sandwich. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce evenly on top of each tortilla, followed by shredded cheese.
4. Bake: Place cookie sheet in preheated oven (350 degrees) and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle desired toppings on. Enjoy!

How to store this Mexican Pizza Recipe

It’s best to enjoy your Mexican pizzas immediately, but if there are leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, without the added toppings as then it’s easier to reheat. Keep them covered or wrapped in foil. Reheat in the oven until the pizza is heated through. In the oven, they’ll crisp up to their original consistency a little bit better. The microwave will just turn them too soggy.

These can also be frozen. Wrap with plastic wrap then in aluminum foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator then re-heat.

Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Recipe Serving Suggestions

While this is an easy meal on its own, it’s always fun to serve it up with some other Mexican classics like chips and guacamole, or chips and queso.

You can even serve this with homemade Margaritas to really enhance the occasion!

FAQ’s

How do you make a crispy tortilla without deep frying? Spray a skillet with cooking oil and once heated, add your tortillas. Allow to cook 30-45 seconds each side, or until crispy.

What are your favorite type of tortillas and why? I love using the brand Mission for my tortillas because they always are the perfect size, shape, and texture. Perfectly soft, crisp up quickly, and you can even use the Carb Balance tortillas to make things a little healthier.

Which tortillas are best to use for this Mexican Pizza recipe? Taco size, flour tortillas are best for this recipe due to their size. Burrito size is too large, and street taco size are too small. Stick with taco size and preferably flour. If using corn, it works too, just a bit more fragile to work with.

How do you prevent this Mexican Pizza Recipe from getting soggy? Crisp up your tortilla shells and don’t use too much enchilada sauce on top. The sauce is the part that can make these soggy, so by spreading just enough to coat the top in an even layer, these won’t be messy and soggy.

How do you make additional portions or additional Mexican pizzas? This recipe makes about 6 Mexican Pizzas, so if you need additional, feel free to double or triple the recipe. You can also adjust how much meat and toppings you add to each one to control the amount needed.

Check out these other great Tex-Mex recipes:

Homemade Taco Seasoning– why buy store bought when you can make it at your home anytime?

Taco Bake– a flavorful Tex Mex dish with seasoned ground beef, Fritos, cheese, and toppings!

Tater Tot Taco Bake– this dish is a family favorite! Combining tater tots and all the taco flavors into one family friendly meal!

The BEST Refried Beans– these refried beans are quick, easy, and way more flavorful than store bought!

Updated 10/11/2022