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This Mexican pizza recipe stars creamy refried beans, spicy jalapeños, and sweet corn, all on a soft and chewy crust. It’s easy to make and a pizza topping that pleases everyone!
Pizza making is our passion: as two cookbook authors, we’ve been honing the art of homemade pizza for over a decade! We’ve interviewed some of the top pizza chefs about their secrets, and included pizza recipes in two of our cookbooks.
While it’s not the most traditional of pizza toppings, Mexican pizza very near and dear to our hearts! We love the spicy kick of jalapeños and onions, and the combination of Monterrey jack and cheddar instead of the typical mozzarella. The flavors meld into a perfect fusion of Italian and Mexican!
Ingredients for Mexican pizza
The blend of Mexican pizza toppings here are savory, spicy, and absolutely irresistible: the ideal meld of Mexican flavors slathered onto a pizza crust. The quantities are approximate and can be customized to your liking (especially if you love spice and need more jalapeños!). Here’s what you’ll need:
- Refried black beans: We like buying canned for convenience, but you can also make homemade Refried Black Beans, Refried Pinto Beans, or Instant Pot Refried Beans.
- Spices: Cumin, paprika, and cayenne add big flavor to the beans.
- Green onion, tomato, and jalapeño pepper: Finely chop these vegetables for a colorful and flavor packed topping
- Frozen or canned corn: Corn adds a nice pop of sweetness.
- Mexican cheese blend: Look for bags marked Mexican blend, or use a mix of Monterrey jack and cheddar.
- Fresh cilantro: Cilantro is the finishing touch that brings in the perfect herby flavor.
- Sour cream: We like topping with a cooling dollop of sour cream.
- Pickled red onions: Take this pizza over the top with tangy sweet pickled onions: we also like the purple color it adds. If you prefer, use finely diced red onion as a substitute.
Tip for the jalapeños
When prepping the toppings for this pizza, be extra careful when handling the jalapeño. Even if you wash your hands immediately after cutting the pepper, there will be residual juice left on your fingers that you can’t see or feel.
To be safe, don’t touch your face or eyes for at least 30 minutes afterwards to avoid irritation (trust us, we know from experience!).
Pizza dough recipes
Our homemade pizza dough is the most delicious way to a Mexican pizza! It takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest before baking. Here’s a link to the recipe and a few more of our top options for dough:
- This pizza dough recipe is our master recipe for pizza dough. It works best on a pizza stone in a standard oven.
- You can also make thin crust pizza dough, which is easier to make! It’s also best cooked on a pizza stone.
- A few easier options are pan pizza cooked in a cast iron skillet, or sheet pan pizza for serving a crowd: it makes two large pizzas in a sheet pan.
More pizza recipes
If you love pizza, we’ve got loads more pizza recipes and ideas to try! Here are our top pizza recipes:
- Try Margherita Pizza or Neapolitan Pizza Recipe
- Go for our best Pizza Sauce Recipe
- Try these 35 Great Pizza Recipes
- Opt for Pickle Pizza, Pizza Bianca, Jalapeno Pizza, or Taco Pizza
Dietary notes
This Mexican pizza recipe is vegetarian.
Frequently asked questions
Mexican Pizza is a unique and flavorful dish that combines elements of Mexican cuisine and pizza. It typically features seasoned ground beef or beans layered between two crispy tortillas, topped with pizza sauce, cheese, and various toppings like tomatoes, onions, olives, and jalapeños. However, you can also make it on a traditional pizza crust like this recipe!
Mexican Pizza was popularized by Taco Bell, a fast-food chain, in 1985. It quickly became a fan favorite but was discontinued in 2020, causing widespread disappointment among fans. Due to popular demand, it was brought back to the menu in 2022.
You can experiment with different variations of Mexican Pizza by using a traditional pizza crust, using different proteins (like chicken or tofu), adding different vegetables (like bell peppers or avocado), or using different sauces (like salsa verde or enchilada sauce). You can also create vegetarian or vegan versions by substituting the meat with beans or lentils and using dairy-free cheese.
Mexican Pizza
This Mexican pizza recipe features creamy refried beans, spicy jalapeño, and sweet corn. The perfect dish for when you can’t decide what to make!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 slices 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 balls Best Pizza Dough (or Food Processor Dough or Thin Crust Dough)
- 1 cup canned refried black beans (or Refried Black Beans, Refried Pinto Beans, or Instant Pot Refried Beans
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 small green onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 jalapeño pepper (or more to taste)
- 2 handfuls frozen corn
- Mexican cheese blend (or a mix of Monterrey jack and cheddar)
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream or Mexican Crema, to serve (optional)
- Pickled onions, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough using the Best Pizza Dough Recipe (follow this video instruction for more). Follow the preparation instructions in the dough recipe if prepared in advance.
- Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).
- In a medium bowl, mix the refried black beans with a bit of water to thin the consistency so that it is easily spreadable. Mix with ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne.
- Seed and dice the tomato. Thinly slice the green onion. Seed and dice the jalapeño (keep your hands away from your eyes!); or if you prefer, thinly slice it. Chop the cilantro.
- When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
- Quickly assemble the pizza. Spread the bean mixture in a thin layer over the dough, sprinkle on as much cheese as you like, and add the red onion, tomato, jalapeño, corn, and cilantro. Sprinkle with kosher salt (very important – this really brings out the flavors!).
- Transfer the pizza to the pizza stone using the pizza peel, and bake until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat Steps 4 through 6 for the second pizza (if your stone isn’t big enough for two!). Chop the cilantro and add it as a garnish. Add sour cream and pickled onions, if desired.
Notes
Inspired by Everyday Annie
I have never thought of using refried beans as a base, that fascinates me because I love them so much, this pizza looks delicious! A definite repin!
I’m trying this tonight & adding a bit of chorizo. So excited!