Years ago, a friend introduced me to a charming little pizza shop nestled in the Shenandoah Mountains, near the Virginia/West Virginia border. This quaint ‘mom and pop’ parlor served up some of the best pizza I’ve ever had, and their taco pizza left me wishing I lived a little closer!
While I can’t quite match the original, I decided to try my hand at recreating their taco pizza, and the results were pretty darn good. It’s actually super easy to make at home. Check it out for yourself…
This has been my go-to pizza dough recipe for many years. It’s simple to make, requires just a few ingredients, and you don’t have to wait long for the dough to rise. Be sure to use lukewarm water when mixing it with the yeast. The warmth helps activate the yeast, but if the water is too hot, it can kill it.
After about five minutes, the yeast mixture should appear foamy and smell like ale. If that doesn’t happen, your yeast might be expired.
TIP: Keep your yeast in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. There’s no need to thaw it, and it will last much longer.
After mixing up the dough and letting it rest for ten minutes, roll it out on your pizza stone. I’ve found that a rolling pin works perfectly to roll the dough out directly on the stone. Gently roll past the edges of the stone and the overlapping dough will make a perfect edge.
Spread with taco sauce, some prepared taco meat, and shredded cheese.
Bake until the cheese is nice and melted.
Top with your preferred toppings. I use shredded lettuce, tomatoes, crushed corn chips, sour cream, and an extra drizzle of taco sauce.
You might need a fork to dig in, but trust me, it’s worth it!
Ingredients
- 2½ tsp active dry yeast or 1 package
- 1 C water, lukewarm
- 1 T sugar
- 2½ C all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 T vegetable oil
- ½ C taco sauce, mild
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 1oz. package taco seasoning
- 2 C Mexican cheese blend
- 1 C shredded lettuce
- ¾ C tomatoes, diced
- corn chips
- sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- To make the dough: Mix the water, yeast, and sugar together. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes, or until it becomes slightly foamy on top.
- Add the flour and salt to your mixer bowl, then make a well in the center. Pour in the oil and yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on medium-low speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a smooth ball. With slightly floured hands, remove the dough hook and place the bowl in a warm spot. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain the excess fat, then add the taco seasoning. Follow the package instructions by adding about 1/3 cup of water and cooking until the liquid reduces.
- Roll or press the dough out onto a pizza stone. Spread an even layer of taco sauce over the dough. Top with the seasoned ground beef and shredded cheese. Place the pizza in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dough is cooked through.
- Once baked, top with lettuce, corn chips, sour cream, or any other desired toppings. Serve immediately.