If you’re a fan of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza, you’re in for a treat! This copycat version captures all the original flavors, with layers of crispy tortillas, seasoned ground beef, refried beans, tangy taco sauce, and melted fiesta blend cheese. It’s a perfect way to enjoy this fast-food favorite in your own home. Plus, it’s customizable and easy to make!
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Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need
- The Taco Meat: I used ground beef, a package of taco seasoning, and water to make the taco meat.
- The Refried Beans: I used a can of fat-free refried beans.
- The Tortillas: For the “pizza crust” I used 8-inch flour tortillas.
- The Cheese: I used shredded fiesta blend cheese.
- The Toppings: For the toppings, I used store-bought taco sauce, sour cream, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, and sliced green onions.
Making the Taco Meat
The taco meat that I used in this recipe was standard, no frills taco meat.
- I started by cooking and crumbling ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, which took about 10 minutes. Once the ground beef was done, I drained it in a colander and ran it under hot water to remove as much residual fat as possible.
I know that there are those who would disagree with my rinsing the cooked ground beef because of flavor loss. However, my experience suggests that the flavor comes from what is added to the ground beef, not the ground beef itself.
- I returned the drained ground beef to the skillet and added the packet of taco seasoning and water.
- I stirred everything together and cooked the seasoned beef over medium-low heat until most of the liquid had evaporated. This took about 15 minutes.
That’s it for the taco meat!
Preparing the Tortillas
I wanted to start with crispy tortillas. Therefore, I fried the tortillas in oil over medium heat until they were golden brown on both sides. This took several minutes per side.
Once the tortillas were golden brown, I removed them from the oil and placed them on paper towels to drain.
Assembling the Easy Copycat Mexican Pizza
- I started by spreading about ¼ cup of the refried beans on one of the fried flour tortillas I had placed on a nonstick aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
- Then, I spread about ¼ cup of the seasoned taco meat on top of the refried beans.
- I placed another fried tortilla on top and spread some taco sauce on the tortilla. Then, I sprinkled on about ¼ cup of the fiesta blend shredded cheese.
- I popped the Mexican pizza in a preheated 400°F oven until the cheese was melted and bubbly. This took five to six minutes.
- I removed the Mexican pizza from the oven, and cut it into four wedges.
- To garnish the Mexican pizza, I added a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled on diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, and sliced green onions.
There you have it—a delicious, homemade version of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza! This easy recipe is sure to become a family favorite, bringing the taste of Taco Bell right to the comfort of your own home.
Enjoy the crispy, cheesy, and flavorful layers, and don’t forget to customize it with your favorite toppings. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to substitute a melty cheese of your choice, such as cheddar, Colby, or Colby Jack cheese. You could also use Pepper Jack cheese.
The Mexican pizza is best eaten out of the oven. However, if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
Other Copycat Recipes
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Recipe
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Copycat Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef
- 1 ounce package taco seasoning
- ¾ cup water
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15 ounce can refried beans
- ½ cup taco sauce
- 1 cup (4 ounces) fiesta blend shredded cheese (See Tip 1)
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons diced tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons sliced black olives
- 2 Tablespoons sliced green onion tops
Instructions
- Brown and crumble ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Transfer to a colander; rinse with hot water to remove as much residual fat as possible. (See Tips 2 and 3)
- Return cooked ground beef to the skillet. Add taco seasoning and water; stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat until most of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the tortillas until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Drain well on paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil; set aside.
- Place crispy tortilla on prepared baking sheet. Spread ¼ cup of refried beans and top with ¼ cup of cooked taco meat. Place another crispy tortilla on top. (See Tip 4)
- Spread 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of taco sauce on top tortilla. Sprinkle on ¼ cup of fiesta cheese.
- Cook in preheated 400°F oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Cut into wedges and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, and sliced green onion tops. (See Tip 5)
- Yield: 4 Copycat Mexican Pizzas
Tips/Notes
- Feel free to substitute cheddar, Colby, Colby Jack, or your favorite melty cheese.
- I know that there are those who would disagree with my rinsing the cooked ground beef because of the flavor loss. However, my experience suggests that the flavor really comes from the seasonings. However, skip the rinsing step if that’s your preference.
- I like my ground beef finely crumbled. Therefore, before returning the cooked ground beef to the skillet, I like to crumble it between the palms of my hands.
- You will have some refried beans and taco meat left over. Use them for another purpose.
- Use what you would prefer for the garnish.
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