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Mexican Pizza – a homemade version of the famous Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, only better! Super easy and a fun dinner the whole family will love.
I used to love Taco Bell. I am pretty sure it was because you could get so much food for so little money, but their crunchy tacos were my favorite! Then one day I discovered the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza and I was hooked! But their Crunchwrap Supreme ranks pretty high too.
We all know I love Mexican food in any form. I mean, I could have Sour Cream Enchiladas every day and be one happy girl. But sometimes you have to mix it up a bit. And making restaurant favorites at home, is always a good idea!
This Taco Bell Mexican Pizza recipe is really simple to make, you just need few ingredients and a few minutes and you are done.
Mexican Pizza Ingredients
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Tortillas (see below for notes on flour vs corn)
- Refried Beans
- Ground Beef
- Taco Seasoning
- Enchilada Sauce
- Colby Jack Cheese
- Diced Tomatoes
- Oil
The nice thing about this is you can customize it however you want. If you don’t like beans, don’t add them. If you really like black olives, add them. It is up to you! Back when this first came out at Taco Bell it included black olives.
I stuck with the basic version you can find at Taco Bell that has refried beans, taco meat, and a few diced tomatoes on top. I did add a couple of green onions for color, but you could use cilantro instead or just leave it plain. And if you have any Homemade Refried Beans, use those!
How to Make Mexican Pizza
- The first step is to make the taco meat. You can use ground beef or ground turkey and whatever taco seasoning you like. Just make it like you would for taco night.
- Next you want to get the tortillas nice and crispy. If you have a griddle or large skillet that fits more than one, break it out for this. Add a little bit of oil to your pan and heat the tortillas over a medium high heat. You want to flip them frequently so they don’t burn. But cook for 4-5 minutes until they are crispy.
- Now you start assembling. Spread a layer of refried beans along the bottom of the tortilla. Top with a layer of taco meat.
- Once you have your filling, add the second tortilla and top with enchilada sauce. You don’t want too much, or it will get soggy.
- Add a few diced tomatoes and an even layer of cheese over the sauce.
- Now you bake until the cheese is melted, the tortillas are crispy and everything is hot!
- I like to let them sit for a minute before I slice them so it doesn’t make a huge mess. Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or just as is!
Flour Or Corn Tortillas
I call for flour in this recipe, because that is what I like. But you can definitely use corn. I believe that Taco Bell uses flour and then fries them to get them super crispy. So if you want it a little more “authentic” and more like Taco Bell, then use flour.
If you read the comment section below there are a few former employees who commented. It sounds like what they used may have changed over the years or maybe region of the country. So whatever tortilla you like, you can get it crispy and it works great.
I have been making this Mexican pizza for years, and it is such a fun way to mix up taco night. It is easy to make and have everything on hand, plus the whole family will love it! Plus like a lot of copycat recipes, this is so much better than the original! You know what the ingredients are and get to use your favorites!
Recipe Tips
- What tortillas you use is entirely up to you, just get them crispy before you start. I have heard from people who say they worked at Taco Bell and they used flour. I have heard from people who swear they use corn. The website, which has the current information, says they use flour. But the actual pizza is definitely a little different since they have brought them back, so it could have been a blend previously.
- Lots of people like adding cheese to the middle to help keep it together. I am pretty sure Taco Bell did not do this, but theirs also wasn’t as full. But if you like cheese and want to make it easier to deal with, add it!
- You can easily make this vegetarian by just leaving out the ground beef. Obviously make sure you use vegetarian beans if you are buying them at the store.
- If you like things spicy you can use hot enchilada sauce, or add jalapenos to your ground beef.
- This Homemade Enchilada Sauce is great if you don’t want to use the store bought stuff.
Want More Copycat Recipes
- Canes Sauce
- Pasta Milano
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Cafe Rio Dressing
- Red Lobster Tartar Sauce
- Fiesta Lime Chicken
Mexican Pizza
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup water
- 15 oz refried beans
- 10 oz enchilada sauce
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 8 flour tortillas, taco size
- 1 Tablesoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- In a large skillet brown ground beef, breaking up into small pieces. Once cooked, add taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.1 pound ground beef, 1 packet taco seasoning, 3/4 cup water
- In a large skillet or griddle pour half of the oil into the pan. Heat over medium high heat. Add tortillas and cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping frequently, until crisp. Repeat with remaining tortillas and oil.1 Tablesoon vegetable oil, 8 flour tortillas
- Spread about 1/4 cup of beans evenly over the bottom of each tortilla. Top with taco meat.15 oz refried beans
- Place another tortilla over the top of the meat. Spread about 2 Tablespoons of enchilada sauce evenly over the tortilla. Divide tomatoes evenly over the top of the tortillas.10 oz enchilada sauce, 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- Sprinkle the cheese in an even layer over the top.1 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
- Place each pizza on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is hot.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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TB certainly used flour tortillas. I remember when they would put black olives on top. The mexican pizza and enchirito where the two things I would get. Now they serve neither and I no longer visit.
I make enchiritos all the time at home. You can cheat and use frozen beef burritos, or even beef and bean- and do the enchilada sauce the cheddar and olives on top and bake- or you can get Fancy and make your own burritos. Enchirito is simply a cross between burrito and enchilada.
If this helps at all, a former TB employee told me they actually use a tortilla that is a hybrid of corn and flour mixed together for the Mexican pizza. You can buy hybrid corn-flour tortillas online for pretty cheap.
Don’t use pre-packaged taco seasoning–way too much sodium. Don’t use enchilada sauce–make your own.
There is a link to homemade enchilada sauce in the post.
Taco Bell, Whom i used to work for in the 80’s used flour tortillas that were fried like the old taco Lites..taco shells.. but we didnt use our red enchilada taco sauce on it.. it was a chunky tomato pizza sauce.. im still looking for a recipe…
I feel like Taco Bell made them differently over the years. I have heard from multiple previous employees, and depending on when they worked their, the process was different. Probably based on what products that distributor sold, the cost and the amount of labor it took to make them.
Worked at the in the 90s. Definitely flour tortillas and yes.. that chunky pizza sauce is what gives it a little sweetness and lightness or the enchilada sauce. I miss the chilitos! Back when they still had chili. Those were the best. I make them at home still. Chili.
My son loved the Chilitos……wish they would bring them back!
@Shan, I loved the chilitos too! Dang, I want one of those really bad. I just want to know why they take their most popular and loved items away from us??
Im a little confused. Do you fry all the tortillas and set aside? Then assemble and bake all at once?
Yes, start by getting the tortillas crispy. Then you assemble and bake them.
When I tried to make them, the flour tortillas kept bubbling up. How do you stop that?
As you were frying them? That can just happen with tortillas, it isn’t a bad thing, it means they are fresh. You can just press down as they cook if you don’t want the bubbles.
Sandi, to not have the tortillas bubble up, take a sharp knife and just poke the fresh tortillas on both sides a few times before frying them up. This helps the air escape.
Make the recipe how ever you want to make it. You never have follow a recipe completely
Wow never thought of that
From Taco Bell’s website regarding the pizza shell “Mexican Pizza Shell: Enriched bleached wheat flour, water, ground corn”
So it’s a wheat flour corn mix.
Great recipe I was the company training manager for Taco Bell back in the ’90s when they introduced the Mexican pizza your recipe is so close to what the original was. Let me just clarify a couple of things for everyone. The Mexican pizza shells were flour tortillas I fried them every single day. The only difference in your recipe and the actual preparation was that the pizza sauce as we called it was a combination of red enchilada sauce and salsa. After the pizza sauce was ladled onto the top of the meat additional diced tomatoes were added on top of the sauce. A blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese was then added over the tomatoes. Back then they also added green onions and olives but those were later removed as ingredients
Hi I too like Mex. Pizza from Taco Bell
The Tex.one made with chop tomatoes,
Black olives, and Guacamole.
Sour cream So good that was a long time ago
I still remember that dish. The stores
Aren’t the same, but I still love Mex. Pizza!
What brand of enchilada sauce?
I hate when that is not included with the recipe.
It makes a difference!!!
I’ve had authentic, and can stuff, and subway enchilada sauce.
Some brands are just Awful!
You can use whatever brand you like. I think they all taste different, so it is your preference. I use Old El Paso sometimes or I make my own – https://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/homemade-enchilada-sauce/
I purpose don’t include it, because for this recipe is makes zero difference, it is just personal preference, and everyone likes different products.