If you miss that crispy, cheesy Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, making it at home is easier than you might think. This copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza recipe has everything you want: crisp tortillas, seasoned ground beef, creamy refried beans, tangy Mexican pizza sauce, plenty of melted cheese, and fresh diced tomatoes.
The best part about making Mexican Pizza at home is that you can serve it straight from the oven while the tortillas are still crunchy and the cheese is hot and bubbly.
This recipe makes a fun weeknight dinner, game-day meal, or homemade fast-food night that the whole family can customize.
Why You’ll Love This Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Recipe
The combination of textures is what makes this recipe so good. You get a crunchy tortilla on the bottom, a hearty layer of seasoned beef and refried beans in the middle, another crisp tortilla, then sauce and melted cheese on top.
It’s quick enough for a weeknight but feels much more exciting than ordinary tacos.
You can also easily adjust the toppings, make it spicier, leave out the beef, or prepare several pizzas at once when feeding a family.
Ingredients
You will need:
- 8 flour tortillas, about 6 inches
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can refried beans, about 16 ounces
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1/3 cup salsa or taco sauce
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- Vegetable oil or cooking spray, for crisping the tortillas
- Sliced green onions, optional
- Sliced black olives, optional
- Sour cream, optional for serving
- Hot sauce, optional for serving
How to Make Taco Bell Mexican Pizza at Home
1. Cook the Ground Beef
Place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula, until completely browned.
Drain away excess grease.
Add the taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and water.
Stir everything together and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the beef is well coated and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Remove the skillet from the heat and set the beef aside.
2. Warm the Refried Beans
Place the refried beans in a small saucepan over low heat.
Heat them until warm, stirring occasionally.
If the beans are very thick, stir in one or two tablespoons of water to make them easier to spread.
Don’t make them runny. You want the beans thick enough to stay between the tortillas.
3. Make the Mexican Pizza Sauce
Stir the red enchilada sauce and salsa together in a small bowl.
Using both gives the sauce a little more texture and flavor than plain enchilada sauce.
For a smoother sauce, use taco sauce instead of chunky salsa.
Set the sauce aside while you prepare the tortillas.
4. Crisp the Tortillas
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with vegetable oil or coat them lightly with cooking spray.
Arrange the tortillas on baking sheets in a single layer.
Bake for about 4 to 5 minutes, flip them, and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes.
You want the tortillas crisp and lightly golden but not extremely dark.
Keep an eye on them near the end because tortillas can go from golden to overly browned quickly.
5. Assemble the Mexican Pizzas
Place four crispy tortillas on a baking sheet.
Spread each tortilla with a generous layer of warm refried beans.
Add a layer of seasoned ground beef.
Place another crispy tortilla on top.
Gently press it down so the pizza stays together.
Spread approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of the prepared Mexican pizza sauce over each top tortilla.
Sprinkle generously with shredded cheese.
Add the diced tomatoes over the cheese.
6. Bake Until the Cheese Melts
Return the assembled Mexican pizzas to the 400°F oven.
Bake for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and the pizzas are hot.
For slightly browned cheese, turn on the broiler for the final 30 to 60 seconds.
Watch carefully if you use the broiler because the tortillas can burn quickly.
Remove the pizzas from the oven and let them rest for about 2 minutes.
Cut each Mexican Pizza into four wedges and serve immediately.
The Secret to Crispy Mexican Pizza
One of the easiest mistakes when making homemade Mexican Pizza is leaving the tortillas too soft.
The tortillas need to be crispy before you assemble the pizzas.
Once the sauce goes on top, it immediately starts adding moisture. If the tortilla wasn’t properly crisped first, the finished pizza can become soft instead of crunchy.
Bake both sides of the tortillas until they feel firm and lightly golden.
Another important trick is not using too much sauce. A thin layer gives you plenty of flavor without soaking through the tortilla.
What Kind of Tortillas Should I Use?
Small flour tortillas work best for a classic copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza.
Look for tortillas around 6 inches in diameter.
Large burrito-size tortillas are harder to crisp evenly and create pizzas that are more difficult to flip, assemble, and serve.
Regular flour tortillas also give you a texture closer to the fast-food version than corn tortillas.
That said, corn tortillas can absolutely work if you prefer their flavor. Just expect a slightly different finished texture.
Can I Fry the Tortillas Instead?
Yes.
If you want an extra-crispy Mexican Pizza, heat a shallow layer of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Fry one tortilla at a time for roughly 30 to 60 seconds per side, or until golden and crisp.
Transfer each tortilla to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
Frying produces a particularly crunchy shell, although baking is easier when making several pizzas at once and uses considerably less oil.
Easy Mexican Pizza Variations
Once you know the basic method, this recipe is easy to customize.
For a spicy Mexican Pizza, add sliced jalapeños before baking or mix hot sauce into the pizza sauce.
For extra cheese, add a thin layer of shredded cheese between the beef and the second tortilla.
You can replace the ground beef with shredded chicken, ground turkey, or leftover taco meat.
For a meatless version, simply skip the beef and use a little more refried beans.
Black beans also make a good addition.
You can finish the pizza with green onions, black olives, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, or your favorite hot sauce.
What to Serve With Mexican Pizza
Mexican Pizza is filling enough to serve on its own, but it works especially well as part of a homemade Tex-Mex dinner.
Serve it with Mexican rice, seasoned black beans, tortilla chips and salsa, guacamole, queso, or a simple corn salad.
For family dinners, I like putting sour cream, chopped onions, hot sauce, jalapeños, and guacamole on the table so everyone can finish their own pizza.
How to Keep Mexican Pizza From Getting Soggy
There are three important things to remember.
First, make sure the tortillas are fully crisp before assembling the pizza.
Second, don’t spread an excessive amount of sauce over the top.
Third, serve the pizzas soon after baking.
Mexican Pizza tastes best when the contrast between the crunchy tortillas and soft filling is still noticeable.
If it sits for a long time, moisture from the beans, meat, and sauce gradually softens the tortillas.
Can You Make Mexican Pizza Ahead of Time?
You can prepare most of the components ahead of time, but I wouldn’t fully assemble the pizzas until you’re ready to bake them.
Cook the seasoned beef and refrigerate it in an airtight container.
The sauce can also be mixed and refrigerated.
You can shred the cheese and chop the toppings ahead of time.
When you’re ready to eat, crisp the tortillas, warm the beef and beans, assemble the pizzas, and bake.
This gives you a much better texture than refrigerating an already assembled Mexican Pizza.
How to Store Leftovers
Place leftover Mexican Pizza in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
The tortillas will soften somewhat in the refrigerator, but reheating them correctly helps bring back some of their crunch.
For the best results, reheat Mexican Pizza in a 375°F oven or air fryer until hot and crisp.
The microwave works if you’re in a hurry, but it tends to make the tortillas much softer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mexican Pizza made of?
This homemade version consists of two crispy flour tortillas layered with refried beans and seasoned ground beef, then topped with Mexican pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and diced tomatoes.
Is Mexican Pizza actually pizza?
Not in the traditional Italian sense. The name comes from its pizza-like construction: a round crispy base topped with sauce, cheese, and toppings that is sliced into wedges.
The ingredients themselves are much closer to tacos or tostadas.
Can I make Mexican Pizza without meat?
Absolutely.
Spread a slightly thicker layer of refried beans over the bottom tortilla and leave out the ground beef.
You can also add seasoned black beans for additional texture and protein.
Can I use corn tortillas?
Yes, although the flavor and texture will be different.
Flour tortillas provide a result closer to the familiar Taco Bell-style Mexican Pizza.
Can I make Mexican Pizza in an air fryer?
Yes.
Crisp the tortillas in your air fryer first, then assemble the pizza.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, cook the assembled pizza at approximately 375°F until the cheese melts.
Because air fryers vary considerably, check it frequently.
Tips for the Best Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
Make sure your tortillas are completely crisp before assembling them.
Break the ground beef into very small pieces while cooking. Fine-textured beef spreads more evenly and makes the pizza easier to eat.
Warm the refried beans before spreading them. Cold beans are thick and can break the crispy tortilla.
Use freshly shredded cheese when possible because it usually melts more smoothly than heavily coated pre-shredded cheese.
Don’t overload the center of the pizza with filling. Too much filling makes the layers slide apart when you cut it.
Let the finished pizza rest for a minute or two before slicing so the melted cheese settles slightly.
Homemade Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
There is something particularly satisfying about recreating a fast-food favorite in your own kitchen.
This Taco Bell Mexican Pizza recipe delivers the crispy tortillas, seasoned beef, creamy beans, tangy sauce, melted cheese, and fresh tomatoes that make Mexican Pizza so recognizable, but you get to control every layer.
Make it exactly as written the first time, then start experimenting.
Add jalapeños if you like heat. Double the cheese if that’s your favorite part. Leave out the beef for an easy vegetarian dinner.
Either way, serve it while it’s hot and crispy. That’s when homemade Mexican Pizza is at its best.
Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can 16 ounces refried beans
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1/3 cup salsa or taco sauce
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- Vegetable oil or cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat and drain excess grease.
- Add taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Warm the refried beans over low heat.
- Combine the enchilada sauce and salsa in a small bowl.
- Lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with oil or cooking spray.
- Bake the tortillas for 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until crisp.
- Spread refried beans over four tortillas.
- Add seasoned beef over the beans.
- Top each with another crispy tortilla.
- Spread Mexican pizza sauce over each pizza.
- Top with shredded cheese and diced tomatoes.
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Rest for 2 minutes, slice into wedges, and serve.
Notes
- For the crispiest Mexican Pizza, don't skip the first tortilla-baking step.
- Avoid adding too much sauce because excess moisture can soften the tortillas.
- For extra heat, add jalapeños or your favorite hot sauce.
