Homemade Mexican Pizza
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I have a new obsession and it’s this Homemade Mexican Pizza!
This version is even better than the Mexican Pizzas you can get at Taco Bell, and they are SUPER simple to make!
Homemade Mexican Pizzas use pantry and refrigerator staples, like tortillas, shredded cheese, ground beef, refried beans, and enchilada sauce. They are easily customizable with whatever garnishes you enjoy most, like sliced green onions, diced tomatoes, black olives, and jalapenos.
Some of my other favorite Mexican-inspired dishes include my Green Chicken Enchilada Soup, Ground Turkey Black Bean Enchiladas, Homemade Crunchwrap Supremes, and Sheet Pan Nachos.
Table Talk with Tawnie
Do you remember the social media uproar a few years ago when Taco Bell announced that they were taking the Mexican Pizza off their menu?? My husband was very disappointed when he heard the news. Even though Taco Bell eventually put them back on the menu, I knew I wanted to create a copycat recipe for all the die-hard Mexican Pizza fans out there (like Cameron 😉). These Homemade Mexican Pizzas are the ultimate comfort food: crispy, cheesy, saucy, and loaded with flavor in every bite. They come together quickly with simple pantry staples and are fun to customize with your favorite toppings. Perfect for your weeknight dinner rotation!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Ground Beef: I use 85% lean when I’m making these pizzas, but feel free to use whatever percentage you prefer. I love the way the hearty beef layer mixes with the enchilada sauce and melted cheese!
- Taco Seasoning: Grab your favorite packet to season the ground beef with bold, smoky spices. It’s what gives the meat its classic Tex-Mex flavor!
- Refried Beans: Creamy refried beans create a rich, velvety layer that not only adds flavor and protein but also helps hold the layers of the Mexican Pizza together. Feel free to use traditional, vegetarian, or even black bean refried beans… whatever you prefer!
- Flour Tortillas: These serve as the “crust” of your Homemade Mexican Pizza. I use the 6-inch fajita size flour tortillas for mine. You can use corn if you prefer, but the flour are bit closer to a true Taco Bell “copycat”.
- Enchilada Sauce: Choose a red enchilada sauce or La Victoria taco sauce for the sauce layer. If you want to add some heat to your Homemade Mexican Pizza, pick a spicier sauce of your liking.
- Shredded Cheese: I like using shredded Colby Jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend as both melt really well and taste delicious in this recipe.
- Your favorite toppings: diced tomatoes, green onions, olives, sour cream, hot sauce, jalapenos, avocado, salsa, lime juice, cilantro, etc.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Fry the tortillas
Poke small holes in the tortillas with a toothpick to prevent them from bubbling as they cook. Add oil to a skillet. Once hot, add a tortilla and fry until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with all the tortillas.
Cook the beef
Cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Add the seasoning packet and water and let simmer until the mixture thickens. Then, add the cheese and enchilada sauce, stir to combine, and set aside.
Assemble the Mexican Pizzas
On one fried tortilla, spread an even layer of refried beans, followed by a layer of the beef mixture. Then top with another fried tortilla. Spread a little enchilada sauce over the top of the second tortilla and then sprinkle some cheese on top. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas to assemble 8 Mexican pizzas.
Bake
Bake the Mexican pizzas at 375° for ~8-10 minutes or until cheese is melty and tortillas are crispy.
Enjoy! 😋
Add your favorite toppings (sliced green onions, olives, diced tomatoes, sour cream, etc.), slice into quarters, and enjoy!
Variations / Substitutions
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of ground beef. Or to make it vegetarian, leave the meat out entirely.
- Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. You’ll still want to fry (or air-fry or bake) them until crispy like the flour ones.
- Make a homemade taco seasoning: Mix 1 TBSP chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper. This amount is equivalent to one store-bought packet and works great for about 1 pound of meat.
- Use hot sauce instead of red enchilada sauce if preferred.
- Try using green enchilada sauce instead of red to switch things up a bit!
Pan-Frying Alternatives
Air Fryer
Air-fried tortillas work just like the pan-fried version. They are perfectly sturdy for stacking and holding all the tasty toppings. Here’s how to prepare the tortillas in the air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Lightly spray both sides of each flour tortilla with cooking spray or brush with a small amount of oil. This helps them crisp up evenly.
- Place tortillas in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them one at a time.
- Air fry for 3–5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crisp. Keep an eye on them… tortillas can go from crisp to overly browned quickly.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool and stay crisp while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Baking
Baked tortillas are another great alternative to frying. They are lighter, less messy, and still perfectly crunchy! To bake your tortillas in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Place 4 tortillas on a baking sheet at a time.
- Using a fork, poke surface of tortilla about 8 times. (This helps prevent the tortilla from bubbling).
- Bake for 15 minutes, then cool. Tortillas should be firm and chip-like.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Tips for the Best Homemade Mexican Pizzas
- Make sure to poke small holes (using a toothpick) in the tortillas before frying them. This helps prevent air bubbles when frying.
- Grocery stores now sell Taco Bell branded items like refried beans, seasoning packets, hot sauce, and other sauces. Use those items if you have access to them for even more of a Taco Bell copycat Mexican Pizza.
- Make and serve immediately. The pizzas can get soggy if made too far in advance.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut your Mexican Pizza into quarters. That might seem obvious, but it’s way easier than trying to cut with a large knife!
- Add your favorite Mexican Pizza toppings: sour cream, jalapeños, green onions, black olives, diced tomatoes, avocado, guacamole, more hot sauce, etc. Let your imagination run freely!
Storage
- Homemade Mexican Pizzas are best served fresh, but they do keep up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container
- Or you can prepare the ingredients, keep them separated, and then wait to assemble and heat right before you’re ready to serve
Copycat Series
From savory copycat favorites like my Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme and Olive Garden Breadsticks. To copycat baked goods like Girl Scouts Tagalong Cookies and Costco Double Chocolate Muffins. The Copycat Series was SO much fun to create and share with you all!
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Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Homemade Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
For the tortillas:
- 16 flour or corn tortillas (I use the 6-inch Fajita Mission size. Note: Taco Bell uses flour tortillas)
- vegetable or canola oil
- salt
For the beef:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 1-oz. packet taco seasoning
- ¾ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (or a shredded Mexican cheese blend)
- 1 Tbsp. enchilada sauce (or La Victoria taco sauce works well too)
For the Mexican pizzas:
- 1 15-oz can refried beans
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (or a shredded Mexican cheese blend)
- enchilada sauce (or La Victoria taco sauce works well too)
- diced tomatoes
- green onions
- black olives (optional)
- other optional toppings: sour cream, jalapenos, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, hot sauce
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Fry the tortillas: Use a toothpick to poke small holes in the tortillas; this helps prevent them from bubbling up as they cook in the oil. Add about ¼ cup oil to a large skillet and heat until it's hot. Once hot, add the tortilla and begin to fry.16 flour or corn tortillas, vegetable or canola oil
- Flip the tortillas: Fry the tortilla for about 1-3 minutes, checking and flipping it to ensure it doesn’t get too brown. It should be golden brown on both sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined wire cooling rack, season with salt, and repeat with remaining tortillas, using more oil as necessary. (Note: If you would rather bake or air fry your tortillas, make sure to read my section on alternatives to pan-frying.)salt
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil; set aside.
- Cook the beef: In a large skillet, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Return to the burner. Add the seasoning packet and ¾ cup water.1 lb. ground beef, 1 1-oz. packet taco seasoning
- Stir & simmer: Stir to combine. Simmer for a few minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Add cheese and sauce: Then, add the cheese and enchilada sauce. Stir to combine and set aside.¾ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese, 1 Tbsp. enchilada sauce
Assemble:
- Feel free to microwave or heat the can of beans if desired; this can help make it easier to spread.1 15-oz can refried beans
- On one fried tortilla, spread an even layer of refried beans first. About 2-3 Tbsp.
- Spread a layer of the beef mixture on top of the beans. About ¼ cup.
- Top with another fried tortilla.
- Spread a little enchilada sauce over the top, and some cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. (You should get 8 Mexican pizzas.)enchilada sauce, 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
- Bake: Bake on prepared baking sheet for ~8-10 minutes or until cheese is melty and tortillas are crispy. Start Timer
- Garnish: Add your favorite garnishes, cut into quarters, and enjoy.diced tomatoes, green onions, black olives, other optional toppings: sour cream, jalapenos, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, hot sauce
Video
Notes
- A lot of grocery stores now sell Taco Bell branded food items such as Taco Bell refried beans, Taco Bell seasoning packets, and Taco Bell hot sauce. Use those items if you have access to them for even more of a Taco Bell copycat Mexican Pizza.
- If you’d rather not pan-fry your tortillas, check out my tips on how to prepare them in the air fryer or by baking in the oven.
- You can definitely use corn tortillas instead of flour if that is your preference! You will still want to get them crispy (whether that’s by pan frying, air frying, or baking) just like you would with the flour ones.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
This post was originally published in Nov. 2020, and was updated with a slightly modified recipe and new photos July 2025.
This was so good! Definitely adding it to our dinner rotation. I made it with shredded chicken because that’s what I had on hand but can’t wait to try it with ground beef!
Thank you so much Hillary! Love the shredded chicken swap, I need to try that ASAP!! xo, Tawnie
I think the carb count in the nutrition info is off. One 6″ flour tortilla has significantly more than 3g of Carbs.
Thank you for catching this, nutrition information is updated! (One fajita tortilla has 17g of carbs)
Yummy recipe for Taco Tuesday and so much better than Taco Bell. 🙂
It is amazing how easy and delicious a pizza can be. This recipe is the perfect example of it. Can’t wait to make one at home!
I love Mexican Pizza and I was so sad when I heard that Taco Bell was discontinuing it! This recipe tasted just like the original – I’ll be making this again and again! 🙂
So yummy! We don’t have Taco Bell here so I can’t compare, but this was amazing!
I love homemade pizza – so much better than shop bought! This sounds so flavourful and ever so tasty!