It would be wrong of me to not kick things off by saying that this is nacho average pizza.
(Giggles.) See what I did there?
I started by setting the bar really low with a lame pun so that by the time you’re inhaling this ridiculously rad, undeniably delicious pizza, you don’t even remember that I have the sense of humor of a middle-aged man.
Technically, I would call this dish a Mexican pizza.
And while I’m not saying that combining two familiar comfort food favorites is the world’s most original idea, I am willing to bet you’ve never tasted a slice like this.
What makes it so special, you ask? Let’s first take a moment to discuss roasted garlic.
Adding this earthy, nutty aromatic to dishes is one of my all-time favorite cooking tricks that I keep up my sleeve at all times. I throw a head in the oven before dinner guests arrive so that the warm, savory, garlicky scent invites them in, then asks them to stay a while and uncork whatever wine they brought.
I smash it into salad dressings, root veggie purees, and occasionally my toothpaste.
Okay, maybe not that last thing. But I love the deep, rich aroma of the golden-brown cloves, with a scent that’s just as good as their flavor.
For this recipe, I discovered that by buzzing them with black beans and smoky-sweet roasted red peppers, I’ve created a “pizza sauce” that is truly applause-worthy.
Actually, what I really created here was a damn good black bean dip, but for the purpose of this recipe, we’re slathering it onto a tasty, crisp crust as a sauce.
From there, the rest of this Tex-Mex-inspired pizza pie recipe is simply a suggestion.
If you prefer your nachos studded with tasty toppings like pickled red onions, crumbly chorizo, or creamy dollops of guacamole, I’m not about to stop you.
But today I’m here to share the garnishes that I’m partial to, before I sneak some bites of your nacho pizza, and then slowly back out the door before you realize I’ve eaten your dinner…
Bubbly melted cheese is a given. I assume we have no arguments there.
I find that smooth, mild, expertly melty Monterey Jack cheese goes best with a handful of sharp cheddar. I like a little oomph paired with the subtler options.
From there, I load up until my naughty nacho pie just can’t take anymore.
Pickled jalapenos add an undeniably necessary spark of salt and vinegar, while fresh radishes and pico de gallo bring a bright, fresh crunch.
Black olives offer not only a hint of contrasting color, but a hit of savoriness that’s wildly delectable with the beans.
Green onions and fluffy fresh cilantro are sprinkled on for a verdant pop, and let’s not forget that always-popular sour cream (or crema) squiggle that’s sure to make everyone think you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen.
This is na-cho pizza. This is mine.
Oops, I did it again. But really, make your own. Enjoy it. And please, please let me know how it turns out.
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Nacho Pizza
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 8-inch pizza (serves 2) 1x
Description
In this magnificent mash-up, pizza crust is layered with creamy black bean spread, cheese, and every nacho staple you can dream up.
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce ball homemade pizza dough or store-bought crust
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1 teaspoon chili powder blend
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons), divided
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh salsa (such as pico de gallo)
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
- 2 large radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, green parts only
- 2 tablespoons rough chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
- Gently stretch and shape the crust into a thin round using your hands, and place it on the parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and bake until light golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.
- Place the garlic cloves onto a piece of foil, drizzle them with the remaining olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap the garlic up like a package, and then bake until the cloves are roasted and golden-brown, about 12-15 minutes. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, slide the cloves out of their skins.
- Add the roasted garlic cloves to a food processor along with the black beans, cream cheese, roasted red peppers, chili powder, cumin, juice of 1 lime, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse until the mixture becomes a paste. Season to taste with additional salt if necessary.
- Whisk together the sour cream with the remaining lime juice and season to taste with salt.
- Spread the black bean paste onto the pre-baked crust and top with the cheeses. Bake until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbly and melted, about 5 more minutes.
- Garnish the pizza with the salsa, black olives, jalapenos, radishes, green onions, and cilantro. Slice, and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pizza
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Flatbread
Keywords: pizza, nacho
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep Ingredients and Pre-Bake the Crust
If you haven’t already, prepare your pizza crust. Roast the peppers, if you plan to do this from scratch, or measure out what you need and give it a rough chop.
Measure out the rest of your ingredients, including your choice of toppings if you wish to make any substitutions for the ones I’ve recommended above. Rinse and drain the canned beans.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
Using your hands, gently stretch and shape the crust into a thin round. Place it onto the parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Bake until light golden-brown, about 5-8 minutes. You want it to be about 3/4 of the way cooked since the only other time the dough spends in the oven is to warm the bean spread and melt the cheese.
If you’re really lazy… you can simply put all of these toppings on a frozen cheese pizza.
Just saying. It’s possible.
Step 2 – Roast the Garlic and Make the Bean Spread
Place the whole garlic cloves onto a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap the garlic up tightly in the foil like a package, and bake until the cloves are roasted and golden-brown, for about 12-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, open the package, and set aside to cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, slide the cloves out of their skins. You can mash them with the flat side of your chef’s knife if you like, but they’ll also break down in the food processor.
Add the roasted garlic to a food processor along with the black beans, cream cheese, roasted red peppers, chili powder, cumin, juice of 1 lime, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse until the mixture is well blended, with the consistency of a thick paste. Season to taste with additional salt if necessary.
Step 3 – Make the Lime Crema Drizzle and Prep the Toppings
Whisk together the sour cream with the remaining lime juice and season it to taste with salt.
Thinly slice the radishes and green onions and rough chop the cilantro.
Step 4 – Build, Bake, and Garnish the Pizza
Spread the black bean paste onto the pre-baked crust and top with the shredded jack and cheddar cheeses. Bake until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbly and melted, about 5 more minutes.
Garnish the pizza with the salsa, black olives, jalapenos, radishes, green onions, and cilantro, or your favorite nacho toppings. Slice, and serve warm.
This Tex-Mex Inspired Pizza Is a Homemade Masterpiece
Just when you thought all of the best foods had already been smashed together to make a single unifying dish (for better or for worse), this tasty nacho pizza came along to ask, “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”
My version is vegetarian-friendly, but topping it all off with some spicy pork or lime chicken is a stellar solution for upping the protein count.
A hint of citrus gives sour cream a lift, but if you’re feeling really spicy (and cheesy) – which I usually am – feel free to hit your nacho pizza with a drizzle of green chili queso FTW.
Always thinking about pizza? Same. Give these recipes a try next:
- Barbecue Chicken Pizza
- Peach, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Pizza with Kefir Spelt Crust
- Squash Apple Pizza
How do you plan to dress up your handcrafted mash-ups? Share your secrets in the comments below! And don’t forget to give this recipe a five-star rating if you loved it.
Photos by Fanny Slater, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on January 9, 2012. Last updated on February 2, 2021.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Fanny Slater
Fanny Slater is a home-taught food enthusiast based in Wilmington, North Carolina who won the “Rachael Ray Show” Great American Cookbook Competition in 2014, and published her cookbook “Orange, Lavender & Figs” in 2016. Fanny is a food and beverage writer, recipe developer, and social media influencer. She was a co-host on the Food Network series “Kitchen Sink,” was featured on Cooking Channel’s longtime popular series “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” and continues to appear regularly on the “Rachael Ray Show.”
