Mexican Pizza | Taco Bell Style Vegetarian Mexican Pizza
If you are looking for the ultimate Vegetarian Mexican Pizza, this Taco Bell copycat recipe is the only one you will ever need. It's a classic vegetarian comfort food that tastes even better than the original take-out version.
The best part? Making this Taco Bell-style Mexican Pizza at home is surprisingly quick. Crispy flour tortillas, seasoned refried beans, and tangy enchilada sauce come together to create a hearty meal that's ready in under 45 minutes.
One of our very favorites from Taco Bell to order is Mexican Pizza. It is usually served with beef and beans, but they make it very vegetarian-friendly by using just the beans in the Mexican Pizza.
Making Mexican Pizza at home is very easy. The only thing we need to perfect is crisping the tortillas. In this post, I'll show you the secret to getting that perfectly crispy tortilla base using a simple stovetop-to-oven technique.
After a couple of trials, I was able to get the perfectly crisped-up tortilla. I used a stovetop as well as an oven to crisp the tortillas. The tortillas were partly cooked on a griddle and then transferred to the oven to further crisp up.
I used store-bought refried beans and enchilada sauce to use in my Mexican Pizzas. These are stuff I usually have in my pantry to make enchiladas, Tortilla Pie, Chimichangas, or quesadillas. Lately, though, I have not been using refried beans a lot and use black beans instead.
I love the flavor of the black beans over the refried beans. But when making the Mexican pizza, my boys want it just like how they make it in Taco Bell, and hence, I use refried beans.
I used the Mexican blend cheese for the Mexican pizza. You could use any cheese of your choice, but not mozzarella, as it won't be the right texture for this.
I also used jalapenos for the extra heat, but that is completely optional. Also, removing the pulp from the tomatoes before chopping would be nice, as it would help keep the pizza from getting soggy.
Ingredients to make the Mexican Pizza
Tortilla - Tortilla is the star of the dish. I have used flour tortillas, but you can use corn tortillas as well. A fajita-sized tortilla is what closely matches the size of the Mexican Pizza at Taco Bell, and that is what I have used.
Refried Beans - When buying refried beans, make sure you buy the fat-free ones or the ones that specifically say 'vegetarian' on them. The fat that is used in the refried beans is Lard and hence buying fat-free is important if you are a vegetarian.
Mexican Cheese Blend - This is the cheese I always have to make enchilada, chimichanga, baked tortilla casserole, or any other Mexican dish.
Enchilada Sauce - I use store-bought enchilada sauce for the ease.
Vegetables - We use finely chopped tomatoes and scallions (green onions). I also added a little jalapeno pepper for the heat.
Oil - We use a little oil to spray or brush a thin layer of oil to crisp up the tortillas.
Step-by-step process
To crisp the tortillas
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Heat a griddle/pan on the stovetop. When the pan is hot, drizzle/spray some cooking oil and fry the tortilla, flipping often.
- Once the tortilla starts to brown, place it on a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Flip a couple of times and let them further cook until they are crispy. It took a couple of minutes for me to completely crisp them.
- You could do this entirely in the oven, but it takes longer to crisp. This method of partially cooking it on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven was quicker.
- Repeat the same with all the tortillas and keep them ready.
Assembling and baking the Mexican Pizza
- Do not turn off the oven yet. We will be using it to bake the pizzas after assembling them.
- Remove the refried beans from the can and place them in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the beans until they are warm and easily spreadable. I warmed mine for about a minute in the microwave.
- Chop the tomatoes, spring onions, and jalapenos (if using) and keep them ready.
- Place a crisp tortilla on the work surface. Spoon about ¼ of the beans in the center and spread them.
- Cover the beans with another tortilla.
- Spread about a tablespoon of enchilada sauce over the top tortilla.
- Top with ¼ cup of cheese.
- Layer the tomatoes, spring onions, and jalapeno over the cheese.
- Place it in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove it from the oven and let it rest for a couple of minutes before slicing.
- Repeat the same with the rest of the tortillas and enjoy!
What to serve with Mexican Pizza
Mexican pizza can be a meal by itself, but when making a Mexican dinner night, it is exciting to add sides.
Rice - A rice option on the side makes this a complete meal. Spanish rice or cilantro lime rice is a great option and is easy to make.
Salsa or dips - We can never have enough of salsa or dips to top our Mexican Pizza. Here are a few options that we love.
- Fiery Habanero Sauce
- Homemade Salsa
- Xni Pec Salsa or Habanero Salsa
- Spicy Black Bean Dip
- Spicy Watermelon Salsa
- Corn and Pineapple Salsa
Salad - Having a salad on the side is always a great option to keep the meal lighter. These are my favorites for a Mexican dinner.
How to Store and Reheat Mexican Pizza
Store any leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If possible, store the toppings (like fresh tomatoes and spring onions) separately to prevent the moisture from seeping into the tortilla.
One of the biggest challenges with a Taco Bell-style Mexican Pizza is keeping that signature crunch after it has been sitting.
Whatever you do, avoid the microwave! It will make the tortillas soft and chewy. Instead, try one of these methods -
Air Fryer (easiest) - Place the pizza in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 3-5 minutes. This is the fastest way to get that freshly made crispiness.
The Oven - Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the pizza on a baking sheet and heat for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly again.
Stovetop Skillet (my least favorite) - Place the pizza in a dry non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cover with a lid for 2 minutes to melt the cheese, then remove the lid for another minute to let the bottom tortilla crisp up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we can absolutely make Mexican Pizza with a corn tortilla. It makes the pizza gluten-free, and also, corn tortillas are easier to crisp up.
Cheese is the main ingredient that you would have to swap. Use vegan cheese, and also check to see if other ingredients have any kind of dairy product.
Similar Recipes
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Recipe
Mexican Pizza | Taco Bell Style Vegetarian Mexican Pizza
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 8 Tortilla I used fajita size flour tortillas
- 1 can Refried Beans Vegetarian ( 14 oz)
- 1 cup Mexican Cheese Blend
- ½ cup Enchilada sauce
- 2 Tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 Spring onions thinly sliced
- 1 Jalapeno pepper Optional (deseeded and finely chopped)
- Oil for spraying the pans
Instructions
TO CRISP THE TORTILLA
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Heat a griddle/pan on the stovetop. When the pan is hot, drizzle/spray some cooking oil and fry the tortilla, flipping often.8 Tortilla, Oil
- Once the tortilla starts to brown, place it on a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Flip a couple of times and let it further cook until they are crispy. It took a couple of minutes for me to completely crisp them.
- You could do this entirely in the oven, but I felt that took longer to crisp. This method of partially cooking it on the stovetop and then finishing in the oven was quicker.
- Repeat the same with all the tortillas and keep them ready.
ASSEMBLING AND BAKING THE MEXICAN PIZZA -
- Do not turn off the oven yet. We will be using it to bake the pizzas after assembling.
- Remove the refried beans from the can and place it in a heatproof bowl. Heat the beans until it is warm and easily spreadable. I warmed mine for about a minute in the microwave.1 can Refried Beans
- Chop the tomatoes, spring onions, and jalapenos (if using) and keep it ready.2 Tomatoes, 1 Jalapeno pepper, 2 Spring onions
- Place a crisp tortilla on the work surface. Spoon about ¼ of the beans in the center and spread it.
- Cover the beans with another tortilla.
- Spread about a tablespoon of enchilada sauce over the top tortilla.½ cup Enchilada sauce
- Top with ¼ cup of cheese.1 cup Mexican Cheese Blend
- Layer the tomatoes, spring onions, and jalapeno over the cheese.2 Tomatoes, 2 Spring onions, 1 Jalapeno pepper
- Place it in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove it from the oven and let it rest for a couple of minutes before slicing.
How is it vegan when you are using a Mexican cheese blend?
Linda, I neve said it is vegan. I called it the vegetarian Mexican pizza.
This was fantastic! We had all of the recipes on hand, which made this an easy recipe to try. I used pickled jalapeños instead and it turned out so flavorful. Thanks for the idea- a keeper!
Thanks a lot for trying the recipe. This is one of our favorite and I am so happy that you liked it as well.
Wow, these look super easy and delicious! I love the extra veg you have in there too
Thanks Paige! It is one of our favorite to make at home 🙂
I have never tasted these but they look very inviting. I am bookmarking this to try later for the pizza theme 🙂
Those slices are making me drool!!
Drooling here. Looks yum. Heard about this pizza a lot. Must try it.
I am drooling over these pizzas . They look so good , Love the way you have made them . Been very long since I made any pizza ...
This is one such easy pizza with tortilla. I'm certainly going to try it and I'm sure my kids would love it.
Omg, drooling here. I love Mexican flavour and the pizza looks absolutely delicious ?
Am just drooling over those pizza slices, such a fantastic dish to give a try at home, would love to make some soon.
Sounds pretty easy to attempt at home. I am sure the kids will love this.
Sounds pretty easy to do and looks good too. Will try this out.
I love Mexican pizza a lot and your recipe looks easy enough to make. My son would love this.
Vaandu is a big time Taco bell and fan I bet he will love this pizza. Bookmarked Sandhya.