Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat – Cooking With Fire
This taco bell mexican pizza copycat is two burrito-size flour tortillas crisped on the grill, with refried beans and taco seasoned ground beef in between and taco sauce, Colby Jack cheese, diced tomato and sliced olives on top. Then it goes back on the grill on a wire rack to melt the cheese. Two pounds of beef will make you two pizzas. The beef is 85/15 ground beef with 2 packets of taco seasoning, the beans have half a sweet onion cooked down in them, and the tortillas get grilled or baked at 300°F until crispy and brown. My Smash Burger Tacos are another fast food one I have done over fire. This is the Taco Bell one, just bigger.
It’s all about those tortillas. They need to be crispy, and you have to be careful with them when they go back on the grill. That is why the wire rack is there.
Great family meal. It can feed a bunch, or it’s for that night you want the drive through but don’t feel like going.
Quick Look: Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat
- Method: Ground beef and beans cooked down, tortillas crisped, layered and topped, then melted over the grill or in the oven
- Grill or oven temp: 300°F
- Tortillas: Cook until crispy and brown, flipped once
- Cheese melt: Just until warm and the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes
- Makes: Two big pizzas, 4 to 6 servings
- The one thing that matters most: Use a wire rack in a baking dish. Do not place the pizza directly on the grill. Your bottom tortilla will burn before your cheese is melted
I use the same seasoned beef in my Skirt Steak Tacos if you want the beef on a tortilla instead of between two.
Why This Recipe
- Two pizzas out of two pounds of beef. I use burrito-size tortillas so you have bigger slices and the pizza feeds a table.
- Taco seasoning. This is what gives you that Taco Bell taste. Two packets will season two pounds of 85/15 beef.
- Beans with onion. I like to saute half a sweet onion in olive oil and then add the beans. I add some water so they spread easier on the tortilla instead of tearing it.
- Crunchy tortilla. Grill them or bake them, you want them crispy either way. That is what gives you that crunchy Taco Bell pizza. A tortilla that is still soft in the middle folds under the beans.
- Wire rack. The pizza goes on a wire rack in a baking dish when it goes back on the grill or in the oven to melt. The heat gets to the cheese and the bottom tortilla never touches the grates. Skip it and the bottom burns before the cheese on top moves.
As you can see, I have many taco and nacho recipes that you can make on the grill. This is one of my favorites. The kids love this one and it looks like it came from the drive through.
Key Ingredients
For the Beef
- Ground beef. 2 lbs of 85/15 ground beef. I drain my beef if I have a lot of grease in the pan. 85/15 has enough fat to stay juicy under the seasoning without flooding the skillet.
- Taco seasoning. 2 packets, with the water the packets call for. One packet per pound.
For the Beans
- Refried beans. 1 can, about 16 oz. Traditional or the vegetarian ones, either works.
- Sweet onion. 1/2 of one, diced.
- Olive oil. 1 tbsp, for the onion.
- Water. 1/4 cup. This will help your beans spread.
For the Pizzas
- Tortillas. 4 flour tortillas, 2 per pizza. Make sure they are burrito size. The taco size ones give you a snack. These give you dinner.
- Taco sauce. About 1/2 cup of Taco Bell taco sauce. You can use any taco sauce, but this is what gives you that Taco Bell taste.
- Colby Jack cheese. About 2 cups of shredded Colby Jack. I used a bag from the store.
- Tomato. 1, diced. Seed it so the top does not go watery.
- Olives. 1/4 cup of sliced black olives. Drained.
- Jalapeño. 1, diced. Optional. I put it on half for the people who want it.
I use the same ground beef in my Taco Potatoes, so you can make both out of one batch. Same beef again in my Cheeseburger Bombs if you want it wrapped in dough instead of between tortillas.
Substitutions or Additions
- Homemade taco seasoning. Chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika and salt. Use about 4 tbsp for two pounds of beef. Add a splash of water the same way you would with the packets.
- Turkey or chicken. You can substitute ground turkey or chicken and use the same seasoning. Cook to an internal temp of 165°F. They are leaner, so a little oil in the pan first.
- Black beans. You can use black beans and mash them up with the onion. Rougher texture, same job, and they still spread with the water.
- Different cheese. Cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend both work. Anything that melts and browns.
- Add sour cream. Sour cream and chopped green onions on top after it comes off the heat. That is how the original gets served.
- Corn tortillas. You can use corn tortillas, but they will be smaller. More of a tostada. Two per pizza, same method, and they crisp faster so watch them.
- Chorizo. I would add some chorizo in place of some of the ground beef. Check out my Chorizo Quesadillas for that.
How to Make Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat (Step by Step)
Brown your beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown your two pounds of 85/15. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain your beef if needed.
Add the taco seasoning. Once your beef is browned, add your taco seasoning with the water. Cook for a few minutes and remove from the heat.
Saute the onion and add the beans. In a pan over medium heat, add your olive oil and half a diced sweet onion. Saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add your refried beans and 1/4 cup of water and mix until combined and heated. Remove from the heat and allow your beef and beans to cool down.
Crisp your tortillas. On the grill or in the oven at 300°F. Grill them right on the grates or put them on a baking sheet in the oven. Make sure they are crispy and brown all the way through. Flip once to crisp both sides. Watch them. They can go from brown to burnt quick, and they are very fragile once they are crispy. Let them cool for a minute.
Place your bottom tortilla. Take your crispy tortilla and set it on a baking dish. Spread your beans over it, then your beef.
Top tortilla and toppings. Place your second tortilla on top of the beef and beans. Spread your taco sauce, cheese, tomato, olives and jalapeños on top. Make the second one.
Place it back on the heat. Carefully set the pizza on a wire rack in a baking dish. Put it on the grill or in the oven at 300°F, hot enough that it warms through and melts your cheese. About 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful when moving them. They will break.
Cut into slices. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then cut into 4. A pizza cutter goes through the two tortillas cleaner than a knife.
Your ground beef should be cooked to 160°F, which is the USDA minimum for ground beef, and this will be well above that by the time it is browned and simmered. If you want the tortilla side of this done as a crispy wrap, check out my Crispy Cheeseburger Wraps.
Tips From Miguel
Wire rack and baking dish. Use a wire rack and a baking dish when you place it back on the grill to melt the cheese. Do not place it directly on the grill. The wire rack lets your pizza heat from the bottom and the baking dish keeps your tortilla from burning.
Careful with your tortillas. When your tortillas are crispy they are fragile. Be careful when placing them on the wire rack and when taking them off. A flat spatula under the whole thing helps.
Crispy tortillas. Make sure your tortillas are crispy across the whole surface and not only around the edges. You want them brown all the way through. Flip once to crisp both sides. If they bend when you lift them, they need more time.
Cool down your beef and beans. Allow them to cool down before you put them on your tortilla. You do not want to steam your tortilla soft before it even hits the grill. Room temperature is fine. Everything gets warmed through at the end.
300 degrees. Keep your oven or grill at 300°F. You do not want your tortilla to burn before your cheese is melted. Hotter and the edges go black while the middle is still cold.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The tortillas will become less crispy.
- Freezer: You can freeze your beef and beans for up to 3 months. Do not freeze your assembled pizza.
- Reheat: Place your leftover slices on a wire rack in the oven or air fryer at 350°F. Heat until your tortillas are crispy and your cheese is melted, about 5 to 8 minutes. Do not reheat in the microwave.
- Make ahead: You can make your beef and beans ahead of time, and your tortillas the day of. Keep the tortillas in a dry place and assemble when you are ready. Build and melt right before you serve.
Extra beef and beans are a head start on my Pulled Pork Nachos the next night. Swap the pork for the taco beef and the sheet pan does the rest.
More Recipes to Try
Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat FAQs
What goes on a Mexican pizza?
A Mexican pizza is two crispy tortillas with refried beans and seasoned ground beef in between, topped with taco sauce, cheese and diced tomatoes. This recipe adds sliced olives and jalapeños, and we use burrito-size tortillas so the slices are bigger.
Can I make Mexican pizza on the grill?
Yes. You can make this whole recipe on the grill. Your tortillas crisp right on the grates at 300°F, and when you want to melt the cheese you place the pizza on a wire rack in a baking dish and set that on the grill.
How do you keep the tortillas from getting soggy?
Make sure your tortillas are crispy before you add the beef and beans, and make sure your beef and beans have cooled down. Keep the melt short. Once your cheese is melted, serve them right away.
Can I use corn tortillas?
Yes, you can use corn tortillas. They will be smaller and it will be more like a tostada. Same method, same 300°F, and they are even more fragile once they are crisp.
Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain if needed. Add the taco seasoning with the water the packets call for, cook a few more minutes until seasoned through, and remove from the heat.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and the diced sweet onion. Saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the refried beans and 1/4 cup of water and stir until combined and heated through. Remove from the heat and let the beef and beans cool down.
- Heat the grill or oven to 300°F. Cook the tortillas on the grates or on a sheet pan until crispy and brown all the way through, flipping once. Watch them closely and handle them gently. Let them cool a minute.
- Set one crisp tortilla on a baking dish. Spread an even layer of beans over it, then a layer of beef. Place a second tortilla on top. Spread the taco sauce over it, then the Colby Jack, tomato, olives and jalapeños. Repeat for the second pizza.
- Carefully set each pizza on a wire rack inside a baking dish or sheet pan. Place on the grill or in the oven at 300°F just until warmed through and the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Let the pizzas sit a couple of minutes, then cut each into quarters and serve while the tortillas are crisp.
