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This gourmet, vegetarian Mexican Pizza is a real treat, and you wouldn't guess that it's healthy! Low in calories, made with whole foods, and ready in less than 30 minutes: my version of this classic Taco Bell dish means you can enjoy it without the guilt!
Before I met my husband, he used to eat Taco Bell every single week.
And what was his go-to order at Taco Bell?
"Mexican Pizza, no meat, with beans instead of the meat." (he would have ordered it with meat when he was a kid, but he turned vegetarian at age 15).
That order was super familiar to me, because when I was a kid, I had my share of veggie Mexican Pizzas too, and I remember really liking them! The crispy fried shells, the salty, seasoned filling, it's everything that makes fast food addictive.
Mexican pizzas are a treat for my husband these days since he eats Taco Bell way less often now, compared to his past cadence of Taco Bell dinners.
I actually love the concept of a Mexican Pizza - but the Taco Bell one has 540 calories for one tiny 6-7 inch pizza, with 30g fat and 990mg sodium. It also has minimal fresh veggies and the ingredients list is a mile long with fillers and additives (fumaric acid, calcium propionate, potassium sorbate in the shell; maltodextrin and trehalose in the beans, etc.)
I decided to give the Mexican Pizza a makeover in my kitchen, and my version is JUST as crispy as the original, but has only 370 calories, at least 10g fiber (even more depending on how much veggies/beans you use), and only 14.6g Fat. And you won't find anything even close to "trehalose" in this pizza!
We topped ours with salsa and guac for added flavor - and this has become one of our weeknight staples for dinner! The kids absolutely love it, it's super filling, and makes you feel like you're having delicious takeout at home.
The Ingredients you will need (makes one pizza, which is one serving)
- 1/3 cup refried black beans, heated through with taco seasoning (about 1 tsp) stirred in to taste
- 1/4 cup Mexican 4 cheese blend
- 1 whole wheat or sprouted wheat tortilla
- 1/8 cup of diced red onion
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- Salsa - 2 Tbsp
- Guacamole - 2 Tbsp
How to make Mexican Pizza - Step by Step
Step 1: Crisp up the whole wheat tortilla in either a toaster oven or a regular oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or until it's crispy like a chip).
Step 2: Heat up your beans in a small pot on low heat, and stir in the taco seasoning.
Step 3: Spread the beans on the tortilla, and then top with veggies.
Step 4: Top the pizza with cheese. Heat in a toaster oven (on medium low) or under a broiler (on high for 2-3 minutes) until the cheese has melted.
Step 5: Top with salsa and guac, and enjoy!
This whole recipe takes 20 minutes to make (max), and is a delicious, filling and healthy dinner. It's such an easy swap and it's so much better for you than the original. Kid-friendly and fun for the whole family!
What is a Mexican pizza?
The base of a traditional Mexican pizza is a crispy (fried) corn tortilla, which is then topped with a mixture of toppings (tomatoes, cheese, seasonings). Beef is usually added as a filling, but this vegetarian version omits that and uses hearty, refried black beans instead.
What makes this Mexican Pizza healthier than the Taco Bell version?
Despite it's unhealthy fast food origins, my version of the Mexican pizza is a really well balanced meal, with whole grains, fiber, protein and fresh veggies. Here are the healthy swaps I made to make this pizza more nutritious, but just as delicious as the traditional version:
Topping variations for this Mexican Pizza
For our pizza toppings, I used red onion, tomato and bell pepper, but you can easily use any fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. Some other options that would also work well are:
Can this recipe be made gluten free or vegan?
Absolutely! For a gluten free version, just use a gluten free tortilla for the base. To make this recipe vegan, omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese instead.
- Use a whole wheat or sprouted wheat tortilla for the base for whole grains and added fiber. Instead of the traditional fried shell which adds unhealthy fats and tons of calories, you end up with a crispy base that is packed with nutrition.
- Use tons of fresh veggies for additional fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
- Replace the red meat/beef (which has unhealthy fats) with lean, hearty, refried black beans which have both protein and fiber to keep you full.
- Use less cheese for that same cheesy goodness but just in moderation.
Top tips for making Mexican Pizza
- sweet corn
- diced mushrooms
- chopped baby spinach
- diced zucchini
Be sure to check out these other healthy pizza recipes!
Healthy Mexican Pizza Recipe
- Make sure you get your tortilla really crispy in your oven. That's critical to making this Mexican pizza taste great! You want the tortilla to be able to remain crispy even after it's been topped with the veggies/beans and cheese, so over crisping it a little at the start can help. I've found that a level "3" setting on my toaster oven works well, or baking it at 350 degrees in a regular oven can work too.
- Use the freshest vegetables you have - the crunchier the better!
- You want to eat these pizzas hot, fresh out of the oven. If they've cooled down a bit, just pop them back in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes to heat them up again before serving.
- This recipe makes 1 serving, but you can easily double/triple/quadruple it by just increasing the ingredients by that much (e.g. for 4 pizzas, use 4 tortillas, 4 tomatoes, 1 + 1/3 cup refried black beans, etc.)
- Make your own guacamole, rather than buy pre-packaged.
