If you’ve ever loved the crispy, cheesy, saucy layers of a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, this homemade version is going to make you so happy! It has two crispy tortillas, seasoned ground beef, refried beans, enchilada-style sauce, melty cheese, diced tomatoes, and green onions all stacked together into one fun, easy dinner.
It’s crunchy. It’s cheesy. It’s saucy in all the right ways.
And the best part? You can make it right at home with simple grocery store ingredients.
This Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza has the same layered feel as the fast food favorite, but with even more fresh flavor. The tortillas bake up crispy in the oven, the beef is seasoned with taco spices, the beans make everything hearty, and the cheese melts over the top into a bubbly, delicious finish.
It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, a fun family meal, or a homemade fast food night. Set out sour cream, hot sauce, lettuce, avocado, and extra toppings, and let everyone build their plate just the way they like it.
This recipe is easy, nostalgic, and so satisfying.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This Mexican Pizza is crispy, cheesy, beefy, and full of flavor. It takes everything people love about tacos, tostadas, and pizza, then stacks it together in one easy meal.
The tortillas are baked instead of fried, so they still get crisp without making a greasy mess on the stove. The beef cooks quickly in a skillet, and the beans warm up in just a few minutes. Once everything is ready, you layer, bake, and serve.
It’s also easy to customize. Use ground beef, ground turkey, or skip the meat and make it vegetarian. Add jalapenos if you like heat. Use extra cheese if that’s your thing. Spoon sour cream on top, drizzle it with taco sauce, or pile on shredded lettuce after baking.
This is one of those recipes that’s just fun to eat. Cut it into wedges like a pizza, pick it up if you’re feeling brave, or use a fork and knife to get every cheesy bite.
What is a Mexican Pizza?
A Mexican Pizza is a layered tortilla dish made with crispy flour tortillas, refried beans, seasoned taco meat, sauce, cheese, and toppings. It’s not a traditional pizza with pizza dough and marinara. It’s more like a crispy tostada stack with a cheesy baked top.
The bottom tortilla is spread with refried beans and seasoned ground beef. A second crispy tortilla goes on top, then it gets covered with sauce, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and green onions.
After a few minutes in the oven, the cheese melts, the sauce warms through, and the tortillas stay crispy around the edges.
It’s simple, but so good.
This homemade version keeps the same idea, but gives you more control over the ingredients. You can season the beef exactly how you like it, use your favorite sauce, add more cheese, or make the tortillas extra crisp before layering.
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Flour tortillas – medium flour tortillas work best for this recipe. I recommend using 8 inch tortillas because they make the perfect individual-sized Mexican pizzas. You can use smaller tortillas for mini pizzas or larger burrito-size tortillas for a bigger version.
Ground beef – classic Mexican Pizza uses seasoned ground beef. I like 85/15 ground beef because it has good flavor without being too greasy. You can also use 80/20 and drain the grease after cooking.
Taco seasoning – use homemade taco seasoning or a packet from the grocery store. The seasoning gives the beef that classic taco flavor with chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika, and salt.
Water – added with the taco seasoning to help coat the beef and make it saucy.
Refried beans – refried beans help hold the bottom layer together and make the pizza hearty. Traditional refried beans, fat-free refried beans, or vegetarian refried beans will all work.
Enchilada sauce – this gives the top of the Mexican pizza that saucy flavor. Red enchilada sauce works great. You can also use taco sauce if you want a flavor closer to fast food sauce.
Salsa – mixing a little salsa with enchilada sauce adds texture and flavor. Use mild, medium, or hot salsa depending on how spicy you want it.
Shredded Mexican cheese blend – this is usually a mix of cheddar, Monterey Jack, asadero, and queso quesadilla cheese. It melts well and tastes great on top of the sauce.
Cheddar cheese – a little extra cheddar gives the top more color and bold cheesy flavor.
Diced tomatoes – fresh diced tomatoes go on top after baking or during the last few minutes of baking. I like adding them after baking so they stay bright and fresh.
Green onions – sliced green onions add color and a fresh bite.
Vegetable oil or cooking spray – used to help crisp the tortillas in the oven. You only need a light coating.
Sour cream – optional, but delicious for serving.
Hot sauce – add your favorite hot sauce if you like a spicy finish.
Black olives – optional, but great if you like them on taco-style dishes.
Jalapenos – fresh or pickled jalapenos add heat.
Instructions
I’ve included step-by-step instructions below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
This recipe works best when the tortillas are crisp before you start layering. If they’re too soft, the pizza will still taste good, but it won’t have that crunchy bite.
Crisp the tortillas
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place the flour tortillas on large baking sheets. Brush both sides lightly with vegetable oil, or spray both sides with cooking spray.
Bake the tortillas for 5 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 4-6 minutes. They should be lightly golden and crisp.
Keep an eye on them because tortillas can go from golden to too dark pretty quickly.
Remove them from the oven and set them aside.
The tortillas will crisp up a little more as they cool, so don’t worry if they still have a tiny bit of bend when they first come out of the oven.
Cook the taco meat
Place a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it apart with a spatula as it cooks. Cook until the beef is browned and no longer pink.
Drain any extra grease from the skillet.
Add the taco seasoning and water. Stir until the beef is evenly coated.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
Remove the skillet from the heat.
The beef should be moist and flavorful, but not watery. If there is too much liquid in the skillet, let it cook for another minute before assembling the pizzas.
Warm the refried beans
Add the refried beans to a small saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat.
Stir until warm and smooth.
If the beans are too thick to spread, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and stir until creamy.
You can also warm the beans in the microwave. Add them to a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely, and heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Warm beans spread much easier than cold beans. This little step makes assembling the pizzas so much easier.
Make the sauce
In a small bowl, stir together the enchilada sauce and salsa.
This gives the top of the pizza a saucy, slightly chunky texture.
If you want a smoother sauce, blend the salsa first or use all enchilada sauce.
If you want it closer to taco sauce, use taco sauce instead of salsa.
Assemble the Mexican pizzas
Place half of the crispy tortillas on a large baking sheet.
Spread a layer of refried beans over each tortilla. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the beans close to the edges.
Spoon the seasoned ground beef over the beans.
Place another crispy tortilla on top of each beef and bean layer.
Spread the enchilada sauce mixture over the top tortillas.
Sprinkle Mexican cheese blend and cheddar cheese over the sauce.
At this point, they already look amazing. Crispy layers, saucy tops, plenty of cheese. Exactly what you want.
Bake the pizzas
Place the baking sheet in the oven at 400°F.
Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pizzas are hot.
For a more bubbly cheese topping, turn on the broiler for 1 minute at the end. Watch closely so the tortillas don’t burn.
Remove the pizzas from the oven.
Top with diced tomatoes and sliced green onions.
Slice each pizza into 4 wedges and serve immediately.
Recipe tips
Crisp the tortillas before layering. This is the most important step for the best texture. Soft tortillas can get soggy once the beans and sauce are added.
Use warm refried beans. Cold beans are hard to spread and can break the tortillas. Warm beans spread smoothly.
Don’t make the beef too wet. Let the taco meat simmer until the liquid thickens. Watery beef can soften the tortillas.
Use a thick sauce. Thin sauce can soak into the top tortilla. Enchilada sauce mixed with salsa gives a nice texture.
Serve right away. Mexican pizzas are crispiest when they’re fresh from the oven.
Add fresh toppings after baking. Tomatoes, green onions, lettuce, and sour cream taste best added after the cheese melts.
Cut with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. A sharp pizza cutter makes clean wedges without smashing the layers.
How to make it taste more like the original
The homemade version is easy to adjust if you want it closer to the fast food favorite.
Use flour tortillas, not corn tortillas. Flour tortillas give the best texture and flavor for this copycat recipe.
Use refried beans and seasoned ground beef in the middle layer. That combination gives the pizza its classic hearty filling.
For the sauce, use a mix of red enchilada sauce and taco sauce, or use mild taco sauce by itself. If you want a smoother top, skip chunky salsa.
Use a Mexican cheese blend and don’t overdo the toppings before baking. Keep it simple with sauce and cheese, then add diced tomatoes after it comes out of the oven.
The final bite should be crispy, saucy, cheesy, and full of taco flavor.
Recipe variations
This recipe is easy to make your own. Keep the crispy tortilla layers and switch up the filling or toppings.
Make it spicy. Use hot taco seasoning, spicy enchilada sauce, pepper jack cheese, or sliced jalapenos.
Make it vegetarian. Skip the beef and add extra refried beans, black beans, or seasoned lentils.
Use ground turkey. Ground turkey works great in place of ground beef. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet if the turkey is very lean.
Add black beans. Spoon black beans over the refried beans before adding the meat.
Add corn. A little roasted corn adds sweetness and texture.
Make it extra cheesy. Add cheese between the beans and beef layer, then add more cheese on top.
Use corn tortillas. Corn tortillas will make it more tostada-style. They crisp well, but the flavor and texture will be different.
Add lettuce after baking. Shredded lettuce gives it a taco salad feel.
Top with guacamole. A spoonful of guacamole or sliced avocado is delicious on top.
Use chicken. Shredded taco-seasoned chicken can replace the ground beef.
Can you make it ahead of time?
You can prep the ingredients ahead of time, but I recommend assembling the pizzas right before baking.
The tortillas can be baked and crisped up a few hours in advance. Let them cool completely, then store them uncovered or loosely covered at room temperature. If they soften, pop them back into the oven for a couple of minutes.
The taco meat can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it before assembling the pizzas.
The refried beans can also be warmed ahead, but they spread best when hot, so reheat them before using.
The sauce can be mixed up and stored in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Once the pizzas are layered, bake them right away. If they sit too long before baking, the tortillas can soften.
How to store and reheat leftovers
Mexican pizzas are best fresh, but leftovers still taste good.
Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For the best texture, reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
To reheat in the oven, place slices on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
To reheat in the air fryer, cook at 350°F for 3-5 minutes.
The microwave will warm them quickly, but the tortillas will be softer. If using the microwave, heat in 30-second intervals until warm.
Add fresh toppings, like tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, or green onions, after reheating.
Can you freeze Mexican pizza?
I don’t recommend freezing fully assembled Mexican pizza because the tortillas can turn soft after thawing.
But you can freeze the cooked taco meat.
Let the taco meat cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it before assembling the pizzas.
You can also freeze shredded cheese and keep tortillas in the freezer, so you have most of the ingredients ready for a quick dinner later.
What to serve with Mexican pizza
This Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza can be served on its own, but it also goes great with simple sides.
Serve it with Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, chips and salsa, guacamole, or a simple salad.
For a fun dinner spread, set out toppings like sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, hot sauce, avocado, and extra cheese.
Everyone can add what they like after the pizzas come out of the oven.
If you’re making this for a party or game day, cut each pizza into smaller wedges and serve them as a snack-style appetizer. They’ll disappear fast.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use corn tortillas?
Yes, but the texture will be different. Corn tortillas make the dish taste more like a tostada. Flour tortillas give it a softer, layered fast food-style flavor while still crisping up around the edges.
Can I fry the tortillas instead of baking them?
Yes. You can fry the tortillas in a shallow layer of oil for 1-2 minutes per side, or until crisp. Drain them on paper towels before assembling. Baking is easier and less messy, but frying gives the crispiest texture.
Can I make this without meat?
Yes. Use extra refried beans, black beans, or vegetarian taco crumbles instead of ground beef.
What sauce should I use?
Red enchilada sauce, taco sauce, or a mix of both works well. I like adding salsa for extra flavor, but you can keep the sauce smooth if you prefer.
How do I keep the tortillas crispy?
Bake or fry the tortillas before assembling, keep the meat mixture thick, and serve the pizzas right away after baking.
Can I use store-bought tostada shells?
Yes. Store-bought tostada shells are already crisp and make this recipe even faster. They may be more delicate than flour tortillas, so spread the beans gently.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. This recipe doubles easily. Use two baking sheets and rotate them halfway through baking so the pizzas heat evenly.
Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
- 8 medium flour tortillas 8 inch size
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or cooking spray
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 can refried beans 16 ounces
- ½ cup red enchilada sauce
- ¼ cup salsa or taco sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- Sour cream optional for serving
- Hot sauce optional for serving
- Sliced jalapenos optional for serving
- Sliced black olives optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the tortillas on large baking sheets. Brush both sides lightly with vegetable oil, or spray with cooking spray.
- Bake for 5 minutes, flip, then bake for another 4-6 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks, until browned. Drain any excess grease.
- Add taco seasoning and water to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until thickened.
- Warm the refried beans in a small saucepan or microwave until smooth and spreadable.
- In a small bowl, stir together the enchilada sauce and salsa or taco sauce.
- Place 4 crispy tortillas on a baking sheet.
- Spread refried beans evenly over each tortilla.
- Spoon seasoned ground beef over the beans.
- Place the remaining crispy tortillas on top.
- Spread the sauce mixture over the top tortillas.
- Sprinkle Mexican cheese blend and cheddar cheese over the sauce.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pizzas are hot.
- Remove from the oven and top with diced tomatoes and green onions.
- Slice each Mexican pizza into 4 wedges and serve with sour cream, hot sauce, jalapenos, or black olives, if desired.
Notes
Warm refried beans are much easier to spread.
Use taco sauce instead of salsa if you want a smoother top sauce.
Add fresh toppings after baking so they stay bright and crisp.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven or air fryer.
