Mexican Pizza Taco Bell Recipe

— Health, Kids



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This vegetarian copycat Mexican Pizza Taco Bell recipe is a true treat, and you wouldn’t guess that it is healthful! Low in calories, produced with complete foods, and prepared in much less than 30 minutes: my version of this classic Taco Bell dish signifies you can delight in it devoid of the guilt!

Healthy Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza topped with salsa and guacamole, served on a white plate

When I was a kid, we made use of to consume Taco Bell just about every single week.

And what was our go-to order at Taco Bell (considering the fact that we had been vegetarian)?

“Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, no meat, with beans instead of the meat.”

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I usually looked forward to Taco Bell evening when I was a kid. I usually wanted to order the exact same issue, Mexican Pizzas: with their crispy fried shells, and the salty properly seasoned filling. (And, it is anything that tends to make this well known item so addictive!) Because I grew up vegetarian, we’d usually ask them to replace their seasoned ground beef filling with beans – and it nevertheless felt like a treat just about every time.

Now I’m a small more overall health-conscious so Taco Bell Mexican Pizza is not commonly on the menu. In truth, most quick meals is not. While Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza has been discontinued, the original restaurant recipe had 540 calories for 1 tiny 6-7 inch pizza, with 30g fat and 990mg sodium. 

It also had minimal fresh veggies and the components list is a mile lengthy with fillers and additives (fumaric acid, calcium propionate, potassium sorbate in the shell maltodextrin and trehalose in the beans, and so forth.)

The flavor of Taco Bell Mexican Pizza could possibly be fantastic, but it surely was not a fantastic solution to consume on a frequent basis.

Since I enjoy making new recipes that are a healthful take on some thing indulgent I decided to give the vegetarian Mexican pizza a makeover in my kitchen. This copycat new recipe for Taco Bell Mexican Pizza has crispy tortillas and is as scrumptious as the original, but it only has 370 calories.

Since you can not get it at Taco Bell any longer, you could possibly as properly make a healthier version of this vegetarian Mexican pizza Taco Bell recipe at dwelling! This recipe has at least 10 grams of fiber (even more based on how significantly veggies/beans you use), and only 14.6 grams of healthful fats. And you will not obtain something even close to “trehalose” in this pizza! 

Instead of employing a fried tortilla, we bake the tortilla in the oven till it is super crisp, so no vegetable oil is necessary! Another solution, is you could location the tortillas in the air fryer to accomplish that additional crispy tortilla shell.

This complete Mexican pizza recipe requires about 20 minutes to make, and is a scrumptious, filling, healthful effortless dinner concept. Kid-friendly and enjoyable for the complete household!

Healthy Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza topped with salsa and guacamole, served on a white plate

👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

  • Healthy Mexican Food
  • A enjoyable take on a regular pizza!
  • Great Recipe for the Family
  • One of the Family Favorites
  • Low in Calories and Fat
  • High in Vitamins and Nutrients
  • Easy Mexican Pizza Taco Bell Recipe!
  • Super Flavorful
  • Easily Made Vegan
  • Better than the true issue!

We topped ours with salsa and guac (avocados are a fantastic supply of healthful fats and other crucial nutrients!) for added flavor — and this has grow to be 1 of our weeknight staples for dinner! The little ones completely enjoy it, it is super filling, and tends to make you really feel like you are obtaining scrumptious takeout at dwelling. 

Not to mention it is fairly effortless to make this copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza recipe. Your little ones will enjoy the taste and for the reason that it is so effortless to make, it’ll save you a small additional time in the evening as properly.

🥘 Ingredients

ingredients for vegetarian mexican pizza taco bell recipe

Refried Black Beans: Heated by way of with added taco seasoning. Feel no cost to add a small bit of chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder for an additional kick. You can also make your personal homemade refried beans.

Mexican Cheese Blend: Used to to best the beans. Any shredded 3-cheese blend will work.

Diced Vegetables: A mixture of diced red onion, roma tomato, and red bell pepper.

Whole Wheat Tortillas: Soft flour tortillas crisp up actually properly in the oven. I advise employing complete wheat or sprouted complete wheat tortillas rather of white flour tortillas to add fiber and nutrients to this dish. You can also use corn tortillas or homemade tortillas.

Salsa: I made use of a salsa from the grocery retailer as my Mexican Pizza sauce, but you can also make your personal homemade version. Red enchilada sauce or taco sauce would also work properly. If you have any Taco Bell sauce packets lying about your property, really feel no cost to use that also!

Guacamole: Mashed avocado will also work.

🍽 Equipment

  • Baking Sheet
  • Large Skillet
  • Cutting Board and Chopping Knife

📖 Variations

For our pizza toppings, I made use of red onion, tomato and bell pepper, but you can effortlessly use any fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. Some other possibilities that would also work properly are:

  • sweet corn
  • diced mushrooms
  • chopped infant spinach
  • diced zucchini

If you want some thing a small spicier, minced jalapenos are a fantastic addition. Remember that regular Mexican flavors are vibrant and zesty, so your Taco Bell Copycat Mexican Pizza should really be the exact same. 

If you are searching for brighter flavors immediately after attempting this recipe, contemplate topping your pizza with a small lime juice or cilantro just ahead of you serve. Other toppings consist of:

  • Green Onions
  • Low-Fat Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
  • Chunky Salsa
  • Black Olives
  • Hot Sauce

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Crisp up the complete wheat tortilla in either a toaster oven or a frequent oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or till it is crispy like a chip and golden brown). You can crisp various tortillas at the exact same time if you will need to, just make confident there’s lots of space on the baking tray.

toasted tortilla on a white plate with refried black beans on the side

Step 2: Heat up your beans in a significant skillet on low to medium heat, and stir in the taco seasoning. This should really only take a handful of minutes. Keep heating till you can smell the taco seasoning clearly to make confident your Taco Bell Mexican Pizza is as flavorful as doable. 

refried black beans mixed with taco seasoning in a white pot

Step 3: Spread a layer of beans on the tortilla, then best beans with veggies. Use a small more beans for a heartier or more filling version of this scrumptious Taco Bell Copycat Pizza. 

refried black beans spread on tortilla shell on a white plate

mexican pizza topped with refried beans, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onions on a white plate

Step 4: Top the pizza with the cheese. Heat in a toaster oven (on medium-low) or below a broiler (on higher for 2-3 minutes) till the cheese has melted. If you want a more browned best give it a different 30 seconds to a minute till the cheese is a small darker. 

mexican pizza with melted cheese fresh out of the oven, served on a white plate

Step 5: Top with your preferred salsa and guac, and delight in! In truth, this Mexican Pizza Taco Bell copycat recipe is so effortless and such a crowd pleaser that it can be a wonderful solution for birthday parties and other occasions exactly where you will need a filling meal that feels particular but does not will need a lot of prep time.

Healthy Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza topped with salsa and guacamole, served on a white plate. guacamole and salsa pictured on the side.

❓Recipe FAQs

What is a Mexican pizza?

The base of a regular Mexican pizza is a crispy (fried) corn tortilla, which is then topped with a mixture of toppings (tomatoes, cheese, seasonings). Seasoned beef is generally added as a filling, but this vegetarian version omits that and makes use of hearty, refried black beans rather. 

Is Mexican Pizza Healthy?

Unfortunately, no, the Taco Bell version is higher in calories, fat and processed components, creating it unhealthy for you.

But in spite of its unhealthy quick meals origins, my version of the Taco Bell Mexican pizza is a actually properly balanced meal with complete grains, fiber, protein and fresh veggies. Instead of adding an further best tortilla, that adds more calories, this homemade Mexican pizza is open faced.

Here are the healthful swaps I produced to make this Mexican pizza more nutritious, but just as scrumptious as the regular version:

#1: Whole Grains: I made use of a complete wheat or sprouted wheat tortilla for the base for complete grains and added fiber. Instead of the regular fried shell which adds unhealthy fats and tons of calories, you finish up with a crispy base that is packed with nutrition.
#2: Fresh Veggies: This delivers further fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
#3: Plant Protein: Replace the red meat/beef (which has unhealthy fats) with lean, hearty, refried black beans which have each protein and fiber to retain you complete.
#4: Less Cheese: Reducing the cheese lowers the total fat and calorie content even though nevertheless maintaining that exact same cheesy goodness Mexican Pizza has.

Can this recipe be produced gluten no cost or vegan?

Absolutely! For a gluten-no cost version, just use a gluten-no cost tortilla for the base. To make this recipe vegan, omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese rather. 

Baking could possibly be a small unique with vegan cheese considering the fact that it melts differently from frequent cheeses. Feel no cost to experiment a small with baking instances till you have got it proper for your preferred brand.

Can You Make This Mexican Pizza on a Large Crust for the Whole Family?

I do not advise creating this pizza on a regular bigger pizza crust. You can if you pre-bake the crust slightly so it is not soggy, but I do not consider it tastes rather as excellent that way. The tortilla crust actually adds a lot of flavor and tends to make this Taco Bell Copycat Mexican Pizza really feel a small more genuine. 

Plus, a bigger pizza would will need a longer cook time. One of the most effective components of this recipe is how rapidly anything comes collectively into a scrumptious and healthful meal for your household.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Make confident you get your tortilla actually crispy in your oven. That’s crucial to creating this Mexican pizza taste fantastic! You want the tortilla to be in a position to stay crispy even immediately after it is been topped with the veggies/beans and cheese, so more than crisping it a small at the start off can enable. I’ve discovered that a level “3” setting on my toaster oven operates properly, or baking it at 350 degrees in a frequent oven can work also. 
  • You want to consume 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 once more ahead of serving.
  • This recipe tends to make 1 serving, but you can effortlessly double/triple/quadruple it by just escalating the components by that significantly (e.g. for 4 pizzas, use 4 tortillas, 4 tomatoes, 1 + 1/3 cup of refried black beans, and so forth.)
  • Make your personal guacamole, rather than shopping for pre-packaged. This way you have more manage more than the freshness and flavor, plus you can get even more nutrients from the added vegetables. Ingredients like jalapenos, fresh lime juice, tomatoes, and green onion taste fantastic and are excellent for you also!
  • Because you want to heat all the components devoid of creating the tortilla also soggy, I advise baking these pizzas 1 at a time. Trying to bake also quite a few at after, even in a bigger oven, can make the bottoms soggy and avoid the vegetables from heating all the way by way of. 
  • Want to get the little ones more involved in the kitchen? Try having them to enable you assemble their pizzas. Fast cooking instances enable retain their interest and make the cooking enjoyable.
  • Place leftover tortillas in a damp paper towel to retain them moist and pliable.
Healthy Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza topped with salsa and guacamole, served on a white plate

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📋 Recipe Card

Mexican Pizza Taco Bell Recipe

This vegetarian copycat Mexican Pizza Taco Bell recipe is a true treat, and you would not guess that it is healthful! Low in calories, produced with complete foods, and prepared in much less than 30 minutes!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 1 serving

Calories: 370kcal

  • Crisp up the complete wheat tortilla in either a toaster oven or a frequent oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or till it is crispy like a chip).

  • Heat up your beans in a smaller pot on low heat, and stir in the taco seasoning. 

  • Spread the beans on the tortilla, and then best with veggies.

  • Top the pizza with cheese. Heat in a toaster oven (on medium low) or below a broiler (on higher for 2-3 minutes) till the cheese has melted.

  • Top with salsa and guac, and delight in!

  • Make confident you get your tortilla actually crispy in your oven. That’s crucial to creating this Mexican pizza taste fantastic! You want the tortilla to be in a position to stay crispy even immediately after it is been topped with the veggies/beans and cheese, so more than crisping it a small at the start off can enable. I’ve discovered that a level “3” setting on my toaster oven operates properly, or baking it at 350 degrees in a frequent oven can work also. 
  • Use the freshest vegetables you have – the crunchier the improved!
  • You want to consume 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 once more ahead of serving.
  • This recipe tends to make 1 serving, but you can effortlessly double/triple/quadruple it by just escalating the components by that significantly (e.g. for 4 pizzas, use 4 tortillas, 4 tomatoes, 1 + 1/3 cup refried black beans, and so forth.)
  • Try creating your personal guacamole, rather than shopping for it pre-packaged

Serving: 1pizza | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.2g | Protein: 16.3g | Fat: 14.6g | Sodium: 900mg | Fiber: 10.4g | Sugar: 7.5g





Originally published in pickyeaterblog.com