Mexican Pizza is a copycat of the Taco Bell classic. Fried tortillas, refried beans, seasoned ground beef, enchilada sauce, and gooey, melted cheese!
TACO BELL MEXICAN PIZZA
When my husband and I were stationed in England years ago, I often craved my favorite foods from the States. If I couldn't get them in England, I would try to recreate them at home. One of those things was Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza. This one is slightly similar to my EASY LAYERED TACO BAKE but I don't use refried beans in that one and the tortillas in that one are not fried.
MEXICAN PIZZA IS ACTUALLY...AMERICAN?
This is totally an American invention. It's one of those foods that Taco Bell created for the American consumer. Not that anything Taco Bell makes is truly Mexican, but ya know, we like it. Anyhow, while in England, I set about creating my own version. And this is it! I still make it today and I gotta say, I love it because I can make it as big or as small as I want it. Personal serving sizes...or enough for a crowd.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- ground beef
- taco seasoning (or MAKE YOUR OWN!)
- water
- refried beans
- enchilada sauce
- shredded Mexican cheese blend
- flour tortillas
- vegetable oil
HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN PIZZA:
Preheat oven to 400F degrees. In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease.
Place beef back into skillet. Add taco seasoning packet, water and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until thickened.
In a large skillet, heat up oil over medium heat. Add tortillas (one at a time) and cook for 3-4 minutes (flipping frequently) until crisp. Continue with the rest of the tortillas. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat up the refried beans in a microwave-safe bowl. This will make it easier to spread onto the tortilla. On each tortilla, slather a generous layer of refried beans. Then top with seasoned ground beef.
Place another tortilla on top. Slather about two tablespoons of the enchilada sauce on top. Then place some shredded cheese on top of the sauce. Continue assembling the rest of the Mexican pizzas.
Place the pizzas on a large nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite toppings!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
For the pizzas:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 8 flour tortillas (taco size)
- 15 ounce can refried beans
- 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Toppings:
- diced tomatoes
- sliced green onion
- sliced olives
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. In a large skillet, brown and and crumble the ground beef.
- Drain excess grease. Place cooked beef back in skillet and ddd taco seasoning packet and water and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
- In a large skillet, heat up oil over medium heat. Add tortillas (one at a time) and cook for 3-4 minutes (flipping frequently) until crisp. Continue with the rest of the tortillas. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat up the refried beans in a microwaveable-safe bowl. This will make it easier to spread the beans onto the tortilla shells.
- On each tortilla, slather a generous layer of refried beans. Then top with seasoned ground beef.
- Place another tortilla on top. Slather about two tablespoons of the enchilada sauce on top. Then place some shredded cheese on top of the sauce. Continue assembling the rest of the pizzas.
- Place the pizzas on a large nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with your favoriet toppings!
Video
Nutrition
Originally published: November 2011
Updated & republished: February 2020
Anonymous
I can’t wait to try this! Thank you for the recipe
KJ
Made today and it was a hit.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Love hearing that KJ - thanks so much!!
Imj
My family loved it!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Woo hoo! Thank you so very much!
Susan Oxendine
The only item I ever ordered from Taco Bell has been retired! No fear, this recipe is a great stand in. I followed the recipe as written and found it to be a tasty, fresher version. I assumed the nutrition info was for a fourth of this recipe - or does it serve eight?
Christina
Hit the spot and super easy.
Ray
The wrong shell was used if you werte doing a Taco Bell version. You need the crunchy tostada shell not the flour toprtilla to make it authentically a copycat taco bell mexican pizza.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
No. They actually used a fried-style tortilla.
Suze
My son generally doesn't like my cooking, but he absolutely loves these. I'm so pleased that I can make something he likes!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Yay!! Oh this makes me so happy! Love hearing that Suze - thank you!
Donna
Will these freeze well??
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I’ll be honest, I haven’t tried to freeze them. It’s possible. If you do try it, please come back & let me know!
Karen
It was so good!
Hungryman8
Not sure why my comment was not posted. But I explained the whole Taco Bell history and where it is today. It is no more. YUM Brands changed the original Glenn Bell recipes and items from all freshly made on site with kitchens at each location to artificial ingredients and preservatives with stale food prepared in a central commissary and then shipped out to each Taco Bell and reheated. Look up Taco Bell was good pre-90's and you will find out the details on CH.
Tracey
Made this tonight. Yum this is a keeper. I used homemade enchiladas sauce instead of the can stuff.
Question: My flour tortillas blow up with large bubbles which gave that area of the Mexican pizza a doughy taste. What can I do to prevent this?
Katelyn K
Corn tortillas will fry up better and give it that crunch that makes the Mexican pizza so good. Can't believe they are taking it off the menu!!
Crissy
These were delicious, I never order the mexican pizza at Taco Bell, I always get chalupas. This recipe is great, we loved it!
Desirae
Made this tonight. A huge hit! Even my picky kid loved it! Thank you for sharing!
Susan
Can I use the crunchy corn tostadas that are sold in the store instead of baking or frying my own tortillas? I mean I know I CAN but how do you think it will turn out?
Bgirtha
Fry them up instead. I tried it with the precooked ones and although I loved them like that, the next time I fried my own they were even more like taco bell's. Make them at least once a week! Great recipe. Thanks for sharing!
1wayrocker
Is there a way to freeze these so when I come home drunk I can easily have what I desire? Especially since Taco Bell is taking them off their menu.
Paul
Taco Bell announced today they're killing off the Mexican Pizza...
Misty
I make these a lot as I love Mexican Pizzas from Taco Bell. The husband does not like TB, but he'll eat these and likes them. The only switch up I do is mix my refried beans into my ground beef and add my taco seasoning without the water. It makes it so much easier to spread and it keeps the ground beef from falling out.
Troy
Looks great and I'm glad you posted this! I'll just add that They definitely use corn tortillas, and they do not include sour cream, green onion, or black olive... although those 3 things DO sound like good add-ons!
Leah
Not sure where you live. But pretty much everything you said is incorrect. Sorry
Tara G
A Fantastic and easy recipe, and even better than the original!!!!
Claudine
This is my favorite thing to get when I go to Taco Bell. Now I can make these at home. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX
JoAnn
I am anxious to try this recipe but am confused about the taco shells. The pictures show a shell but the cooking instructions show flat tortillas that are baked in the oven. I am not sure what to use as I have never seen the actual shells that you picture.
Thank you for a great recipe otherwise
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi JoAnn, you can use any kind of shell. I just bake them in the oven to crisp them up a bit. A regular soft tortilla shell will work just fine!
loli
You make your own tortilla shells by frying the small size flour tortillas or you can use larger flour tortillas, instruction #3. Then pile on the rest of ingredients like Brandie says. Watch the video. If you use larger flour tortillas then you will have fewer pizzas or you can increase the ingredients.
Jen
I just made this with morning star veggie ground beef and it was great! i'm not a vegetarian, but i have a hard time cooking meat and looking at it raw, so i did this instead. YUM!
Anonymous
this looks realy good ill have to try it thanks
Tori Baker
Are tortilla shells different from regular tortillas? I don't think I have seen them, can't wait to try this at home.
Drew
Up until a year ago, I was a manager for Taco Bell for 12 years. This recipe is pretty close to the real thing. The Old El Paso taco seasoning is actually an improvement over the Taco Bell meat (you're right, it does taste funky; I never liked it and would substitute the chicken or steak on everything I ate while working there). They deep-fry their shells, but they also have a special fry tool they use to keep them flat while they do so. Baking works just as well, AND it's healthier. The pizza sauce...Taco Bell has a dry mix for that. All they do is add water and chunky salsa. The enchilada sauce this recipe uses is very close, but I added some Pace picante sauce to it to make it even closer to Taco Bell's version (and it tastes better, too). The cheese is a typical blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterrey Jack cheeses. To melt it, Taco Bell has a steamer that blasts the pizza with steam and melts the cheese in about 10 seconds. We the little people will have to settle for using our ovens and microwaves... and, like Taco Bell, I put the tomatoes on top before I melt the cheese. Old habits die hard. 🙂 A long time ago, the Mexican Pizza used to come with green onions, which I missed, so I added those, too. Topped it off with some sour cream and it was perfect. Thanks!
Anonymous
They had a big e-coli scare some years back with the green onions. That as when they stopped using them, and they never came back. For some reason, to me the green onion added an element that made the pizza. Whole different flavor with those on. (maybe it over cut the "funky" meat flavor). This is a great and easy recipe and very kid friendly. And now I can put as much green onion on as I like. Even did one with veggie crumbles for my niece.
Teresa Gunnels
These are yummy and so-o-o easy to make! I made a mistake and got the green enchilada sauce instead of the red, but we loved it anyway. I also added black olives for my husband.
Anonymous
My mother was a wonderful cook. Whenever Taco Bell came out this this pizza she always said she could make it better!! LOL, I'm not for certain that is did, but u did for sure! I made this last night. I was only cooking for 3 so I put the layers on thick and I used Rotel tomatoes! Yummy!!
The Better Baker
I LOVE this dish at Taco Bell, and I have no doubt that 'Brandie Bell's' is much tastier. *-* YUUMMM!
valerie whitlock
Your Mexican pizza looks great, I have been thinking of making them at home. So your recipe is much appreciated. Whenever I get a Mexican pizza from Taco Bell I always bring it home and add a few ingredients. I thought I'd share with you, makes it really yummy. I slice black olives on top and cover with slices of pepper jack cheese. Put into the microwave until the cheese melts. Cover with sour cream and taco sauce. Thanks again for your recipes you always have such great ideas.
Valerie
Lauren
This was sooo good! I hadn't had a Mexican Pizza in years so my mouth was watering just looking at your pics. I made a low fat version, but it was still awesome. I will be putting this in the dinner rotation! Thanks!!!
Accidentally On Purpose
I made these tonight for a house of picky eaters and was told they are better than Taco Bell's so I say that is wonderful!
Anonymous
This is a pretty decent rendition! To make it even closer to the T-Bell version, I recommend adding about half a can (enchilada sauce can) of salsa to the sauce. Also, to get the same texture and nearly the same flavor to the meat, add the seasoning packet and water to the uncooked meat, cook until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. This also makes the meat cook up with hardly any grease as well!
Steph
Just made these last night for our family of 5. Yummy! I made 4 pizza total and we had leftovers. It was a hit all around! Thanks for the recipe. Mexican pizzas are my favorite at Taco Bell, but these are much better.
The Country Cook
Steph, you are so sweet to take the time to come back & let me know how it turned out for you!! So happy your family liked this one!!
The Country Cook
Hi Corrine! You don't have to use the Aztec salad shells for this. You can use regular flour torilla shells. You can bake them or, if you like, you can actually fry them up. Just put about an inch or so of oil in a frying pan. Heat it up to 350F degrees. Then fry your tortillas until golden brown and crispy (flipping them over halfway through). It should only take about 30 seconds or so for each side. Hope that helps!
Anonymous
My husband and I would love to make these but have not been able to find the Aztec salad shells. Any ideas where they would be in the store?
Help
Corrine Appel
Anonymous
sometimes by the can biscuits
Anonymous
They are with the refrigerated tortillas by the cheese in the stores I shop at.
Amy Feltner
Walmart carries them!
Anonymous
Thank you! I forgot all about making homemade Mexican pizza! I used to make them when we were stationed in Canada and the closest Taco bell was 2 hours away!
Stace
Oh my goodness...I had forgotten how much I love Mexican pizzas, until I saw your post. Thanks for the reminder. This looks fantastic!
Kim B.
LOVE this as it's simple, yet YUMMY!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Elyse @The Cultural Dish
I am still so jealous that you had the opportunity to live in England! This pizza looks delicious though - very creative!
SJerZGirl
They HAVE changed their meat, for sure. It used to be seasoned with a dry seasoning, but now it's wet. They also used to use real beans and not dehydrated beans. My first job as a college student was with Taco Bell (back in the 70s) and I had to stand on a stepladder with a drill to "drill the beans" before refrying them after they were cooked. I call it Gringo Mexican, but it was Taco Bell that first introduced me to any kind of Mexican food, which I now adore! I also love these!!! Can't wait to try them.
Rosanne
I worked at a Taco Bell in the early 80's... I, too, used a step stool and the huge "drill" to mush the beans. It was hilarious!
Tina
Not a fan of Taco Bell, I would rather make at home. These pizzas do look tasty and I like the stacked layers-yum!
Sandra
Quick, easy and to the point. Also way better than anything Taco Bell could come up with.
Christine's Pantry
Looks good. Love it.
Annie
Thank you for this recipe - we really enjoyed it!
MaryBeth
We love Mexican pizza, this looks so easy and very delish!
RavieNomNoms
This looks great! I love Mexican...I think I could eat it every single day 🙂
Laurie
My husband loved this! Thank you!
Veronica
Made these - way better than Taco Bell!
Aspie Mom
I agree! Delicious!!
Lizzy
Funky tasting meat? LOL, I don't think I'll be entering a TB anytime soon 🙂 Instead, I'll make your much better rendition of a Mexican pizza...it looks fabulous!