Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Mexican Pizza
Two crisp tostadas with beef and beans between them make a satisfying little pizza. Melted cheese catches the fresh tomato and olives on top, with enchilada sauce adding a savory tang.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pizza
A few quick notes
1. Season the beef in the pan
Add taco seasoning, salt and pepper as the ground beef goes into the hot, oiled skillet.
2. Warm the beans
Warm the refried beans while the beef cooks so both fillings are ready when you assemble the tostadas.
3. Keep fresh toppings aside
Wait until after broiling to add tomatoes, green onions and olives to the melted cheese topping.
Get to know the ingredients
Tostada shells
Use one tostada as the base and another above the beef to form each layered pizza.
Refried beans
Spread the warm refried beans over the bottom tostadas before spooning the seasoned beef over them.
Red enchilada sauce
Spread enchilada sauce on the upper tostada before covering it with shredded cheese for broiling.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 8 steps completeMake room for Mexican Pizza
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Fresh topping after broiling
Once the cheese melts, add diced tomatoes, sliced green onions and black olives, then serve the pizzas immediately.
A little more help as you go
A sheet-pan assembly
Place the bottom tostadas on the sheet pan before filling so the assembled pizzas are ready for broiling.
Cheese above the sauce
Keep the shredded cheese on the top tostada over the enchilada sauce, ready to melt under the broiler.
A few questions you might have
How many tostada layers does each pizza have?
Each has a bottom tostada holding beans and beef and a second tostada covering the meat filling.
Does the beef need cooking first?
Yes, cook it through with the taco seasoning before spooning it onto the bean-covered tostada bases.
Where do the refried beans go?
Spread them on the first tostada shell, underneath the cooked ground beef and the second tostada.
Do the tomatoes go under the broiler?
No, add the diced tomatoes with green onions and olives after broiling has melted the cheese.
Is the enchilada sauce part of the beef filling?
Here it is spread over the upper tostada, with the shredded cheese placed over it before broiling.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
