Vegan Mexican Pizza
This Vegan Mexican Pizza is way better than the original from Taco Bell it’s not even a question! Crunchier, bigger and tastier!
Next up on my quest to make a vegan version of every Taco Bell item is the Mexican Pizza! I actually have a recipe for this in my Cookbook, but this one is slightly better as I’ve improved upon the Pizza Sauce to be more accurate.
I’ve also figured out a few tips to keep the tortillas from getting soggy which is a common issue, especially with the original from Taco Bell. If you don’t eat them right when they make them, they definitely lose their crunch, so I’ll show you how to avoid that!
ingredients for a vegan Mexican Pizza
- Tortillas – You’ll need a taco sized flour tortilla. I think a lot of home recipes call for a larger tortilla and you can totally do that. But the Taco Bell version uses a smaller flour tortilla. So I recommend the smaller one in the photo below.
- Refried Beans – There’s a few options for the refried beans. Obviously the fastest and easiest route is to use your favorite canned / pre-made beans. I personally like Rosarita and Isadora the best.
- You could also use my Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe, or my Quick Refried Beans Recipe!
- Vegan Ground Beef – You can make my Vegan Taco Meat or make my Tofu Taco Meat! I also have recipes for TVP Ground Beef, as well as Lentil and Mushroom Ground Beef, and also Tempeh Ground Beef. Just season those to taste with some Taco Seasoning and you’ll be good!
Mexican Pizza Sauce – You have a few options for a shortcut. A lot of folks will just use Enchilada Sauce, but I found this to have too much pulp, it was a bit too grainy for my liking.
Some folks will use Taco Sauce or even Chunky Salsa.
But I’ll be making a quick Pizza Sauce from scratch using some Tomato Sauce, Diced Tomatoes, and Green Chiles.
For the Cheese, use your favorite shredded vegan cheese. I personally like Follow Your Heart and Daiya these days, and I also like to chop mine up a bit more as I find this helps it melt a little better.
Aside from that, top it with whatever else you like! I go for some more diced tomatoes from the can, black olives and chopped chives!
how to make a vegan Mexican Pizza
First, make the vegan ground beef. You can make my Vegan Taco Meat or my Tofu Taco Meat! I’ve included the recipe for the Vegan Taco Meat in the recipe card below as well.
Next whip up some refried beans. You can use canned, or make my Instant Pot Refried Beans, or my Quick Refried Beans as I did for the Mexican Pizza.
To make the Pizza Sauce, add an 8 oz can of Tomato Sauce to a pan.
Then get some Petite Diced Tomatoes and add some of those. If you can’t find the smaller diced tomatoes, you can drain them and then chop them by hand.
Then add in some Canned Green Chiles.
Followed by some Taco Seasoning. Add in Water until the sauce is at a good consistency, it should be thick but easily spreadable. Season to taste with more Taco Seasoning, or add some sugar if tastes too acidic.
Grab your tortillas, I like to poke them a few times with a sharp knife or toothpick. This will help prevent it from puffing up too much. Now there’s two ways to prepare these. The fastest way is to simply add a layer of oil (Vegetable, Canola, etc) to a pan and heat up to around 350 F. Then fry the tortilla, flipping every 30 seconds or so until golden brown.
Another option is to spray or brush them with oil, and Air Fry or Bake at 400 F until brown and crispy, flipping every 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Once tortillas are fried, spread some of the Pizza Sauce on top of half of them. Get as close to the edge as possible (to avoid burning when we broil it later). Sprinkle the vegan cheese on them as well. Broil for a couple minutes or until the cheese is melted. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Then spread a layer of refried beans and the taco meat on the other half of the tortillas, optional but recommended, add some of my Creamy Jalapeño Sauce. Top them with the cheesy tortillas. Add more diced tomatoes from the can, black olives, vegan sour cream, chopped chives or green onions, anything you ike!
Cut them in quarters and enjoy!
more vegan TACO BELL RECIPES!
storage & Reheating
Store any leftover taco meat, refried beans or pizza sauce in the fridge and use within 4 – 5 days. You can make more Mexican Pizzas, or just some quick and easy tacos or burritos, that’s what I usually do!
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, please leave a rating & review! It really helps out the blog and it makes my day, thank you!
Vegan Mexican Pizza
Ingredients
Refried Beans
- 2 (15oz) cans Refried Beans (or make my Instant Pot Refried Beans or Quick Refried Beans)
Vegan Taco Meat
- 1 lb. Vegan Ground Beef (like Impossible or Beyond, See NOTES)
- 1/4 cup Taco Seasoning
- 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
- 1 – 2 Tbsp Pickled Jalapeño Brine
- Water or Veggie Broth as Needed
Pizza Sauce (See Notes for Shortcuts)
- 8 oz Can Tomato Sauce
- 1/3 cup Diced Tomatoes (From a Can, Drained)
- 1 – 2 Tbsp Canned Diced Green Chiles
- 1 – 3 tsp Taco Seasoning
- Sugar (if needed, add 1/2 tsp at at time)
- Water (as needed, to thin out)
- Salt to taste
Mexican Pizza
- Flour Tortillas (Taco Sized)
- Oil (for Frying or Air Frying)
- Vegan Shredded Cheese (about 1/3 cup per Pizza)
- Sliced Black Olives
- Chopped Chives or Green Onions
- Creamy Jalapeño Sauce (optional)
Instructions
Refried Beans
- If you are using a Refried Bean recipe (like my Instant Pot Refried Beans or Quick and Easy Beans), make that first and keep it warm on low. Otherwise, heat up some canned refried beans and keep on low. Add any seasonings you like, and if they are too thick you can add some water or unsweetened plant-milk to thin out.
Taco Meat
- Heat up a large skillet over medium heat with a little cooking oil. Add in the Vegan Ground Beef and break it up into crumbles. Let sit undisturbed for about 3 minutes to brown. Then stir and continue to cook until it’s all nice and browned.
- Stir in the seasoning, Tomato Sauce and Pickled Jalapeño Brine. Add water or broth to get it to the consistency that you like. I recommend starting with 1/4 cup and adding more as you like. I ended up using about 1 cup. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Cover and keep warm on low.
Mexican Pizza Sauce
- If you are using something like Enchilada Sauce, Taco Sauce or a Chunky Salsa as a short cut, heat it up on the stovetop and keep it warm on low.
- To make a scratch Pizza Sauce, add the Tomato Sauce, Petite Diced Tomatoes (from a can) and the Canned Green Chiles. Stir together, add in the Taco Seasoning, and as much water as needed to thin it out to your desired consistency. Add a little sugar (like 1/2 tsp at a time) if it tastes too acidic. Season to taste and keep warm on low.
Mexican Pizza Assembly
- Grab your tortillas, I like to poke them a few times with a sharp knife or toothpick. This will help prevent it from puffing up too much.
- Now there's two ways to prepare these. The fastest way is to simply add a layer of oil (Vegetable, Canola, etc) to a pan and heat up to around 350 F. Then fry each tortilla one at a time, flipping every 30 seconds or so until golden brown. Let rest on a wire rack lined baking sheet.
- Another option is to spray or brush them with oil, and Air Fry or Bake at 400 F until brown and crispy, flipping every 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Once tortillas are fried, spread some of the Pizza Sauce on top of half of them. Get as close to the edge as possible (to avoid burning when we broil it later). Sprinkle the vegan cheese on them as well. Broil for a couple minutes or until the cheese is melted. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
- Then spread a layer of refried beans and the taco meat on the other half of the tortillas. Top them with the cheesy tortillas. Add more diced tomatoes from the can, black olives, vegan sour cream, chopped chives or green onions, anything you ike!
- Cut them in quarters and enjoy!
- Store any leftover taco meat, refried beans or pizza sauce in the fridge and use within 4 – 5 days. You can make more Mexican Pizzas, or just some quick and easy tacos or burritos, that's what I usually do!
