The Ultimate Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Copycat Recipe (With the Secret Sauce!)

Love Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza, Skipping Drive-Thru Lines & Saving Cash?

 There is a guaranteed hack that will allow you to enjoy a hot, delicious, freshly made Mexican pizza, save cash, and you get to skip the Taco Bell drive-thru line.

Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza freshly
homemade with the toppings of
your choice!
Image Copyright © 03/21/2023

 The Hack: You can make the ultimate, crispy homemade Mexican Pizza right in your own kitchen, and yes, it tastes exactly like the original!

When Taco Bell brought this iconic menu item back permanently, fans everywhere rejoiced. But let’s be honest: fast-food prices add up quickly, and sometimes you just want a fresher, healthier, or fully customized version at home. Whether you want to stretch your family's budget, use up last night's leftover taco meat, or stack your pizza with extra toppings, making it from scratch is an absolute game-changer.

The Secret is in the Sauce (No, it’s not Enchilada Sauce!)

If you’ve tried other copycat recipes online, you’ve probably noticed they all tell you to open a can of standard enchilada sauce. If you've eaten the real thing, your taste buds know that's just not right.

Back in 2012, after plenty of kitchen experimentation, I cracked the code on the authentic Taco Bell Mexican Pizza red sauce flavor. It relies on a specific blend of easily accessible ingredients that nail that signature tang and spice perfectly. In fact, an ex-Taco Bell employee tasted this version and swore it’s the only true, spot-on copycat recipe out there!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Mexican Pizza:

Budget-Friendly: It’s a fantastic, inexpensive way to reinvent leftovers or make a double-batch meal to save time during a busy week.

Completely Customizable: Swap the beef for steak, chicken, or shrimp, or pile on fresh veggies like spinach, cilantro, and avocado.

Ever have a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza this
fresh?
Image Copyright © 03/21/2023

Fast & Fresh: From crisping the tortillas to melting the cheese, you can have a crispy, layered four-course meal ready in under 45 minutes using your oven or air fryer.

Ready to get that perfect crunch? Skip the trip to the drive-thru and scroll down for the secret sauce breakdown, the full ingredient list, and the step-by-step printable recipe card!

Kitchen Aids

• Large frying pan
• 2 qt pot
• Large cookie sheets, if not using an air fryer
• Spatula
• Serving spoon
• Small mixing bowl
• Basting brush
• Oven or Air fryer
• Stove

Mexican Pizza Ingredients

• 12 8" or smaller Flour Tortillas
• Olive oil / avocado oil
• 1lb Blend of Cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack shredded cheese

Taco Meat Ingredients

• 1lb Ground Beef / *steak / *chicken / *shrimp
• Taco bell Taco Seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning)
• ⅓ cup of Filtered Water (or beer of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon Lime Juice

Refried Beans Ingredients

• 1lb can Refried beans (or homemade refried beans)
• ⅓ cup Filtered Water (or Milk)
• *¼ tsp paprika
• *¼ tsp chili powder
• *¼ tsp garlic powder
• *¼ tsp onion powder
• *¼ tsp white pepper
• *¼ tsp lime juice for extra heat

Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 bottle of Taco Bell Mild Sauce 
• 1/2 bottle of Taco Bell Taco Sauce (you may use mild to ensure the heat level is kid friendly.

Garnishings 

• * Tomatoes
• * Green onions
• * Spinach
• * Cilantro
• * Olives
• * Sour cream
• * Guacamole
• * Jalapeños
• * Green Chili
• * Nacho cheese
• * Ranch

Homemade Mexican Pizza in a Snap!

  There's only 8 easy steps to make this copycat mexican pizza. 

  Depending on your chosen toppings and tools you have on hand, prep may be 10 to 15 minutes.

   You can get a Mexican pizza cooked up quickly, with a cook time of  25 to 30 minutes!  

  You can be eating fresh, hot, crispy mexican pizza in just 45 minutes total and you'll have a delicious full course meal that serves 6 people.

How to Make a Mexican Pizza Exactly Like Taco Bell's

1. Pre heat your oven to 350° or set your air fryer to 350° then start prepping your toppings so when you are ready to put your pizza(s) together all you have to do is grab and sprinkle. Slice olives, shred cheese, chop an onion, dice up a tomato and what ever else you want on your mexican pizza. One medium sized tomato is just enough to top 6 pizzas generously. 
2. Brush 12 tortillas with olive oil or the oil of your choice, then place them on a cookie sheet and crisp them in the oven or air fryer for about 4 minutes on each side until they are lighly golden and crisp.
3. Combine the Taco Bell Mild sauce with the Taco Bell taco sauce and set aside.
4. Brown and crumble your ground beef on high heat until the meat is cooked (about 10 minutes)  drain the grease. Alternatively you could use chicken, sirloin steak, or shrimp and it would be just as delicious. Add a bit of water and your favorite taco seasonings to the meat of choice, cover and simmer on low.
5. Place refried beans in a pot or microwave safe bowl, add a bit of water or milk, and seasonings like garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, lime juice etc. if you like extra flavor and heat. Mix the beans well and warm them to make them easier to spread.
6.   Spread a generous amount of beans on the tortilla then top with the taco seasoned meat.
7.   Place a crisp tortilla on top of the meat and beans then spread a generous layer of the Taco Bell sauce mixture on top.
8.   Add the toppings of your choice with some cheese to the top and return them to the oven. Heat until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

The Ultimate Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza