Pizza smash tacos combine the viral smash tacos trend with classic pizza flavors in one easy griddle recipe! Made with beef, Italian sausage, mozzarella & pepperoni – ready in minutes on the Blackstone or other flat top griddle.

pizza smash tacos on a cutting board with mozzarella cheese and banana peppers

You guys know how much we love a good smash taco around here. We’ve done burger tacos, Philly cheesesteak tacos, chicken Caesar smash tacos, Greek gyro tacos – if it can be smashed into a tortilla, we’re going to try it. So when it came time for another easy weeknight meal, I knew exactly where I wanted to go next: pizza.

That’s right – we took the viral smash taco and turned it into everyone’s favorite food. Instead of a plain ground beef patty, we went with a blend of 80/20 ground beef and ground Italian sausage, smashed it into a tortilla, and loaded it up with pizza sauce, a blend of mozzarella cheeses, and all our favorite pizza toppings. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it might just cure every pizza craving you’ve ever had.

grating parmesan cheese on to pizza smash tacos on a cutting board

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What Are Pizza Smash Tacos?

Pizza smash tacos are exactly what they sound like – a smash taco that tastes like a slice of pizza. Just like our classic smash burger tacos, you start by pressing seasoned meat directly onto a hot griddle with a tortilla smashed on top. But instead of flipping it over to burger toppings, you flip it onto the tortilla side and build it up like a pizza – sauce, cheese, and all your favorite toppings.

The result is a crispy, meaty, cheesy taco that gives you all that pizza flavor without turning on the oven or waiting for dough to rise. You get that same satisfying “dough” quality from the tortilla, but you’re not weighed down by a big slice of crust. It’s a meat lover’s dream, and it’s ready in just a few minutes on the griddle.

folded pizza taco with mozzarella cheese, ground beef, pepperoni, and banana peppers

Ingredients Needed

Ground beef and Italian sausage – We used a 50/50 blend of ground beef and ground Italian sausage. The Italian sausage brings a ton of built-in flavor, so you don’t need to add a bunch of extra seasoning to the meat. And since the sausage is pretty fatty, you can use a leaner beef like 85/15 or 90/10 if you wish.
Flour tortillas – Soft taco-sized tortillas work best here. Remember, you’re only using about 2.5 to 3 ounces of meat for each smash taco, so don’t go grabbing the giant burrito-sized ones.
Pizza sauce – A good store-bought pizza sauce or tomato sauce works perfectly. No need to overcomplicate it.
Pepperoni – We used the “Crisp ‘n Cup” variety of pepperonis for this recipe. They’re smaller and they get crispy and cup up on the griddle. You can add about 6-10 per taco.
Cheese blend – We used a blend of creamy mozzarella (a Kraft blend) plus some regular shredded mozzarella, and finished it off with fresh grated Parmesan. Basically, whatever Italian-style melting cheese that you have in the fridge works here.
Your favorite pizza toppings – We used diced bell peppers, banana peppers, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add your favorite toppings, but make sure they’re small enough in size for the tacos.

mini pizzas made on tortillas and folded in the shape of tacos

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep your toppings. Dice your bell peppers (and any other veggies you want to use) into small pieces. Remember, we’re working with a smash taco here, not a big pizza, so you want everything bite-sized. Then sautee until done to your liking. The key to griddle pizza is to cook your toppings through first, because you don’t get top end heat like you do in an oven.
Portion your meat. Roll your mixture of ground beef and Italian sausage into balls of about 2.5 to 3 ounces each – just enough to fill the tortilla without overloading it.
Start the pepperoni. Add the pepperoni slices down on the hot griddle. The goal is to get the pepperoni slightly crispy before adding it to the pizza tacos, because it won’t cook long later.
Smash it. Place your ball of meat down on the hot griddle, then set a tortilla on top of the meat. Press it down firmly so the meat spreads all the way out to the edges of the tortilla. Allow it to cook for several minutes, until the meat mixture is about 160°F internal temperature.
Flip and move to the cooler side. Once the meat side is cooked, flip the taco over onto the tortilla side and move it to a cooler part of the griddle. This keeps the tortilla from getting too crispy while everything else finishes.
Build your pizza. Spread on some marinara sauce. Then top with mozzarella cheese blend, sautéed diced bell peppers, and any other toppings you want. Use a melting dome to cover the taco – this helps the cheese melt all the way through before the tortilla has a chance to burn.
Finish it off. Once the cheese is melted, add a few banana peppers if you like them (we do), and finish with a sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan.
Fold and enjoy. Fold your pizza smash taco in half like a regular taco and dig in.

cooking a smash taco pizza on a Blackstone griddle

Recipe Tips

Smaller toppings work best. Whatever veggies you’re using – bell peppers, onions, mushrooms – make sure they’re diced small. A smash taco tortilla isn’t very big, so oversized toppings just won’t work.

Don’t overfill it. Stick to about 2.5 to 3 ounces of meat per taco, just like our classic smash tacos. It’s tempting to load up, but that’s what makes these come together so fast on the griddle.

Use a melting dome. Covering the taco with a dome after you build it helps the cheese melt through before the tortilla side gets too crispy or burns.

Check the internal temperature. Because you’re using ground pork sausage, it’s essential to make sure the meat is cooked through. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure the meat is cooked to 165°F.

Topping Ideas

The best part about pizza smash tacos is how versatile they are. Once you’ve got the base method down, you can build them however you like:

Extra pepperoni for the meat lovers
Sliced mushrooms and black olives for a classic combo
Diced onions and green peppers for a supreme-style taco
Banana peppers for some tang
Crushed red pepper for extra heat
Swap the Italian sausage for spicy sausage if you want more kick
Fresh basil or a drizzle of ranch after cooking for something a little different

However you build it, this is one of our favorite quick and easy ways to make “pizza” on the Blackstone or any other flat top grill. Give it a try for your next quick weeknight dinner – you won’t be disappointed.

mini pizzas with flour tortilla crust, ground meats, marinara sauce, pepperoni, and other pizza toppings

Want more smash taco inspiration? Check out our original Smash Burger Tacos recipe for the classic version, plus tips on how to nail the smash taco technique every time.