Supermarkets all over the U.S. are putting out colorful displays of avocados, tomatoes, beer, and margarita mix, letting us know that it is almost time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
We love any reason to celebrate, and this is a perfect one. While some celebrate with tacos and tamales, we like to make Mexican pizza and a margaritas to show our love for Mexico.
What is Cinco de Mayo?
Cinco de Mayo means the fifth of May, and it’s the only Mexican holiday that is celebrated in the U.S. It’s a fun holiday to drink ice-cold Mexican beers and salty margaritas and eat your favorite Mexican food.
The holiday commemorates a battle fought against the French in 1862 called The Battle of Puebla. It was an important battle where the poorly equipped Mexican army defeated the wealthy French army. One interesting thing about the holiday is that it celebrates the battle not the war.
Because months after the battle, the powerful French army actually took over Mexico. The French put in their Emperor Maximilian and his wife Carlota, where they ruled for several years. Eventually, the Mexican army regained power and kicked the French out.
We like this story because it’s important to celebrate the small wins in life so you should take pride in every battle you win. We also like this story because it gives us a reason to enjoy Mexican spices and flavors.
How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not a national holiday, although most schools are closed to have a parade or school dance to focus on the importance of Mexican history.
In the U.S., the holiday is a fun way to show appreciation for Mexican culture, food, and all of the incredible contributions Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have made in the melting pot of the U.S.
Like all celebrations, it is all about the food. While we do love tacos, burritos, tamales, and guacamole, the list could go on and on. We wanted to give our favorite food a Mexican twist and make Mexican pizza.
Mexican pizza or taco pizza is readily available in the U.S. Recently fast-food chain Taco Bell has reintroduced Mexican pizza to its menu, and Mexican pizza lovers are thrilled. And we recently read that they are keeping it on the menu this time, hooray!
So in the spirit of unity and celebrating everything Mexican, we have two Mexican pizza recipes to share with you and one copycat version of the beloved Taco Bell pizza.
Mexican Pizza Recipes
The first two pizza recipes all start with traditional pizza dough. You can make a regular dough or a yeast-free. If you are short on time, pick up a store-bought dough or even a flatbread. The important thing about Mexican pizza is that the dough is thin, like a tortilla.
You could even swap out the pizza dough for a large tortilla. If you do this, it’s best to use two tortillas stacked because one tortilla just won’t have the structural integrity to hold the toppings.
Taco Pizza
Taco pizza is exactly how it sounds. You take all of the yummy taco fillings and spread them on the crust to make a delicious taco pizza.
- 1 can of refried beans
- 1 cup of cooked ground beef
- 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
- 1 package of taco seasoning
- ½ cup of black olives
- 1 cup of shredded Manchego cheese (Mexican cheese blend is fine)
- 1 cup of chopped iceberg lettuce
- ¼ cup of jalapeños (optional)
Start by spreading a thin layer of beans on the base, then add the beef, cheese, tomatoes, and olives. Bake it for five minutes at 400°F. Take it out and sprinkle the lettuce on for crunch.
Hot & Spicy Chicken Tinga Pizza
If you are one of those people that always add hot sauce to pizza, you will love this hot and spicy chicken tinga pizza. A tinga is shredded meat in a red sauce.
It can be chicken, pork, or beef and the sauce is a tomato-based sauce with lots of fragrant spices. We love the spicy and sweet combo, so we make our tinga with smoky chipotle chilies and sweet mango.
- 2 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 small can of chipotle chilis in adobe
- 1 package of queso fresco
- 2 ripe yellow mangos
- 1 small can of tomato sauce
- 1 cup of chicken stock
The first step is to make the tinga. Take two boneless chicken breasts and put them in the crockpot with a half cup of chicken stock, a half cup of tomato sauce, two chopped mangos, and chipotle peppers.
If you like it hot, use a small can of chipotle for a milder but still hot use half the small can. Set the crockpot on high for five hours. Then remove the chicken using two forks to shred the chicken.
Spread the chicken tinga on the pizza bases using the sauce to cover the pizza base. Sprinkle on a handful of crumbled queso fresco and bake for 7 minutes at 400°F.
If you can’t find good mangos, you can use fresh or canned pineapple instead. Queso fresco is a mild white Mexican cheese. You can find it at most major grocery stores.
If you don’t have a crockpot, just boil the chicken in a regular pan. Then cook the sauce in a separate pan. Run the sauce through a blender or use an immersion blender. Then combine the chicken and sauce and let cook together for twenty minutes.
Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
The famous Taco Bell Mexican pizza is a great midnight snack. If you don’t want to make a run to the border drive-thru, you can make this copycat recipe pretty quickly.
You will need:
- 2 tortillas (two per pizza, so if you want to make more you’ll need more)
- 1 cup cooked ground beef or shredded chicken
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped iceberg lettuce
- ¼ cup black olives
- 1 Package taco seasonings
- A handful of chopped green onions
- ¼ cup jalapeños (optional)
Spread refried beans on a tortilla and add ground beef. Place the second tortilla on top of the beans and beef. Place in skillet and heat up on medium heat. Flip twice so the tortilla gets crispy.
Then sprinkle cheese, olives, and tomatoes on top. Lower the heat and cover with a lid until the cheese melts. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.
Helpful Tips to Elevate Mexican Pizza
In Mexico, every dish is served with garnishes like salsa, limes, and add-ons. Add-ons are usually picante, pickled or crunchy. These are our favorite add-ons for the perfect Mexican pizza:
- Pickled red onions
- Chopped white onion and cilantro mix
- Jalapeños and carrots in escabeche
- Sliced radishes soaked in salt and lime
- Chopped pineapple and jalapeños
How do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Have you tried Mexican pizza?
