Healthy Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

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This vegetarian copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza is a real treat, and you wouldn’t guess that it’s healthy! Low in calories, made with whole foods, and ready in less than 30 minutes: my version of this classic Taco Bell dish means you can enjoy it without the guilt!

When I was a kid, we used to eat Taco Bell every single week.

And what was our go-to order at Taco Bell (since we were vegetarian)?

“Mexican Pizza, no meat, with beans instead of the meat.”

I always looked forward to Taco Bell night when I was a kid. Mexican Pizzas: with their crispy fried shells, the salty, seasoned filling, it felt like a treat every time. (And, it’s everything that makes fast food addictive!)

I actually love the concept of a Mexican Pizza – but the Taco Bell one has 540 calories for one tiny 6-7 inch pizza, with 30g fat and 990mg sodium. It also has minimal fresh veggies and the ingredients list is a mile long with fillers and additives (fumaric acid, calcium propionate, potassium sorbate in the shell; maltodextrin and trehalose in the beans, etc.)

I decided to give the Mexican Pizza a makeover in my kitchen, and my version is JUST as crispy as the original, but has only 370 calories, at least 10g fiber (even more depending on how much veggies/beans you use), and only 14.6g Fat. And you won’t find anything even close to “trehalose” in this pizza! 

We topped ours with salsa and guac for added flavor — and this has become one of our weeknight staples for dinner! The kids absolutely love it, it’s super filling, and makes you feel like you’re having delicious takeout at home. 

The Ingredients you will need (makes one pizza, which is one serving)

• 1/3 cup refried black beans, heated through with taco seasoning (about 1 tsp) stirred in to taste
• 1/4 cup Mexican 4 cheese blend
• 1 whole wheat or sprouted wheat tortilla  
• 1/8 cup of diced red onion
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• Salsa – 2 Tbsp
• Guacamole – 2 Tbsp 

How to make Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza – Step by Step

Step 1: Crisp up the whole wheat tortilla in either a toaster oven or a regular oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or until it’s crispy like a chip).

Step 2: Heat up your beans in a small pot on low heat, and stir in the taco seasoning. 

Step 3: Spread the beans on the tortilla, and then top with veggies.

Step 4: Top the pizza with cheese. Heat in a toaster oven (on medium low) or under a broiler (on high for 2-3 minutes) until the cheese has melted.

Step 5: Top with salsa and guac, and enjoy!

This whole recipe takes 20 minutes to make (max), and is a delicious, filling and healthy dinner. It’s such an easy swap and it’s so much better for you than the original. Kid-friendly and fun for the whole family!

What is a Mexican pizza?

The base of a traditional Mexican pizza is a crispy (fried) corn tortilla, which is then topped with a mixture of toppings (tomatoes, cheese, seasonings). Beef is usually added as a filling, but this vegetarian version omits that and uses hearty, refried black beans instead. 

What makes this Mexican Pizza healthier than the Taco Bell version? 

Despite its unhealthy fast food origins, my version of the Mexican pizza is a really well balanced meal, with whole grains, fiber, protein and fresh veggies. Here are the healthy swaps I made to make this pizza more nutritious, but just as delicious as the traditional version:

• Whole Grains: I used a whole wheat or sprouted wheat tortilla for the base for whole grains and added fiber. Instead of the traditional fried shell which adds unhealthy fats and tons of calories, you end up with a crispy base that is packed with nutrition.
• Fresh Veggies: This provides additional fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
• Plant Protein: Replace the red meat/beef (which has unhealthy fats) with lean, hearty, refried black beans which have both protein and fiber to keep you full.
• Less Cheese: Reducing the cheese lowers the total fat and calorie content while still keeping that same cheesy goodness Mexican Pizza has.

Topping variations for this Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

For our pizza toppings, I used red onion, tomato and bell pepper, but you can easily use any fresh vegetables you have in your fridge. Some other options that would also work well are:

• sweet corn
• diced mushrooms
• chopped baby spinach
• diced zucchini

Can this recipe be made gluten free or vegan?

Absolutely! For a gluten free version, just use a gluten free tortilla for the base. To make this recipe vegan, omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese instead. 

Top tips for making Taco Bell Mexican Pizza

• Make sure you get your tortilla really crispy in your oven. That’s critical to making this Mexican pizza taste great! You want the tortilla to be able to remain crispy even after it’s been topped with the veggies/beans and cheese, so over crisping it a little at the start can help. I’ve found that a level “3” setting on my toaster oven works well, or baking it at 350 degrees in a regular oven can work too. 
• Use the freshest vegetables you have – the crunchier the better!
• You want to eat these pizzas hot, fresh out of the oven. If they’ve cooled down a bit, just pop them back in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes to heat them up again before serving.
• This recipe makes 1 serving, but you can easily double/triple/quadruple it by just increasing the ingredients by that much (e.g. for 4 pizzas, use 4 tortillas, 4 tomatoes, 1 + 1/3 cup refried black beans, etc.)
• Make your own guacamole, rather than buy pre-packaged.

Be sure to check out these other healthy pizza recipes!

• Lightened-Up Homemade Vegetarian Pizza
• Green Pepper and Onion Pizza
• Easy, Healthy Margherita Pizza
• Barbecue Black Bean, Red Pepper, and Corn Pizza
• Sweet Potato Pizza Crust Recipe by From My Bowl
• Veggie Pizza with Avocado from A Couple Cooks

If you have tried this Mexican pizza recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!