why it works
- Preparing the chopped onions and ground beef ahead of time ensures they are cooked and cool enough to pile onto the pizza, eliminates excess liquid and prevents the pie from becoming soggy.
- A mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard makes a sweet, spicy sauce for pizza.
- Using a blend of low-moisture mozzarella and cheddar creates a melty, delicious cheese layer that tastes just right and doesn’t have any extra greasiness.
The beauty of pizza is its versatility – the creative possibilities are endless. This flexibility lends itself to lots of delicious mash-ups that recreate the flavor profiles of classics like Philly cheese steak, barbecued chicken and, my personal favorite: cheeseburger pizza. In my early 20s, I remember seeing cheeseburger pizzas on the menus of chains like Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. For me, this dish was amazing because it made it possible for me to enjoy two of my favorite foods at the same time.
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I’ve seen several iterations of the pizza: some pizzerias offer pizza with a sesame seed-covered crust, while others top the pie with diced tomatoes and shredded iceberg lettuce. But in every variation I’ve seen, it always contains ground beef and copious amounts of melty, gooey cheese.
The recipe I’m sharing here provides a cheeseburger pizza that I think is even better than the recipe I remember from my 20s. Unlike sometimes greasy (but still delicious) presentations, it has just the right amount of ground meat and onions, a sweet, spicy sauce, and lots of cheese. Read on to learn the techniques I use to make the best cheeseburger pizza and get the full recipe.
Key Ingredients of Great Cheeseburger Pizza
Start with the hot sauce. For many people, a burger is only as good as its sauce. (Shake Shake’s Shake SauceFor example, it has a devoted following.) The same goes for pizza. To create a sauce that enhances the flavor of my favorite cheeseburger, I mix together ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise — three condiments I love in burgers — for a tangy, creamy base.
Brown your beef with onions. Cooking ground beef over medium-high heat allows for maillard reaction– A series of chemical reactions that occur when heat transforms proteins and sugars, resulting in more complex flavors and aromas, resulting in more delicious toppings. Browning the beef and onions beforehand also removes excess liquid, keeping your pizza from getting soggy. Plus: You can make the toppings ahead of time if you want, making the pizza easier to assemble and cook.
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Use your toppings wisely. Just as an excellent burger requires careful assembly, it is important to be thoughtful when layering the components of a pizza, as the process of layering not only provides structure, but also ensures that you get everything you need in every slice. Get different tastes and textures. The same applies for cheeseburger pizza. Avoid concentrating the ground beef and onions in the center of the pie – spreading the toppings out as evenly as possible helps the pizza cook more evenly, and ensures each bite has all the flavor and texture of the sauce and toppings. Once your dough has been rolled out and placed on pizza peelYou’ll spread the sauce mixture over the dough, sprinkle cheese evenly all over, top it with ground beef and onions, then top it with even more cheese.
Use a mixture of cheeses. I use both shredded cheddar and low moisture mozzarella here. While cheddar is the classic choice for cheeseburgers, it typically contains 35% fat, and topping a pizza with cheddar alone results in a pie that is too sharp and overly smooth. Combining it with low-moisture mozzarella, which has about 21% fat, creates a more balanced flavor and prevents the pizza from becoming overly oily.
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Crank up the heat. Since I love cooking pizza in my outdoor pizza oven, I developed this recipe using dough designed for my oven. But if you don’t have access to an outdoor pizza oven, you can also use New York Style Dough—or even store-bought pizza dough—and bake it on a pizza steel or stone in your oven. Just make sure to crank it up to the highest temperature possible to help your pizza get that beautiful blistered crust.
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Make the best cheeseburger pizza at home—no delivery required
cook mode
(keep screen awake)
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1 recipe pizza dough For an outdoor pizza oven or 1 recipe New York Style Pizza DoughDivide and let rise for at least 2 hours (see notes).
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1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
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1 small white or yellow onion ,4 ounce, 113Yes), peeled and chopped
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8 ounce ,225Yes, 90% lean ground beef
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons (30ml) ketchup
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2 tablespoons (30ml) mayonnaise
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1 tablespoon (15ml) yellow mustard
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3 ounce shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (85 grams; 3/4 cup,
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2 ounce Shredded Cheddar Cheese (56 grams; 1/2 cup,
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all purpose flourto dust off
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1/4 cup fresh Arugula
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chopped dill picklesfor service
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For the Beef and Onion Topping: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring using a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the beef is well browned and broken into small pieces, 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef and onion mixture to a medium bowl, allowing any excess grease to drip off. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes; Cancel.
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For the sauce and cheese: In a small bowl, stir to combine ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard; Cancel. In another small bowl, mix shredded mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese.
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If using an outdoor pizza oven: Remove one ball of pizza dough from the refrigerator. Cover and let rest in a proofing container at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before baking. The dough temperature should reach 60ºF (15.5ºC) before stretching and baking; The exact time will depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen. Preheat pizza oven to 800ºF (425ºC).
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Flour both sides of the dough balls and place them on a well-floured surface, seam side down. Press the dough gently to form an 8-inch thick circle, leaving the outer part 1 inch higher than the rest. Gently stretch the dough into a 10 or 12-inch circle (the final dimensions depend on the size of your oven) about 1/4 inch thick, folding over the knuckles and pulling gently. Transfer dough to a floured wooden or metal pizza peel.
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Using an offset spatula, spread all of the sauce evenly over the surface of the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture evenly over the sauce. Spoon in enough ground beef and onion mixture to evenly coat the cheese and top with remaining cheese.
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Using a metal peel, put the assembled pizzas in the oven and bake, turning the pie with the peel regularly for even cooking, until the edge is lightly charred and the bottom is crisp, 90 total. to 180 sec. Remove the pizza from the metal peel and place on a cutting board. Sprinkle cooked pizza with arugula, top with pickle slices, and serve immediately.
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If using a conventional oven: 1 hour before baking, adjust the oven rack with a pizza stone or steel to the middle position and preheat the oven to 500ºF (260ºC).
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Spread each ball of dough evenly on both sides and place on a well-floured surface, seam side down. Press the dough gently and form a circle about 8 inches thick, leaving the outer part 1 inch higher than the rest. Gently stretch the dough into a 10 or 12-inch circle (the final dimensions depend on the size of your oven) about 1/4 inch thick, folding over the knuckles and pulling gently. Transfer dough to a floured wooden or metal pizza peel.
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Using an offset spatula, spread all of the sauce evenly over the surface of the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture evenly over the sauce. Spoon in enough ground beef and onion mixture to evenly coat the cheese and top with remaining cheese.
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Using a wooden or metal peel, slide the assembled pizza onto a pizza stone or steel and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted with a few brown spots and the crust is golden brown and puffed. . Carefully place the pizza on a cutting board. Sprinkle cooked pizza with arugula, top with pickle slices, and serve immediately.
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special equipment
Outdoor pizza oven or pizza stone/steel (if using a traditional oven), wood or metal pizza peel
notes
If using New York-style pizza dough: Remove the dough from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before baking. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts; Shape the dough into a ball by gathering the dough at the bottom and pinching it shut. Knead the dough well and place 1 ball of dough in a medium mixing bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until almost double in volume. Place each remaining dough ball in a zip-top freezer bag, refrigerate and reserve for another use.
Store-bought pizza dough can be replaced with homemade dough.
