Spicy Ground Beef Pizza (Print Version)

Bold flavors combine ground beef, cheese, and hot honey for a satisfying and spicy pizza experience.

# What You Need:

→ Pizza Dough

01 - 2 cups bread flour
02 - 1 tsp instant yeast
03 - 1 tsp sugar
04 - 1 tsp salt
05 - 2/3 cup warm water
06 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Spicy Ground Beef

07 - 9 oz ground beef
08 - 1 tbsp olive oil
09 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
12 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
13 - 1 tsp chili powder
14 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
15 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Toppings

17 - 7 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
18 - 2 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
19 - 2 tbsp pickled jalapeños, sliced (optional)
20 - 2 tbsp hot honey
21 - Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm water and olive oil. Mix until dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, until browned. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - Preheat oven to 480°F (250°C). Place pizza stone in oven if available.
04 - Punch down risen dough and stretch or roll into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet or floured pizza peel.
05 - Spread the spicy ground beef evenly over the dough, leaving a border. Top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Add sliced jalapeños if desired.
06 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crust is golden and cheese bubbles.
07 - Remove from oven and drizzle immediately with hot honey. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley if desired. Slice and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The spiced beef gets crispy at the edges and soaks up all that smoky paprika and cumin, creating little flavor pockets across every slice.
  • Hot honey sounds weird until you try it, then you'll want to drizzle it on everything because the sweetness tames the chili without killing the kick.
  • It comes together faster than waiting for delivery, and you control exactly how fiery or mild you want it to be.
02 -
  • Don't skip preheating the oven to maximum heat, a lukewarm oven will give you a pale, floppy crust instead of that crispy char you want.
  • Let the beef cool slightly before spreading it on the dough, or the heat will start cooking the dough unevenly and make it tough to handle.
  • Drizzle the hot honey immediately after baking so it melts slightly into the cheese and doesn't just sit on top like a sticky puddle.
03 -
  • Use a pizza stone preheated for at least 30 minutes to get that crispy, bakery-quality bottom crust that makes all the difference.
  • If your hot honey crystallizes in the jar, just warm it gently in a bowl of hot water before drizzling so it flows smoothly over the hot pizza.
  • Taste your spice blend in the beef before spreading it, and adjust salt and heat levels right then because you can't fix it once it's baked into the pie.
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