Meatzza, a meat-crust pizza, is wonderfully flavorful and ideal for those on a low-carb or keto diet. With a delicious meaty base and lots of cheesy goodness, you won't miss the doughy crust!
I have many recipes for low-carb pizza. Coconut flour crust pizza and cauliflower pizza crust are delicious. But if you want an even lower carb count or perhaps less fiber, meatzza (meat-crust pizza) is an excellent option. It's great for getting all those yummy pizza flavors without overdoing the carbs. And if you flatten the meat and bake it long enough, you can eat this meaty keto pizza with your hands - just like real pizza!
Ingredients
Here's a look at the ingredients needed for this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef, 85/15. I strongly recommend against using a leaner mix, as it would be too dry.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Pizza sauce: Try to use a sugar-free brand such as Rao's.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: I use pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella. You can also use one of the blends marked as "Italian blend."
- Toppings of your choice: I often use pepperoni and/or black olives. You can also use pre-cooked vegetables such as roasted peppers and sauteed mushrooms.
Variations
A fun variation on the basic recipe is to make mini pizzas. To make them, I cook 4-ounce beef patties, top them with pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, and briefly broil them.
I would say, however, that it's not as good as making a large meatzza because the meat crust is a bit too thick when you make the mini ones.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Flatten the ground beef into a thin circle on a rimmed, non-perforated pizza pan (or a sheet pan) and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and spices.
Bake the meat crust for 10 minutes at 400°F. Top it with pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and your desired toppings.
Broil the meatzza briefly, just to melt the cheese. Let it cool slightly before cutting into triangles.
Expert Tips
It’s important to make the meat crust as thin as possible. I use a 14-inch rimmed, non-perforated pizza pan. I place the meat on top, cover it with a piece of parchment paper, and use a rolling pin to roll it very thin, as shown in the photo below.
I then bake it in the pizza pan. Since the pizza pan is rimmed but still pretty shallow, I line the oven rack with foil just in case some of the cooking juices spill over. So far, I haven’t had any issues, but in terms of oven safety, you might decide it’s best to make the crust a little thicker and use a standard sheet pan, which is deeper than a pizza pan.
The meat crust shrinks quite a bit as it bakes. I roll it to fit a 14-inch pizza pan, and after 10 minutes in the oven, it shrinks to 9 inches. At this point, it sits in the pizza pan in a pool of cooking juices, so I carefully transfer it, using two wide spatulas, to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! It's delicious. Admittedly, it's a different experience than biting into a warm, doughy crust. But biting into well-seasoned, crispy meat topped with bubbly, melted cheese is wonderful, too. It's just a different kind of wonderful.
People tend to use either one of them. They're pretty much interchangeable, and I use both.
I don't recommend that. Extra-lean ground beef is very dry and the crust won't be as tasty. It could also come out too crumbly.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this rich meat-crust pizza with a simple salad, so I often serve it with arugula salad, tomato salad, or cucumber salad.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. The cold leftovers are also good, by the way, just like cold leftover pizza.
You can also freeze the leftovers. Slice the pizza, then freeze the slices for up to three months in freezer bags, separated with wax paper if stacked.
More Keto Pizza Recipes
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Recipe Card
Meatzza Recipe (Meat-Crust Pizza)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef - 85/15
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella - 4 ounces
- Your choice of toppings - not included in nutrition info
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 14-inch rimmed, non-perforated pizza pan with a circle of high-heat-resistant parchment paper. You can also use a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and make the pizza a bit smaller in diameter.
- On the prepared baking sheet, flatten the ground beef into a very thin, large circle – make it as thin as you can (⅛-inch thick is good). I use a rolling pin to roll it as thin as I can, then use my fingers to spread it evenly so that it covers the entire pan.
- Sprinkle the ground beef with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Bake the meat crust in the preheated oven until fully cooked. If rolled thin, this should take about 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and switch the oven to broil. By now, the meat crust has shrunk and is sitting in a pool of cooking liquids. Carefully transfer it, using two wide spatulas, to a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
- Spread the meat crust with pizza sauce, then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top. Add your toppings. Return the meatzza to the oven and broil just until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes. You can also bake in the 400°F oven for 5 more minutes instead of broiling, but I like how broiling crisps the meaty edges.
- Allow the meatzza to rest for 5 minutes before cutting it into 8 triangles and serving.
Notes
- The nutrition info doesn't include additional toppings.
- It’s important to make the meat crust as thin as possible. I use a 14-inch rimmed, non-perforated pizza pan. I place the meat on top, cover it with a piece of parchment paper, and use a rolling pin to roll it very thin.
- Since the pizza pan is rimmed but still pretty shallow, I line the oven rack with foil just in case some of the cooking juices spill over. So far, I haven’t had any issues, but in terms of oven safety, you might decide it’s best to make the crust a little thicker and use a standard sheet pan, which is deeper than a pizza pan.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. The cold leftovers are also good, by the way. Just like cold leftover pizza.
- You can also freeze the leftovers. Slice the pizza, then freeze the slices for up to three months in freezer bags, separated with wax paper if stacked.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Sarah Gagliardi says
This pizza is wonderful..I have made a chicken crust and a beef one…
It’s delicious for sure! Thank you for the recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Sarah! Thank you very much for the review.