Meatzza, a meat-crust pizza, is 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 great, especially the coconut flour crust. But if you want an even lower carb count, or perhaps less fiber, meat-crust pizza is an excellent option.
It's great for getting all those yummy pizza flavors without overdoing it on carbs. Anb if you flatten the meat well and bake it long enough, you can eat this meaty keto pizza with your hands, if you're so inclined. Just like real pizza!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty keto pizza. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Ground beef: I use lean ground beef, 85/15. I strongly recommend against using a leaner mix, as it would be very dry.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the crust could end up too salty.
Spices: Garlic powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Make sure they are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Marinara 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 use also pre-cooked vegetables such as bell peppers and mushrooms.
Instructions
How to make meatzza? It's easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Shape the pizza. Flatten the ground beef into a thin circle on a rimmed non-perforated pizza pan (or on a large baking sheet) and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and spices.
Bake it. Bake the meat for 10 minutes at 400°F.
Add toppings. Top the meat crust with pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and your desired toppings.
Broil. Broil the pizza briefly, just to melt the cheese. Let it cool slightly before cutting into triangles.
Recipe tips
It’s important to make the meat crust as thin as possible. I use a Wilton brand 14-inch rimmed, non-perforated pizza pan to spread the meat out. I cover it with a piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it very thin, as shown in the video.
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 rimmed baking sheet, 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.
Variations and substitutions
A nice variation on the basic recipe is to make mini pizzas, topping cooked 4-oz beef patties with cheese and toppings and briefly broiling 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.
Serving suggestions
I love serving this rich meat-crust pizza with a simple salad. So I often serve it with an arugula salad or with tomato salad.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! It's delicious. Admittedly it's a very 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.
Does it matter? 😂 People tend to use either one of them, they're pretty much interchangeable, and I use both.
I haven't tried freezing this pizza, but I believe you can slice it, then freeze the slices for up to three months in freezer bags, separated with wax paper if stacked.
Storing leftovers
Leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave on 50% power. Cold leftovers are also good, by the way. Just like cold leftover pizza. 😍 Whether it's safe or not is up to you to decide, but here are some good tips.
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Recipe card
Meatzza Recipe (Meat-Crust Pizza)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. lean ground beef 85/15
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup pizza sauce (I use Rao's)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (4 oz)
- Your choice of toppings (not included in nutrition info)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 14-inch rimmed, non-perforated pizza pan with a circle of parchment paper. You can also use a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment 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 base with pizza sauce, then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top. Add your toppings. Return to the oven and broil just until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes. You can also bake in the 400F oven for 5 more minutes instead of broiling, but I do like the way broiling crisps up the meaty edges.
- Allow the meatzza to rest for 5 minutes before cutting it into 8 triangles and serving.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 