Spicy Ground Beef Pizza (Print Version)

Bold pizza featuring chili-spiced beef, melted cheeses, and a hint of hot honey.

# What You'll 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 garlic cloves, 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, adjust to taste
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 - Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and olive oil; stir until shaggy dough forms.
02 - Knead dough on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
03 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.
04 - Add ground beef; cook until browned, breaking it up. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
05 - Preheat oven to 480°F. If using a pizza stone, place it inside to heat.
06 - Punch down risen dough and stretch or roll into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet or floured pizza peel.
07 - Spread spicy ground beef evenly over dough, leaving a border. Top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, then scatter jalapeños if using.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crust is golden and cheese bubbles.
09 - Remove from oven, immediately drizzle with hot honey, and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley if desired. Slice and serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The hot honey finish turns an already great pizza into something unexpectedly memorable—sweet, spicy, and utterly addictive.
  • Ground beef makes this substantial enough to feel like real dinner, not just appetizer territory.
  • You can have this on the table in under an hour if you're willing to bend the dough-rising rules slightly.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the spiced beef cool slightly after cooking—adding piping hot meat to the pizza can make the bottom soggy before the top even finishes cooking.
  • The hot honey has to go on immediately after the pizza comes out of the oven; if you wait too long, the crust cools down and the honey just sits there instead of seeping into all those crevices.
  • If your dough is fighting you when you try to stretch it, let it rest for 5 minutes—dough has memory and will snap back if you push too hard.
03 -
  • If you don't have a pizza stone, a cast iron skillet works beautifully—preheat it in the oven and you'll get an even crispier bottom than you'd expect.
  • Make the spiced beef earlier in the day and reheat it gently before assembly; the flavors deepen as it sits, and you'll have less to juggle when you're ready to bake.
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