Taco Pizza is the ultimate compromise and crowd pleaser in this house. It makes us both really happy and can pretty much mend any fight we might get into. If Eric snored loudly all night and I didn’t get any sleep, Taco Pizza for breakfast makes me forget all about it. And, if I am lazy and leave the pumpkin orange bread that I am photographing outside for 2 hours and our yard is overrun by a swarm of bees, you better believe I am making Taco Pizza for dinner that night!
The thing is, my husband could eat pizza for every single meal every single day of his life, no joke. And I could happily live on Mexican food, specifically tacos, for the rest of mine. So, you put them together and you get pure amazingness! And, by the way, I am totally using Cinco De Mayo as a huge excuse to make Mexican food recipe after Mexican food recipe and not have to apologize about it. I hope you don’t mind!
Ever since the awesome people over at Melissa’s Produce sent me a box of goodies including their Steamed and Peeled Garbanzo Beans I have been dreaming up with Smashed Chickpea Taco Pizza. But, for some crazy reason I am only getting around to making it now. Better late than never though!
I’m not sure how they go about de-skinning the chickpeas, but they do a pretty good job of it. There were only a few chickpeas left with their skins on but that was completely ok for this recipe. The skinless chickpeas are a little smoother than regular chickpeas and make for amazingly creamy hummus and perfect smashed chickpeas.
I slightly smashed the chickpeas and then crisped them up a little bit with my homemade taco seasoning blend that includes, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I’ve never been a fan of the storebought taco seasoning packets and this homemade version is not only so much better but also really easy to make.
Smashed Chickpea Taco Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 ball of gluten free pizza dough or 1 pre-made crust, you can also use non-gluten free
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 small pinch black pepper
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons taco sauce
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, or your favorite kind
- Your favorite taco toppings, such as; lettuce, tomato, black olives, jalapenos, cilantro, etc…
Instructions
- Pre-bake your pizza crust if needed. Pre-heat oven to correct temperature for pizza crust you are using.
- Place chickpeas on a large plate or shallow bowl. Mash them lightly with a potato masher or fork. It is ok if you leave some whole. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Then add chickpeas and all seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes until chickpeas are beginning to crisp. Set aside.
- Evenly spread the taco sauce over the top of the pizza, then evenly distribute the chickpeas on top. Finally, add the cheese and bake in the pre-heated oven until the crust is cooked through and the cheese is melted, 10-20 minutes, depending on your crust.
- Let pizza cool for a few minutes and then top with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!
Notes
These ingredient measurements are based on a 10 inch pizza, you may need more of each if you have a larger pizza. Feel free to let me know if you need help figuring out how much of each to put on!
- Category: Entree, Mexican, Gluten Free
A few more delicious Cinco De Mayo Recipes for you to enjoy!
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- Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Loaded Guacamole
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- Taco Cones
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- Citrus & Miso Marinated Tofu Tacos
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- Fajita Guacamole
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- Smokey Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup
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- Hint of Lime Baked Tortilla Chips
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- Baked Black Bean & Sweet Potato Taquitos
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- Black Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Tacos
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- Easy Vegan Black Bean Burgers
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- Vegan Chili Cheese Fries
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- Tex Mex Loaded Sweet Potatoes
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- Veggie Enchiladas with Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce
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- Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce
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- Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos
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- Three Bean Loaded Veggie Chili
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- Hatch Green Chili Mexican Pizza
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- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Lettuce Wraps
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- BBQ Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos with a Creamy Lime Slaw
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- Calabacitas Orzo Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
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- Roasted Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Avocado Tostadas
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- Smokey Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Brown Rice Veggie Burgers
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- Green Tomato Southwestern Panzanella Salad
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- The Best Salsa Ever
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- Quinoa, Black Bean & Green Chili Enchiladas
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- Roasted Red Pepper Enchilada Sauce
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- Roasted Potato Cups with Loaded Guacamole
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- Grilled Corn Crostini with Avocado & Radish
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- Tostadas with Homemade Refried Beans & Pico
Ohhh this sounds so yummy! Chickpeas are just the best. I’m really trying to make more vegetarian meals, so this one is a great idea. I’ll have to try it!!
This is the perfect vegetarian meal to start with, Jess! My husband didn’t even complain that there was no meat on it! I think he got distracted by the fact that it was pizza 🙂
I love that you have a compromise/I’m sorry meal that you go to. 🙂 And the chickpeas crisping up in the oven sound really nice on this pizza along with the taco theme.
A bottle of wine always helps too! The chickpeas are definitely the best part of this pizza!
I love tacos AND pizza… and Josh just gets to eat whatever I make, no compromises here 😉 But seriously, who doesn’t get excited about taco pizza? About a swarm of bees in your yard on the otherhand… That was just a sad waste of tasty sounding pumpkin bread!
A very sad and scary waste!! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like pizza and tacos! And if I ever do, I don’t think I want to be friends with them 🙂
Izzy, this pizza looks absolutely amazing! I am so loving that you added chickpeas to this. And the taco flavor sounds perfect too! What a creative dish!
Thank you so much, Gayle! I’ve been eating so many chickpeas lately and I figured I should just add them to the pizza too, haha!
Oh my Izzy, taco pizza is really big in our house too! Always a homerun with the kids. And I love celebrating Cinco de Mayo in style,….with pizza of course!
Haha, you would never think that pizza would be the perfect way to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, but this taco pizza totally is! Really, it is the perfect way to celebrate any day of the week! I’m glad your family likes it as much as we do 🙂
Taco pizza?! Stop it! You’ve combined two of my favorite cuisines in one and I love it! I adore Melissa’s produce – they always send the best goods. I’ve never tried their skinned chickpeas and they sound delightful!
Julia! Isn’t Melissa’s the best?! If you love pizza and you love Mexican it is a crime not to have this pizza in your life!
What a clever idea, Izzy!! This taco pizza looks AWESOMEEE! Have to try this 😉
Thank you, Olivia! You should totally try it 🙂
Now that’s one healthy pizza, Izzy. Looking forward to trying this – love the taco aspect as well! Pinning!
Thank you! I like to think it is healthy 🙂 Thank you for pinning!
This is such an awesome pizza idea, Izzy, and your photos are beautiful! I just want to dive in and eat! 🙂
Thank you so much, Marcie! I could dive right in with you 🙂
This pizza is pure genius, Izzy! It looks so delicious I almost didn’t realize it’s healthy! By the way, I read somewhere that they key to ultra-smooth hummus is to remove the peels…you should try these guys in hummus!
Thank you, Denise! Is it still considered healthy if I heat the entire thing?! I hope so 🙂 You are so right, peeled chickpeas make for awesome hummus but are such a pain to peel yourself! These ones work so well!
Yum! You have combined all of my favourite foods here – Mexican, Italian and delicious chick peas. I can’t wait to try this.
Thank you, Dannii!! Three of my favorite foods too 🙂
My husband is the same way except he could have pizza AND Mexican for every single meal if he could so this taco pizza sounds perfect! I love the smashed chickpeas in here! Such a great and tasty idea for Cinco de Mayo too!
He would love this pizza then, Kelly! I think I could eat this pizza everyday and be so happy! Thank you, Kelly 🙂
Weeeeeell, I was going to make a regular meat-and-cheese pizza tonight for dinner, but I’m pretty sure all that’s changed now after seeing this taco-themed wonder. HOLY yum, Izzy! This pizza looks just unreal! Looove the sound of those chickpeas too!
You will never want to eat a regular meat and cheese pizza after you have this taco pizza! I promise!! The chickpeas make it so so good!!
Now this is my kind of pizza! Actually I’m like your husband and love all kinds of pizza but I also love Mexican food so this looks like utter perfection to me. I would love to have this tonight for Cinco de Mayo.
And how cool that they sell peeled chickpeas! I tried doing it to get smoother hummus and it is so tedious so that’s awesome that they do the hard work for you.
Haha, I don’t think I’ve ever met a pizza I didn’t like either! And I definitely haven’t ever met a taco I didn’t like 🙂 I tried peeling the chickpeas one too and it gave me such a neckache from looking down at them for 20 minutes. Never again!
Oooh I love the idea of tacos and pizza mixed up! And especially with the smashed chickpeas – I looove everything chickpea so these look just about perfect!
Thank you, Nora! Me too! I’ve been eating a few cans of chickpeas a week these days!
Oh my gosh, the bread, the bees!!! I hate bees haha
But this pizza … holy moly it sounds so good! And combines two of my favorites – pizza and tacos!
I hate bees too!! It was so terrible and they were buzzing everywhere! I panicked a little bit but was scared to tell my husband what I had done! Tacos and pizza are the best combos EVER!!
beautiful photos Izzy! I love how different this pizza is, and I love chickpeas so this is my kind of pizza. Pinning 🙂
Thank you, Katie!! I think I am only going to put chickpeas on pizza from now on, haha, they are just so good!
omg girl I am drooling. I just had nachos for dinner but I am regretting for not seeing your post earlier! Looks so yummy!
Haha, thank you Ami! Nachos are so good too though!! Now I’m craving nachos 🙂
Love this taco pizza and of course all the other amazing recipes! Great flavors, will be trying it since chickpeas are my favorite!
★★★★★
Thank you, Mira! Chickpeas are my favorites too!
Ughhhh….this looks so amazing! I wish I was eating this for lunch right now instead of cheese and crackers!
Thank you, Kelly!! It would be perfect for lunch, but I have to admit that cheese and crackers sound really good too 🙂
That pizza look SO delicious and SUPER flavorful – yum!! Pinned 🙂
Thank you so much, Christina! It really is so good!
Haha, taco pizza saves the day! Your pizza and my pizza should be friends 🙂
Haha! It really does save the day a lot in this house 🙂
This looks so delicious! Putting chickpeas on a pizza is such a great and creative idea, I know it would be perfect for a grill party 🙂
Thank you, Evi! It was so good and would go great for a grill party 🙂
Putting this on my must try list or perhaps I will convince my son who is always trying to recreate Happy Joe’s taco pizza this version for his vegan mom!
I have eaten that Happy Joe’s taco pizza before and it is pretty amazing!! This chickpea one is great too though! I hope you enjoy it 🙂