Carne Asada Pizza

It’s a taco! It’s a pizza! It’s a taco on a pizza! Carne Asada Pizza, yo. What else is there to say?

Carne Asada Pizza | mountainmamacooks.com #TacoTuesday #PizzaWeek

Actually I have a lot to say:
Cilantro makes my heart go pitter patter.
Putting grilled flank steak on a pizza is pure genius.
Trader Joes makes really good pizza dough thus making my job that much easier.
I can’t help but think of today’s recipe as a bad episode of Glee. I’m doing a mash up of Taco Tuesday and Pizza Week and all the while singing along. Not pretty.

Carne Asada Pizza | mountainmamacooks.com #TacoTuesday #PizzaWeek

When asked if I wanted to participate in Pizza Week hosted by Nosh On It, I said OF COURSE! And then I was asked if I would be willing to do a riff on Taco Tuesday. And without hesitation, I replied OF COURSE!

But wait a minute.

Should I make a pizza taco or a taco pizza? A big difference you know.

Carne Asada Pizza | mountainmamacooks.com #TacoTuesday #PizzaWeek

As you can see I decided on a taco pizza. Because let’s be honest, stuffing pepperoni into a taco shell is 1) kind of gross and 2) a little uninspiring. But tacos on a pizza? The possibilities are endless. And I know this because my friend, Mel, and I spent the better part of our morning talking about it last week while we were snowboarding. Each chair lift up we’d discuss the possibilities. Sauce or no sauce? Melty cheese or crumbly cheese? Ground beef? Chicken? Guacamole? Refried beans? Then we rip down the mountain thinking about what we’d come up with. Tummy’s rumbling no less. I was getting hungry.

Carne Asada Pizza | mountainmamacooks.com #TacoTuesday #PizzaWeek

Ultimately we decided on my favorite taco to turn into a pizza. Carne Asada: so simple and so good. This is a pizza… yes, but with all the fix in’s of a carne asada taco. The base is a cilantro pesto, I used pepper jack cheese (but with a light hand) and cooked the pizza until hot and bubbly. And then straight from the oven I topped it with thinly sliced flank steak that I grilled, chopped onion, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. It’s simple and delicious. Washed down with a cold beer? Yes and yes.

Pizza Week Badge

Be sure to check out the other pizzas celebrating pizza week! A big thanks to Nosh On It for hosting and have a fabulous day, everyone!!

Quinoa Pizza with Meyer Lemon, Goat Cheese and Basil from Cafe Johnsonia
Breakfast Pizza from Very Culinary
Raspberry Brie Dessert Pizza from Completely Delicious
Kale and Artichoke Pizza with Roasted Garlic Ricotta from The Corner Kitchen
Shrimp and Grits Naan Pizza from Climbing Grier Mountain
Caramelized Spring Onion and Fennel Pizza with Beer Crust from Girl Versus Dough
Spinach Artichoke Pizza from The Vintage Mixer

Print

Carne Asada Pizza


  • Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas 1x

Ingredients

For the flank steak:

  • 1.25 lb flank steak
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the pizza:

  • 1 recipe of your favorite pizza crust (I totally used store bought- thank you TJ’s)
  • 1 cup of cilantro pesto
  • 6 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced small
  • fresh cilantro
  • lime

Instructions

For the flank steak, put all ingredients (minus the flank steak) in a food processor and pulse until a all ingredients are smooth. Transfer the marinade and the flank steak to a large ziplock baggie and marinate for 2-3 hours.

  1. When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade (discarding marinade) and grill the steak on medium-high for 5-6 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. I’m a medium rare girl….

For the pizza, preheat oven to 500F degrees.

  1. Divide pizza dough in half and spread each dough until about 12-inches wide in a large circle.
  2. Sprinkle baking sheet or stone with a tablespoon of cornmeal (optional) and then place dough on it.
  3. Spread dough with 1/2 of cilantro pesto and sprinkle with half of cheese.
  4. Place in a hot oven and bake for 12-14 minutes.
  5. Remove pizza from oven and top with thinly sliced flank steak, chopped red onion, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
  6. Repeat to make a second pizza.
  7. Enjoy!