French Bread Taco Pizza takes a loaf of French bread, loads it up with taco-seasoned meat, lots of cheese, and finishes it off with your favorite taco toppings.
Once you’re hooked on this try our Sloppy Joe Pizza
French Bread Taco Pizza
This recipe is a flash-back to a recipe my mom used to make frequently when I was growing up; in fact, this is the third French Bread Pizza recipe (after Margherita French Bread Pizza & Sloppy Joe Pizza) to hit this site and I am wondering how there haven’t been a dozen more pizza variations shared — they’re ridiculously easy to make and such a fun change-up from your typical pizza!
Today we’ve loading up French bread with taco-seasoned ground beef, lots of melted cheese, and adding plenty of toppings.
French Bread Taco Pizza Ingredients
- French bread. The fresher, the better! Don’t worry about picking stale bread to avoid soggy pizza; we’ll pre-bake it before adding the toppings.
- Pre-diced onions. Most grocery stores sell diced yellow onions in the produce section of the store. Alternatively, frozen diced onions are often found by the other frozen veggies and can be used in this recipe. Or, use a food processor to quickly chop an onion.
- Garlic. We love Dorot’s® cubes which have crushed garlic that you can keep handy in the freezer and pop into this (and other) recipes when needed. (Check if you local store carries them; they’re typically found with frozen veggies in the grocery store). Another option is to use refrigerated minced garlic.
- Lean ground beef. We like to use the 93/7 blend. Ground turkey also works great in this French Bread Taco Pizza.
- Taco seasoning. Again, taco seasoning packets can vary in the spice level and even in overall flavor. I’ve generally found the cheaper the taco seasoning packet, the less flavor it has. If you don’t mind spending a couple of extra minutes of prep time, you can always make your own (I like to make a few homemade taco seasoning “packets” when meal prepping for the week). Check out my “quick tip” box below!
- Tomato sauce. The tomato sauce adds some moisture to the meat and a nice tomato flavor.
- Cheese. We like using two different types of cheese — sharp (or extra-sharp) Cheddar and Monterey jack. To cut down on ingredients, just use Cheddar cheese.
Quick Tip
If you’d prefer to make your own taco seasoning blend instead of using a store-bought mix, here’s my go-to taco seasoning blend (this mix perfectly replaces the store-bought mix in this French Bread Taco Pizza recipe):
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder (McCormick® for mild chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, fine sea salt, and pepper
The secret to avoiding soggy French Bread Pizza
The “secret” to not having soggy French bread pizza? Bake it twice.
Start by brushing all of the pieces of French bread with olive oil and then bake just the bread. This dries out and toasts the bread nicely–and that will keep it from getting soggy after the saucy taco meat is added on top.
You’ll be amazed at the difference this makes to the texture and overall flavor of this French Bread Taco Pizza!
Tips
- Make sure to purchase the freshest ground beef possible. (Look at the furthest expiration date when purchasing.)
- To avoid steaming (we want to brown the meat!), use a cast-iron pan, and wait for it to be HOT until you add in the meat.
- In order to brown (and become more flavorful), the beef has to maintain contact with the pan for a little while. Remember that as you break the meat into smaller pieces; the moisture evaporates, which can cause the meat to steam instead of brown. Avoid this by giving the meat a few minutes to cook and develop a brown color before breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
- Enjoy right out of the oven. This French Bread Taco Pizza is best right after being baked — the bread is nice and crisp and the cheese is gooey and melty.
- Line the pan with parchment paper. To avoid too-crisp pizzas, line the pan before baking with either a Silpat liner or parchment paper.
After the French Bread Pizzas are done baking, it’s all about the toppings! Below are some of our favorite toppings, but get creative with what you typically pair with taco meat.
French Bread Taco Pizza Toppings
This French Bread Taco Pizza really benefits from some creamy additions. We think a ripe avocado or guacamole and sour cream are the “must have” additions!
- Chopped cherry tomatoes, salsa, or pico de gallo
- Black beans or pinto beans
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Fresh lime wedges
- Avocado or guacamole
- Taco sauce or hot sauce
- Creamy cilantro sauce (like the sauce in this Honey Lime Chicken recipe)
- Sour cream (fat-free or low-fat works great!)
Storage
This French Bread Taco Pizza is best enjoyed the same day it is made. After that, the taco meat will soften the bread.
More plays on pizza
- Caesar Salad Pizza with rotisserie chicken
- Margherita Pizza on naan
- Blackberry Pizza with ground sausage
- Flatbread Pizza with loads of veggies
- BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza with pineapple and bacon
French Bread Taco Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion, optional
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (93/7) or ground turkey
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 pkt (1 oz.) taco seasoning mix
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese Note 1
- Toppings such as ripe avocado or guac, sour cream, cherry tomatoes, black olives, cilantro, etc. Note 2
Instructions
- FRENCH BREAD: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice the bread in half widthwise. Then cut both pieces in half lengthwise to have 4 total pieces. Gently compress each piece in the center, making a cavity for the meat. Brush 3 tablespoons olive oil evenly over all sides of each of the French bread pieces. Place the pieces cut side up on a large greased cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes and remove.
- TACO MEAT: Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4-6 minutes. Add garlic; stir for 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, crumbling into small pieces as you cook. Cook until browned through. Drain off any grease (if needed) and then add in the taco seasoning mix and tomato sauce. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
- ASSEMBLY: Gently press in the centers of the bread once more, making a cavity to hold the beef. Divide the beef mixture evenly among each piece of French bread. Divide cheese evenly on top of each piece.
- BAKE: Return to the oven and bake (uncovered) 8 to 13 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is lightly browned at the edges. Remove from oven and add toppings of choice. Thinly slice into pieces and enjoy immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This has become a staple on weeknights for us. We love the flavor and how quick it comes together.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Courtney! 🙂
As your Dad I love this dish. It is a family favorite. So easy to make too.
So glad to hear that! 🙂