It really is the ‘Ultimate Mexican Pizza’! Loaded with all your favorites, easy to make, and so good!
I have to tell you the back-story of how I came about developing this recipe. I’ve tried Food for Life brand Brown Rice Gluten-Free (GF) tortillas before, especially since my brother has them at times for his gluten-free diet. My brother enjoys them from time to time and has perfected his method for cooking them. Yet even though I’ve tried them several different ways, I’ve never really cared for them, that is…until now!
I was visiting my mom with the kids one weekend and decided to head over to my brother’s house a few miles away with my little one. It was around dinner time, and I was planning on eating back at my moms, but my brother insisted on making something. When he said ‘Mexican Pizza’ out of the GF brown rice tortillas, I was immediately intrigued. My problem with those tortillas is their dry and chewy texture when cooked, but who knew that if you cooked them long enough until they are crispy, that they are amazing in texture and perfect to use for making Mexican Pizza. I actually prefer their texture to the fried or baked flour tortillas or toastada shells. My brother stumbled upon it by chance, but oh wow, is it delicious! Of course he made me his version with what little vegan ingredients he had in his fridge, including soy crumbles (which at the time tasted great, but I’m not a huge fan of them in general).
Of course when I came home, I knew I had to work on this recipe to share with all of you. I used his technique of crisping up the GF brown rice tortillas and using them as the shells for the Mexican Pizza. I decided to create the Ultimate Mexican Pizza loaded with all my favorite toppings: beans with spinach and corn, oven roasted veggies, a few fresh toppings, and some hot sauce. I also wanted to add an element of creaminess to this Mexican Pizza, but didn’t care to add any store-bought vegan cheese shreds. At first, I whipped up a quick avocado sauce. It turned out delicious, but I still felt like it could use more flavor and creaminess, which is how my Sweet Jalapeno Lemon Cream Sauce came about (recipe posted two weeks ago). Even my husband (who is not vegan) opted for the vegan cream sauce as opposed to non-vegan cheese, which is what he typically prefers. The result was spectacular!
The recipe below makes use of my favorite toppings and my favorite way to enjoy Mexican Pizzas, but please feel free to use it as a guideline and add any other toppings of your choice. My entire family, kids included, loved this recipe. Needless to say…Gluten-Free Brown Rice Tortillas are now welcome and will always have a spot in my fridge if needed!
Yes, I’ll admit went a little photo crazy on this post =) but can you blame me? Look at how gorgeous and mouthwatering this Mexican Pizza looks!!
It’s always wonderful to hear from my readers and followers in the comment section below. So if you make this recipe or even simply like the idea of the recipe, I’d love to hear from you. It’s also a great way for me to get feedback so that I know how you like the recipes, whether you are eating or making them. You can give any feedback below, or you can also tag me on Instagram if you make one of the recipes @vegetariangastronomy , #vegetariangastronomy, so I don’t miss it.
The Ultimate Mexican Pizza
INGREDIENTS
- Gluten-free Brown Rice Tortilla , Food for Life brand
- 15 oz. prepared beans , from can or made from scratch
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 medium white onion , halved and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper , sliced lengthwise and halved
- 1 green bell pepper , thinly sliced lengthwise and halved
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Toppings:
- vine-ripe tomatoes , finely chopped chopped
- green onions , finely chopped
- cilantro , finely chopped
- Sweet Jalapeno Lemon Cream Sauce
- fresh jalapenos , finely chopped (optional)
- hot sauce , my favorite is Cholula
INSTRUCTIONS
To Prepare:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Add the sliced white onions, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers into a mixing bowl and toss with a little olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. Spread the onions and peppers on the lined baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, mix, and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and starting to blacken. Once done, remove from oven and set aside. In the meantime continue to the next steps.
- In a microwavable glass bowl, add the refried beans, frozen spinach, frozen corn, and ~3 tbsp water. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until the vegetables completely defrost. Mix and set aside.
To Make Mexican Pizza:
- Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat (not higher than medium heat).
- Place one gluten-free brown rice tortilla on the heated pan. Slowly let the tortilla crispy up on one side. Be patient. You will notice the tortilla start to become brown. Flip and crisp on the other side. The tortilla is done when it is crispy on both sides and not flimsy when you pick it up (i.e. similar to a crisp shell).
- Place the crispy tortilla on serving plate or cutting board. Spread a thin layer of the beans/spinach/corn mixture. Top with a layer of roasted peppers and onions, followed by green onions, tomatoes, fresh jalapenos (if using), and cilantro.
- Cut in fourths with a pizza cutter and enjoy!!
Mandy
Oh, my goodness!!!!! This looks SO incredible! Definitely worthy of all the extra photos 🙂 We might have to skip our usual tacos and make this for taco Tuesday!!!
anjali
Thanks Mandy! I just couldn’t decide on which pictures to cut out…loved all the beautiful colors =) YES…skip your usual tacos and try this recipe sometime! It is great…I love making the brown rice tortillas crispy for a quick mexican pizza. And the cream sauce on top is so awesome! I even love it drizzled on nachos. Let me know if you try it out!
Mandy
This recipe is FANTASTIC!!!!! That Sweet Jalapeno Lemon Cream Sauce is a must for this pizza – soooooo good! Since I can’t have soy, we used unsweetened cashew milk with a tiny drizzle of pure maple syrup and it was perfect. I am not ashamed to admit that I could have eaten the sauce on its own with a spoon. I loved how easy it was to prepare the “crust” – the main reason we don’t have pizza very often is because more often than not it’s time consuming. We usually cheat and buy those quick gluten-free flatbread crusts from Trader Joe’s – but now that we know this little trick, this will be our go-to convenient option. The roasted veggies were wonderful on this, but that sauce. Goodness….such a genius recipe! I’ve got so many ideas about how to use it for future meals!
anjali
Such a great review…thank you so much Mandy!! Awesome that you guys loved this mexican pizza idea! It really caught my attention because of how easy and tasty the brown rice tortillas crisp’d up to make the crust. And oh yes…that sauce…so necessary =) Your soy-free versions sound perfect…I made a note for using another non-dairy milk base, but hadn’t tried it out myself, so nice to know it works with other milks! Thank you again for the comment, following, and trying out this recipe! Not to mention your beautiful pictures on your IG on how you used the sauce!
Julie
Made this last night–so good. I know it’s a keeper when I get several “this is so good” from my husband while he’s eating it. I didn’t have tortillas (I know, for shame) –but used rice as a base and followed everything else. Forgive me for saying that I love the use of a can of refried beans–sometimes a shortcut is a blessing. I have to make so many things from scratch for my little girls food sensitivities –so I don’t have to make my own beans? I love you! Everything–the roasted peppers, the sauce –soooooo good!!!!
anjali
YAY Thank you Julie! Excited that you loved this dish, and the sauce. And YES…I’m totally with you for the can of beans…at times if I remember or have time I’ll soak the beans, but for me, tacos, mexican pizza, and enchiladas are quick easy meals at times when I just don’t have the time, and I don’t mind using a can of beans, especially since you can load them with any veggies to make it healthy =) Aren’t the roasted veggies delicious? The flavors really come through. Thanks for the comment and trying out my recipe! You’ve inspired me to try this sauce over rice and roasted veggies next time!
Cheryl Shah
I made this last night and the whole family loved it. It is a keeper. Thanks Anjali.
anjali
Thanks Cheryl for trying out the recipe and for following my site! After you mentioned you were making this, I was craving it as well and am planning on making it next week =) So glad you guys liked it! Next time try it out with these beans, they are my favorite to go with anything!
P.Desai
I never try Brown Rice tortillas but turn out so good. Some thing different . We like it very much.
Beena
Thanks for this recipe. I am thrilled to have come across your blog. I made this couple nights ago and it turned out stellar with some trial and error. I first used some other corn tortillas I had and it was chewy and not crisp but the Brown Rice Tortilla’s turned out nice and crispy. I also didn’t have black beans so I used garbanzo beans instead and it work out great. The sauce is AMAZING… I added a touch of maple syrup to counter the tanginess from the lemons. Your notes are on point. Another awesome and quick recipe…
anjali
So great to hear! Yes…the brown rice tortillas are best with this recipe because they crisp up nicely on the pan. You could probably use flour tortillas as well, but not sure corn would get that crispy on the pan. Great to hear garbanzo beans worked…you can really add whatever toppings you want! The sauce really makes this pizza 🙂 I could eat that sauce with chips ha! Thanks again for trying out this recipe!