What happens when you combine pizza with tacos? That's right, something very special and extra delicious.
In this meeting of Italian and Mexican cuisine, we get taco ingredients put on a pizza. And the results are amazing.
Sure, we have the classics Margherita, Pepperoni, Meat Lover's pie, and so on. But this taco version has a lot to offer, too.
As we know, a taco is made of a tortilla and a filling. And typical ingredients for the filling include:
Hence, a taco pizza is made with a combination of these toppings. From ground beef, refried beans, and taco meat, to taco seasoning, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese. But, of course, they're put on pizza crust and dough instead of a tortilla.
This fantastic pie is great for the whole family. Kids really love it, but then again, who doesn't?
Plus, it makes for a great leftover pizza that you can enjoy the following day or so.
As you probably already know, pizza comes from Naples, Italy. And the Margherita was invented in 1889. This is when Chef Raffaele Esposito made it to honor Queen Margherita. The pizza featured the colors of the Italian flag.
In America, pizza made its way when Italian immigrants came over here towards the end of the 19th century. And the first pizzeria called Lombardi's was opened in New York in 1905. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular foods.
The history of tacos, on the other hand, is less definite. But one theory suggests that it was invented in the 18th century. This is when Mexican silver miners used small charges which they called "taco." And one of the first iterations of the dish was actually known as tacos de minero or miner's tacos.
In the United States, the first reference to a taco was made in a newspaper in 1905. Coincidently, this was the same year that the first pizzeria opened in New York. And that's when Mexican migrants would start to arrive looking for jobs.
So, when did the two "get together?" Well, the claim goes that the taco pizza was invented by Happy Joe's in Davenport, Iowa. Apparently, this took place in December of 1974.
It was created by the owner Joe Whitty who used the following ingredients - taco chips, tomatoes, and lettuce. In other words, a super easy taco pizza recipe. According to his daughter, specialty pies weren't a thing at the time.
Later on, there were some disputes about the patent of taco pizza. This involved Pizza Inn which filed a patent in 1979. Their goal was to get a national trademark.
However, Happy Joe's, in partnership with another chain, stated in court that taco pizza is just a generic term for the pie
An interesting fact is that a 2020 study showed taco pizza to be the favorite pie of Iowa.
A single slice of taco pie (129g) contains around 279 calories. This includes 14g of total fat or 18% of the daily value based on a 2000-calorie diet.
In addition, there are 38mg of cholesterol, 608mg of sodium, and 345mg of potassium. The amount of protein is 14g and of total carbohydrates is 24g.
This delicious taco pizza made with your favorite taco toppings is available in restaurants all across America. Still, we at Slice are here to offer some specific suggestions and make your search easier.
Thus, for those of you in New York, we recommend Pizzeria L'antica. You can find them on Broadway. What's great is they're open 7 days a week, offer pickup and delivery, and you even get a staggering 20% off on all online orders via Slice!
And if you're in Philly then we suggest heading to Super Fratelli's Pizza. Located on Torresdale Ave, they work every day of the week and also offer takeout and delivery. Plus, you save 10% on any online order through the Slice app. Oh, and don't forget to check their menu for available deals and coupons!