Make the Ultimate Cheeseburger Pizza at Home—No Delivery Required

The beauty of pizza is its versatility—the creative possibilities are endless. That flexibility lends itself to plenty of delicious mash-ups that recreate the flavor profiles of classics like Philly cheese steak, barbecued chicken, and, my personal favorite: the cheeseburger pizza. In my early 20s, I remember seeing cheeseburger pizza on the menus of chains like Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. To me, this dish was genius because it made it possible for me to enjoy two of my favorite foods at the same time. 

I’ve seen many iterations of the pizza: Some pizzerias offer the pizza with a sesame seed-covered crust, while others top the pie with sliced tomatoes and shredded iceberg lettuce. But in every variation I've seen, there is always ground beef and plenty of melty, gooey cheese. 

The recipe I'm sharing here delivers a cheeseburger pizza that I think is even better than the one I remember from my 20s. Unlike those sometimes-greasy (but still delicious) renditions, this one has just the right amount of ground beef and onions, a sweet, tangy sauce, and lots of cheese. Read on to learn about the techniques I use to create the ultimate cheeseburger pizza, and to get the full recipe. 

The Key Elements of a Great Cheeseburger Pizza

Start with a strong sauce. For many people, a burger is only as good as its sauce. (Shake Shack’s shack sauce, for example, has a devoted following.) The same goes for pizza. To build a sauce that evokes the flavor of my favorite cheeseburgers, I mix together ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise—the three condiments I love on a burger—for a tangy, creamy base.

Brown your beef with the onions. Cooking the ground beef on medium-high heat allows the Maillard reaction—a series of chemical reactions that occur when heat transforms proteins and sugars, resulting in more complex flavors and aromas—to take place, resulting in a more flavorful topping. Browning the beef and onions beforehand also eliminates excess liquid, preventing your pizza from becoming a soggy mess. Plus: You can make the topping ahead of time if you want, making assembling and cooking the pizzas a breeze.

Layer your toppings thoughtfully. Just as an excellent burger requires careful assembly, it’s crucial to be thoughtful when layering the pizza’s components, as the layering process not only provides structure, but ensures you get different flavors and textures in every bite. The same goes for cheeseburger pizza. Avoid concentrating the ground beef and onions in the center of the pie—spreading out the toppings as evenly as possible results in a more evenly cooked pizza, and ensures that each bite has all the flavors and textures of the sauce and toppings. Once your dough has been stretched and placed on a pizza peel, you'll spread the sauce mixture over the dough, evenly sprinkle cheese all over, top it with the ground beef and onions, then top it with even more cheese.

Use a blend of cheeses. I use both shredded cheddar and low-moisture mozzarella here. While cheddar is the classic choice for a cheeseburger, it typically contains 35% fat, and topping a pizza with just cheddar results in a pie that’s both too sharp and overly greasy. Pairing it with low-moisture mozzarella, which contains about 21% fat, creates a more balanced flavor and prevents the pizza from being excessively oily. 

Crank the heat. Because I prefer cooking pizza in my outdoor pizza oven, I developed this recipe using a dough that's formulated for my oven. But if you don't have access to an outdoor pizza oven, you can also use a New York-style dough—or even store-bought pizza dough—and bake it on a pizza steel or stone in your oven. Just be sure to crank it to the highest temperature to help your pizza get that beautifully blistered crust.

For the Beef and Onion Topping: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, using a wooden spoon to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until beef is well browned and broken into small crumbles, 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef and onion mixture to a medium bowl, allowing any excess grease to drip off. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes; set aside.

For the Sauce and Cheese: In a small bowl, stir ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard to combine; set aside. In another small bowl, combine shredded mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese.

If Using an Outdoor Pizza Oven: Remove one ball of pizza dough from refrigerator. Rest in a proofing container, covered, at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before baking. Dough temperature should reach 60ºF (15.5ºC) before stretching and baking; exact timing will depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen. Preheat pizza oven to 800ºF (425ºC).

Flour dough ball generously on both sides with flour and place on well-floured surface, seam side down. Gently press out dough into rough 8-inch circle, leaving outer 1-inch higher than the rest. Gently stretch dough into a 10- or 12-inch circle (final dimension depends on size of your oven) about 1/4-inch thick by draping over knuckles and gently stretching. Transfer to floured wooden or metal pizza peel.

Using an offset spatula, spread all of the sauce evenly over surface of crust, leaving 1/2-inch border along edge. Evenly spread 1/2 of cheese mixture over sauce. Spoon enough ground beef and onion mixture to evenly cover cheese and top with remaining cheese.

Using a metal peel, transfer assembled pizza to oven and bake, rotating pie regularly with peel for even cooking, until rim is lightly charred and bottom is crisp, 90 to 180 seconds total. Retrieve pizza with metal peel and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle arugula over cooked pizza, top with pickle slices, and serve immediately.

If Using a Conventional Oven: 1 hour before baking, adjust oven rack with pizza stone or steel to middle position and preheat oven to 500ºF (260ºC).

Flour dough ball generously on both sides and place on well-floured surface, seam side down. Gently press out dough into rough 8-inch circle, leaving outer 1-inch higher than the rest. Gently stretch dough into a 10- or 12-inch circle (final dimension depends on size of your oven) about 1/4-inch thick by draping over knuckles and gently stretching. Transfer to floured wooden or metal pizza peel.

Using an offset spatula, spread all of the sauce evenly over surface of crust, leaving 1/2-inch border along edge. Evenly spread 1/2 of cheese mixture over sauce. Spoon enough ground beef and onion mixture to evenly cover cheese and top with remaining cheese.

Using wooden or metal peel, slide assembled pizza onto pizza stone or steel and bake until cheese is melted with some browned spots and crust is golden brown and puffed, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully transfer pizza to cutting board. Sprinkle arugula over cooked pizza, top with pickle slices, and serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Outdoor pizza oven or pizza stone/steel (if using conventional oven), wooden or metal pizza peel

Notes

If using New York-style pizza dough: At least 2 hours before baking, remove dough from refrigerator. Divide dough into 3 equal parts; shape into balls by gathering dough towards bottom and pinching shut. Flour well and place 1 dough ball in a medium mixing bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at warm room temperature until roughly doubled in volume. Place each remaining dough ball in a zip-top freezer bag, refrigerate, and reserve for another use.

Store-bought pizza dough can be substituted for homemade dough.