Crustless Pizza
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This crustless pizza is the ultimate low carb comfort that has all the best parts of a pizza, minus the crust! Cheesy, meaty, and easy to customize, I love that it needs just one skillet and takes just 15 minutes.
Looking for more low carb pizza recipes? Try keto pizza, chicken crust pizza, and pizza bowls.
My family loves a simple keto dinner recipe, one that we can put together with minimal prep and that tastes delicious. When the comfort food cravings strike, nothing beats a low carb pizza dupe, especially in the form of this crustless pizza.
Table of Contents
What is a crustless pizza?
As the name suggests, a crustless pizza is everything you love about a pizza, minus the crust. It’s a popular dish for those following a low carb diet, as the base involves ground meat and it’s topped with plenty of cheese. Therefore, I make it whenever I’m craving carbs!
Here are some reasons why I LOVE this recipe-
- Zero carbs. Ever wondered why a crustless pizza is popular on a keto diet? It has barely any carbs! If you use certain vegetables or smoked meats, it can increase the carb count, but made as written, it’s virtually carb-free.
- Made in just one skillet. From cooking the ground meat to assembling the no crust pizza, it’s all made in the same skillet. No washing up or multiple mixing bowls needed.
- Ready in 15 minutes. From prep to plate, this recipe takes less than 15 minutes. It’s perfect for an easy keto dinner.
- It’s SO satisfying. What I love about this recipe is just how much it satisfies my pizza cravings. Like most people, the crust is the most boring part of the pizza and really is only there for a vehicle for all the toppings.
Ingredients needed
- Ground meat– I like to use lean ground turkey, as it cuts down on the overall fat content (to balance out all the cheese used!). You can use lean ground beef, chicken, or even pork.
- Garlic– To cook with the ground turkey.
- Olive oil– To fry everything in.
- Italian seasonings– A must for any good pizza dish.
- Cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese– The cheddar cheese is mixed into the ground turkey to give it a cheesier flavor, and the mozzarella cheese is sprinkled on top to give it the authentic pizza topping vibe.
- Pizza sauce– Skip the carbs and make your own keto pizza sauce.
- Pizza toppings– I enjoy using bell peppers, mushrooms, and pepperoni, but use whatever you prefer!
How to make a crustless pizza
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep the meat. Start by adding your olive oil into a 12-inch skillet and placing it over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground turkey and use a spatula to break it apart. Cook the ground turkey for 5-6 minutes, until it is no longer pink.
Step 2- Assemble the ‘crust.’ Next, remove the skillet from the heat. Stir through the cheddar cheese and mix until fully incorporated and form the base of the ‘pizza’. Add the pizza sauce, followed by the pizza toppings, then add the mozzarella cheese on top.
Step 3- Bake the crustless pizza for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling on top. Remove the pizza from the oven before slicing and serving it.
Recipe tips and variations
- Adding cheese to the cooked ground meat adds extra cheesy flavor, while also keeping it moist. Do not omit this, or else you risk drying it out once all the pizza toppings are added, and it is baked again.
- If you want to add a ‘crust’ to it, you can make my fathead crust for it. The carbs are virtually non-existent and it gives you the much desired crust.
- The toppings used in this recipe are just a personal preference. You can use any toppings you like, including the ground meat!
How to store leftovers
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
To freeze: Place the cooled pizza in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Either microwave for 30-40 seconds or warm up in a preheated oven.
What to serve with no crust pizza
Crustless Pizza
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground turkey ground beef works
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 cup keto pizza sauce
- 4 small mushrooms chopped
- 1/4 cup olives slices
- 8 slices pepperoni
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Add the olive oil to a skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the ground turkey and break apart using a rubber spatula. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until no longer pink. Stir through the Italian seasonings.
- Remove the skillet off the heat. Stir through the cheddar cheese. Spread the pizza sauce on top, followed by the mushrooms, olives, and pepperoni. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake the crustless pizza for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and slice into four portions and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published January 2022, updated March 2024
This pizza is amazing. Packed with flavor. I did not chande a thing, nor will. Excellent!
I make a crustless pizza as well but I use mozzarella cheese for the crust. I cover the bottom of my cast iron pan with mozzarella oretty heavy. Then I bake at 400 just until the cheese starts to brown. Pull it out of the oven and let it cool at least 30 minutes. I have found that the cooling step is really helpful and keeps the cheese from over cooking. I usually do this ahead of time when I know I am making pizza. Then while I am making the sauce and getting the ingredients together it can be cooling.
Make the pizza the rest of the way as described and you will be so surprised. The cheese is a bit like a thin crust (cracker like) crust. IT AIN’T perfect, but I crave pizza and this is near enough for me!
I need to find bowl to make pitza without crust. I like crust very much but still want to try.