Crustless Pizza
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My 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.
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.
As the name suggests, a crustless pizza is everything you love about a pizza, minus the crust. Essentially, it’s a base made of ground meat and cheese, topped with additional cheese, and baked until golden and slicable.
I took inspiration from my chicken crust pizza and Papa John’s new crustless pizza, but tweaked it to use ground turkey instead. It wasn’t an identical swap, though, so it took some testing to get it just right: I’m talking about a sliceable pizza that holds its shape and is mild-tasting, so you forget there’s meat there! My carb-loving partner can polish off half the pizza on his own!
Table of Contents
Why make my crustless pizza recipe
- Zero 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 SO satisfying. Like most people, I find the crust to be the most boring part of the pizza and it is really only there as a vehicle for all the toppings.
Key Ingredients
Here are some notes on the main ingredients, along with some tested substitutions. For the complete list and measurements, jump to the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey. I like to use lean ground turkey, as it cuts down on the overall fat content (to balance out all the cheese used!). I’ve had success when testing this with extra lean ground beef, ground pork, and even ground lamb.
- Garlic and Italian seasoning. Ground turkey on its own is a little bland, so I like to add some freshly minced cloves for flavor. Italian seasoning is my all-in-one secret weapon for anything remotely Italian!
- 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 until it’s melty and golden.
- 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
Step 1- Prep the meat. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet. 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- Mix. Stir through the cheddar cheese and mix until fully incorporated.
Step 3- Assemble. Form the base of the ‘pizza’ in the skillet. Add the pizza sauce, then the pizza toppings, and finally, add the mozzarella cheese on top.
Step 4- 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
- Don’t omit cheese in the crust. Adding cheese to the cooked ground meat enhances the cheesy flavor while keeping it moist. Skipping it risks 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. 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. Just a note, though: toppings like pineapple and sausage will change the carb count.
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. I like to keep them in individual containers for quick, single-serve meals.
Reheating: Either microwave for 30-40 seconds or warm up in a preheated oven. I prefer the oven for the crisp edges!
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Crustless Pizza
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground turkey ground beef works
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 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 from 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
- Ground meat: You can also use lean ground beef, ground pork, or ground lamb.
- Leftovers: Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
More low carb pizza recipes
Originally published January 2022
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.