Crustless Pizza

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!

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. 

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!