Is Mexican Pizza Gluten Free?

If pizza wasn’t already fabulous in and of itself, Mexican pizza is an absolute fiesta in your mouth! Not only is the cheese nice and gooey but there’s often things like seasoned meat, beans, rice and other accoutrements swimming in a sea of enchilada sauce. Yum! But, is Mexican pizza gluten free?

If you’re ordering from a restaurant or pizzeria, generally the answer is going to be no. This is due to the crust. If it comprises something like a corn tortilla or if the dough contains only corn flour, then it is very much gluten free. Yet, expect most restaurants serve it on some form of flour.

However, if you make it at home, you can guarantee it will be gluten free. It stands to note, in regards to eating out, you should call or do some research ahead. This is to ensure the place your going to can cater it to a gluten free diet.

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Dining Out

When going out to dinner, you have to do your due diligence ahead of time. You can call, email or look up the target restaurant’s menu online. If you call, simply ask, “Is your Mexican pizza gluten free?” Most places understand what this is and should be able to tell you right away.

This will reduce confusion and the chances of risk for glutenization. Plus, it will mitigate the inconvenience associated with checking on gluten free options upon arrival, especially if the restaurant is busy.

Pizzerias

Almost no pizzerias that feature Mexican pizza will be gluten free. Even if they advertise “gluten friendly” pizza, this will not be ideal for those with celiac disease or a high sensitivity to gluen. The likelihood of cross contamination is far too great.

This is because they toss wheat flour everywhere and it lands on countertops, ovens, pizza peels and cutting wheels. Ergo, there is no guarantee the pizza will be safe enough.

Fast Food

This is also true for fast food restaurants. For instance, Taco Bell features a Mexican pizza but they put it on a flour tortilla, not corn. However, some locations will accommodate gluten sensitivities if you request a tostada. But, they don’t offer this on their website for online ordering.

Mexican Restaurants

Yet, a bona fide Mexican restaurant may very well have gluten free pizza, if they feature such a thing on their menu. This is because most authentic places prefer to use corn tortillas to flour. These are less expensive and more traditional than flour.

Even if their pizzas do feature flour, it’s very likely you’ll be able to request corn. What’s great is there isn’t the concern for cross contamination as there is with a pizzeria because they don’t often toss around wheat flour. In most instances, it will be corn flour, which is entirely safe for people with a gluten intolerance.

Recipe for Gluten Free Mexican Pizza

The only way to guarantee your Mexican pizza is gluten free is to make it yourself. There are a million ways to do this and you can top the pizza with whatever you want. The following is a basic and quick recipe to make gluten free Mexican pizza at home. You can adjust whatever you desire to suit your tastes and preferences.

Items You’ll Need

Several Small Bowls
Cutting Board ; Knife
Small Saucepan
Several Spoons
Tongs
2 Large Skillets
Aluminum Foil or Parchment Paper
Measuring Cups ; Spoons
Paper Towels
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

4 Corn Tortillas (about six inches around)
2 tbsp Corn Oil (divided)
1 can Refried Beans (about 16 oz)
1 lb Ground Beef, Chicken or Pork
8 oz Chihuahua Cheese (crumbled or shredded)
8 tbsp Crema Fresca
2 medium Tomatoes (diced)
2 Green Onions (chopped)
1 small bunch Cilantro (chopped)
1 can Enchilada Sauce (about 16 oz)
2½ tbsp Taco Seasoning Mix (packaged or make your own with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, adobo, onion powder, garlic powder and anchero chili powder)
½ Avocado (diced, optional – use ½ lime in conjunction)
1 tbsp Black Olives (sliced, optional)

Instructions

Prepare all your vegetables by cutting the avocado, green onions, cilantro, black olives and tomatoes. Put them in individual bowls and set off to the side. For avocado, make sure you squeeze fresh lime juice to prevent browning.
Heat your oven to 350°F.
With the small saucepan, heat the refried beans on medium low heat. Stir occasionally with a spoon until entirely heated through.
Cook the ground beef, chicken or pork in one of the large skillets with a tablespoon of the corn oil over medium heat. Stir in the seasonings and allow the meat to simmer until all seasonings, oil and fat absorbs.
Heat the other large skillet on medium high heat with 1 tbsp of the corn oil. Once hot, place a tortilla in the skillet and flip with the tongs after 15 minutes, ensuring both sides are crispy and lightly browned. Do this for all corn tortillas and allow the oil to drain off on paper towels.
On the baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment, arrange the crispy tortillas and ensure they don’t overlap.
Begin layering your pizza. Start with the refried beans and follow that with a spoonful of enchilada sauce. Smooth these around to the edge of the tortilla but don’t go all the way, leaving about ¼ to ⅛ of an inch. Then, add the meat and top it with the cheese to your liking.
Bake these in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted, lightly golden brown and bubbly.
Pull out of the oven and top the tortillas with crema fresca, cilantro, tomatoes, black olives, avocado and green onions.

Conclusion

So, if you’re inquiring, “Is Mexican pizza gluten free?” The answer out of hand is a resounding NO because of the crust involved. If you want to dine out, you’ll have to call ahead of time or inspect the restaurant menu online. If not, this means making it yourself at home.