Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza with Ground Beef
A hearty Chicago-style deep dish pizza packed with savory ground beef, chunky tomato sauce, and loads of melted cheese, all baked in a buttery crust. Perfect for a satisfying family dinner.
Ingredients
Check ingredients as you go.
- Dough
- Toppings
- Sauce
- Cheese
- Dough
Let’s make it
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Lightly grease a 12-inch deep dish pizza pan or a round cake pan with butter.
Dough
Spread the pizza dough evenly into the pan, pushing it up the sides to create a thick crust.
Toppings
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
Toppings
Add ground beef to the skillet; cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Sauce
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and black pepper to the beef mixture. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
Assembly
Layer half of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the bottom of the dough in the pan.
Assembly
Spread the cooked ground beef and tomato sauce mixture evenly over the cheese layer.
Assembly
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the meat layer, then top with grated parmesan cheese.
Cooking
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 28-32 minutes, until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
Finishing
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving to allow layers to set.
Tips & notes
Use room temperature dough for easier stretching. Let the pizza rest before slicing to maintain layers. You can substitute part of ground beef with Italian sausage for added flavor.
Saving it for later
Store leftover pizza covered in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat pizza slices in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes until warmed through and the crust is crispy. Avoid microwave reheating to preserve crust texture.
