Deep Dish Meatball Pizza fills a tall springform crust with 24 homemade beef-and-pork meatballs, sautéed onion, optional jalapeño, pizza sauce, Monterey Jack, and sharp cheddar. The meatballs bake first at 400°F; the assembled pizza then bakes at 450°F for a deeply golden crust and melted filling.
The recipe makes one 9-inch deep-dish pizza, listed as 6 servings. Preparation takes 45 minutes and cooking takes 45 minutes for a 90-minute total, followed by a 10–15-minute cooling period before the springform sides are released.
Deep Dish Meatball Pizza Ingredients
For 24 meatballs, use ⅓ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ finely diced medium yellow onion, ½ pound 80/20 ground beef, ½ pound ground pork, 1 beaten large egg, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon each kosher salt, black pepper, and dried oregano, plus ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
For the pizza, use 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ thinly sliced large yellow onion, 1 seeded diced jalapeño if desired, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons Italian herbs, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 pound room-temperature pizza dough, ½ cup pizza sauce or marinara, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, and 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like BBQ Chicken Pineapple Grilled Cheese.
How to Make Deep Dish Meatball Pizza
- At 400°F, soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes.
- Cook diced onion in olive oil over medium for 3–4 minutes; cool slightly and add to breadcrumbs.
- Gently mix in beef, pork, egg, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Roll exactly 24 one-inch meatballs.
- Bake on a lined sheet for 15–17 minutes.
- Raise oven to 450°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- Cook sliced onion and optional jalapeño in butter and oil for 5–6 minutes. Add garlic, Italian herbs, and salt for 1 minute.
- Roll dough to an 11-inch circle and press 1–2 inches up the pan. Add sauce, then the mixed meatballs, vegetables, Monterey Jack, and cheddar.
- Bake 20 minutes, cover with foil, and bake 5–7 minutes more. Cool 10–15 minutes before releasing and cutting.
For food-safety guidance while cooking, use the USDA safe minimum temperature chart.
Soak Breadcrumbs for Five Minutes
Cook the Finely Diced Half Onion
Combine Beef and Pork Gently
Roll Exactly Twenty-Four Meatballs
Bake at 400 Degrees for Fifteen to Seventeen Minutes
Raise the Oven to 450 Degrees
Sauté the Pizza Onion and Optional Jalapeño
Add Garlic, Herbs, and Salt for One Minute
Roll One Pound of Dough to Eleven Inches
Add Sauce and Combine the Filling
Bake Uncovered for Twenty Minutes
Cover and Bake Five to Seven Minutes More
Cool Ten to Fifteen Minutes in the Pan
Cut Six Deep-Dish Wedges
Coordinate the Ninety-Minute Recipe
Conclusion
At 400°F, soak breadcrumbs in milk 5 minutes, cook diced onion 3–4 minutes, and gently mix with beef, pork, egg, parsley, garlic, and seasonings. Form exactly 24 one-inch meatballs and bake 15–17 minutes. Raise the oven to 450°F. Cook sliced onion and optional jalapeño 5–6 minutes, then garlic, herbs, and salt 1 minute. Press an 11-inch dough circle into a greased 9-inch springform pan, add ½ cup sauce and the meatball-vegetable-cheese mixture. Bake 20 minutes, foil-cover 5–7 minutes, cool 10–15 minutes, and cut 6 wedges.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many meatballs should I make?
Form exactly 24 small meatballs, each about 1 inch, so they bake evenly and distribute across six wedges.
- → Why does the oven temperature change?
The meatballs bake at 400°F; after they are removed, raise the oven to 450°F for the deep-dish pizza.
- → Is the jalapeño required?
No. One seeded diced jalapeño is optional, while the sliced onion and other pizza seasonings remain required.
- → Why should the pizza cool before release?
A 10–15-minute rest lets the cheese and filling settle so the tall pizza holds together when the springform sides are removed.