Sausage pizza is a classic pizza lovers go crazy for. The savory meaty sausage combined with tomato sauce and gooey melted cheese is hard to beat. But often, takeout sausage pizza can be greasy and lacking in flavor. The best sausage pizzas are homemade, where you control the ingredients. With a few simple steps, you can have restaurant-quality sausage pizza anytime.
As a busy mom who loves feeding my family tasty homemade meals, I’ve perfected my sausage pizza recipe over the years. My kids actually request it every Friday night! I’m excited to share my tips on how to make the best sausage pizza at home.
Choose High-Quality Ingredients
The key to incredible sausage pizza is starting with quality ingredients Here’s what I recommend
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Dough: Make your own or use store-bought fresh pizza dough. For homemade, try this easy pizza dough recipe. Letting it rise slowly in the fridge improves flavor.
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Sausage: Use spicy Italian sausage or mild, removed from casing. I like Johnsonville Italian sausage.
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Sauce Make your own or use jarred pizza sauce I love this easy pizza sauce recipe
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Cheese: Whole milk or part-skim mozzarella, shredded. Stay away from preshredded bags.
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Veggies: Onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc. Fresh and thinly sliced.
Prep the Toppings
Get all your toppings prepped before assembling the pizza. Here’s how:
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Sausage: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
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Veggies: Thinly slice onions, peppers, mushrooms and any other veggies.
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Cheese: Shred mozzarella cheese if using a block.
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Herbs (optional): Chop any fresh herbs like oregano or basil.
Bake the Pizza Crust First
Here’s my secret trick for crispy, golden pizza crust at home:
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Press or roll out dough into a 12-inch round. Place on a pizza pan or baking sheet.
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Prick dough all over with a fork to prevent bubbles.
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Bake plain dough for 10-12 minutes until starting to brown. Cool slightly.
Baking the crust before topping gives it a head start on getting crisp and cooks the interior fully.
Top and Bake the Pizza
Time to assemble your pizza!
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Spread sauce evenly over crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
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Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
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Top with cooked sausage crumbles and veggies.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
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Remove from oven and top with any fresh herbs, if desired.
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Let cool 1-2 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Extra Tips for Sausage Pizza Success
Here are some of my top tips for guaranteeing an incredible sausage pizza every time:
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Use a pizza stone if you have one – it crisps up the crust beautifully.
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Cook at a high temp, around 425-450°F, for best results.
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Don’t overload toppings or the crust won’t crisp. Less is more.
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Opt for charred veggies like roasted peppers or caramelized onions for extra flavor.
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Add compliments like garlic, chili flakes or Parmesan.
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Make mini pizzas for fun personal servings. Adjust bake times.
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Try cast iron pizza for a crispy, rustic crust with great color.
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Mix up the toppings – anything goes on pizza!
Store and Reheat Leftover Pizza
Leftover pizza keeps surprisingly well if you store and reheat it properly:
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Let pizza cool completely, then wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap.
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Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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Reheat refrigerated pizza slices in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. They won’t be as crispy but still tasty!
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Reheat frozen pizza in a 400°F oven until hot, 15-20 minutes. Add a sprinkle of water to crust if needed.
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Microwave leftovers for 30-60 seconds to restore texture and melt cheese.
Frequency of Entities:
how to cook sausage pizza: 10
sausage pizza: 25
pizza crust: 5
Italian sausage: 4
mozzarella cheese: 4
pizza sauce: 3
mushrooms: 2
onions: 2
bell peppers: 2
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Can you freeze sausage pizza?
You can definitely freeze sausage pizza. For unbaked pizzas, wrap tightly and freeze for up to two months. To use, unwrap the pizzas and place on pans, then let them thaw in the refrigerator. Bake the pizzas at 400° until the crust is golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes.
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How to Store Sausage Pizza
Keep leftover sausage pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to three days. Put pizza in a 400° oven for a few minutes or in the toaster oven to warm it up again. Microwaving leftover pizza is fine, but it will be less crispy. And of course, cold pizza is sometimes just perfect.
Recipe: Easy Sausage Pizza
FAQ
Do you cook sausage before putting it on pizza?
Do you have to cook sausage before putting it in the pizza oven?
How to cook sausages in the oven?
What sausage is best for pizza?
Do you pre Cook sausage on a pizza?
Previously, anytime I made pizza with sausage on top, I would pre-cook the sausage. No more. Kenji stressed the importance of using raw sausage and the flavor it would bring to the pie. I haven’t thought much about this previously, I’ve always been conscience of serving my guests raw sausage.
What is the purpose of using fennel in Italian sausage?
The fennel in the sausage is just for flavor. But Fennel is widely used to combat gastrointestinal problems, helps digestion, fights flatulence and diarrhea, can help fight anxiety, stress and insomnia, helps release excess fluid in the body, can reduce menstrual pain, prevents bad breath and heartburn, in addition to other benefits.
How do you make a sausage pizza?
Blot the top of the sausage with a few clean paper towels. Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to a baking sheet / pizza pan or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel). Prick the dough all over with a fork.
How do you eat sausage on a pizza?
Now, onto the sausage! Slice lightly through one side of the sausage so that the skin begins to peel back and peel the outer layer (skin) completely off the sausage. From this, pull of pieces of the sausage, making small balls to spread out on the pizza.