This pizza uses 800g of ground beef as the crust — no flour, no dough, no grains at all. The base cooks under the grill, drains off excess fat, then gets topped with passata, cheese, and whatever else you like. At 68g of protein per serving, it functions as a complete, filling meal rather than a snack.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this work. First, ground beef sets firm under direct grill heat — the fat renders out and the proteins bind together, giving you a base that holds its shape when you slice it. Spreading it as thin as possible on greaseproof paper is what gets you a crust rather than a meat patty. Second, draining the rendered fat partway through cooking is not optional — it stops the base from sitting in grease and going soggy before the toppings even go on. Those two steps are the difference between a pizza you can actually pick up and a pan of loose meat with cheese on top.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using lean mince and skipping the drain step anyway. Even lean beef releases liquid. If you don’t drain after the first 15 minutes, the base steams rather than firms up. Tilt the tray carefully and blot with paper towel if needed.
- Spreading the base too thick in the middle. Ground beef shrinks and pulls inward as it cooks. Deliberately make the centre slightly thinner than the edges when you first spread it — it will even out under heat.
- Adding cold toppings straight from the fridge. Cold passata and cheese dropped onto a hot base drops the surface temperature and slows the final melt. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes while the base cooks.
- Not checking internal temperature. The base needs to reach 160°F (71°C) before you add toppings. A meat thermometer takes five seconds and removes all guesswork — skip it and you’re relying on visual cues that aren’t reliable with a thin beef layer.
- Overloading with wet toppings. Gherkins and fresh tomatoes release moisture under heat. Slice them thin and pat dry before adding, or the cheese won’t brown properly and the base softens underneath.
Healthy Grain-Free Meat Pizza
Ingredients
800 grams ground beef (minced beef)
150 grams passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed)- 150 grams cheese
- 2 medium gherkins - pickled
2 tablespoons Italian herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sometimes basil and parsley) - mixed
200 grams Romaine lettuce
2 medium tomatoes
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium carrot
1 dash Sea salt- Any additional toppings - like sausage, bacon, peppers, and mushrooms
Instructions
- Place some grease-proof paper on a pizza dish or standard round baking tray.
- Spread the mince out on the dish and flatten it, spreading out as thinly as possible to ensure the base is as wide as possible.
- Place it under the grill on medium heat. As it cooks, prepare the toppings.
- Place about 150 grams of tomato puree in a bowl with a tablespoon of mixed herbs and some salt. Mix together.
- Grate 150 grams of cheese.
- Prepare a fresh bowl of salad by mixing salad leaves (spinach, romaine lettuce, etc.), tomatoes, gherkins, peppers and grated carrot (and any other typical salad pieces you like). Top of with a tablespoon or so of coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil).
- After about 15 minutes, drain any excess oil from the base (necessary if you used anything other than super-lean beef) and place it back under for a few minutes.
- Monitor over the next few minutes, and when it seems cooked through, take out the base.
- Add the tomato puree with a spoon and spread it out evenly across the base. Top off with the grated cheese.
- At this stage, you can add any other toppings that you have. I just used some chopped gherkins in mine.
- Place the pizza back under the grill and turn it down to low heat. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted.
- Take out, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use a higher fat percentage ground beef, or does it have to be lean?
You can use standard 80/20 ground beef — the recipe accounts for this with the mid-cook drain step. Higher fat content actually helps the crust develop a better exterior texture as it cooks; just make sure you drain thoroughly before adding toppings or the base will be greasy.
The salad is dressed with coconut oil — is that enough, or does it need something else?
Coconut oil works as a light dressing but it solidifies quickly on cold leaves, which can make the salad feel waxy. A tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with a squeeze of lemon is a better practical choice — it stays liquid and coats the romaine and carrot evenly without clumping. Skip the coconut oil on the salad entirely if your kitchen runs cool.
How do I know when the beef base is fully cooked through before adding toppings?
Use a meat thermometer and confirm the thickest part reads 160°F (71°C) — that is the safe internal temperature for ground beef. Visually, the top surface should be fully browned with no pink remaining and the edges will have pulled away slightly from the greaseproof paper.
More mince recipes to try
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
- Ultimate Cheesy Beef Bake
- Levantine Spiced Beef Flatbreads
