This is a homemade pizza topped with seasoned minced mutton, a no-cook tomato sauce, and melted cheese — sized for four people and built to go from fridge to table in under an hour. The sauce skips the stovetop entirely, which cuts real time without cutting flavor. If mutton isn’t available, minced beef or chicken work just as well.
Before you start
Two things make or break this pizza. First, preheat your oven fully before the pizza goes in — a half-warm oven gives you a pale, soft base instead of a properly cooked one, so give it at least 15 minutes. Second, don’t pile the raw mince on thick in uneven clumps; spread it in a fairly even, thin layer so it cooks through at the same rate as everything else. Minced mutton or beef needs to hit an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), and minced chicken needs 165°F (74°C) — a thin, even layer gets you there reliably without overcooking the edges of the dough.
Troubleshooting
- Soggy base in the middle: Too much sauce or wet toppings are usually the cause. Spread the sauce thinly and stop about half an inch from the edge. If your mince released a lot of liquid while it sat, pat it with a paper towel before topping.
- Cheese browning before the base is cooked: Your rack position is too high. Move the pizza to the lower third of the oven so the base gets more direct heat.
- Dough shrinking back when you roll it: The dough needs more resting time. Cover it and let it sit another 10 minutes before trying again — rushing this step fights you every time.
- Meat still pink after the stated bake time: Oven temperatures vary. Use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness rather than relying on color alone, especially with chicken mince.
- Crust too pale and soft on the bottom: Place the baking tray on the lowest rack, or put it directly on the oven floor for the last 3–4 minutes to crisp the underside.
About the ingredients
- Minced mutton: Mutton is from older sheep and has a stronger, richer flavor than lamb mince. It’s common in South Asian and Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can only find lamb mince, it works fine — the flavor is milder. Minced beef is the easiest swap if neither is available.
- No-cook pizza sauce: This recipe uses raw crushed tomatoes or passata spread straight onto the dough. Skip the garnish of fresh herbs after baking — not worth the extra prep when the baked toppings already carry the flavor.
- Cheese: Mozzarella melts best. Pre-shredded mozzarella works but tends to release more moisture than a block you shred yourself, so use it sparingly.
Keeping and reheating
Leftover pizza keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days — store slices in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in foil. To reheat, put slices in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes with a lid on; this crisps the base back up and melts the cheese without making it rubbery, which a microwave will. For freezing, wrap individual slices in cling film and then foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the skillet or a 375°F (190°C) oven for about 10 minutes. Make sure reheated meat reaches 165°F (74°C) throughout before eating.
Minced Meat Pizza: Easy to Make, Easy to Bake
Ingredients
For the dough
¾ pound all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - self-raising- 3 tablespoons instant yeast
1 medium egg - well beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon sugar - white
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
For the sauce
3 medium tomato - finely cut
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon white vinegar- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - or more if required
For the topping
½ pound ground lamb (minced lamb) - preferrably mutton meat finely ground
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 teaspoons chili sauce
2 medium green pepper (green capsicum) - cut them lengthwise into thin strips
2 medium red pepper (red capsicum) - cut them lengthwise into thin strips
1 medium yellow onion - chopped lengthwise
4 medium green chilis (green chilli in British English) - cut them like capsicums
12 pieces black olives - cut round
½ pound Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Preparing the sauce
- Preparing tomato sauce at home is really easy. You do not have to go to a supermart and purchase one. Only a few ingredients are required. Put the tomatoes in a blender. Add peeled garlic cloves, vinegar, salt and some olive oil. Blend well.
- And there you go! Your tomato sauce for the pizza is ready!
Prepare the dough
- First, soak yeast in warm water.
- In a bowl put self-raising flour, yeast, beaten egg, milk powder, salt and oil. Knead well and put aside for half hour to let it rise.
Prepare the mutton meat
- Till the raising of your dough, let’s not waste time and start cooking the topping! In a pan, put some oil and put the ground mutton in it. Add black pepper and salt and cook well. Cook it till the meat is no longer pink.
- Remove it from heat and add chilli-garlic sauce. Mix well.
- Let’s come back to the dough now. Roll the dough onto a flat surface with a rolling pin.
- Make a half inch thick circle with the dough.
- Grease a pizza pan with a little oil. Place the dough circle into it.
- Spread pizza sauce evenly onto the surface of the circle.
- Now evenly spread the cooked ground meat onto it.
- Next, spread the black olives, capsicum, green chillies and onions onto it.
- Last, but not the least, the Mozzarella cheese! Grate it and then sprinkle it on the topping.
- Bake the pizza for 10 minutes at 500 F in the pre-heated oven. Let it be golden brown and this indicates that the pizza is ready!
- Enjoy with your favourite drink!
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I use store-bought pizza dough instead of making it from scratch?
Yes, store-bought dough works perfectly here and saves significant time. Let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before rolling so it stretches without tearing.
Does the minced meat need to be cooked before it goes on the pizza?
No — the mince goes on raw and cooks in the oven. The key is spreading it in a thin, even layer so it cooks through fully; thick clumps won’t reach a safe internal temperature before the crust overbakes.
How do I stop the pizza base from going soggy?
Use a light hand with the sauce and don’t overload the toppings. Baking on the lower rack of a fully preheated oven also helps the base cook through before the top gets too much heat.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. Make the dough, let it complete its first rise, then wrap it tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Take it out 30 minutes before you need to roll it.
What’s the best way to tell when the pizza is fully cooked?
Check that the crust is golden at the edges and firm underneath, and that the cheese is fully melted and starting to color. For certainty with the meat, a quick-read thermometer inserted into the thickest patch of mince should read 160°F (71°C) for mutton or beef, or 165°F (74°C) for chicken.
Can I prep the toppings in advance to speed things up on a weeknight?
Yes. Mix and season the raw mince and store it covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours before assembling. Having everything portioned and ready cuts your active kitchen time to just rolling, topping, and baking.
If you liked this one
- Levantine Lamb Za’atar Flatbread
- Levantine Spiced Beef Flatbreads
- Spiced Pork Mince Flatbreads
- Savory Lebanese Lamb Pastries
