Best BBQ Meatball Pizza [Vegetarian]

This Vegetarian BBQ Meatball Pizza is the best meatless pizza you'll ever taste! It comes based in a spicy-sweet marriage of BBQ + Sriracha sauces, maple syrup and is loaded with mozzarella cheese for a beautiful gooeyness in every bite. It’s the perfect vegetarian and weeknight meal for the entire family and it’s bursting with savoriness and flavor. Easy homemade crust, well seasoned, and made in just 30 short minutes. Vegan + Gluten-free option.

When it comes to making homemade pizzas, it's become one of my latest favorite things to do at home instead of ordering from a pizza shop. Don't get me wrong—I love a good slice from an authentic pizza joint here in NYC---- But, seriously, there's something about making your own that's just SO satisfying!

Lately, we have been enjoying a lot of vegetarian pizzas like, Garlic Herb Cheese Pizza, Kale Pesto Pizza and Cajun Veggie Pumpkin Pizza to name a few. See my post on Best Pizza Toppings For Any Night for more inspiration. But the idea of vegetarian/vegan 'meatballs'? They actually started out in my Vegan BBQ Meatballs with Creamy Polenta recipe, and they were such a hit that I had to try them on a pizza—seriously, they're that good!

And of course the most important part of the pizza--- the dough, I love this dough recipe because it's so simple while remaining puffy in the right places + crisps up beautifully. AND for my gluten-free followers, you can easily use my Easy Gluten-Free Pizza Crust instead--- it's equally as delicious.

But let's get back to this Vegetarian Meatball Pizza—it's loaded with flavors and textures that everyone will love. It's meal prep-friendly and easy to take on the go (and believe me, it's tasty even when cold!). And honestly, it's just so cheesy and packed with delicious umami flavors.

Pizza is a regular feature in my 'What To Eat This Week' series because it's such a universally loved option that always hits the spot. Check it out HERE if you ever need a little help with your weekly meal planning!

How To Make The Best BBQ Meatball Pizza

For this pizza, a bit of prep work is needed upfront. You'll need to prepare your dough (though store-bought works great if you're short on time) and whip up some homemade vegan/vegetarian meatballs. Once you've got those ready, it's just a matter of assembling everything, adding your cheese, and baking until it's golden brown and the cheese is gooey + irresistible!

Ingredients

PIZZA DOUGH:

• Organic all-purpose flour. See my gluten-free dough recipe for a GF option.
• Warm water. Make sure its warm and not too hot!
• Raw honey. Yeast feeds on sugars so this helps the dough rise! My all-time favorite honey is from the brand Nature Nate's.
• Rapid-rise yeast. Make sure your yeast is fresh otherwise, your dough won't rise.
• Garlic powder. For umami flavor.
• Sea salt. This helps balance the flavors.

TOPPINGS:

• Vegan BBQ meatballs. Use my Vegan BBQ Meatballs with Creamy Polenta recipe for the meatballs. (You can also use regular meatballs if desired). Here's my Homemade BBQ sauce recipe!
• Mozzarella cheese. Be sure to buy in a block and shred it yourself for the best flavor.
• Provolone cheese. Adds an extra layer of cheesy goodness to the topping, creating a gooey and golden crust.
• Can green chiles. Optional
• Sriracha sauce. For a spicy drizzle on top, this is optional.

SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR BAKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS PIZZA!

Here, I’ve curated a list of baking + cooking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite dishes, especially with The Best BBQ Meatball Pizza. Everything from my fave pizza pans, graters, parchment paper, and more. SEE THEM HERE!

Why Did I Choose Sriracha Sauce?

Usually, pizzas are topped with a traditional tomato sauce. And while I do the same for most pizzas, I definitely wanted to add a nice burst of flavor to go with the vegan meatballs.

I'm a great lover of BBQ sauce, however, Stubbs' Texas Sriracha sauce is such a nice twist between BBQ sauce with a big kick of Sriracha. Therefore, it was a win-win.

This sauce comes with a beautiful blend of chili peppers, garlic, and cane sugar, which makes it spicy with a little bit of sweet.

Besides, who doesn't want a bit of ignorance with their pizza, right? Haha.

Homemade Meatballs vs. Store-bought!

I'm hardly one who leans towards store-bought frozen versions of food, especially when it comes to vegetarian and vegan options.I love making things from scratch, however, store-bought ingredients come in handy when time doesn't permit from-scratch cooking or on those lazy days.

Personally, I really love Gardein's Classic Meatless meatballs when using a store-bought version because they taste great, have a nice texture, and are so easy to whip warm up.

When making my meatballs from scratch, I often love using quinoa and chickpeas. From time to time, I'll use black beans or another veggie, but these Vegan Chickpea + Quinoa ‘Meatballs’  are my go-to!

Either way, you'll they'll be great on this pizza.

More Topping Ideas

If you're looking to spruce up your vegetarian pizza with more toppings, or if you're catering to both vegetarians and meat-eaters, here are some additional ingredients you might like:

Vegetarian

• Caramelized onions
• Sun-dried tomatoes or herb roasted tomatoes
• Artichoke hearts
• Spinach, kale or arugula
• Mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, or shiitake)
• Olives (black or green)
• Fresh basil or homemade pesto
• Pineapple chunks for a sweet twist
• Roasted Garlic Olive Oil Dip (it's so yummy drizzled atop)
• Feta cheese or goat cheese for added tanginess
• Homemade cajun seasoning

Meat Eaters

• Shredded chicken
• Bacon bits or candied bacon
• Salami or chorizo slices
• Anchovies for a salty kick
• Steak chunks

Make The Perfect Pizza Crust Every Time!

When it comes to making the perfect pizza crust, it only really takes a FEW HACKS/TRICKS for this to happen.

However, it is imperative that you follow these exact steps every time, so that the perfect crust is achieved!

Here’s How:

• Make sure that your oven is preheated and is HOT!! This ensures that everything bakes evenly and cooks pretty fast to avoid anything that could possibly cause your pizza to be soggy or undercooked (like the dough!).

• Never EVER use cold dough! Using cold dough changes the hydration and makes it more aggressive to stretch and work out. This isn’t good for your crust at all.

• Always, Always use a Pizza Sheet Pan. For a crispy pizza, I suggest using a pizza pan with holes to allow the crust to bake through nicely. I used the AirBake Pizza Pan.

• DO NOT over-roll dough! When following the step of rolling out the dough slightly to flatten it, never roll out the dough too much! Be sure to follow the steps of stretching it out with your hands the rest of the way.

• Never add TOO MUCH sauce! This step is super imperative (trust me, I learned the hard way!) and it’s such truth. Never add all the sauce entirely to avoid a soggy middle or crust.

• Pre-cook any toppings that might require a longer cook time! This is especially true for certain veggies (and of course meats) that require a longer cook time that the allotted short amount of minutes that an actual pizza takes to cook. That way you aren’t trying to overcook your pizza because the toppings aren’t fully cooked.

There you have it—these tried and true tips/tricks will get your pizza coming out crisp and perfect every time! Do you have any additional tips that have worked for you besides these?

Why This BBQ Meatball Pizza Recipe Just Works

• The tangy BBQ sauce complements savory meatballs SO perfectly.
• It’s a SUPER EASY from-scratch dough recipe that will leave you with a fool-proof fluffy and crunchy crust.
• Major savory flavors from the bold cheesiness that takes the flavor to the next level. 
• Cheesy & crispy in all the right places
• A crowd-pleasing combination that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
• Family-friendly (Well, everyone in my family seems to love it, Haha.)

Best Vegetarian BBQ Meatball Pizza Q + A's

Are You a Pizza Lover? You Need To Try These Next!

If you enjoyed the Best Vegetarian BBQ Meatball Pizza, definitely throw these mouthwatering pizza recipes onto your "must-make next" list:

• Cajun Veggie Pumpkin Pizza
• The Ultimate Veggie Pizza
• All Green Veggie Pizza
• Pumpkin BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Loaded Thanksgiving Pizza
• Vegan Hawaiian Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Best Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you tried the Best Vegetarian BBQ Meatball Pizza recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!

Best BBQ Meatball Pizza [Vegetarian]

January 27, 2024 •

By Shanika

5 from 7 votes

This Vegetarian BBQ Meatball Pizza is the best meatless pizza you'll ever taste! It comes based in a spicy-sweet marriage of BBQ + Sriracha sauces, maple syrup and is loaded with mozzarella cheese for a beautiful gooeyness in every bite. It’s the perfect vegetarian and weeknight meal for the entire family and it’s bursting with savoriness and flavor. Easy homemade crust, well seasoned, and made in just 30 short minutes. Vegan + Gluten-free option.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Serves: 6 servings

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

PIZZA DOUGH:

• 2 ¾ cups organic all-purpose flour (For a GF option, See Notes!)
• 1 ccup WARM water
• 1 tablespoon raw honey, organic
• 1 packet rapid-rise yeast
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

TOPPINGS:

• 2 cups vegan BBQ meatballs (See Notes; You can also use regular meatballs if desired)
• ½ cup BBQ Sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (You can also use 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced)
• 8 oz. provolone cheese, organic (You'll need to slice this)
• 1 (14 oz.) can green chiles, optional

OPTIONAL GARNISH:

• Sriracha sauce, for drizzle

Instructions

TO MAKE THE PIZZA CRUST:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer (with a dough hook attachment), mix together the warm water, honey, and yeast (you might need to use a whisk to ensure that everything combines together well). Let is sit for at least 5 minutes, until yeast begins to activate and foam.
• Slowly add the flour, garlic powder, and salt (on low speed!), until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed. NOTE: if dough is too sticky, add ½ cup of additional flour at a time).
• Now, increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for about 5 minutes in the mixer.
• Once done, add the dough onto a floured surface and slightly roll out the dough until it’s flat enough to form a flat circle the rest of the way with your hands, about 11 inches in diameter. Lightly grease your pizza pan with extra virgin olive oil and place dough on one end of pan, evenly pressing it and flattening it out to fit the entire pan. Gently use your finger to stretch dough until pan is fully covered and gently pinch the edges of the dough together to form the crust.

ADD THE TOPPINGS + BAKE:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and place top rack into the middle of oven. NOTE: be sure to use a great pizza pan to ensure that your crust is crispy and not soggy.
• Add a few spoonfuls of BBQ sauce (about ½ cup works) unto the top of center of crust until evenly spread out.
• Generously sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese atop the BBQ sauce followed by pieces of fresh provolone cheese, leaving a bit of crust bare for the edges. Now add the BBQ meatballs and green chiles, if using until the tops are covered.
• Lightly brush the tops of the edge of the crust with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to ensure that it becomes a nice golden brown.
• Transfer the pizza pie to the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until the mozzarella + provolone have melted (and becomes bubbly) and the crust is crispy and golden brown.
• Once done, allow pizza to rest/cool for a few minutes (about 2-3 minutes) so that the cheese sets before cutting into generous slices, using a pizza cutter.
• Serve and enjoy!
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• PIZZA CRUST: For a crispy pizza (especially on the bottom), I suggest using a pizza pan with holes to allow the crust to bake through nicely. I used the AirBake Pizza Pan, which can be found at Target!
• STORAGE: Leftover pizza is best kept tightly wrapped in foil paper, refrigerated for 3-4 days for optimal freshness.
• GLUTEN-FREE CRUST: To make your pizza crust GF, see my Easy GF Pizza Crust recipe.
• GREENS: If preferred, you can always add greens to the mix like Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, or Collard Greens to the pizza.
• BBQ Meatballs: To make vegan meatballs, you can follow my Vegan BBQ Meatballs with Creamy Polenta recipe. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 3mg

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