There's nothing better than an easy meal that uses a store-bought shortcut—except for one that also tastes gourmet to boot. This pan pizza recipe highlights ready-made dough, a flavorful sauce, and customizable toppings—all from Trader Joe's—for an unforgettable dish even more delicious than takeout. No wonder everyone on the internet is "Tokking" about it.
You can grab everything for this pan pizza recipe right at your local TJ's, or pick up dupes at your go-to grocery store. We have step-by-step instructions to get you ready for dinnertime magic, complete with crispy edges and a gooey center.
What Is a Pan Pizza?
First let's talk about what a "pan pizza" is, anyway. This easy-to-make style is simply a pizza cooked in a baking pan or cast iron skillet, resulting in a thicker, more bready crust.They are especially popular to whip up at home because you don't need any special pizza stones or ovens to get perfectly cheesy results.
Pan pizzas are also known for having a substantial amount of toppings. You might envision a fully loaded "Detroit-style" with its square shape and thick, crispy crust. Or a Chicago deep dish. Pan pizzas can vary in style and toppings depending on preferences.
This particular take on a pan pizza features garlic and hot pepper spreads in place of tomato sauce, which the recipe developer says "adds such a nice, slightly pungent garlicky flavor, followed by a funky kick from pepper sauce." Along with the toppings, it makes for a unique twist on traditional pizza. "The garlic spread is creamy when baked and perfectly plays the sauce roll. Its sharp flavor mellows after cooking and has a savory mild-garlic taste. I love the cured meats here, adding sharp, salty bites contrasting the rich spreads and cheese," another tester added. It all comes together in a crunchy, golden crust with a doughy, yet sturdy center—packed with punch.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/8304190-Trader-Joes-Pan-Pizza-4x3-B-232-0a82f0223973466680c223f7b04e2fac.jpg "This Viral Pan Pizza Recipe Uses Your 9x13 and Easy Store-Bought Shortcuts (1)")
How to Make the Viral Trader Joe’s Pizza
To make this pizza, add these ingredients to your shopping list, from Trader Joe's or otherwise:
- Fresh Pizza Dough: Choose either plain or TJ's Herb & Garlic. Our test kitchen preferred the results from a fresh, plain Publix dough, but choose your favorite store-bought version. You can even pick one up from a pizzeria or make your own.
- Trader Joe's Garlic Spread-Dip: We already love this spread—a creamy, emulsified mix of garlic, oil, lemon, and salt. This toum-style dip will give the pizza its base of flavor. Publix, and other retailers, carry a similar product from the brand "Toom" near the hummus and dips.
- Trader Joe's Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce: This favorite condiment is a fermented chile paste made from Calabrian chiles. It’s spicy, vinegary, and deep in flavor.No TJ's? Use another fermented hot sauce or simply some chopped Calabrian chiles.
- Cheeses: For ease, we use shredded mozzarella in this recipe. However, in the other versions we've seen—and in our tester's video—fresh burrata and marinated fresh mozzarella balls (from Trader Joe's, of course) make a rich and delicious choice, too.
- Meats: Calabrese salami and pepperoni add spice and umami to round the pizza out and make it extra hearty.
- Trader Joe’s Pesto Genovese: Dollops of pesto on the pizza make for bright, herbaceous bites that add depth to the slices. Your favorite pesto works here, store-bought or homemade.
- Finishes: In the recipe below we garnish the molten hot pizza with fresh basil (because pizza is always better with basil). You can also add fresh, peppery arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze to up the ante as shown in the video.
Once you have your goods, layer them on as you assemble the pizza of your dreams in a 9x13-inch pan, doubling your layers of meat and cheese. Send it into a 450-degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Top with the finishes of your choice, cut into squares, and dig in. Your taste buds won't know what hit them.
Recipe Tips
This recipe was developed in our test kitchen. Here are some tips and tricks from culinary experts to make the process easier:
- Stretching the dough to the corners and edges of the pan can be hard if you’re working with dough straight from the fridge. Letting it rest after you work with it and taking off some of its chill helps the gluten relax, making it much easier to work with. Use your fingertips to press the dough out to meet the edges of your pan.
- If you don’t have a pizza cutter, use a chef's knife, kitchen shears, or scissors.
Substitutions and Variations
Like most great pizzas, this recipe is customizable, limited only by your own imagination. We encourage you to go rogue!
- Substitute the burrata and/or mozzarella for a different cheese or shredded cheese blend. But note; you might not get the same cheese pull as you will from mozz.
- Swap in your favorite cured meats like prosciutto for the salami and pepperoni—or go meatless and toss on vegetables like roasted red peppers, zucchini, eggplant, onions, olives, or whatever you prefer.
- Go for a made-from-scratch vibe by making your own pizza dough (or gluten-free crust) and garlic spread with this recipe for toum.
- Skip dough stretching entirely by using already prepped Trader Joe’s premade pizza crust.
- Serve your slices with fresh arugula, balsamic glaze, or hot honey to really personalize your pizza.
How to Store Pan Pizza Leftovers
Our test kitchen experts wouldn't recommend making this ahead of time. This pan pizza is best fresh from the oven. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours and use our tips for reheating.
Editorial contributions byAndrea Lobas
