Food and Recipes Dish Pizza Barbecue Pork Pizza Be the first to rate & review! Pepperoni who? After this pulled pork pizza, you'll never want boring and basic toppings again. Plus, extra pork turns into tomorrow night's pasta dinner. By Jasmine Smith Updated on June 13, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 4 (plus leftovers) Pulled pork pizza? No, we haven’t lost our minds! This super-Southern riff on pizza leverages leftovers to make weeknight dinners a breeze. Start by braising a pork shoulder with a simple, versatile combination of onion, garlic, and salt—this is great to do on a Sunday afternoon to simplify the week ahead. Then, the tender pulled pork is ready to toss on top of store-bought pizza dough with some red onion and pepperoncini peppers for a zippy, satisfying supper. But the best part is there’s plenty of leftover pork for round two—and it’s completely different! A quick stovetop tomato sauce transforms the pork into a rich Italian ragu that’s perfect over a bowl of your favorite pasta. (Recipe is below.) Ingredients for Pulled Pork Pizza A crispy store-bought crust is topped with tender barbecue pork, red onion, pepperoncini peppers, and mozzarella for a hearty pizza the whole family will love. To make this pizza with pulled pork, you'll need: Boneless pork shoulder: The meaty star of this pizza, pork shoulder is cooked until fall-apart tender, and tossed with barbecue sauce. You could also use leftovers from a weekend BBQ to make this pizza and skip the second-night pasta dinner.Yellow onion and garlic cloves: Adds a savory depth to the pork.Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the pork.Barbecue sauce: Choose any barbecue sauce you love, whether spicy, tangy, or sweet.Olive oil: Keeps the pizza from sticking to the baking sheet, and helps it crisp up nicely in the oven.Fresh pizza dough: A shortcut option for making homemade pizza. Feel free to make your own if preferred.Shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese: For a classic stretchy, cheesy pizza topping.Red onion: Adds color and a punchy flavor to the dish.Pepperoncini peppers: For a mild heat and slightly tangy flavor that complements the barbecue sauce.Fresh cilantro: Adds a bright freshness to the dish. Can swap with parsley if you aren't a fan of cilantro. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox How To Make Barbecue Pork Pizza While braising the pork for this pizza takes some time, you'll be rewarded with enough pulled pork to top this pizza, and to transform into another meal entirely. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started: Step 1. Cook pork: Place pork, onion, garlic, and salt in a large Dutch oven with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until meat pulls apart easily.Step 2. Shred pork: Remove pork from Dutch oven and shred. Transfer some pork to a bowl, and cool completely. Cover and chill for up to two days.Step 3. Coat with barbecue sauce: Transfer remaining pork to a bowl and toss to coat with 1/4 cup barbecue sauce.Step 4. Prepare the pizza: Coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Stretch or roll pizza dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Top with remaining barbecue sauce, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with some mozzarella, then pork, red onion, and peppers. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.Step 5. Bake: Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes, then garnish with cilantro and serve. Barbecue-Pork Pizza Variations To change up this pulled pork pizza, consider these variation ideas: Meat: Substitute the pulled pork with leftover pulled chicken or shredded beef for a quick alternative.Veggies: Sneak in some additional veggies by topping with bell peppers, mushrooms, or other favorites.Cheese: Switch up the cheese by using half mozzarella, and half Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or gouda.More toppings: Add flavor by topping the pizza with fresh pineapple, jalapeños for a little heat, diced avocado, or crispy bacon bits for a double dose of salty, meaty flavor. How To Store and Reheat Leftover Barbecue-Pork Pizza If you do have any leftover slices of pizza, wrap and refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze for up to three months. Reheat in a preheated 350°F oven or skillet until hot throughout. What To Serve With Barbecue-Pork Pizza A delightful mix of pulled pork and crisp, cheesy pizza, this barbecue-pork pizza is just the kind of weeknight dinner we dream of. While it's certainly a satisfying dish all on its own, it can also be paired with a light salad, corn on the cob, or grilled veggies to round out the meal. More Over-the-Top Pizza Recipes You'll Love If you love your pizza with an overload of toppings, these recipes are for you: Supreme Pizza BBQ Chicken Pizza Pepper Lover's Sheet Pan Pizza Tennessee Onion Pizza Sheet Pan Veggie Supreme Pizza Chicken Parmesan Pizza Mexican Street Corn Pizza Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse. Ingredients 3 1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 6 cubes 1 medium-size yellow onion, trimmed, peeled, and quartered 6 large garlic cloves 1 Tbsp. kosher salt 1 cup barbecue sauce, divided 1 Tbsp. olive oil 16 oz. fresh pizza dough, at room temperature 8 oz. shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups) 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (from 1 small onion) 1/3 cup drained, sliced pepperoncini peppers Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish Directions Cook pork: Combine pork shoulder, yellow onion, garlic, and salt in a large Dutch oven with water to cover. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low, turning occasionally, until meat pulls apart easily with a fork, about 2 hours. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Shred pork: Remove pork from Dutch oven. Place on a cutting board; shred using 2 forks. Discard fat. For leftovers, transfer 3 cups shredded pork to a medium bowl and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Combine meat and sauce: Transfer remaining 2 cups shredded pork to a separate medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce, and toss to coat. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Assemble pizza: Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a (15- x 10-inch) rimmed baking sheet with oil. Gently stretch or roll pizza dough to cover bottom of pan. Spread remaining 3/4 cup barbecue sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella. Top evenly with shredded pork, red onion, and pepperoncini peppers. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Bake pizza: Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and mozzarella is bubbly, 18 to 20 minutes. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Let stand 5 minutes; cut into slices, and garnish with cilantro leaves. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Quick Pork Ragù Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add 2 cups chopped yellow onion and 1 cup chopped carrots; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. minced garlic and 1 Tbsp. tomato paste; cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup dry red wine to pan, stirring to release any browned bits. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, and 1 (28-oz.) can crushed San Marzano plum tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in 3 cups leftover shredded pork; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Divide 1 lb. cooked pappardelle pasta among 4 bowls; top with pork mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Active 30 min. - Total 30 min. Frequently Asked Questions What cheese goes best with pulled pork? While mozzarella gives this pizza a classic cheesy topping, the pulled pork also pairs nicely with Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or gouda. Can I use store-bought pulled pork for this pizza? To save time and make this pizza at a moment's notice, feel free to sub in store-bought pulled pork. What type of barbecue sauce is best for barbecue-pork pizza? The best barbecue sauce for pizza is ultimately the one you enjoy the most. Whether sweet, spicy, tangy, or Carolina-style, feel free to use any barbecue sauce you love. Rate It Print Additional reporting by Katie Rosenhouse Katie Rosenhouse Follow us Katie Rosenhouse is a pastry chef and food writer with over 15 years of experience in the culinary arts. She's worked as a pastry chef in some of the finest restaurants in New York City, as a culinary instructor, and as a recipe developer. learn more