Put a fun and keto-friendly spin on pizza night with this pizza bowls recipe! They’re a scoopable and dippable snack or dinner and loaded with layers of meat, sauce, cheese, mushrooms, and pepperoni.
Are you craving pizza, but not the carbs? Instead of making a keto-friendly cauliflower, fathead, or chicken pizza crust, try these easy pizza bowls instead!
Inspired by Papa John’s infamous offering, crustless pizza bowls are one of my favorite snacks to whip up for game day, parties, and pizza night. The toppings, sauce, and cheese bake together in individual ramekins and are ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes! Serve my keto garlic bread on the side for dipping and enjoy.
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The best pizza bowl recipe
I can’t get enough of fun and creative snacks, especially when they’re low carb. That’s exactly why pizza bowls are one of my favorites! Just like my keto buffalo chicken dip, every bite is crowd-pleasing and family-friendly.
- A nearly no-carb crustless pizza. The recipe as-is is low carb, but I recommend using my low carb pizza sauce to take it over the top and keep the net carb count per serving in the single digits.
- Fun to customize. Get the whole family involved! Have everyone personalize their bowl with their favorite meats and veggies.
- It’s quick and easy. These pizza bowls take just 30 minutes to put together, making pizza from scratch a reality any night of the week.
The ingredients here are similar to a homemade protein pizza or cloud bread pizza, but the traditional pizza dough is swapped for a seasoned ground chicken crust. From there, you only need a few staples:
- Olive oil. To coat the skillet and saute the meat mixture.
- Garlic and onion. These add a deep, savory flavor to the ground chicken crust.
- Ground chicken. A flavorful ground chicken mixture is showcased on the bottom layer of each bowl.
Substitution idea
Don’t want to use chicken? Feel free to swap it for lean ground beef or turkey instead.
- Oregano and rosemary. Or use an Italian seasoning blend.
- Cheddar and mozzarella cheese. I highly recommend using both. Cheddar adds a ton of flavor to the ground chicken mixture, while creamy mozzarella melted over the top leaves the bowls with irresistible stretchy cheese pulls.
- Pizza sauce. You can keep this recipe keto and low carb with my keto pizza sauce.
- Mushrooms and pepperoni. Or any pizza toppings you prefer! Check out the list of ideas below.
How to make pizza bowls
Making pizza bowls from scratch is easier than any homemade pizza recipe you’re used to. Here’s how to make them:
Step 1 – Saute the garlic, onion, and chicken
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan, then add the garlic and onion and cook until fragrant. Add the ground chicken next. Cook until it’s no longer pink, then stir in the oregano and rosemary. Once cooked, evenly distribute the chicken amongst four small ramekins.
Step 2 – Assemble the bowls
Now is the fun part! Add a scoop of pizza sauce to each one, then top with cheddar cheese, mushrooms, mozzarella, and pepperoni.
Step 3 – Bake and serve
Bake the pizza bowls in the oven until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden around the edges. Let them cool for just a minute before serving.
- To brown the top layer of mozzarella cheese, turn the oven on broil during the last 2 minutes of baking. Remember to keep an eye on the bowls as the tops can burn quickly.
- No ramekins? That’s okay. You can make this recipe in any kind of small oven-proof bowl.
- To make one big pizza bowl: Layer all of the elements in an oven-proof skillet or baking dish. Check out my crustless pizza recipe for baking times.
More pizza topping ideas
Sure, you can follow this recipe to the T, but getting creative with the toppings is a lot of fun, too! Choose from:
- Meat – Cooked bacon, ground beef, diced ham, chopped cooked chicken, salami, cooked sausage crumbles, anchovies, etc.
- Vegetarian toppings – Thinly sliced bell peppers, spinach, black olives, banana peppers, artichoke hearts, broccoli florets, roasted garlic, etc.
- Sauce options – Use your favorite keto barbecue sauce or creamy garlic sauce in place of the tomato sauce. For an Asian twist, why not try some katsu or bulgogi sauce?
To store. Let the leftovers cool in the ramekins, then cover them with plastic or transfer to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.
To freeze. I recommend baking the pizza bowls in aluminum foil ramekins if you’re planning on making freezer meals. Once baked and cooled, cover the bowls with plastic and freeze them for up to 6 months. Let thaw in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat. Microwave the bowls for 1 to 2 minutes or heat them in the oven until hot and bubbly.
More creative pizza recipes
Serve them on their own with a spoon or take them up a notch with a few sides for dipping. Some of my favorites are zucchini fries, garlic knots, garlic pizza bread, and keto garlic bread.
There are virtually zero carbs in the ground chicken filling, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese. However, the pizza sauce and toppings do contribute a few carbs per serving. Try to stick with low sugar pizza sauce, meaty toppings, and low carb, high fiber vegetables to keep the net carb count per bowl within your macros.
For sure! The night before serving, prep each layer and assemble them in the individual ramekins. Cover with plastic and keep them in the fridge until baking the next day.
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Pizza Bowl (Better than Papa Johns)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 small onion sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 1/4 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease four, 2-cup ramekins and set aside.
- In a non-stick pan, add the olive oil, garlic, and onion, and cook until fragrant. Add the ground chicken and break it apart and cook until no longer pink. Stir through the oregano and rosemary. Remove the pan off the heat. Distribute the meat mixture evenly amongst the four ramekins.
- Add 1/4 cup of pizza sauce on top of each one, followed by the cheddar cheese, then the mushrooms, the the remaining mozzarella cheese. Top with the pepperoni.
- Bake the pizza bowls for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden around the edges.
- Remove the pizza bowls from the oven and let them cool for a minute before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Yummy 😋 😋 I couldn’t wait for this to get done baking tonight. After I saw the recipe, I had to make it! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
Sounds like an awesome recipe…what size ramekin will work for this? Thank you!
1 cup size!