Chipotle Pizza

Skip the red sauce. This pizza uses mashed canned chipotles in adobo, thinned with their juice and a glug of olive oil, as the base layer. That is where all the smoky heat and tangy depth comes from, no tomato required.

The ratio of chipotle to cheese is doing the real work. One tablespoon of mashed chile sounds modest, but canned chipotles are concentrated smoke and brown-sugar heat, so it is plenty to lacquer a 10-inch round.

Mozzarella gives you the melt and stretch. A spoon of grated parmesan on top is what gives the crust those salty, browned caps where cheese meets heat.

Roll the pizza dough thin. A hot pizza at a thin-crust thickness lets the chipotle paste bubble and caramelize at the edges instead of drowning a puffy crust in oil.

Chef Tips

• Drag the chipotles out with a fork and mash on a cutting board so you can control the chunk size. Keep a little texture, do not purée.
• Reserve the adobo sauce from the can. Any chipotles you do not use will keep in a covered jar in the fridge for weeks.
• Preheat the oven (and a baking stone or inverted sheet pan, if you have one) to 475°F (245°C) for a crisper bottom crust.
• Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime right after baking. Both cut the smoke beautifully.

Variations

• Add cooked shredded chicken or chorizo crumbles before the cheese for a heartier main-course version.
• Top with thinly sliced red onion and corn kernels for a Tex-Mex spin.
• Swap mozzarella for Oaxaca or Monterey Jack for a more authentically Mexican melt.