Have you heard about Papa John’s taco pizza? If you haven’t tried it yet, but you’re thinking about it, here is what you should know:
Papa John’s taco pizza brings a mix of an Italian and a Mexican dish, with flavors that go well with each other. It’s good for a change but won’t become your new favorite. Papa John’s also offers a spicy chicken tinga taco pizza. However, the original one is much richer in the ingredients, which is reflected in the better taste.
If you want to find out more about these taco pizzas on Papa John’s menu and my experience with them, just keep reading my review.
Papa John’s Taco Pizza Brings an Interesting Mix of Mexican And Italian Flavors
While pizza will always hold a special place in my heart, I admit that sometimes I just crave vibrant and delicious Mexican food. So, imagine my happiness when taco pizza finally became a thing.
So, let’s see what Papa John’s had put into this mix. First of all, at Papa John’s, you can choose the type of crust you want (as you probably already know). I went with the original one, but you can pick a thin crust if you wish to this dish even closer to taco.
This hand-tossed crust was topped with taco sauce combined with beef, beans, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar, and mozzarella. Nacho cheese corn chips were added on top (and became one of the worst parts of this dish,) and there was sour cream on the side.
As you can see, this pizza has come a long way from the original Italian meal with tomato sauce and cheese. Fun fact: you won’t even find tomato sauce on this pizza, but that doesn’t mean you won’t taste the tomatoes – they are just diced, which brings them closer to the Mexican-style cuisine.
As for nutrition facts, here is what you can expect from a large Papa John’s pizza slice with the original crust:
| Element | Amount |
| Total fat | 18g |
| Cholesterol | 35mg |
| Sodium | 1000mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 46g |
| Protein | 16g |
| Calories | 410 |
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Does This Mix Deserve a Place on Papa John’s Menu?
Refried beans, taco sauce, cheddar and lettuce, and even nachos really bring out the well-known Tex-Mex flavor. Although I would not name it one of the best Papa John’s pizzas, I think they succeed in blending these different flavors.
Maybe my expectations were a little bit high, and that had reflected in this review. I mean, tacos and pizzas should equal paradise for taste buds, right? It just wasn’t as exceptional as I expected.
That being said, you should order it when you want to spice things up and eat something different than usual.
Biggest Pros and Cons of Papa John’s Taco Pizza
Let’s start with my biggest disappointment – the nachos. Don’t get me wrong, I like them just fine when they are my side dish. However, putting nachos on top of the pizza is just a mess waiting to happen.
So, this disappointment doesn’t come from the taste at all. Moreover, I even liked the combination. However, here are the reasons why this kind of presentation would never work for me:
- Nachos are crispy, and they break easily, so you must be very careful when eating, or they will all finish on the floor,
- There were a lot of nachos on the top, and their flavor is one of the predominant ones. Some people may find it a bit too much. After all, a taco pizza should be a pizza, not just a base for nachos.
- When you think about pizza, one of the first things that come to your mind is the combination of delicious toppings. Here, you almost won’t be able to see the toppings.
Rather than on top of the pizza, it would be better to add nachos separately. That way, a pizza would be much more visually appealing and would satisfy the taste of more customers. Not to mention that it would be much easier to consume.
The thing I like the most about this pizza, though, is that you can taste all the ingredients separately, but at the same time, they do blend together well and create a unique combination. Also, a mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheese is different, but I must admit that I liked it.
My favorite mozzarella cheese is Galbani Mozzarella.
Limited Edition Chicken Tinga Taco Pizza Can Be a Good Alternative on the Papa John’s Menu
Another Mexican-inspired combination that I’ve tasted at Papa John’s is their chicken tinga taco pizza. However, keep in mind one thing – to like this dish, you must like pineapple on pizza. And we all know that it’s blasphemy for some.
It is a sauce-free dish (if you don’t count a little bit of Aji Verde salsa) made of crust topped with flame-charred pulled chicken, pineapple, red cayenne chilies, and onions. For me, it has less of a taco flavor than the previous taco pizza, but it doesn’t make this combination any less interesting.
Tinga in the name refers to a Mexican dish made from beef or chicken and red chili sauce. Papa John’s decided to keep spices with cayenne chilies. Although you can ask for a chicken tinga taco pizza without them, keep in mind that they are a big part of this pizza’s taste. I can’t really tell you if I would like it without them.
The worst part about it was dryness. As you can see, there is no cheese or tomato sauce that will make the pizza go smooth on the way to your stomach. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the way the chicken tasted. All in all, it was an OK dish, but I liked the original taco pizza better.
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To Conclude This Review – Taco Pizzas From Papa John’s Are Worth a Try (But There Are Better Options)
I’m always trying new things, especially when there’s food involved. It can be the road to discovering new and amazing flavors, or you can find out what you definitely should avoid in the future for the sake of your taste buds.
Of course, you must know that Papa John’s is not the only pizza chain that makes this type of pizza. So where does it stand with, let’s say, Pizza Hut and Domino’s? Domino’s comes pretty close since they both have some pros and cons.
But when you want the ultimate taco pizza experience,follow my advice – make sure you call your local Pizza Hut and ask if they hold this pizza. You won’t regret it! And if they do not sell them, well, Papa John’s will do just fine.