The Classic Swedish Pizza Topping We Need In America ASAP

Pizza has become something of a global dish, with regional variations and specialties popping up from New Haven to Tokyo, then gaining popularity with a much wider audience. From the ingredients that make Michigan's Detroit-style pizza so distinctive, to the fantastic Indian Pizzas starting to make waves across the U.S., America is fertile ground for inventive pizza toppings. So why is it so darn hard to get a Swedish kebab pizza here? And how do we change the situation?

If you're not familiar with Swedish kebab pizza, don't feel bad. While it's popular among casual diners in Stockholm, it's received somewhat sporadic attention outside of the country. Most commonly found in pizza joints run by Swedes of Middle Eastern heritage, it is exactly what it sounds like: a pizza topped with kebab meat (usually lamb or beef) and the fixings and sauces commonly associated with gyros or kebab platters, like lettuce and yogurt sauce. If that doesn't sound immediately delicious (it should), remember Gen Z has re-discovered dipping pizza in ranch dressing (or drizzling it on top), and people are going nuts for that. Maybe, like New York and Chicago styles, it could become one of the standard types of pizzas we want to make.

Swedish kebab pizza came about thanks to an influx of immigrants from the Middle East and the Balkans beginning in the 1980s. According to blog posts, immigrants that focused on opening restaurants centered on kebab spots and pizza joints. At some point the two non-traditional cuisines merged, and Swedish fans have been grateful ever since.

There's plenty of variation, but generally you get a thin, crisp crust (think Armenian style) with cheese. If you've ever had a gyro plate or lamb-over-rice from a Halal cart, you know the other toppings: crisp iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, thin-sliced beef or lamb, and a drizzle of heavy yogurt sauce. You might also score banana peppers. Many Americans trying a kebab pizza for the first time are duly impressed. Of course, some people don't like the combo, pondering if Swedes even understand food. In fact, other classic Swedish pizzas, like those featuring bananas and curry, are far less likely to cross the Pond to U.S. pizzerias. 

So, when are we getting kebab pizzas here? LA's Viking Pizza, a humble Glendale spot that highlighted kebab pizza, sadly lost its lease in 2024. But it also offered a dizzying array of unusual mix-and-match toppings like tuna and ham or lobster and artichoke. We seem to be in a new era of irreverent fusion pizzas like the pizza Mexicana at South Philly's Lucas Pizzeria, or Laotian-inspired toppings at Seattle's Ananas Pizzeria. Can a great Swedish kebab pie be far behind?