13 Mistakes You're Making With Pizza Toppings

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore. At least it is if you've assembled all of your tasty toppings the right way. We talked to experts from restaurants and cooking schools around the country to see what top tips and tricks we needed to know to create the best pizza out there. Whether you're sticking with a New York-style pie or going full deep dish in Chicago, getting the right flavors and textures is key.

From combinations that don't work well to ordering your toppings the best way, you can create a dish that rivals even your favorite pizza joint. Consider the flavor pairings and which toppings go where to avoid soggy or undercooked pizzas with lackluster ingredients.

In the end, it often doesn't come down to fancy gadgets and kitchen appliances, although using a set of food-grade firebricks can help you make restaurant-style pizza in a home oven. But the best way to keep your crust crispy, your toppings tasty, and your pizza chef's-kiss-perfect is to avoid these mistakes.

If you load up your pizza with all the same flavors, it can be too much for your palate and overwhelm your taste buds. For a more complex pie, try to include a bunch of different flavors that work together in balance.

"When choosing toppings, I always recommend pairing ingredients with contrasting flavor profiles together," said Karishma Pradhan, owner, recipe developer, and food photographer at the Home Cooking Collective. "For example, olives, anchovies, pepperoni, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese are all salty, so I wouldn't recommend a pizza with all four of these toppings together. Try considering a combination of salty, tangy, spicy, and umami toppings, such as salty pepperoni, pickled jalapeños, and hot honey."

Don't be afraid to be a little bit adventurous, especially when it comes to sweet flavors. You may think that ingredients like honey or fruit don't belong on pizza, but many people love these toppings. Just be sure to balance them out with salty and savory ingredients as well.

Another big flavor mistake that people make is to pair ingredients that are really intense with more subtle toppings. "Mixing delicate ingredients such as mushrooms with cured protein like 'nduja or soppressata can overpower the subtler ingredients," said Eric Hammond, Executive Chef at Chicago's Coco Pazzo. "Instead, think about balance." 

Delicate ingredients include those that can be overtaken by strong or spicy flavors. Meat tends to outshine vegetables, especially when they are thin-cut or diced. You should also consider the sauce ingredients, since strong herbs and spices can also play a part in your overall pizza.

Coco Pazzo has tried-and-true toppings like tomato and basil on a margherita pizza on the menu, but there are also pairings like savory mushrooms and pungent gorgonzola cheese. "Classic combinations like sausage and fennel, roasted pepper with goat cheese, or mushrooms, garlic, and anchovy are great examples of well-balanced pairings," Hammond adds.

If you're struggling with a soggy pizza, there's a good chance that your toppings are to blame. Some vegetables have a lot of moisture, which can translate to a less-than-crispy crust. This is especially true when you use high heat, which would normally help the crust crisp up.

"If you're cooking your pizza in 5 minutes or less (either at a high temperature in your home oven or an outdoor oven), the vegetables may not have enough time to cook through properly," said Karishma Pradhan. "Mushrooms, peppers, and eggplant are examples of vegetables that will benefit from a pre-cook."

This also helps enhance the taste, since many ingredients can get a deeper flavor with a sauté ahead of time. Add spices or herbs to bring more complexity to your toppings. If you want to meld flavors before you use them to top your pizza, throw similar-sized pieces in a pan to precook together. In some cases, this will make them cook down to a smaller size, which might mean that you need to prep more than expected. 

Many mistakes that people make when adding toppings to pizza impacts the quality and tastiness of the end result, but adding raw meat can actually pose a food safety risk. Most pizzas don't need a lot of time to cook, so raw meat might not actually get done in the allotted time. Precook it instead to avoid serving undercooked ingredients.

Meatballs and sausage are common toppings that need to be par cooked ahead of time. They should be done all the way through, which you can measure with a meat thermometer like an easy-to-use probe style thermometer. This can be tricky to do if you're cooking small pieces or slices, so you may need to use another way to check your food for doneness, such as slicing into one sample piece to test.

Some meat toppings for pizza, such as pepperoni, come already cooked and ready to use. In those cases, you don't need to cook them ahead of time unless it's to enhance the flavor.

Don't keep your toppings too large unless you're going for a specific look. Keep them bite-sized and thin-sliced for easy eating. Smaller and thinner pieces also crisp up better if you want them to add a specific texture to your pizza.

Chris Curtiss, Director of Culinary at North Italia, keeps things bite-sized by cutting vegetables before using them as a topping. "Another option is to tear pieces of salumi into bite-sized sections, just like we do with our Pig Pizza, which features spicy Calabrian salami, soppressata, sausage, and pepperoni," he added. "By tearing the salami before baking the pizza, you create bite-sized pieces that become slightly crispy and add fantastic texture to your pizza."

Mark Bello, owner/operator of Pizza School NYC, cautions pizza makers against going too small, however, especially when it comes to meat toppings. "Finely crumbled sausage dries out while baking expelling any juiciness it contains and greasing up your pizza," he said. He finds that slices or larger chunks strike the right balance and are delicious when added to the top layer.

Cheese is an essential for most pizza lovers and there are plenty of fantastic options to choose from when topping your pie. But some great-tasting cheeses don't melt well, which can be an issue on pizza if you only use these varieties. You won't get the melding of ingredients that is characteristic of a great pizza. It can also make the rest of the toppings slip off the pie or burn as it cooks.

Fortunately, you can remedy this by including cheeses that melt well, either by themselves or alongside other cheeses that you add for flavor.

"Parmigiano Reggiano cheese does not melt super well, but it's got a delicious, rich, and sharp flavor that pairs well with other milder melting cheeses, like mozzarella," said Karishma Pradhan. 

Eric Hammond also likes to vary cheeses to make unique combinations with different tastes. "For variety, try fontina for a nutty flavor, provolone for a sharper taste, or Pecorino Romano for a salty, umami addition," he said. However, he tends to stay away from cheese that doesn't do as well when heated, such as cheddar or brie.

Fresh herbs are a tasty addition to any pizza that add bright flavor. But figuring out exactly where to put them on the pizza and when to add them is key. If you put them on too early, they'll end up a big mushy mess. Greens can end up wilting if added under the cheese or early in the cooking process.

"Basil and other herbs should always go on top of the pie so that they do not wilt and release moisture into the crust," said Eric Hammond.

If you want them to maintain a little bit of crisp, add these at the end of cooking. You don't need much heat to do the trick. In fact, many restaurants put fresh basil on at the very end without any cooking time as a garnish. You can go big for a visual impact or tear smaller pieces that are bite-sized. Basil is a classic pizza topping that pairs well with cheese and red pizza sauce, which is why it's often included in the finished step.

If you put tender ingredients, like spinach, on top of your cheese, they're likely to burn. Instead, keep these under the top layer of cheese for a little bit of protection as the pie cooks. Keep in mind that they tend to cook down, so you may want to load up with a little bit more of these types of toppings to account for this change. The flavor can also change once they are cooked.

Some people prefer to keep spinach, basil, and other similar toppings crisp. In this case, add them above the cheese after the entire pie is done in the oven. They'll maintain their fresh flavor and texture, getting just the slightest hint of softening thanks to the hot pizza.

Mark Bello looks at the style of pizza, as well as the cheese, when deciding on toppings as well. When he's making a classic New York City-style pizza, the sauce is topped with shredded mozzarella, but other styles reverse that order. "For our Margherita it's fresh mozzarella first, then crushed tomatoes applied 'Jackson Pollock style' on top of the cheese and dough," he said.

The type of pizza, specifically the crust, can help you determine how many toppings to use and how hefty (or not) they can be. Mary Cressler, owner at Vindulge, says that loading up with a ton of extras is the "number one topping mistake people make." 

This is even more important when you're using a thinner crust. Loading up on toppings can result in torn slices, ingredients falling all over the place, and a generally difficult time actually enjoying your pie.

"I always recommend home cooks go lighter on toppings, to start, because there's nothing worse than the toppings weighing down the dough so much that it falls apart!" said Karishma Pradhan. As you master pizza-making, you'll get a natural feel for how many toppings your pizza can support.

Keep the largest amount of toppings on deep-dish and thick-crust styles. You're probably familiar with Chicago deep dish pizza, which loads up on plenty of cheese plus a plentiful helping of toppings. But others like Detroit deep dish and Sicilian pizza also have crusts that can handle the weight of delicious goodies on the top of the pizza. If you really want to include a bunch of flavors, make sure that the pieces are small and thin-sliced to avoid weighing the pie down when you slice it.

Most people don't like an overly dry pizza, but moisture isn't generally a top selling point on a great pie. Some types of cheese can have a lot of water, especially when they're super fresh. But these cheeses melt particularly well and add rich flavor to the pizza, so what's the fix to include them without getting a mushy slice?

"When using fresh mozzarella or other cheeses high in water, we like to drain the liquid and then dry on a towel or cheesecloth," said Mary Cressler. "This added step means you will avoid that dreaded water in the middle of your pizza." It adds a little bit of extra time and effort, but it will be worth it when you get to enjoy a pizza with a deliciously crispy crust.

You should also pay close attention to the consistency of your sauce. If you need to remedy a runny sauce, Cressler recommends adding a little bit of tomato paste. Start with a tablespoon, stir it into the sauce, and add more if needed. A little bit can go a long way, so stir thoroughly and check the sauce as you go.

Fresh mozzarella has a lot more moisture than other styles. If you go with all fresh mozzarella instead of using shreds, you'll get a distinct style of pizza. Many Margherita pizzas embrace the larger pieces of cheese, alongside fresh basil and sliced tomatoes. However, if you want the cheese to play more of a supporting role in your pie, stick with the shredded variety. The two styles are not interchangeable and substituting one for the other without adjusting the rest of your ingredients won't end in the pizza that you envisioned.

If you want to incorporate a bit of fresh mozzarella flavor, use just a little bit but keep the majority of your cheese shredded, which melts easier. Keeping a good melting cheese in mind is key, but so is balance of flavor.

"Low-moisture mozzarella is best for a classic melt, while fresh mozzarella should be used in moderation to avoid excess moisture," said Eric Hammond.

Mark Bello also recommends using whole milk mozzarella instead of part-skim because "it melts better and doesn't overcook before your crust is done." You can incorporate other cheeses as well, but mozzarella is still such an all-time favorite that Hammond calls it the "gold standard" of pizza cheeses. So make sure to avoid mistakes when it comes to this key ingredient and you'll be rewarded with a rich, cheesy pie.

Don't be afraid to pull inspiration from unexpected places, such as international cuisine or braised meats. They can add a lot of depth and interest to your pizza. 

"What I love about making pizza is that the toppings and combinations are truly limitless if you are willing to explore non-traditional ingredients," said Chris Curtiss. At North Italia, everything from preserved lemon to candied bacon are on the menu. Combinations like figs, goat cheese, and shaved Prosciutto di Parma are always customer favorites when they're available. Goat cheese adds a tangy twist that is unexpected but delicious. Trying new flavors is a fun way to keep things interesting when making pizza.

Mark Bello calls pizza "a blank canvas for personal expression." While he like a classic NYC slice with cheese, others may prefer different combinations using ingredients that they love in other dishes. "Awesome things can happen when you reverse engineer other food categories and get creative," he said, citing the inventive bagel and lox-style pizza from Pizza School NYC. You may just find that you invent the next regional style, like the New Haven pizza, a thin-crust version of a pie that's known for local ingredients like clams and cheese.

You might have taken all of the steps to avoid key mistakes during preparation, assembly, and cooking, but if you neglect the final serving step, your pizza might still not live up to its full potential. Don't forget to add a garnish, whether it's fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, or salt. It adds extra flavor to take your pizza from basic to spectacular.

Mary Cressler recommends sprinkling some large salt flakes over the top or adding a bit of oil. Eric Hammond also likes honey, truffle, and Calabrian chili oil for something sweet, savory, or the tiniest bit spicy. Cheeses like parmesan or asiago, freshly-grated over the top, can also bring some extra oomph to the taste while also adding visual interest and extra flair to the presentation.

The important thing to remember is to consider the overall flavor combinations and not just jump to eating the pizza without putting on those final touches.

"Drizzles will make people smile and ask where you got your hack," said Cressler. "Simple flavors like hot honey, aged balsamic, good olive oil, or even a crema elevate a typical pizza." In the end, it's best to avoid a boring pizza and instead embrace extra garnishes to create something truly special.