This white pizza is so easy to make but is one of those recipe secrets I have - recipes that taste like they took a lot of effort to make but don’t! I like using naan as a pizza base in general because it’s already cooked, so the baking time is pretty quick. It just needs to bake long enough for the cheese to melt and toppings to heat through, which is usually long enough for the edges of the crust to get a little crispy.
This recipe can be served as a shareable/appetizer or a main course. It’s one of my favorite things to make when I want something quick for dinner.
Naan Pizza Recipe Notes
This section includes notes and tips for making naan pizza. See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
A note on recipe timing: This recipe calls for cooked bacon. The bacon can easily be made at the same time as the caramelized onions to not add extra time.
Naan
Naan is a South Asian flatbread made in a tandoor (clay oven). It's commonly served with Indian food. It’s usually easy to find at the grocery store. Many stores have it with the section. Some stores, including Trader Joe’s, carry it in the frozen section as well.
This recipe calls for garlic naan but you can substitute plain naan.
There really aren’t any great substitutes for naan that you'd be able to readily find at a grocery store that doesn’t carry naan. In these cases, I’d recommend using small ready-made pizza crusts instead. If you use a refrigerated pizza crust that isn’t yet baked, give it a head start and bake it halfway before adding the toppings. Follow any instructions on the packaging for cooking time and temperature.
If you want to try your hand at making naan, check out this naan recipe at Recipe Tin Eats.
Caramelized Onions
Caramelized onions are actually quite easy to make! Caramelizing the onions is probably the most hands-on part of this recipe but it doesn’t take long and it’s well worth it! If you like caramelized onions, try my Creamy Potato & Caramelized Onion Soup.
I use regular yellow onions for this recipe most of the time, but you can also use sweet onions or white onions. Just don't use red (purple) onions, as those are not good for making caramelized onions.
Tips for slicing onions: I slice the onions into petals for this recipe. See my post on How to Cut Onion Petals for an easy tutorial.
Mozzarella Cheese
This recipe uses shredded mozzarella cheese. I do not recommend using fresh mozzarella as a substitute because of the moisture content. This naan pizza is one of the rare times I recommend a store-bought, pre-shredded cheese.
Bacon, Caramelized Onion, & Ricotta Naan White Pizza
Equipment
- Parchment paper (recommended for easy clean-up)
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch baking soda
Pizzas
- 2 pieces garlic naan
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic grated
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 package shredded mozzarella (8oz. package)
- 8 tablespoon ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
Caramelized Onions
- Combine onions, ⅓ cup water, 2 teaspoon olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a saute pan.1 medium onion, 2 teaspoon olive oil
- Bring to a boil. Cover and cook until the water evaporates (about 5 minutes).
- Remove cover. Reduce heat to medium. Spread onions evenly in the pan. Try to keep the onions in a single layer.
- Stir every 2 minutes until onions are soft, brown, and a little bit sticky. Try to keep the onions evenly distributed after each stir.
- Combine a pinch of baking soda with 2 teaspoon water. Add to onions. Stir constantly until the water evaporates.1 pinch baking soda
- Transfer onions to a bowl and set aside. Tip: For easier clean-up later, deglaze the pan with some water now and set it aside.
Pizzas
- Place the two pieces of naan on a rimmed baking sheet (line the baking sheet with parchment for easier clean-up).2 pieces garlic naan
- Drizzle naan with olive oil. Use a pastry brush to coat all of the naan (including the "crust") with olive oil.olive oil
- Distribute grated garlic evenly over each piece of naan and sprinkle each piece of naan with dried oregano.½ teaspoon dried oregano, 5 cloves garlic
- Cover each piece of naan with shredded mozzarella cheese.1 package shredded mozzarella
- Add 4 tablespoons of ricotta cheese to each pizza. Press with the back of a spoon to flatten.8 tablespoon ricotta cheese
- Top with crumbled bacon and 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan per pizza.2 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese, 6 slices bacon
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pizzas from the oven and top with the caramelized onion.
- Return pizzas to the oven for about 5 more minutes, or until cheese are melted and the crust is golden brown.
