This Skillet Pizza with sausage and chili garlic tomato sauce is a fun and super tasty way to enjoy homemade pizza! It delivers pizzeria-style crispy edges with awesome sweet-and-spicy flavors in the sauce and toppings.
My family goes absolutely crazzzzzy for this Skillet Pizza! It has a unique crisp-chewy crust (thicker than our Thin Crust Pizza), plus an irresistible pizza sauce flavor twist that we all adore. It’s a welcome Pizza Night option, as my family just never tires of pizza meals. Think puffy little Pizza Bites, hearty Pizza Burgers, and steaming bowls of Pizza Soup — we love it ALL!
What Sets This Skillet Pizza Apart From the Rest
I gathered all kinds of pizza intel, old and new, when creating this recipe. The old: I used a cast iron skillet to mimic the restaurant pizza I grew up on: Pizza Hut’s iconic Original Pan Pizza. Growing up in rural South Dakota, this was the closest pizza place — about a 9-mile drive from the farm, down I-29. I have so many great memories of gathering here with family and friends. The new: Now that our family lives in the Twin Cities area, we have endless pizza restaurant options close to home, and with much more diversity in preparation and ingredients. I especially like pizzas that play with unexpected Asian flavors, so I infused a bit of that here!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
- Crispy-chewy “fried” dough. Pizza Hut’s pan pizza is baked in a special pan that “fries” the dough for a unique texture that’s crispy on the bottom and outside edge, and soft and pillowy in the middle. My method includes a homemade pizza dough that is very easy to work with. The end result replicates that restaurant pizza crust quite well at home, if I do say so myself!
- Red sauce that’s a little bit spicy, a little bit sweet. I took inspiration from local Pizzeria Lola‘s Korean BBQ pizza and Red Wagon Pizza Co.‘s Banh Mi pizza, and stir together a quick red sauce that includes chili garlic sauce and a touch of brown sugar.
- Hearty, flavorful sausage. Sausage is a favorite pizza topping in our family. It adds satisfying protein and creates a fun fusion of traditional and Asian flavors.
“I made this for the fourth time tonight. It’s been on repeat. My family cheered when I told them it was for dinner. New family favorite.”
Stefanie
What You’ll Need
Most of these items are pantry staples – here’s everything you’ll need! Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
Crust:
- Water – It should feel warm, not hot, to the touch.
- Yeast – I use active dry yeast for this recipe. Be sure to use fresh yeast; check the expiration date.
- Olive oil – This makes for a tender dough. It’s also used to oil the pan, to give the crust a crisp finish.
- Sugar – To feed the yeast and offer just a touch of sweetness.
- Flour – All-purpose flour creates the base.
- Salt – I use Morton kosher salt in my cooking.
- Yellow cornmeal – For a pizzeria-style crust; it keeps the dough from sticking to the pan and I love the crunchy texture it adds.
Sauce and Toppings:
- Sausage – Bulk pork sausage brings rich, savory flavor.
- Diced tomatoes – I especially like a slightly chunky pizza sauce, so I include petite diced tomatoes in the sauce for texture.
- Tomato sauce – Just plain canned tomato sauce (not a flavored pasta sauce).
- Chili garlic sauce – Feel free to tweak the amount for a spicier or milder sauce.
- Brown sugar – This balances the acidity of the sauce and adds a nice contrast to the savory, spicy flavors.
- Mozzarella cheese – I use shredded whole milk mozzarella, which offers richer, creamier texture and flavor.
- Red onion – Just a bit adds a little fresh bite.
- Parmesan cheese – For a salty, nutty finish.
- Fresh cilantro – To lean into the Asian-inspired flavors of this pizza.
How to Make This Skillet Pizza
Let’s get started! Here’s a step-by-step look at the process.
- Activate the yeast. Combine the warm water and yeast in a stand mixer bowl and let stand until foamy.
- Make the dough. Mix in the oil and sugar, then slowly add the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.
- Knead and rise. Knead lightly, then transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Let the dough rise for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Preheat your oven and pan. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Cook the sausage. With a skillet on the stovetop, brown the sausage over medium or medium-high heat; drain off the grease and season with salt and pepper.
- Make the sauce. Stir together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Press in the crust. Cut the dough in half (freeze the other half if you’re not making two pizzas) and roll out one half to the size of your skillet. Press the dough into the oiled, hot skillet.
- Assemble the pizza. Layer on the sauce, cheese, sausage, and onion.
- Bake. Bake the pizza in the oven for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Finish and serve. Rest briefly, then slice and top with Parmesan and cilantro.
Brenda’s Tips — To Help you Get The Best Crust
A few more tips will help you make the perfect skillet pizza!
- Get that pan nice and hot. It’s the difference between a soggy crust and one that’s crisp and delicious on the bottom.
- Oil the pan well. The combination of a well-seasoned skillet, oil, and cornmeal gives the crust a fabulous, unique texture. Plus, it makes it easy to remove the pizza from the pan.
- Don’t overdo the sauce or toppings. This also helps keep the crust crisp.
Variation Ideas — Make it Your Own!
You can use this basic formula to make any kind of skillet pizza you like. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
- Make it a veggie pizza. Swap the sausage for mushrooms and peppers for a vegetarian version.
- Add more heat. Finish the pizza with chili crunch for a spicy kick and crispity-crunchy texture. Or just sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
- Add even more sweet heat. My family loves to drizzle hot honey over pizza. This is a great pizza for that!
- Include fresh fruit sweetness. Add thinly sliced pineapple. I LOVE this variation!
- Switch up the cheese. Sliced fresh mozzarella or provolone would work too.
- Go traditional. Use store-bought pizza sauce and swap the cilantro for basil.
Serving Suggestions
My family likes a salad with our pizza, and the flavors of this skillet pizza give you a little more leeway to get creative. You could do a classic pizzeria-style salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette or Italian Vinaigrette, or toss your greens in something with Asian-inspired flair, like my Grandma Renelt’s Fresh Ginger Dressing.
More Pizza Recipes
Skillet Pizza with Sausage and Chili Garlic Tomato Sauce
Yield: 4 servings
This homemade pizza is made in a cast iron skillet and yields an excellent pizzeria-style crust with lightly crispy edges and a soft, chewy interior. You'll love the sweet-heat Asian inspired twist from the chili garlic tomato sauce!
Print
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 packet (¼-ounce) active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a bit more for the dough ball in the bowl and a bit more for the cast iron skillet
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting your work surface
- 1½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon yellow corn meal
Toppings
- ½ pound bulk pork sausage
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- ¾ cup drained Red Gold® Petite Diced Tomatoes
- ¼ cup Red Gold® Tomato Sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (use more if you really like heat)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (use whole milk mozzarella if you can find it)
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Crust
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, pour the warm water in and sprinkle with yeast. Aim for the water to be the warmth of a bottle you’d feed a baby. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Let stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add olive oil and sugar to yeast mixture. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour and kosher salt. Turn speed up to medium and mix until everything comes together and forms a ball of dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead just a couple times to bring it together into a ball. Transfer dough ball to a bowl that has a light coating of olive oil. Turn the dough ball to coat with olive oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm area for about an hour. The dough should approximately double in size.
- While dough is rising, prepare pizza toppings (directions below). Place a 12" cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
- Cut risen dough in half. Place both pieces on a lightly floured surface and gently knead each one a few times. You can now prepare both pieces (if making two pizzas, you will need to double the pizza topping ingredients listed) or freeze the second piece by wrapping it in plastic and placing it in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. With a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough into a 10″ round, or the diameter equal to the bottom surface of your 12″ cast iron skillet.
Toppings
- In a separate skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up into bite-size pieces until no longer pink. Drain away excess grease and sprinkle pork with 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, and stir. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
- While sausage is browning, prepare chili garlic tomato sauce. In a small bowl, combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar, remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
Assemble
- Very carefully remove hot skillet from oven. Pour just enough olive oil into bottom of skillet to very lightly coat the bottom and about 1″ up the sides, spreading with a brush. Evenly sprinkle cornmeal over bottom of skillet. Carefully place rolled round of dough into bottom of pan, pushing it as needed into the sides of the skillet just a bit (look at my photo in the post). Spread all but 1/4 cup of the chili garlic tomato sauce over the dough, leaving about 1/2″ of dough exposed around the perimeter. Add half of the mozzarella, then all of the sausage. Add remaining mozzarella and then dot the top of the pizza with the remaining chili garlic tomato sauce. Sprinkle red onion over the top of it all. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is perfectly melty and a bit blistered. Remove from oven and let rest a couple minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cilantro and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 1043kcal Carbohydrates: 121g Protein: 34g Fat: 47g Saturated Fat: 16g Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g Cholesterol: 74mg Sodium: 2596mg Fiber: 6g Sugar: 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was originally published in 2018, then updated in 2026.
I made this for the fourth time tonight. It’s been on repeat. My family cheered when I told them it was for dinner. New family favorite.
It’s amazing. Raves all around the table and request to have it again tomorrow. Soon though! I have the second crust in the freezer. Yum. Perfect crust sauce topping combo.
I just made this and it was delicious!!!!! Will be making it again!!!
what a fun recipe to make, haven’t made a pizza in a while so thank you, love all of these ingredients too for a pizza!
I was surprised at how much my family LOVES this pizza – such great flavors together. Thanks Sabrina!
I’m totally craving pizza now! This looks delish!!
Thanks Gina!
I love pizza. Your skillet pizza is simple that I can do. I like that I can choose toppings as my wish.
Yep. We’ll be mixing up the toppings as well. Enjoy!!
I’ve never tried a skillet pizza, but this looks amazing!
xo Jess
I hope you give this a try – thanks Jess!
Beautiful!! Does the crust get brown on the bottom? My homwmade pizzas always are a little doughy.
The bottom of the crust has a nice thin crispness to it, with a bit of olive oil and yellow corn meal on the skillet. The rest of the crust is soft, but not “doughy”. It’s not a super thin crust, about 3/8″ thick.
This is one gorgeous pizza! Love making it my cast iron skillet – always perfect. Pizza is my one “food” that I could never give up – gotta try these tomatoes too!
Thank you so much, Tricia!
A skillet pizza?! This is GENIUS. That chili garlic tomato sauce sounds BOMB.COM too!
We use our skillets more and more and more. Pizza is absolutely so much fun! Thanks, Taylor!
This reminds me that it’s been a while since I’ve made pizza. This looks fabulous!!!
Homemade pizza is ALWAYS a treat. Thanks Brian!
This is a must-make this weekend!
Thanks, Liz. Enjoy the ‘za!!
Using the cast iron skillet is a great idea. This looks like a winner to me.
You’d love everything about this pizza! xo
I need to make this! I’ve been rather disappointed in the pizza joints around my area. This homemade pizza looks way better than to-go pizza!
And there’s just something special and fun about making pizza from scratch! Thank you, Nicole – I hope you like this!