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Calabrian Chili Roasted Red Pepper Pizza. Fresh pizza dough topped with sauce, spicy Calabrian peppers in oil, sweet roasted red peppers, and lots of melty Italian cheese. This pizza has just the right amounts of spice, saltiness, and cheese! Every last bite of this pizza is delicious. And the sesame-topped crust adds a special touch. There never seem to be enough slices to go around!
It’s been a while since our last pizza – and this is our first pizza of the year too! To be honest, this pizza has already made its way to the top of my favorite-pizzas-to-make list.
Growing up my dad would make pizza on either Friday or Saturday nights. But the way he made his pizzas was different from the way I make my pizzas. He’d top his pizza pretty simply. Well, thinking back, he’d also make a “white” pizza, yum. But he would use those pre-baked packaged whole wheat crusts from the store. I think they were called Boboli, my mom would know (copy editor’s note, yes, they were Boboli).
Just the pre-baked crust, olive oil, maybe some dried herbs, so much cheese, and then red bell peppers and pepperoni on top. The whole thing went into the oven until the peppers were charred and the crust was crisp.
Nothing like the pizzas I bake today, but regardless, I loved them. Of course, none of us really knew what we were missing.
When I started cooking and mixing up fresh pizza dough our pizzas changed a lot. Even though I wouldn’t want to go back to the cardboard crusts, I loved my dad’s toppings of roasted red peppers, and he’d also add a ton of chili flakes. His pizzas were so delicious!
This pizza is kind of like my dad’s, only (I think) a little better.
Details
I do make my own dough, but feel free to pick up your favorite store-bought dough. I love the options from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.
If you want to make your own dough, I use the pizza dough recipe from the HBH Every Day cookbook. Just make sure your dough is at room temperature. This will make shaping your pizzas much easier.
Push the dough out, then spread on your favorite pizza sauce. I love to use Rao’s Marinara. Then, add a couple spoonfuls of Calabrian chilies in oil. I order mine on Amazon. If you don’t have fresh chilies, just use chili flakes. Then, add sliced roasted red peppers and dried oregano.
Now the secret – fish sauce. Fish sauce is literally just sardines, which sounds disgusting, yes, but the sauce adds a salty umami flavor that’s DELICIOUS. You do not detect any fishiness, promise.
Don’t skip it. Please!
Finish with cheese. Throw the pizza back in the oven and cook until the cheese is bubbling up and the peppers are crisp on the edges.
And that’s it. Top with dried oregano and honey, then slice, eat, and enjoy!! Pepperoni would be awesome on top too. I’ve made this pizza a few times recently and it’s always a hit!
Looking for other pizza recipes? Here are some favorites
Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders
Pesto Pizza with Feta Stuffed Crust
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza
Pesto Potato Burrata Pizza with Spicy Arugula
Lastly, if you make this Calabrian Chili Roasted Red Pepper Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Calabrian Chili Roasted Red Pepper Pizza
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 265 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/3- 1/2 pound ball of pizza dough
- sesame seeds, for sprinkling
- 1/3 cup marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chili paste
- 1 jar (16 ounce) roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- honey, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.2. On a lightly floured surface, push the dough out until it's thin (about a 10-12 inch circle). Transfer the dough to a baking sheet. Lightly brush the crust with olive oil, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. 3. Spread the marinara sauce and then the chili paste over the dough. Arrange the roasted red peppers on top. Add the fish sauce, if using, then sprinkle over the oregano. Add the mozzarella and provolone. 4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and top with a pinch of dried oregano, then honey. Slice and enjoy!
Please don’t call any food “disgusting”. There are so many other words to describe something that isn’t palatable sounding to you or your readers, (for example, use strange, unusual, or exotic even). People, myself included, eat fish sauce all the time. I would never say to anyone that what they eat sounds disgusting. Sorry for the criticism but I couldn’t read the preface to this recipe with that sentence included and not feel a little upset.
We had it last night for dinner and loved it! I wasn’t sure about the sesame seeds and the honey at the end but it all worked. Almost all the recipes I find lead me to Half Baked Harvest
Hey Elizabeth,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) 🐣🍭
I made this! It was fabulous! Thank you-thank you for sharing these tips to help make our homes full of flavors that make moments special memories! Food is the way to share intimacy with our loved ones and you have made the presentation alluring
Hey Tanya,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad it was a hit! Have a great weekend:)
So good! I added some fresh garlic puréed with some olive oil. Also topped with pepperoni and some parmesan.
Hey Jen,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish!! xx
This was absolutely delicious. I made it exactly per the recipe and didn’t leave anything out. Fish oil is basically salt, vegetarians can sub tamari but it does add a lovely counterpoint to the sweet peppers. I only put the Calabrian peppers on half for my husband but I accidentally ate a piece from that side and they were delicious and not very hot. I could only find whole peppers so I sliced them. Also the sesame seeds add a surprising crunch.
My only problem was my marinara sauce was too wet so the pizza got a little soggy. Next time I’ll cook it down more.
Hey Lynn,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend! 🏈
Made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delish! Fish sauce is a nice touch and I had to go easy on the chilies because I’m a wimp. LOL The honey nicely balanced the spicy. Such a scrumptious pizza!
Hey Lori,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Do you mix the fish sauce with anything else or just put it on in random places. I might have missed it, but didn’t see exactly how to add it. I’ve never worked with fish sauce so am not sure. Thank you!
Also, I make a ton of your recipes and they are almost always a complete home run. I’m from the south where corn bread and beans are staples (except not in my house), and nobody in my family has ever cooked like I do. When I found your website in 2020 I was in heaven, because you cook like I like to cook, except I’m not creative nor a chef. So thank you! 😆😊😊😊
Also, my grammar and spelling are normally near perfect but my phone makes me look stupid often, so I apologize for typos. 😆😆😆
Lol no worries, I’m the queen of typos!!
Made this for our Super Bowl food tonight. Perfect!
Hey Susan,
Happy Monday!! 💘 Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Hey Jessica,
I just drizzle it over the marinara in step 3. Thanks so much for your kind message and trying so many recipes, I love to hear that your family always enjoyed them! xT
Thank you! I ended up mixing it into the marinara so I could close the lid and not smell it. 😆
You’re welcome! I have literally spent hours on your website. Love your stuff!
Just finished dining on this pizza. It was really good. My husband looked at me with doubt, then thanked me for a really good pizza. Will make this again!
Hey Pam,
Happy Friday!!❤️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it was delish! xT
Hi Tieghan! This recipe looks scrumptious. I’ve saved it to my recipe box. What sides would you recommend for a dinner party? Thank you! Love your community!
Thanks so much Gabby!! I would do a large salad, I think that would be great! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
Do you have a crust recipe you use?
Hey Carli,
Yes, the recipe is in both the HBH Super Simple and Everyday cookbooks. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Wow! Was this good!! The calabrian chili paste added a nice kick which was balanced by the honey. I added pepperoni as suggested because we love pepperoni. My husband couldn’t believe that I made it. So good!!
Hey Melanie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
I follow a plant-based, pescatarian diet so I made a plant-based cauliflower crust (I strongly discourage this) and used the fish oil. This was such a delicious pizza only ruined by my use of the cauliflower crust – making this again on Friday with traditional crust and cannot wait. I roasted and jarred a bunch of peppers so I can make this one on repeat!
PS – fish oil = delicious umami with NO hint of fish as Tieghan promised.
Hey Rene,
Amazing!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! Sorry to hear about your crust! xx
There can be issues with a full rectangle of pizza dough (like soft and gummy inside pieces) if you don’t have a pizza oven. I prepared separate, smaller pizzas with the full toppings using a pizza stone and cooking sheet and the pizzas were spectacular. My dough was from Trader Joes.
The fish sauce is mandatory. Just saying.
Hey Victoria,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this pizza, thanks for trying it out! xx
ok this was the most amazing pizza I ever made and is up there with the top pizza’s I have ever had. The idea of fish sauce on pizza was not received wholeheartedly, so I also made the standard pizzas. Ultimately everyone was fighting over this new pizza.
You don’t actually taste the fish sauce, it enhances and transforms the existing flavors.
Instead of using crushed calabrian peppers, which I do have… I used the leftover Dan Dan Noodles hot chili oil and it was out of this world. I also added more chopped garlic. It really makes a difference to add these extra ingredient. Thank you for figuring this little trick out and sharing with us.
Hey Kimi,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
I have been trying to source Calabrian Chili Peppers in Canada for a long time with little success. Is there an alternative?
Hey Laurie,
Are you able to order something like this online
https://goto.target.com/c/2773249/81938/2092?subid1=58c18d1bf051050f829e3c0b&subid2=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.halfbakedharvest.com%2Froasted-red-pepper-pizza%2F&sharedid=Half%20Baked%20Harvest&subid3=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fsignature-tomato-garlic-and-calabrian-chile-spread-6-35oz-good-38-gather-8482%2F-%2FA-79286429&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fsignature-tomato-garlic-and-calabrian-chile-spread-6-35oz-good-38-gather-8482%2F-%2FA-79286429#donotlink
Otherwise, you’re just going to have to skip that part:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This looks delicious, and I’d love to try it, but we’re vegetarian. Any suggestions for a fish sauce substitute?
There are vegan options: 24 Vegan Fish Sauce, Ocean’s Halo Vegan Fish Sauce – both good options.
Hey Terri,
I would just skip it:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hi Laurie, I have been unable to source as well. Except through Amazon and it’s expensive! I googled and you can sub with Harissa or Sriracha. Both easily found. Am going to try making this with Sriracha tonight! 🤞🏻
Laurie I use the PC black label red pepperocinis in oil and it works great.
Very tasty! First time having Calabrian chilies so I’ll know next time to cut back a little. Touch of honey was perfect combo with chilies and fish sauce!
Hey Lolly,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this pizza turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xx