Sweet & Spicy Potato Pepperoni Pizza

Craving a unique twist on your favorite pizza? Look no further than this mouthwatering sweet and spicy potato pepperoni pizza! Indulge in the perfect combination of crispy potatoes, spicy pepperoni, and a touch of sweetness that will leave your taste buds begging for more.

Why Potato Pepperoni Pizza?

The idea for sweet and spicy potato pepperoni pizza was a happy accident. Thought up by my partner Bryan who wanted to recreate a favorite pizza from his grad school days. But after making it for the first time, he realized he misremembered the pizza. Nevertheless, we were both instantly hooked on this version and its since become a staple on our pizza night menu.

Potato pepperoni pizza may sound like an unusual combination, but trust me, it works wonders! The crispy, thin slices of potato add a unique texture and flavor to the pizza, while the savory pepperoni brings a classic touch that we all know and love. The addition of red pepper flakes and a drizzle of honey creates a perfect harmony of flavors that will have you coming back for more. I definitely recommend making an extra pizza, because it tastes even better the next day!

Ingredient Notes

Pizza Dough. My favorite sourdough pizza dough recipe comes from Alexandra Cooks. Her recipe makes enough for 4 10-inch pizzas (freeze the extra dough to make your next pizza night even easier), or use your preferred dough.

Alexandra Cooks sourdough pizza post includes tons of useful info- I definitely recommend checking it out if you are interested in perfecting sourdough pizza.

Potato. You want uniformly thin slices of potato so that they cook evenly. Use a mandoline or slice as thin as you can with a sharp knife. Then gives the potato slices a soak in salted water- this, according to Smitten Kitchen prevents oxidation and softens them for better cooking. Soak the potatoes for 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.

Pepperoni. I prefer the Italian spicy soppressata, though its harder to find. I’ve also tested this recipe with regular pepperoni, which has a more garlicky and smoky flavor than soppressata. And really, the pizza is great with both.

Soppressata, while trendy and popular with foodies, is harder to find. Feel free to use pepperoni or another type of thinly sliced salami.

Sour Cream. A thin layer of something creamy helps to hold the potatoes in place. Cream cheese thinned with a bit of milk also works, but while testing the recipe I prefered the pizza with sour cream.

Honey. Or maple syrup for a little sweetness to balance out the spiciness.

Red Pepper Flakes. Lots! Of course, if spicy isn’t your thing, this pizza is still great without the spice. Use as much (or as little) as desired.

How to Make Sweet & Spicy Potato Pepperoni Pizza

Preheat oven to 500℉. Place a pizza stone or baking steel in the top third of the oven. Ideally, let the oven preheat as you slice and soak the potatoes and prepare the pizzas.

Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice potato into thin slices (a mandoline makes this process much faster). Soak the potato slices in salted water for 30 minutes. Then strain and pat dry.

Add potato slices to a medium bowl and toss with the olive oil and ½ tsp of salt. Set aside.

For each pizza:

Stretch out pizza dough to a roughly 10-inch round. Line a pizza peel with a sheet of parchment paper and transfer the dough to the parchment-lined peel.

Spread 1/4 c of sour cream over the dough, leaving a slight border. Arrange half of the potato slices and half of the pepperoni in concentric circles on top of the sour cream (or for a quicker assembly and a more rustic look, simply spread the potato slices and pepperoni into a roughly even layer).

Shimmy the piece of parchment and pizza into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is blistered and the potatoes are cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a cutting board.

Finish off by topping generously with red pepper flakes (¼-½ tsp per pizza), a drizzle of honey (½ tsp per pizza), and snipped chives.

Print Pin Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Sweet and Spicy Potato and Pepperoni Pizza

The perfect combination of crispy potatoes, spicy pepperoni, and a touch of sweetness that will leave your taste buds begging for more!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 2 10- inch pizzas

Author: Sammy

Ingredients

• 1 lb potato sliced as thin as possible
• ½ tsp salt plus more for soaking the potatoes
• 2 balls pizza dough
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 oz sopressata or other spicy salami/pepperoni
• ½ c sour cream
• ½-1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp honey
• chives optional, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 500℉. Place a pizza stone or baking steel in the top third of the oven. Ideally, let the oven preheat as you slice and soak the potatoes and prepare the pizzas.
• Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice potato into thin slices (a mandoline makes this process much faster). Soak the potato slices in salted water for 30 minutes. Then strain and pat dry.
• Add potato slices to a medium bowl and toss with the olive oil and ½ tsp of salt. Set aside.

For each pizza:

• Stretch out pizza dough to a roughly 10-inch round. Line a pizza peel with a sheet of parchment paper and transfer the dough to the parchment-lined peel.
• Spread 1/4 c of sour cream over the dough, leaving a slight border. Arrange half of the potato slices and half of the pepperoni in concentric circles on top of the sour cream (or for a quicker assembly and a more rustic look, simply spread the potato slices and pepperoni into a roughly even layer).
• Shimmy the piece of parchment and pizza into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is blistered and the potatoes are cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a cutting board.
• Finish off by topping generously with red pepper flakes (¼-½ tsp per pizza), a drizzle of honey (½ tsp per pizza), and snipped chives.