Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Mains | Vegan
Kimchi Pizza
Kimchi pizza is a fusion of Italian and Korean flavors blended together for one of the most unique pizza flavors. Easily customize it to include your favorite toppings.
Looking for more Korean dishes? Try my quick Korean coleslaw, Korean inspired beef bulgogi bowl, or 2 minute kimchi mayo.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this fusion pizza:
- Pizza dough – my pizza dough recipe makes enough for 4 large pizzas or 6 individual pizzas, whether you’re feeding a crowd or want to freeze it for later use.
- Crushed tomatoes – for the base of the pizza sauce.
- Gochujang paste – a fermented Korean chili paste that packs some heat. However, the quantity used in this recipe doesn’t make the sauce spicy.
- Extra virgin olive oil – just like when used in marinara sauce, it adds richness to the sauce.
- Toasted sesame oil – gives the sauce another layer of flavor. A little goes a long way.
- Garlic – a huge flavor in both Italian and Korean cuisines.
- Kosher salt – to bring out all the flavors in the pizza.
- Pinch of sugar – to balance out the flavors.
- Toppings – shredded mozzarella cheese (dairy-free or regular), chopped kimchi, mushrooms, bacon, sliced scallions – green part only, and toasted sesame seeds for an added crunch.
How to Make Kimchi Pizza: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 500°F/260°C and place a pizza stone or an inverted rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack.
- Make the sauce. Mix together the crushed tomatoes, gochujang paste, olive oil, minced garlic, toasted sesame oil, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
- Saute mushrooms. Cook the sliced mushrooms in a skillet over medium heat with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil for about 3-5 minutes This helps prevent them from drying out in the oven.
- Roll out dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pizza dough into a circular shape and then transfer it to a floured (or use cornmeal) pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Prepare pizza. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce onto the dough, about ¼ – ⅓ cup, leaving about ½-inch space around the edges. Follow with the shredded cheese and the rest of your toppings.
- Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes and then put under the broiler for an additional 2-3 minutes (if needed) until the crust is golden brown.
- Garnish. Top with toasted sesame seeds and more sliced green onions if desired.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t have a pizza stone and a pizza peel? Use a rimmed baking sheet flipped upside down (as seen in the photos). Just make sure to preheat it when you turn the oven on like you would a preheated pizza stone and be really careful when assembling your pizza on it.
Quick Tip: If you have time, make your own pizza dough for the best flavor. You can store leftovers in the freezer and take it out whenever you have a hankering for pizza.
Storage
Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this kimchi pizza recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- Make it gluten-free – make sure to use a gluten-free pizza crust as well as gluten-free gochujang (some brands do contain wheat).
- Make it vegan – use dairy-free cheese and swap out the bacon for plant-based protein or omit it completely.
- Make it even quicker – use your favorite store-bought pizza dough and cook the bacon in advance.
- No gochujang paste? – although there’s no direct substitute for its unique flavor, check out gochujang substitutes for ideas.
- Variations – swap out the toppings to include any of your favorite ingredients such as sauteed napa cabbage, bok choy, sliced red onions, etc.
- Gochujang tomato sauce add-ins – fish sauce for extra umami, rice vinegar for tang, or gochugaru flakes for more spice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on Korean pizza?
Korean pizza toppings often include some type of pork, mushrooms, scallions/green onions, gochujang, and garlic. Along with a drizzle of mayonnaise. You’ll also sometimes see pickles, which help to cut through the richness of the other toppings.
Do I need any special equipment to make this homemade kimchi pizza?
No, you just need a few kitchen basics such as a chef’s knife, cutting board, skillet, measuring spoons, and a rolling pin.
To bake the pizza you’ll either need an inverted sheet pan or a pizza stone and peel.
What does Korean pizza taste like?
Just like Korean food, it’s a balance of sweet, salty, umami, and sour flavors.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
I hope you love this Kimchi Pizza! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!
Kimchi Pizza
This kimchi pizza is a fusion of Italian and Korean flavors blended together for one of the most unique pizza flavors. Easily customize it to include your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough see notes below
- flour or cornmeal to prevent sticking
Gochujang Tomato Sauce (about ¼ – ⅓ cup per pizza)
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt reduce by half if your tomatoes are salted or you're using any other kind of salt
- pinch of granulated sugar
Toppings Per Pizza
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded dairy-free or regular
- 2 pieces cooked bacon crumbled
- ½ cup cooked mushrooms such as shiitake, portobello, cremini, or oyster sliced
- ⅓ cup kimchi, sliced
- 1-2 scallions (green part only) thinly sliced
- toasted sesame seeds to garnish optional
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 500°F/260°C and place a pizza stone or an inverted rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack.
- Make the sauce. Mix together the crushed tomatoes, gochujang paste, olive oil, minced garlic, toasted sesame oil, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
- Saute mushrooms. Cook the sliced mushrooms in a skillet over medium heat with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil for about 3-5 minutes This helps prevent them from drying out in the oven.
- Roll out dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pizza dough into a circular shape and then transfer it to a floured (or use cornmeal) pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Prepare pizza. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce onto the dough, about ¼ – ⅓ cup, leaving about ½-inch space around the edges. Follow with the shredded cheese and the rest of your toppings.
- Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes and then put under the broiler for an additional 2-3 minutes (if needed) until the crust is golden brown.
- Garnish. Top with toasted sesame seeds and more sliced green onions if desired.
Notes
My pizza dough recipe makes 4 large thin crust pizzas or 6 individual pizzas. The pizza measurements are for 1 large pizza.
Sauce: the gochujang tomato sauce makes about 1 ¾ cups.
Toppings: the measurements are just there as guidance, use more or less as desired.
Ohmigoodness! This exceeded ALL expectations! I can’t believe how incredible the flavors all work together. There is a perfect amount of heat. Bravo! I made exactly as is and WILL make again and again!