Roasted Poblano Pizza is a fast, flavorful option for pizza night. To make preparation even easier, most components can be prepared ahead of time and assembled on a premade thin-crust pizza shell. Salty, crisp bacon; sweet, tender onion; smoky roasted poblano peppers; creamy avocado; and a bright cilantro-lime pesto come together to create a pizza that’s fresh, balanced, and reliably delicious.
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Why this recipe works
This roasted poblano pizza shines because the flavors complement each other: the smoky, slightly sweet poblano; the savory crunch of bacon; the bite of thinly sliced onion; and the freshness of cilantro and lime in the pesto. The combination feels bright and layered without being fussy, and most components can be prepped in advance so assembly is quick when you’re ready to bake.
Poblano peppers are a favorite for their mild heat and smoky profile. When roasted and peeled, their flavor deepens and pairs especially well with rich or tangy ingredients. On this pizza, the poblano’s mild warmth provides a wonderful contrast to creamy avocado and melting mozzarella.
Are poblano peppers hot?
No. Poblanos are near the low end of the Scoville scale, typically 1,000–2,000 Scoville Heat Units. They can sometimes have a gentle kick, but they’re much milder than jalapeños, serranos, or Thai chiles. Their naturally smoky, slightly fruity flavor intensifies with roasting, making them an excellent choice for pizzas, dips, and salsas.
About the ingredients
The ingredient list is straightforward and forgiving. Most items can be readied a day ahead: roast and peel the poblanos, cook and crumble the bacon, thinly slice the onion, and blend the cilantro pesto. When it’s time to bake, assemble everything on a thin, precooked crust and finish on a hot pizza stone or baking sheet.
- Precooked thin pizza shell — choose a brand that crisps well.
- Poblano peppers — roasted, peeled, and sliced.
- Bacon — cooked until crisp and crumbled.
- Onion — thinly sliced (white or sweet onion works well).
- Cilantro pesto — a quick blend of cilantro, lime, garlic, and olive oil gives freshness and zip.
- Mozzarella cheese — shredded, part-skim or whole-milk depending on preference.
- Avocado — sliced and added after baking for creaminess.
- Fresh cracked black pepper — to finish.
Tips
If you don’t prep everything ahead of time, you can still be efficient: roast the poblanos under the broiler while you cook the bacon, make the pesto, and slice the onion. These tasks are quick and can often be completed while the peppers steam in a bag after charring.
For a crisp crust, preheat a pizza stone in the oven so it’s thoroughly hot before you slide the pizza on. If you don’t like cilantro, substitute Italian (flat-leaf) parsley for a milder herb note — avoid curly parsley, which lacks the same flavor intensity.
This recipe uses a premade crust. If you prefer to make dough from scratch, try a beer pizza dough or a classic homemade pizza dough recipe, and pair it with a robust red-wine-and-garlic pizza sauce for variety.
Roasted Poblano Pizza
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Equipment
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pizza stone
Ingredients
- 1 thin precooked pizza shell
- 3 poblano peppers
- 4 slices bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
- ¼ white onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Cilantro Pesto
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 slices avocado
- 2 pinches fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
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Heat the broiler. Roast and char the poblanos under the broiler, turning every couple of minutes, until the skins are blistered and lightly charred. Transfer the peppers to a sealed bag and let them steam for 5–10 minutes, then peel away the skins, remove seeds, and slice into 1/4-inch strips.
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Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a pizza stone or baking sheet inside so it gets hot.
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Remove the hot stone or baking sheet from the oven and place the precooked crust on it. Spread the cilantro pesto over the crust, then layer the roasted poblano slices, crumbled bacon, sliced onion, and shredded mozzarella.
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Return the stone and pizza to the oven and bake for about 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the crust is crisp.
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Remove the pizza from the oven, slice into 8 pieces, top each slice with a piece of avocado, and finish with fresh cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.