14 Underrated Meats You Should Start Putting On Your Pizza

Pizza has a long history, from the time humans were throwing unleavened bread against a hot rock and topping it with herbs to the working man's food sold in the streets of Napoli to the Margherita pizza created for a queen. Simply put, it has evolved through the ages. When it finally made its way to the U.S., it became a beloved food and a favorite way to spend a Friday night or celebrate a big game together.

In Italy, pizza is topped with thin slices of salty prosciutto, spicy salami, and other cured meats. But in the U.S., pepperoni pizza is king. Pepperoni pizza is the number one pizza in the U.S., and the protein is considered the quintessential pizza topping. Italian sausage takes second place on the list. But there are many ways to enjoy meaty pizzas, from a Supreme with everything on it to a Meat Lovers with all the fixings to the controversial Hawaiian style. Pizza will never go out of style.

If you love pizza, eating it, making it, and talking about it, then you will enjoy looking at new ways to make an old favorite. Pepperoni, sausage, and Canadian bacon are perfect on a hot slice, but there are other meaty ways to top your pie. Whether you like your meat smoky, spicy, lean, or gamey, we have a list of underrated meats you should start putting on your pizza. Adventurous eaters may even find their new favorite meaty pizza topping.

If you like Greek food, chances are you have tried gyros. Gyro sandwiches are made with seasoned meat roasted on cones, then sliced and piled into warm pita bread with tangy dill tzatziki sauce. But tasty gyros meat isn't just for gyros; you can add it to a pizza and make a Greek-inspired pizza.

Gyros can be made with different meats, including beef, chicken, lamb, and pork. Traditionally, in Greece and Turkey, gyros are made with lamb, while in the U.S., they are often made with a beef mix or a mix of meats, including pork. Chicken gyros are now making their way onto the gyro scene partly because they are considered healthier meat and because of their connection to a similar but different food in shawarma.

If you want to try gyro meat on your pizza but don't have a roasting cone — and most of us don't have a roasting cone at home — you can buy prepared gyro meat at most international shops and even online. The best way to add gyro meat to pizza is to go Greek and combine it with Kalamata olives, marinated artichokes, chunks of feta cheese, and bright sun-dried tomatoes for a new take on classic pizza.

Lamb has never been a popular meat in the U.S., which is a shame because it is a great source of protein. More so, you can use it in many different ways, from chops to steaks to kebabs and even pizza.

The protein is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, and if you want to start adding it to your regular diet, a great way to do that is on pizza. Adding ground lamb to pizza is not new; a popular Turkish food, lahmacun, sometimes called Turkish pizza, turns lamb into a tasty pizza topping. While lahmacun is similar to pizza because it is served on a flatbread dough and baked with meat and spices, it differs from pizza because it is made without cheese and is not cut into slices like pizza. Rather, it is rolled up like a burrito. If you want to get the best of both worlds, add some ground lamb and Mediterranean spices to your pizza, sprinkle on some cheese, and enjoy this culinary fusion of pizza styles and flavors.

Additionally, lamb sausages are another excellent way to add lamb to pizza. You can pair slices of lamb sausage with other Mediterranean flavors like marinated artichokes and olives with creamy goat cheese for a super decadent pie.

Meatballs are a classic Italian food, but you won't find this classic food on pizza in Italy. In Italy, meatballs are their own dish served solo, simmering in red sauce, but once meatballs made it to America, all bets were off. From meatball sandwiches to spaghetti and meatballs, the Italian-American community made a big splash in American cuisine with these delicious creations. Just because in Italy meatballs aren't added to pizza doesn't mean you can't do it. Modern pizzaiolos have been adding these tasty meaty treats to pizzas with huge success.

To start, many stores carry frozen meatballs that are already prepared, but if you want to top your pizza with the best, you can make them yourself at home. You don't need any special equipment and the best part is you can customize them. Traditionally meatballs are made with a mix of beef and pork, but nowadays, there are plenty of ways to make them fit different dietary guidelines, including gluten-free and plant-based.

The best way to add savory meatballs to pizza is with just one or two other toppings to let the meaty goodies be the star of the pizza. Pair meatballs with crisp sweet peppers or tangy red onions for a match made in pizza heaven.

While you are probably familiar with many pork products, from bacon to sausage to tenderloin, pork belly is new for many home chefs. It should make its way onto more menus because it is just as tasty as the ever so popular bacon. Both bacon and pork belly come from the belly of the pig, but pork belly requires a different cooking method because it is fatty meat. The best way to cook pork belly is low and slow, though braising, smoking, and deep frying are options too. When pork belly is cooked just right, it has a melt in your mouth flavor that you will love on a pizza.

If that sounds like too much effort, you can find precooked pork belly at most supermarkets. The best way to add pork belly to pizza is to start by thinking about texture. This rich fatty meat is tender and pairs well with contrasting textures like crisp peppers, tangy red onions, or peppery arugula. If you are pro pineapple on pizza, try swapping out the Canadian bacon for a twist on the classic Hawaiian pizza with a pork belly and pineapple pie.

If you go to any deli, you can find sandwiches piled high with pastrami. This tender deli staple starts as a brisket and is then brined, boiled, rubbed with spices, smoked, and then boiled again before it ever graces your sandwich. With all that preparation, you know pastrami has a taste that is worth the effort. And if it's good between two slices of bread, you know it will be good on top of pizza.

Luckily all you have to do is make a trip to the local supermarket or your favorite deli to grab some pastrami slices to add to your pizza. Since pastrami is such a flavorful meat, it should be the focus of the pizza with just one or two additional toppings. Try cutting thin slices of pastrami and adding them to your pizza with deli-inspired toppings like sweet pickles and sharp red onion to go along with a drizzle of tangy mustard to pull the whole shebang together. You won't regret it.

Elk meat has recently been getting a lot of buzz as a healthier alternative to beef. Many compare it to venison as both elk and deer are in the same family, but elk meat has a more mild flavor and is less gamey than venison. And thanks to popular podcaster, comedian, and elk hunter Joe Rogan, who has filled his Instagram with pictures of him smoking this game meat, he is making it cool to eat elk.

If you want to try adding elk meat to pizza, but you aren't a hunter, don't worry; you can buy elk at some butchers or find it online from farms. Wild elk meat has a unique flavor compared to farm-raised elk, which is considered by many to be much tastier since they eat a controlled diet to ensure the meat reaches its flavor potential.

Like venison, adding elk meat to pizza is as easy as slicing up some elk sausage. But if you want to get a true taste of this meat, try grilled elk steaks. It's important that you cook it between rare and medium rare since elk meat is lean, and overcooking it makes it dry and tough. Cut into thin slices and add to your pizza with pungent Gorgonzola cheese and earthy mushrooms for a wild experience.

Duck is less popular than other members of the poultry family, like chicken and turkey, both of which dominate the grocery aisles. But this underrated meat should be used more in the culinary world. Duck meat is a tasty protein that is technically categorized as a white meat, but it actually cooks more similarly to red meat. Unlike turkey and chicken, duck is a waterfowl, and their meat is surrounded by a thick layer of fat, giving it a richer, more intense flavor, which is ideal for a pizza.

Unfortunately, you might have to take a trip to your local butcher to find fresh dusk or order online. Most supermarkets don't carry it due to low demand, and popular chain Trader Joe's stopped carrying duck meat after being pressured by animal activists.

When you do find duck meat, you should try duck breast sausages which are easy to add to pizza. Additionally, duck breast prosciutto is another excellent way to add duck to pizza.