Spicy Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza

If you’re going to make a sausage pizza at home, you might as well make it the best one you’ve ever had! This spicy sausage and pepperoni pizza is everything I want in a Friday night dinner: bubbling cheese, a perfectly browned crust, and two of my all-time favorite meat toppings piled on together. Once you try it homemade, delivery starts to feel like a real downgrade.

The Best Sausage Pizza You’ll Make at Home

I’ve always been a meat lover when it comes to pizza–sorry, not sorry! If I’m building a pizza, sausage and pepperoni are non-negotiables, so combining them both into one spicy, cheesy situation was just inevitable. This is the pizza I make when I want something that feels a little over-the-top without the wait. Anyone else near DC know the delivery struggle is real? By the time the pizza actually shows up, I could’ve made two from scratch.

What makes this recipe work is the balance between the two proteins. Spicy Italian sausage brings a bold, fennel-forward heat, while pepperoni crisps up around the edges in the oven and adds a salty, slightly smoky bite. Together, they’re a combination that hits every note I want in a great sausage and pepperoni pizza.

The other thing that makes a huge difference? Making your own dough. I have a Pizza Dough Blend recipe that I’ve been using for years that makes two batches, one to use now and one to freeze for next time. That said, a good store-bought dough works perfectly fine if you’re short on time. No judgment here!

How to Make Spicy Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza

This comes together in under 25 minutes, which I love because it’s so much faster than delivery, and it’s still hot when it gets to my plate. Simply flour your pizza pan, stretch the dough (no rolling pin needed!), layer on your toppings, and bake until golden brown and bubbly. I always recommend letting your pizza rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. I know it’s hard to wait, but this keeps all the cheese from sliding right off!

What Kind of Sausage is Best for Pizza?

This comes up all the time, and the answer really depends on how much heat you want.

• Spicy Italian sausage is my top pick for this recipe. It has the right fat content to render beautifully in the oven and brings a kick that plays off the pepperoni. It’s the same sausage I use in my Spicy Pizza Pasta, which, if you love this pizza, you absolutely need to try next.
• Mild Italian sausage works great if you’re feeding a heat-sensitive crowd. You still get all that savory, herby flavor, but without the extra spice.
• Fennel sausage is a classic pizza parlor choice and adds a really lovely and slightly anise-forward depth.
• Breakfast sausage works in a pinch. It’s not traditional, but it does make for a fun flavor. You can crack some eggs on top just before going in the oven for a Breakfast Pizza situation.

Whatever you choose, cook and crumble it before it goes on the pizza to ensure it’s fully cooked through.

Is Pepperoni a Type of Sausage?

Funny enough, yes! Pepperoni is technically an American variety of salami, which is a type of cured sausage. It’s made from a blend of pork and beef that’s seasoned with paprika and chili pepper, which gives it that signature reddish color and mild heat. So when you’re making a sausage and pepperoni pizza, you’re really doubling down on the sausage love, just in two very different forms.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover pizza keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly.

The best way to reheat pizza (please, not the microwave): Warm a skillet over medium heat, place a slice in the pan, cover with a lid, and heat for 3-4 minutes. The bottom gets crispy again, and the cheese melts back to perfection. If you’re reheating several slices at once, a 375°F oven for about 8 minutes does the trick.

And once you’ve devoured every last slice, you also have to try my Pizza-Stuffed Chicken. It has all those same flavors packed into a juicy weeknight chicken dinner.

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