Dirty Hawaiian Pizza Recipe: A Sweet and Savory Delight

Hawaiian Pizza is such an easy homemade pizza recipe! This recipe actually turned me on to pineapple pizza - it’s such a polarizing flavor combo! I love a good Hawaiian Pizza! If you’re a Hawaiian pizza lover, this easy recipe is for you! Cheesy, fresh, and so delicious. We’re big fans of cheesy and bubbly Hawaiian pizza over here!

The flavor contrast between the sweet pineapples and the savory ham and cheese is absolutely amazing. I know that pineapple on pizza can be a point of disagreement among many people. I think it’s a great topping, especially when you’re using it fresh. This delicious homemade Hawaiian pizza is very easy to make and perfect for any occasion. Made with fresh pineapples, ham, and spices as the toppings.

Here it is, the world-famous Hawaiian Pizza. It is solely responsible for creating one of the biggest food debates out there. So? What do you think? You can’t beat this salty/sweet combination of savory ham and bacon along with juicy pineapple.

Have you ever had a time where you have to eat your words? A time when you’ve said you positively absolutely never-ever-ever would like something and then you try it and, shock of all shocks, you DO like it? I’ve always said pineapple didn’t belong on pizza….but I was wrong. Hawaiian pizza is delicious - especially with BACON on it! It’s EASY to make, I promise!

You can make this with my easy homemade pizza dough recipe, or with store bought dough to make it a 30-minute meal! You can make your own dough or use store-bought! If making your own pizza dough at home, make my pizza dough recipe until step 9. You only need one pizza dough ball for this recipe. You can also use store-bought dough, see note below.

If you’re scared of working with yeast - don’t be. Once you do it a few times you’ll be amazed at how simple it is. I’m all for making pizza dough from scratch! My pizza dough recipe is made with only a few ingredients, including bread flour and active dry yeast.

Here’s another idea: See if your local pizza store sells pizza dough. My local pizzeria makes this amazing pizza dough that I absolutely love, and they sell it for about the same price as store-bought dough. It always comes in handy during busy nights.

I love making Hawaiian pizza at home because I can always make sure to use freshly cut pineapple for the topping. Using fresh rather than canned pineapples makes a huge difference, trust me! You will love this cheesy, sweet and savory pizza!

Fun and good food?! I hope you like this easy Hawaiian pizza recipe as much as I do.

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

Key Ingredients for the Best Hawaiian Pizza

Mozzarella Cheese: It’s very important to shred your own for the best melting. Mozzarella: Low Moisture Whole Milk mozzarella shredded from a block is definitely best for this recipe, it melts very well. Cheese that comes pre-shredded has a coating on it that makes it not melt as easily!
Ham or Canadian Bacon: Use what you like but quality matters. Ham: Ham or Canadian Bacon are perfect in this recipe.
Pineapple: I’d recommend using freshly diced pineapples. It tastes fresher and much better than anything canned or frozen! Use fresh pineapple. It adds a touch of freshness with no artificial flavors. Pineapple: Be sure to pat the pineapple nice and dry on paper towels as they contain a lot of moisture. Slice each pineapple chunk into 2 thinner slices and place them in between paper towels. They contain a lot of moisture, so we want to absorb the excess juice before adding them to the pizza.
Crumbled bacon: I love bacon on this pizza! The flavors go really well with each other.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making the Pizza Dough

To make homemade pizza dough, you need to pick the right yeast: Instant Yeast!
Whisk together 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
Add oil to the water and pour into dry ingredients.
Stir until well blended, about 1 minute.
Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
Knead dough on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
Cover and rest the dough for 10 minutes.

Preparing the Pizza

Preheat oven to 475°F if using a baking sheet or pizza pan or to 500°F if using a pizza stone.
Place the pan in the oven while the oven preheats.
Preheat oven to 450° F. Note: If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven while the oven reheats for more even cooking and a browner, crispier crust.
Stretch and pat dough with floured hands to desired size (makes a 12-inch pizza).
Spread the dough into an even 12-inch circle. Poke holes in it with a fork to prevent the crust from bubbling up in the oven.
Assemble the pizza on parchment paper for easy transfer to the hot pan.
Spread with pizza sauce. Top with cheese.
Top with pizza sauce, then with the mozzarella. Add the ham, pineapple and bacon.
Spread pizza dough with sauce. Top with cheese. Sprinkle with ham, bacon, pineapple, pickled peppers and Aloha® Peppers. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Top with ham, bacon, and pineapple.
Cook bacon over low heat until crispy on each side. Crumble and set aside.
Carefully transfer the pizza on the parchment to the heated pan.
Bake for 13 minutes and remove from the oven.
Combine the melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Brush it over the crust and return it to the oven.
Bake for 2-3 more minutes, or until the crust begins to brown.
Brush the crust with melted butter/garlic/Parmesan and bake for 2-3 more minutes.
Garnish with red pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley.
Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, parsley, and oregano.

Tips for the Perfect Pizza

Preheat your oven to a HIGH temperature - this ensures a cooked crust and a crunchy crust too! Make sure your oven is preheated at 475 degrees F.
Bake at a high oven temperature: 475 degrees F is what I’d recommend (450 degrees F is fine too, but the crust won’t get very crispy and golden brown on the outside).
How do you know when pizza is done baking? You’ll know it’s done because it’ll be golden around the edges and the cheese will be bubbling. Just wait a few minutes and then slice and eat!
Pat try the pineapples thoroughly before adding them to the pizza. This will prevent excess moisture from forming as it bakes.
To prevent soggy pizza, brush it with olive oil before adding the pizza sauce.
Nobody likes soggy pizza. The main reason for soggy pizza is usually the pizza sauce being absorbed into the crust as it bakes. The solution is simple! Before adding the pizza sauce over the dough, brush it with some olive oil. Not too much, just a thin layer.
For this Hawaiian pizza, also be sure to thoroughly pat dry the diced pineapples right before adding them to the pizza.
Another thing I like to do is pricking the dough all over with a fork.
After you have brushed the dough with olive oil and pricked it with a fork (as directed in step 9 of my homemade pizza dough recipe), add the toppings. Start pizza sauce, then the cheese, ham, pineapple, and oregano.
You can adjust the topping quantities, but don’t overfill it, as this can make the pizza soggy. Important: Thoroughly pat dry the pineapples before adding in order to prevent excess moisture.
Store-bought pizza dough: You can use your favorite store-bought pizza dough. Be sure to brush the dough with some olive oil and prick it with a fork. The olive oil will prevent it from getting soggy, and pricking it with a fork will prevent hot air bubbles from forming in the oven.

Fresh vs Canned Pineapple?

You can use both! Canned pineapple tidbits are convenient and consistent, but fresh pineapple offers a superior tartness that cuts through the fatty bacon perfectly. If using fresh, make sure it is fully ripe (it should smell sweet at the base) and cut it into small, uniform 1/2-inch chunks for even baking.

Melted Garlic Butter

I also make a melted garlic butter to brush around the borders prior to baking. It really adds a lot of buttery flavors that I love on pizza. Make the melted butter by combining the melted butter with the garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Brush the borders with the melted garlic butter.