The Bold Sauce To Add On Pizza For A Complex And Exciting Mexican Twist

Pizza is traditionally made with three ingredients (dough, red sauce, and mozzarella), but variations exist. These days, you can put all kinds of underrated toppings on your dough (and there are plenty of dough alternatives, too). When you're craving something with a Mexican twist, try replacing classic pizza sauce with a mole base.

When discussing the unexpected pizza toppings that are actually delicious, Jorge Sandoval of Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Co told Chowhound that "mole on a pizza works well because the mole pizza is a flavorful substitute for tomato sauce." Sandoval adds that, at his establishment, they also add a blend of mozzarella and Oaxaca to the pizza (the latter is similar in taste and texture to mozzarella and is traditionally made in Mexico). Beyond the sauce and cheese, you can build out on the Mexican flavors of this pizza with anything from sliced avocado to red onion, roasted tomatoes, or even a little Cotija cheese for garnish. As for meats, shredded beef or chicken both work well with mole.

Mole is a robust Mexican sauce that's slow cooked to bring out the most flavor. There are plenty of ways to make it, but mole poblano is common in the United States. It's darker in color and made using poblano peppers — and often a hint of Mexican chocolate. It usually contains other ingredients, such as onions, garlic, and even nuts. While it's one of the most common mole types in the United States, it's certainly not the only one of Mexican origin.

Other moles include mole negro and mole verde. The former is a much darker mole than the poblano version and, while it's also sweetened with chocolate, it gets much of its flavor from hoja santa (a medicinal Mexican herb with a slightly peppery flavor). Mole verde, on the other hand, is herbier than other versions and made with tomatillos, cilantro, and parsley, among other leaves. Even guacamole is technically a type of mole, hence the name. If you choose to make mole at home, you can easily freeze it to make mole pizzas any time you want.