A Fancy Twist on Pizza Night: Crispy, Chewy Fried Pizzas

If you’re looking to shake things up on your next pizza night, this recipe might just become your new favourite. Italian fried pizzas are a little different from your usual slice – golden, crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, they’re utterly irresistible and surprisingly simple to make at home.

This particular recipe is one of the many comforting, satisfying, and joy-sparking meals from The Britalian Diet book. Like everything in the book, it's designed to be full of flavour, easy to love, and still light enough to fit within a balanced lifestyle.

Fancy Fried Pizza

Serves 4 (makes 8–10 pizzas) | 241 calories per pizza | Total time (prep & cooking): 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g ready-to-roll pizza dough

• 200g passata or tinned chopped tomatoes

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• 200g fresh mozzarella, diced or mini balls

• 250g sunflower oil (for frying)

• A few fresh basil leaves

• Olive oil

• Salt

  
  

Method

1. Start with the sauce: in a pan, combine the passata or chopped tomatoes with oregano, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Simmer gently for around 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and rich. Keep warm.

   
   

2. Divide the dough into 8–10 balls and gently stretch each one into a small round on a floured surface.

   
   

3. Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan or fryer over medium heat. To check it’s ready, drop in a small bit of dough - if it sizzles, you're good to go.

   
   

4. Fry two dough rounds at a time for around 4 minutes per side, or until beautifully golden. Use tongs and a slotted spoon to carefully turn and remove them. Let them drain on paper towels and keep warm.

   
   

5. Once all your bases are fried, top each one with warm tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a few torn basil leaves. A little grind of salt and pepper never goes amiss.

   
   

And there you have it - a batch of glorious fried pizzas that taste like sunshine and holidays in Naples.

They’re proof that healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up joyful food - it’s about making smart, satisfying choices. And yes, pizza can be part of that.

If you enjoyed this recipe, there’s so much more to discover in The Britalian Diet - including other takes on Italian favourites, clever meal planning tips, and a whole philosophy designed to help you feel good, not guilty.

I'd love you to share your fried pizzas over on Instagram if you decide to make them this Friday or over the weekend. I might do the same so keep an eye on my Instagram account!