Is a classic Margherita your go-to pizza order? Do you think putting pineapple on pizza is pushing the boundaries? If so, prepare to have your mind blown. We've scoured menus from restaurants around the world to reveal the most outrageous pizzas out there. From taco-topped crusts to expensive crustacean creations, we’ve ranked the world’s most over-the-top pizza toppings, counting down to the most shocking of them all.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover our ranking of the world’s most outrageous pizza toppings. How many would you try?
We've based our ranking on the strangeness of each pizza topping, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.
Fried chicken and waffles are an iconic duo in some parts of the world – but the combination of fried chicken, waffles and pizza has yet to achieve the same status. But Cicis Pizza, which has outlets throughout the US, tried to change all that in October 2024. The chain teamed up with US snack brand Kellanova to offer a limited-edition Chicken & Eggo Waffles Pizza, featuring mozzarella, boneless fried chicken pieces, Eggo waffle pieces and a drizzle of maple syrup. It was a real hit, with diners begging for it to come back soon.
Old-school Nova Scotia pizzeria Pictou County Pizza claims to be the inventor of Pictou County pizza (the actual pizza style), which features a mysterious ‘brown sauce’ in place of a tomato base. The restaurant first created the unique topping (known for its rich and tangy flavour) in the 1960s and has been using the same recipe ever since, though pizzerias across the region now also serve their own version. While the exact recipe is a secret, it’s thought to be a combination of tomatoes, onions, flour, chicken broth and beef.
It may not be a new or particularly groundbreaking invention, but cheeseburger pizza deserves credit for combining two classic fast foods and totally conquering the world. It features on menus everywhere, from pizza parlours to Domino's, and has even found its way onto supermarket shelves in the UK. The Domino's version includes all the cheeseburger essentials – cheese, beef, sliced gherkins, onions and burger sauce.
Sweden’s iconic pizza topping isn’t sophisticated, but it sure looks tasty. This unusual fusion pizza features thin slithers of döner kebab meat, mozzarella, peppers and a creamy kebab sauce (kebabsås). The whole thing is finished off with whatever salad you’d normally add to your kebab, from lettuce to cucumber. It dates back to the 1980s, when kebab and falafel restaurants began to crop up throughout Sweden. Stockholm takeaway Pizzahörnet by George is said to make one of Stockholm’s finest, but you can grab a pie from kebab shops all over Sweden.
Pizza Pilgrims' Nutella Pizza Ring makes a strong case for pizza not just being a savoury indulgence. The British chain’s signature dessert brings happy fans a baked pizza dough ring stuffed with copious amounts of Nutella and salted ricotta. The sweet treat is served with vanilla ice cream and a generous Nutella drizzle.
Customers have two options at Pizza Barn: go big or go home. This joint is the home of the 'superslice' – slices of pizza that are a staggering two feet (61cm) long. Some of the flavours on offer are fairly classic, but the further you go down the menu, the more wild the options become. The cheeseburger and fries superslice is loaded with mini cheeseburgers and dotted with French fries. And if that isn't enough food, you can also add a stuffed or garlic crust.
This sweet creation is the signature dessert at Max Brenner. The dessert bar has a flagship Union Square location in New York City, and it features the formidable Chocolate Chunks Pizza on the menu. In addition to the melted white and dark chocolate pieces, there’s a choice of two different toppings: crunchy hazelnut bits, bananas and peanut butter or roasted marshmallows. Or you can go all-out and get the whole lot.
Some might say you can never have too much pizza, and Vinnie's in Brooklyn, New York City agrees. Its trademarked Pizza Box Pizza guarantees 'No waste, as it is all 100% pizza and 100% delicious', thanks to a small pepperoni pie being served in a custom pizza box. That's a pizza box that's literally made from pizza! Going strong since 2016, the pizza box comes with a traditional round pizza inside.
It wouldn't be a pizza feast in Brazil if you didn't order a few dessert pies. Bananas, chocolate, strawberries, apples and more are all commonly used as pizza toppings throughout the country. A slightly more unusual version is the pistachio and Nutella pizza from popular pizzeria La Braciera. It's a regular pizza base filled with pistachio cream and drizzled with hazelnut chocolate – and it could be your new favourite pizza.
When you can't decide what to have on your pizza, this San Antonio joint is ready to step in with a belly-busting 107cm (42in) pizza that offers options galore. Called the Super Topping, the enormous pie features nearly all the toppings the Texan pizzeria offers, including beef, meat, olives, mushrooms and more.
Crazy Pedros in Manchester, England is all about mashing up popular comfort foods and pizza. The MacDaddy (pictured) sports a Big Mac-inspired topping of mini burger patties, burger sauce, gherkins and shredded iceberg lettuce. But it's hardly the only crazy combo on its menu. The Got The Muncheese pizza is topped with red onion marmalade, pesto and beef-flavoured Monster Munch crisps, while the Fried Chicken & Waffle has, well, fried chicken and waffles on it.
Created by Pizzeria Lola owner Ann Kim, the Lady Zaza pizza celebrates Ann's Korean heritage and the ingredients she remembers from her childhood. This pizza is a mouthwatering, umami-rich combination of Italian red sauce, Sakura pork, kimchi, gochujang, spring onions and sesame. If you like, you can even order the pizza parbaked and enjoy it at home.
Whoever had the idea of topping a pizza pie with mac 'n' cheese is a genius, and Pizzanista! in Los Angeles has turned it into a signature dish. Available only on Sundays, the sourdough pizza crust is topped with generous amounts of classic homemade mac 'n' cheese (made with Asiago, fontina and Cheddar cheeses) before the whole thing is baked to bubbling, oozing perfection.
South Korean chain Mr. Pizza offers an array of unusual pizza toppings. The limited-edition offerings here are worth a mention and have previously included a shrimp and sweet potato pizza complete with a cookie dough-stuffed crust and blueberry dipping sauce. Regular menu choices are just as kooky, though. The Seafood Island (pictured here) was such a hit when it was introduced in 2007 that came back for summer 2024. It has a mix of shrimp, squid and deep-fried coconut prawns.
With several outposts in New Jersey, Tony Baloney's has an extensive menu of crazy pizzas (including one with Caesar salad on it), yet nothing beats its Taco Taco Taco. The pizza crust is topped with three types of tacos – marinated steak, chicken and brisket – and it's all finished with a pool of guacamole and a light drizzle of sour cream and horseradish crema.
The Hawaiian pizza has long been the subject of pizza-based controversy. Does pineapple really belong on pizza? Purists will tell you it does not. So there’s no telling what they’d say about Chanti’s Pizza’s version of a Hawaiian pizza – which also includes coconut shavings. Coconut is actually a very popular pizza topping in Costa Rica, paired with everything from mushrooms to shrimp, so perhaps it's time the rest of the world gave this sweet and salty combination a try.
The most popular seasonal pizza at Chicago joint Dimo's, the elote pizza features fresh roasted corn, poblano peppers, cotija cheese, red chilli salt and an incredible house-made coriander and lime mayo. Inspired by the popular Mexican street food snack, the pizza is only available during the summer corn season to ensure it is topped with the juiciest, sweetest kernels.
This is no ordinary pizza. The traditional dough base is swapped for one made from deep-fried rice and toppings include tuna, salmon, crab, avocado, spicy mayonnaise and a soy-wasabi sauce. Sushi pizza is believed to have been created in 1993 by Japanese chef Kaoru Ohsada, at the prestigious Toronto restaurant Nami (where it is still served). These days you can tuck into the popular dish all over Canada.
Available every Friday during Lent, the Fish Fry pizza at Ian's Pizza is inspired by the Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating warm-blooded animals during the month of Lent. The pizza has a tangy tartare sauce and mozzarella base, with French fries, fried fish and a homemade coleslaw topping. Ian's Pizza has outlets in Wisconsin and Washington in the USA.
Fong’s Pizza has a reputation for out-of-the-box pizza toppings and culinary mash-ups. The Chinese-inspired Crab Rangoon Pie is a case in point, topped with surimi fish paste, green onions, crispy wonton strips, sweet chilli sauce, Asiago and mozzarella. Further fusion offerings include the General Tso, complete with General Tso sauce, breaded chicken, water chestnuts, baby corn, roasted red pepper, mozzarella and Asiago.
When the only US outpost of the South Korean pizza chain Mr. Pizza closed, Koreatown Pizza Company took over the Los Angeles location, keeping the wacky menu vibes going without missing a beat. Its Sweet & Savory pizza sees a hash brown crust spread with a condensed milk base, then topped with pineapple, sweet potato and mozzarella and finished with streusel and almond flakes.
One for the seafood lovers, the Serpent pizza at Steveston Pizza Co. is topped with a medley of crustaceans. There are prawns, smoked salmon and four impressive Canadian lobster tails jutting out of the middle. Want additional seafood and even more extravagance? The C6 pizza, pictured, combines tiger prawns, lobster ratatouille, smoked steelhead and Russian Osetra caviar, and is finished with shavings of white truffle. The restaurant needs 24 hours' notice before you order this, though.
Singapore's Da Paolo Pizza Bar is known for its innovative monthly pizza specials, including a Christmassy concoction with Brussels sprouts and a carbonara-inspired option that was so popular it made its way onto the permanent menu. More controversial was this sweet and savoury pizza pie, topped with pan-seared duck liver, redcurrant jam, fresh tomatoes, rocket and a scattering of raspberries.
Every year a countdown appears on the website of Fellini's Pizzeria (which has two locations in Rhode Island) marking the days and hours until its famous Thanksgiving Pizza returns. Only available for the 24 hours before Thanksgiving, the pizza really is the full works. It's topped with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, with cranberry sauce served on the side. In short, a pizza to be thankful for.
The topping – a pretty common combination of melted cheese, pepperoni, peppers and pizza sauce – is not what's outrageous about this pizza. When it comes to the Chizza, it's all about the base, which is made from a boneless KFC chicken fillet. The limited-edition dish first launched in the Philippines in 2015 and has since visited Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Germany, Spain, Mexico and more. It first arrived in the US for a limited time in February 2024.
Guimaras Island in the Philippines is home to breathtaking beaches, stunning waterfalls and arguably the world's sweetest mangoes. And while it's no surprise to find those mangoes in smoothies, shakes and fruit salads, it's a little more unusual to find them on pizza. The Pitstop Restaurant does just that, though, alongside green peppers, cheese, cashews and chilli sauce.
A meat pizza with a difference can be found at outposts of Nordic chain Koti Pizza. Its popular reindeer pizza sees a pie topped with chunks of reindeer meat and finished with reindeer dust. It once apparently went by the alternative name of Pizza Berlusconi – a blatant dig at the late former Italian Prime Minister who, after visiting the country in 2005, said Finnish people only ate marinated reindeer. Three years later, the smoky topping reportedly beat an Italian entry in an international pizza competition, giving the pizza its new name.
Fruit on pizza has been a hot topic of debate for years, but the Swedes have taken it a step further with this banana curry pizza. While the combination of sweet bananas, smoky ham and cheese dusted with curry powder might sound unusual, it’s a staple that can found in the ‘classic’ section at pizza parlours across the country. If you’re tempted, one of the top places to try this particular pie is Formaggio Pizzeria in Stockholm.
Pixza, a social enterprise in Mexico City that supports homeless youth, is all about serving '100% Mexza' pizzas, which are inspired by local dishes. As a result, pizzas are loaded with everything from chilaquiles to street corn with cheese, and even chapulines – a Mexican delicacy made from toasted and marinated grasshoppers (pictured). Pixza’s thin and crispy baked crust also uses a mix of wheat and corn, giving it a deliciously different purple hue.
A very different take on a meat feast pizza, the Coat of Arms at the Australian Heritage Hotel in Sydney combines two unusual proteins: emu and kangaroo. The pizza is then finished with dried tomato, lemon myrtle mayo and red peppers. The pizza's name refers to the fact that an emu and kangaroo both feature on the Australian 50 cent coin. There's also another decidedly Aussie pizza on the menu: the Saltwater Crocodile, which pairs crocodile meat with coconut red curry sauce and spinach.
On National Pizza Day in 2021, Twitter was flooded with images of a pizza topped with mopani worms (a traditional ingredient in Tsonga cuisine). While the pizza in question was posted by a food and lifestyle blogger as a stunt, the idea gained unexpected traction. South African company Matomani, who sell the worms as a sustainable, protein-rich alternative to meat, seized on the idea, creating a Mopani pizza recipe for those brave enough to try it.
Now discover the fascinating history of pizza, and who really invented it