A personal pizza without flour-based dough: a tuna, pecorino and egg base, topped with passata, anchovies, olives and capers.
A golden tuna crust, flavorful passata, melted pecorino, anchovies, Kalamata olives, capers and rosemary. This personal pizza delivers salty, briny flavors without flour-based dough. It contains 5 g of net carbs per serving. Allow about 50 minutes: 10 for preparation, an initial bake of 20 minutes, then a second bake of around 10 minutes at 200 °C. One to file alongside my keto breads and doughs.
What is keto tuna pizza?
It follows the pizza format but replaces the dough with a round of drained tuna, grated pecorino and egg. Carbs stay low, while the hallmarks of pizza remain: a topped base, baked until the cheese melts, then cut into slices. For a more traditional crust, opt for an air fryer pizza.
The base is shaped into a compact round: the tuna provides structure, the egg sets with heat, and the pecorino seasons and binds. Onion or garlic powder, paprika and rosemary add flavor without adding moisture. After an initial bake, add a thin layer of passata, a little pecorino, half a thinly sliced red onion, anchovies, Kalamata olives, capers and rosemary. The result is firm, protein-rich and golden around the edges.
The low-carb approach
The structure relies on tuna, egg and pecorino, which provide plenty of protein and fat. The result depends on a base dry enough to hold together and boldly flavored toppings: well-squeezed tuna packs together better, the egg coagulates and stabilizes it, and the pecorino binds and seasons. Baking twice at 200 °C first sets the base, then melts and browns the cheese on top.
The main ingredients
Success comes down to managing moisture and salt. A 160 g can yields about 100 g of drained tuna, then 75 to 80 g after drying with paper towels: overly wet tuna weakens the base. Allow 90 g of pecorino, 50 g in the base and 40 g on top. The egg binds, while onion or garlic powder, paprika and dried rosemary season without adding water.
Keep the toppings modest: two tablespoons of passata spread thinly, half a small red onion, thinly sliced, four anchovy fillets for a briny umami touch, five Kalamata olives cut into pieces, a teaspoon of capers and two pinches of rosemary. With the pecorino, anchovies, olives and capers, extra salt is unnecessary.
Carbs, texture and serving
Without flour, the carbs in the base drop sharply; the tuna, egg and pecorino provide protein and fat. Aim for a firm base, set enough to move from the baking sheet to a wire rack, with golden edges and a browned cheese topping, without letting the crust get too dark. Serve straight from the oven, before the tomato and toppings soften the base. A handful of dressed arugula or a squeeze of lemon adds freshness. In the same spirit, try these air fryer recipes: a fish fillet, salmon or tuna tataki.
Explore all my keto recipes.
Keto Pizza with a Tuna Crust
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 small can tuna 160 g, about 100 g drained weight
- 50 g Pecorino
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon onion powder or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
Toppings
- 2 tablespoons passata
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 40 g Pecorino
- 0.5 small red onion
- 4 fillets anchovies from a small can or jar
- 5 Kalamata olives
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 2 pinches rosemary
Optional for the crust
- 1 teaspoon salt (Celtic sea salt) if the toppings do not include (salty) anchovies and olives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the oven rack now as well; you will need it later.
- Drain the tuna in a small sieve.1 small can tuna
- Meanwhile, grate the Pecorino. Use 90 grams in total: 50 for the crust and the rest for the topping.50 g Pecorino, 40 g Pecorino
- Pat the tuna dry with paper towels. Repeat a few times until about 75 to 80 grams remain.
- Place the tuna in a mixing bowl. Mix in the cheese and egg.1 egg, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt (Celtic sea salt)
- Use your hands to form a ball, flatten it and shape the “dough” into a pizza.
- Make sure the edges don’t become too thin. I usually push the edges inward a little to create a very small raised rim. A thin edge will burn.
- Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Let cool briefly, then place on the oven rack.
- Pour the olive oil into a small bowl. Brush the edges of the pizza with the oil using a pastry brush.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Spread 2 tablespoons of passata over the top using the back of a spoon. Leave the oiled edges uncovered.2 tablespoons passata
- Sprinkle the cheese over the tomato sauce.
- Cut the olives into pieces. Top the pizza with the olive pieces, anchovies and capers.0.5 small red onion, 4 fillets anchovies, 5 Kalamata olives, 1 teaspoon capers
- Sprinkle with dried green herbs.2 pinches rosemary
- Return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.
