21 Best Deep Dish Pizza Recipes

Check out the 21 Best Deep Dish Pizza Recipes, including Chicago-style, Keto, gluten-free, cast iron, Detroit-style, copycat recipes and more!

April 5th is National Deep Dish Pizza Day! You must celebrate by visiting your favorite deep dish pizza establishment and having an indulgent pizza meal. You can also make your favorite deep dish pizza at home. Browse through the 21 best deep dish pizza recipes, and choose your favorite!

Share the pizza love on social media today using the hashtags #NationalDeepDishPizzaDay, #DeepDishPizzaDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my April Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of April!

“If the English had deep dish pizza, they could have kept their empire.”
-Daniel Pinkerton

The History of Deep Dish Pizza:

Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo are known to have invented Chicago deep-dish pizza. Their thought was to bake pizza in a pan, with dough crawling up the sides. Because the crust was so deep, more and more toppings were added and the pizza had to be cooked in the oven for a longer time. To avoid burning the cheese, Sewell and Riccardo decided to invert the toppings: the dough is first loaded with cheese (normally mozzarella), then meat, vegetables and finally tomato sauce spooned on top. These two used their love for business and Italian cuisine and opened The Pizzeria in Chicago in 1943. Soon thereafter, the founders renamed it Pizzeria Riccardo. In 1955, it became Pizzeria Uno. It eventually grew into a global chain now called Uno’s Pizzeria & Grill.

Another Chicago pizza family often claims they are the true originators. Adolpho Malnati Sr, a former employee at Pizzeria Uno, has maintained that deep dish pizza was his idea. After a bit of tension between the families, Malnati’s son Lou left Pizzeria Uno to start a new deep-dish pizza establishment. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria opened in 1971 in Lincolnwood.

Like Malnati, many of the original cooks and employees who started at Pizzeria Uno went on to open more great pizza restaurants in Chicago: Gino’s East, Pizano’s, Delisi’s Pizza and Louisa’s Pizza.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza by RecipeGirl: Try this easy, detailed deep dish pizza with step-by-step directions and a how to video for a thick and buttery, flaky crust and a rich, chunky tomato sauce, with plenty of gooey cheese.

fingers taking out slice of deep dish pizza

Cajun Chicken Sausage Deep Dish Pizza by Dude That Cookz: When you want to take a round trip to Chicago with a layover in south Louisiana, give this pizza a try!

Cheesy Meatball Deep Dish Pizza by Food For a Year: This pizza is made using a favorite pizza dough recipe and only 3 additional ingredients.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza with Spinach by Savory Tooth: This is homemade deep dish pizza with spinach from scratch. The dough is easy to prepare and the filling can be made of your favorite pizza toppings.

spatula taking out slice of chicago style deep dish pizza out of pan

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza with Sausage and Pepperoni by Cooking with Cocktail Rings: In this recipe, the thick dough is pressed into a pan (or a seasoned cast-iron skillet) followed by the toppings (in this case the pepperoni and sausage), and then the chunky tomato sauce.

pulling out slice of deep dish biscuit pizza with cheese oozing

Deep Dish Biscuit Pizza by Brown Eyed Baker: This pizza has all of the great flavor of a traditional deep dish pizza made easier with a homemade biscuit dough crust!

deep dish cast iron pizza cut into slices

Stuffed Crust Cast Iron Pizza by A Beautiful Mess: This pizza recipe is extra special, but it’s also very easy to make.

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole by Cheeky Kitchen: This recipe is for all those people who love the taste of pizza but like to eat healthy!

Deep Dish Pizza Cups by Add a Pinch: These are a fun and delicious way to serve everyone’s favorite pizza!

detroit style pizza slice cut out of whole pizza

Detroit-Style Pizza by Savory Spicerack: This pizza is a delicious deep dish pan pizza that’s easy to put together for pizza night. The best part is the crispy cheese crust!

upside down deep dish skillet pizza sliced spatula taking slice out

Upside-Down Deep Dish Skillet Pizza by A Family Feast: You won’t need a special deep-dish pizza pan to make this easy pizza recipe.

spatula taking slice of stuffed meat lover's pizza out of pan

Stuffed Meat-Lover’s Pizza by Cooks Well With Others: This pizza has two layers of crust and is filled with tons of cheese and a variety of meat, and then it’s baked to perfection.

Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza by Spicy Southern Kitchen: This pizza is so easy to make in the crock pot. Lots of cheese, sausage, and pepperoni make this slow cooker pizza hard to resist.

pizzeria uno deep dish pizza slice cut out

Copycat Pizzeria Uno Deep Dish Pizza by The Food Dictator: This is apparently the real recipe for Uno’s famous deep dish pizza!

Copycat Pizza Hut Pan Pizza by Leigh Ann Wilkes: This homemade version of your favorite restaurant pizza is so easy to make, and the kids can personalize it with their favorite toppings.

no knead deep dish pizza cut into slices

No Knead Deep Dish Pizza by King Arthur Baking: No kneading? No problem; this tender, tasty pizza doesn’t “knead” it!

Mini Chicago Deep Dish Pizzas by Practically Homemade: These mini pizzas can be made in the comfort of your own kitchen using a muffin pan. They can be served for dinner or as an appetizer!

Keto Deep Dish Pizza by Clean Keto Lifestyle: Stuffed with melty cheese, tomatoes, and bacon, this Chicago-style pizza is the perfect dinner for the whole family! It is keto, low-carb, grain-free, and gluten-free.

italian style deep dish pizza quiche in pan

Italian Style Deep Dish Pizza Quiche by Wildflour’s Cottage Kitchen: Not only does this quiche have a wonderful pizza flavor, it also has a nice, rich creaminess from the custard! It slices like a dream and tastes just like pizza!!

Gluten Free Deep Dish Pizza by Fearless Dining: This delicious homemade gluten free pizza recipe is so easy to make. It has a fluffy, thick crust, savory sauce, lots of melty cheese, and all of your favorite toppings.

Garlic Lover's Pizza in Skillet with cutter

Garlic Lover’s Pizza by Kudo’s Kitchen: If you’re a garlic lover then you MUST try this pizza! The crust is super simple to make and is the perfect thickness to hold all the garlicy, cheesy goodness this pizza possesses!

Fun Facts About Deep Dish Pizza

Pizzeria Uno was the first restaurant to ever serve deep dish pizza.
The founder of Uno’s originally planned to open a Mexican restaurant, not a pizzeria.
Pizzeria Uno currently has over 200 chains all over the world.
Deep dish pizza is layered differently than traditional pizza. The sauce is spooned on top to keep the cheese from burning during the longer baking process.
Bakers do not wash deep dish pizza pans. They only wipe and periodically season them every time they are used. Due to that, the seasonings left in the oven pan add richer flavor and taste to the pizza.
Deep dish pizza is baked for about 40 minutes in the oven, depending on its size and ingredients. This time also allows all the excess oil to fall off, resulting in a pie that’s rich but not greasy. It also allows the crust to turn crispy to provide a nice contrast to the filling.
It is typical that when ordered for carry-out or delivery, a deep dish pizza is uncut, as this prevents moisture from the sauce and toppings from soaking into the crust, causing the pie to become soggy.
Some Chicago deep-dish pizza restaurants ship their pizzas, partially baked and frozen, within the continental United States.