24 Controversial Pizza Toppings People Can’t Seem to Agree On
The most popular pizza toppings are pretty predictable. Basics like pepperoni, extra cheese, and mushrooms will always be popular.
There’s always that one person who asks for some off-the-wall toppings, though. If you think pineapple is controversial, then buckle up.
1. Anchovy Pizza
Usually, if a loved one insists on adding an unwanted topping to a pizza, picking that topping off is sufficient to save your slice. That is not true with anchovies. Their musk pervades into the deepest layer of dough, and even the most ardent anchovy fan has relegated their favorite topping to solo pizza night.
Three in ten respondents in one survey named anchovies as their least favorite topping, which is to say they find the small forage fish repugnant.
2. Olive Pizza
I believe no combination is more reliable than pepperoni and black olives. Yet, the numbers show that olives — from kalamata to Liguria — are not exactly beloved among the pizza-consuming public.
Can you really blame us for incorporating one of Italy’s most beloved seed-bearing fruits into Italy’s most widely enjoyed culinary delight?
3. Hawaiian Pizza
While history bestows the honor of creating pizza upon the Italians, Canada has the (perhaps dubious) distinction as the home of the Hawaiian. A Greek immigrant, Sam Panopoulos, reportedly concocted the Hawaiian pizza as part of his crusade to North American-ize a plethora of foreign dishes.
Some speculate that Hawaii’s newly-minted statehood (in 1959) fueled an American love affair with pineapple and the related rise of the Hawaiian pie. For many, though, cans with Dole on them belong nowhere near a pizza kitchen.
4. Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Without Buffalo, New York’s finest export —the Buffalo wing — the Buffalo chicken pizza would not exist. The wings debuted in 1964, but the origins of Buffalo chicken pizza are unclear. We must assume that, like so many Franken-pizzas today, the thought process was simple — Americans love pizza and Buffalo wings, so why not make a chimera of the two?
While some swear by the heat of Buffalo chicken pizza, you lose many others when you swap tomato sauce for Frank’s RedHot.
5. Cereal Pizza
For decades, daring pizza creators looking to please every possible demographic have put Nutella, bananas, strawberries, and other sweet confections on the dough and called it “pizza.” Many pizza purists have turned a blind eye, knowing that a pepperoni pie would always be available where pizza is served.
However, any don’t ask, don’t tell policy flew out the window when dough aficionados caught wind of the Froot Loops dessert pie. Cream cheese frosting, Fruit Loops, and mozzarella were an offense to pizza chefs everywhere, most of the internet decided.
6. Leafy Green Pizza
Countless attempts to make pizza healthy have resulted in spinach, kale, and other leafy greens being called “pizza toppings.” Except for basil, most leafy greens are better saved for salads. If the chef cooks the pizza with the greens on it, the result is an aesthetically unpleasing shriveling effect.
When the chef adds the veggies after the fact, diners often find the sensation of raw spinach or kale jarring.
7. Nutella Pizza
Another popular form of dough-ssert, Nutella pizza is sold at chain pizza houses like Hungry Howies and Pieology. Smaller pizza shops have joined in the dessert pizza trend, with Nutella-based pies often topped with powdered sugar, banana, and other sweet add-ons.
Domino’s once released a chocolate pizza in the U.K. to mixed reviews. While chocolate, dough, and various taste-enhancing toppings make all the sense in the world (just ask Augustus Gloop), the controversy arises when you call this a “pizza.”
8. Barbecue Chicken Pizza
The advent of barbecue chicken pizza begs the question: What makes a pizza a pizza? Because if tomato sauce is a necessary component, a barbecue sauce-based pizza isn’t a pizza at all.
If the dough underlayment makes a dish a pizza, then barbecue chicken pizza lovers are vindicated. Considering that the BBQ chicken pizza came into existence within California Pizza Kitchen’s first-ever menu, we’re inclined to say this oddball is, in fact, a pizza. Who are we to argue with accomplished pizza mastermind Ed LaDou?
9. Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Critics of chicken alfredo pizza ask a simple question: Does regular pizza really need improvement? Does chicken Alfredo pasta need improvement, for that matter?
This is a free country, though. Those who want to swap tomato sauce for Alfredo sauce are free to do so. Based on the sheer number of establishments and grocery stores selling chicken Alfredo pizzas, many prefer it to to the original, tomato-based alternative. You might want to avoid buying Kettle River Products’ frozen chicken Alfredo pizzas, though, which were recalled in 2022 due to an undeclared allergen.
10. Egg Pizza
If you want proof that hobbyist chefs have far too much time on their hands, simply search “egg pizza.” You’ll find an endless list of egg-centric “pizzas,” ranging from omelet pizza to scrambled egg pizza and Neapolitan style, egg-on-top pizza.
This is a disturbing trend for quiche salesmen worldwide, who have seen the lines between their beloved dish and pizza blur over the years. Some have tied the origins of egg pizza to the Georgian dish Khachapuri, which is a bread crust with egg and cheese cooked inside.
11. Caviar Pizza
Caviar pizza grabbed headlines during New York’s Fashion Week when status-obsessed silver-spooners found a way to make even pizza seem hoity-toity. Referred to as “haute cuisine,” one caviar pizza has a potato hash brown crust, crème fraiche topping, Baeri caviar, and chives.
The result is a $95 pie we won’t be trying anytime soon (but not for lack of curiosity).
12. Mushroom Pizza
Anytime you ask your fellow diners if they want fungus on their pizza, expect at least one sideways glance. While some swear by mushrooms as a pizza topping, others see them as a soggy, bland addition to the party.
The United Kingdom once voted mushrooms as its favorite pizza topping, but a baffled response from online Brits suggests the result was perhaps fraudulent.
13. Clam Pizza
Seafood on pizza is generally a controversial choice despite Italy having an abundance of fresh seafood at its fingertips.
Some consider chef Andrew Bellucci’s Fresh Shucked Clam Pie to be the gold standard for clam pizza, but many prefer their pizza completely bereft of seafood, clams included.
14. Avocado Pizza
Though avocado is often one of several add-ons to non-traditional pizza, many find it an unnecessary (and even jarring) contrast from tomato sauce.
New York City’s Kola House is one of many eateries that have leaned into the avocado craze, as chef Jon Feshan found it logical to take avocado toast a step further.
15. Macaroni and Cheese Pizza
Chains that nobly serve the budget-conscious pizza eater tend to take risks. The likes of Cicis Pizza and Hungry Howie’s have waded into the treacherous waters of combining two beloved, gluten-packed meals: macaroni and cheese and pizza.
In this economy, it may be difficult to splurge on both a large tray of macaroni and a large pizza. These companies are here to say that you can have your cake and eat it, too. However, most diners believe wholeheartedly in the separation of Mac and ‘Za.
16. Ranch Dressing Pizza
Ranch dressing has long been a beloved dipping sauce for pizza fans, especially when the crust is all that remains of a slice.
However, you’ll likely receive backlash if you ask to add a drizzle of ranch over an entire shared pizza.
17. Broccoli Pizza
We’re not sure if George H.W. Bush’s vote received extra weight in the survey, but pizza critics have named broccoli among the most hated pizza toppings.
A Chicago-area restaurant chain called Edwardo’s served broccoli-stuffed pizza prior to 1989, but the broccoli pizza trend has never broken into the mainstream.
18. Corn Pizza
I recently encountered corn pizza at a restaurant specializing in Brazilian-style pies. We can only assume that pizza shops throughout Iowa have an outsized amount of corn-centric pies, too.
Critics have noted that America’s ample subsidies for corn growers have fueled the infusion of corn into everything, from high-fructose corn syrup to ethanol in gasoline. Many draw the bright yellow line at putting corn on pizza, though.
19. Onion Pizza
Onion pizza becomes especially controversial when the chef uses large, raw onion slices rather than modest, crispy onions.
While onions are used to enhance flavor in many meat-based dishes (like tacos), the taste of onions can overwhelm the more subtle taste of mozzarella and tomato sauce.
20. Shrimp Pizza
Pizza experts note that the size and freshness of the shrimp directly affect the quality of shrimp pie, and a nicely seasoned, fresh batch of shrimp can add extra flare to a regular pie.
However, a large contingent of the pizza-loving public finds that any ocean-centric taste disrupts the desired taste of pizza.
21. Kimchi Pizza
A Korean dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, kimchi has a tangy taste that some find complements the beloved taste of pizza pie. Some are even clamoring for broader acceptance of kimchi pizza.
However, much of the population refuses to accept any deviation from traditional pizza toppings.
22. Pumpkin Pizza
You surely know about pumpkin spice lattes, but did you know pumpkin pizza is now a thing? While no single person claims to have invented pumpkin pizza, the trend has caught on.
Those who use actual pumpkin (rather than pumpkin spice) report an “earthy” taste that complements rather than disrupts the underlying elements.
23. Pickle Pizza
If you’re seeking an explanation of pickle pizza, you might read about Lynsey’s Story.
An individual with Addison’s disease experienced severe salt cravings that led her to seek pickles near-constantly. While this may not fully explain the advent of pickle pizza, it’s the theory I’m going with.
24. Edible Gold Pizza
A form of pizza that is as obnoxious as it is controversial, edible gold pizza is reserved only for those with more money than they know what to do with.
When you love pizza but want to make it abundantly clear that you’re not in the middle class, why not sprinkle some gold shavings on it?
