Like many versions of stuffed mushrooms, pizza stuffed remains the family favorite.
I often use leftovers, chopped fine, stuff the caps, and top with cheese baked to leftover perfection, seriously if you love mushrooms, it's a great way to repurpose leftovers.
Our pizza stuffed mushrooms are the favorite topping on our pizza inside, pepperoni, loaded with melted mozzarella and a favorite pizza sauce.
These pizza mushrooms are filled without the extra calories of a pizza crust, plus they're quick, easy to make, low carb, and ready in less than 20 minutes!
If you have a mushroom lover in your crowd, they will love the combinations below from a taco filling, Italian style, or even seafood, we really have tried them all and come right back to pizza stuffed although I am partial to all of them!
Plus as a bonus, we even include an easy Air Fryer method or Grilled for this easy pizza stuffed mushroom!
If you're a huge mushroom fan like we are you may also like to try our Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms or our Portobello Fries both amazing!
We have cleaning methods and cooking methods below, suggestions and tips so let's get these babies cooked and in your belly!
Portobello Mushrooms or Portabello Mushrooms?
Portobello mushrooms, also sometimes called portabella, are rich in flavor, and their texture is meatier and less spongy than button mushrooms.
When you've cleaned and scooped out the gills, you have a nice vessel for stuffing and perfect for low-calorie diets instead of all those carbs in a pizza crust.
The skies are the limit, there are many suggestions below for you to choose from for stuffing your mushroom caps.
Cleaning Portobello Mushrooms
- Some folks say not to wash them because of moisture content, I rinse them in water and use a paper towel to clean any residue off(I do not like bugs, dirt so sometimes if they are terribly dirty I will soak them in hot water regardless but you can do your own methods on what you are comfortable eating)
- Holding a mushroom in one hand, use a spoon to gently scrape the gills from the underside of the portobello mushroom cap; discard the gills
- I use my DIY seasoning salt (just pick your favorite kind of seasoning or use my Italian blends)
- Always season the mushrooms caps before they bake in the oven lightly you can add more later if they aren't salty enough for your taste buds
- The filling you're using whether you combine vegetables, spinach leaves, or sliced pepperoni needs to be chopped into small pieces so it fits nicely in the cavity.
Cooking Methods
- Bake: 400 degrees for 12 -14 minutes depending on the filling you choose
- Air Fried: preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray the basket with cooking oil spray. Fill and add the mushrooms to the basket. Air fry for 8 minutes per mushroom or until the cheese is browned
- Grilled: Preheat the grill to 350 degrees. Spray the grates. Stuffed the mushrooms. Place them directly on the grill, gill side up (stuffing showing) for 10 to 12 minutes. I add the cheese 3 minutes before they are cooked and cover the grill so it melts.
Optional Filling Suggestions
- diced or one large slice of tomato with shredded melted mozzarella (Caprese Style with chopped garlic and basil)
- Italian loose cooked sausage, peppers, onions
- leftover chili with sharp cheddar cheese melted, black olives, green chiles
- cream cheese, sauteed shrimp, scallops chopped, and Swiss cheese melted
- use them after they've been roasted and fill them with your favorite pasta salad, bacon, lettuce and tomato-filled, chopped deli meats with shredded lettuce tomato, mayo, and bacon
- chopped leftover rotisserie chicken, or chicken tenders, hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and melted cheddar on top
Topping Suggestions
- peppers
- olives
- eggplant
- pepperoni
- crushed meatballs finely chopped
- leftover cooked buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese
- loose cooked sausage
- ham, and pineapple
- mushrooms finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
- finely chopped zucchini or spinach with ricotta and garlic
- minced finely minced shrimp and garlic
- anchovies
- loose cooked ground beef, cheddar cheese, finely chopped onions
- tuna, cheddar cheese, minced onions
- leftover cooked meats, pizza sauce, and cheese of choice
- Note: all toppings must be chopped into small pieces, add the sauce first, topping then cheese
Pizza Toppings
Just remember this pizza stuffed portobello mushroom cap recipe is just a guideline on what our family prefers on their pizza.
You may like olives, peppers, onions, sausage, eggplant, and zucchini on pizza or a different kind of cheese, no problem!
Anything you like on pizza can be used in these ( just diced can go into the mushroom cap, just some vegetables may take a tad bit longer to cook.
Again, adapt away in any combination you like, we just make suggestions and you can change this to however you want.
Yield: 6
Pizza Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Pizza Stuffed Portobello Mushroom caps are a great little appetizer or light lunch deliciously baked with pizza sauce inside and loaded with melted mozzarella cheese.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 22 Min
Ingredients
- 6 clean Portobella Mushroom caps
- Stick pepperoni chopped into small diced chunks (around 1 cup)
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling or cooking oil spray
- granulated garlic powder enough for each cap
- oregano is optional we like it sprinkled evenly on each cap
- 1/4 cup of grated Pecorino Romano Cheese or Parmesan grated cheese
- 1 cup of your favorite pizza sauce or marinara sauce
- freshly torn basil leaves
- Italian shredded blends of cheese or use a slice of whole milk mozzarella for each cap
- Seasoning salt or my DIY blends
- Chef's Notes: check our other version below in the note section
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Clean and remove gills from the caps.
- Spray with cooking oil or brush with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with seasoning salt and granulated garlic powder
- Fill the cavity with around 3 tablespoons of pizza sauce, chopped pepperoni,and whatever chopped vegetables from our list you prefer.
- Top with sliced provolone or whole milk mozzarella ( you can use shredded, however, it's much messier)
- Sprinkle with DIY season salt and oregano.
- Add torn fresh basil leaves
- Add a little grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top of each filled cap.
- Bake until the cheese is golden on top
- Serve warm with red pepper flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.
- Optional: you can add more salt to taste or grated cheese.
Notes
Optional Filling Suggestions
- diced or one large slice of tomato with shredded melted mozzarella (Caprese Style with chopped garlic and basil)
- Italian loose cooked sausage, peppers, onions
- leftover chili with sharp cheddar cheese melted, black olives, green chiles
- cream cheese, sauteed shrimp, scallops chopped, and Swiss cheese melted
- use them after they've been roasted and fill them with your favorite pasta salad, bacon, lettuce and tomato-filled, chopped deli meats with shredded lettuce tomato, mayo, and bacon
- chopped leftover rotisserie chicken, or chicken tenders, hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and melted cheddar on top
Topping Suggestions
- peppers
- olives
- eggplant
- pepperoni
- crushed meatballs finely chopped
- leftover cooked buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese
- loose cooked sausage
- ham, and pineapple
- mushrooms finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
- finely chopped zucchini or spinach with ricotta and garlic
- minced finely minced shrimp and garlic
- anchovies
- loose cooked ground beef, cheddar cheese, finely chopped onions
- tuna, cheddar cheese, minced onions
- leftover cooked meats, pizza sauce, and cheese of choice
- Note: all toppings must be chopped into small pieces, add the sauce first, topping then cheese
Cooking Methods
- Bake: 400 degrees for 12 -14 minutes depending on the filling you choose
- Air Fried: preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray the basket with cooking oil spray. Fill and add the mushrooms to the basket. Air fry for 8 minutes per mushroom or until the cheese is browned
- Grilled: Preheat the grill to 350 degrees. Spray the grates. Stuffed the mushrooms. Place them directly on the grill, gill side up (stuffing showing) for 10 to 12 minutes. I add the cheese 3 minutes before they are cooked and cover the grill so it melts.
Cleaning Portobello Mushrooms
- Some folks say not to wash them because of moisture content, I rinse them in water and use a paper towel to clean any residue off(I do not like bugs, dirt so sometimes if they are terribly dirty I will soak them in hot water regardless but you can do your own methods on what you are comfortable eating)
- Holding a mushroom in one hand, use a spoon to gently scrape the gills from the underside of the portobello mushroom cap; discard the gills
- I use my DIY seasoning salt (just pick your favorite kind of seasoning or use my Italian blends)
- Always season the mushrooms caps before they bake in the oven lightly you can add more later if they aren't salty enough for your taste buds
- The filling you're using whether you combine vegetables, spinach leaves, or sliced pepperoni needs to be chopped into small pieces so it fits nicely in the cavity.
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Try Some Other Of Our Favorite Recipes
Grilled Chicago Pizza
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Stromboli
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2017. It was edited and re-published in 2022.