19 Inventive Pizza Toppings You Can Buy From Trader Joe's

It's pizza night! This is usually an exciting realization, but what if you're already preheating the oven and the dough has just finished a 72-hour cold ferment and is ready to be topped — and you forgot the toppings? Whether you're making a pizza from scratch, using one of our recommended store-bought pizza crusts, or just plussing up a frozen pie, if you're a frequent Trader Joe's shopper, then you probably already have something in your kitchen that can act as a fun and inventive topping.

This popular grocery chain sells all sorts of foods that are tasty just as they are, but you can also use them in other ways, from condiments to sauces to premade meals. We searched through T.J.'s offerings for ingredients to put on your pizzas, and they range from "Why didn't I think of that?" to "Why would you think of that?" Either way, they're all delicious. Even if you're not in the midst of a pizza emergency, these ingredients could inspire a mind-blowing pie when your next batch of dough is ready. Just keep in mind that prices and availability may vary by region.

Add a bit of spice and crunch to your pie with these Crispy Jalapeño Pieces, available for $2.99 per 5.5-ounce bag. This spicy addition will add a little more texture and flavor than your usual hot pepper flakes. Make sure you put them on after your pizza comes out of the oven!

If you don't have any sausage or pepperoni on hand but you've been sitting on these Trader Joe's Gyro Slices, you can still make an excellent pizza. You wouldn't be the first to put the flavorful, seasoned slices of lamb and beef on a pie, either. Surprisingly, kebab meat, which is similar to T.J.'s gyro slices, is a common topping in Swedish pizza parlors. Add a little fresh lettuce and white sauce, and you can make your own Swedish kebab pizza. One 8-ounce box costs $4.69.

These grassy, peppery shishito peppers are a great alternative to putting bell peppers on your pizza. They bring a bit of heat, but not much — they sit between 50 and 200 on the Scoville scale (compared to 5,000 for jalapeños). You may think of them as a Japanese ingredient, but the delicate citrus undertones they bring work great on even the most American pizza. At T.J.'s, you can get 8 ounces of these peppers for $2.49.

If you're making a pizza from scratch, consider subbing out the traditional tomato sauce with Trader Joe's Thai Style Red Curry Sauce. This chili-rich condiment brings a ton of flavor from the garlic, onions, and ginger layered in, and it's cooled down with coconut milk. This makes an adventurous pie, but one that's becoming more popular. Both Hapa Pizza in Beaverton, Oregon and the aptly named Thai Curry Pizza in Long Beach, California sell delicious pies with red curry sauce. An 11-ounce bottle is just $3.49 from T.J.'s, so we think it's worth a try!

Cacio e pepe pizza is a wonder. Famed LA food critic Jonathan Gold called the pepper and parmesan pizza "a small miracle" in his 2017 LA Times review of Pizzana. If you have a jar of Trader Joe's Cacio E Pepe Pasta Sauce, you can make your own little miracle by using it in place of tomato sauce, then loading on more parmesan and black pepper. A 14.5-ounce jar costs just $3.99.

If some of your family members leave the crust, try sprinkling some Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend around the edges of your pie to convince them not to leave anything behind. You don't have to take our word for it — this is already a popular option at Abbot's Pizza in Venice Beach, California. We recommend you try this seasoning out on frozen pizza, but it works just as well on homemade. A 2.3-ounce shaker costs $1.99.

This Ground Fermented Black Garlic brings a complex, rich, and slightly sweet umami to your pizza. Put it on after you bake your pie and enjoy the extra levels of flavor it brings. You can get a 1.02-ounce jar for $2.99.

Trader Joe's take on the chili crunch craze is its Crunchy Chili Onion. This is a reminder that dolloping some of the spicy, umami bomb on pizza (before or after you bake it) is one of the absolute best ways to use chili crisp at home. The T.J.'s version costs $4.49 for a 6-ounce jar.

Why not put Trader Joe's Onion Flowers — the store's version of a Bloomin' Onion — on your pizza? Onion is already a great pizza topping, so you might as well try it battered and fried. There's even precedent for this in the culinary world: Korea Town Pizza in LA offers an add-on of an "onion crown" to any of its large pies. To make your own version of this over-the-top pie, cook the onion flower separately and place it on top of the baked pizza. A 10.58-ounce box of two flowers costs $5.49.

Combine two great foods by putting mac and cheese on your pizza. Try spreading a thick layer on the crust, then covering it with shredded mozzarella for a deliciously cheesy meal. A 20-ounce tub of Trader Joe's Creamy Mac & Cheese costs $4.99.

A pizza with Trader Joe's Tikka Masala Curry Sauce in place of classic tomato sauce makes sense when you think about it. It has all the ingredients of a great Indian dish, just pizza-fied — in place of paneer, you have mozzarella, and in place of naan or rice, you have pizza dough. Pizzas with Indian-inspired flavors have been around for a while now: Zante in San Francisco started selling Indian pizza when it opened in 1986, and 2022 saw the opening of the now-popular LA spot Pijja Palace. Make your own with an 8.8-ounce bag of this sauce, available for $2.29.

Similar to Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion, this Crunchy Sesame Sunflower Seeds Pepitas Salsa Macha will add some delicious Mexican crunch and spice to your pizza for $4.49. The T.J.'s version replaces the peanuts in a traditional salsa macha with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pepitas.

Shhh... Don't tell any New Yorkers we recommend putting not just ranch, but Ranch Seasoning Blend on your pizza. We may be going against pizza orthodoxy, but when it's good, it's good. Trader Joe's sells a 2-ounce shaker of this seasoning for $2.99.

There's probably no in-between on this — you're either in love with the idea of Trader Joe's award-winning Mandarin Orange Chicken on pizza, or it disgusts you. Still, we think it's definitely worth a try. Bake the chicken and pizza separately, toss the chicken in its signature sauce, then top your pizza straight out of the oven to try this unorthodox yet delicious combination. A 22-ounce bag of these battered chicken pieces costs $5.49.

Mole on pizza is a winning combination. In the Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA, you can find Brooklyn Ave Pizza, which serves a popular pie with mole in place of standard red sauce. A 16-ounce package of Trader Joe's Chicken Mole is a great way to get the deep, rich, and spicy flavor onto your pie for $6.99.

Corn on pizza is delicious — just ask the rest of the world outside of the U.S. and Canada. Let Trader Joe's frozen Roasted Corn thaw, then pat it dry before scattering it over your pizza (that way, it won't make your pie soggy). A 16-ounce package of T.J.'s fire-roasted corn will add a touch of smokiness and corn sweetness for $2.79.

What if some of the cheese on your pizza was breaded and fried? That's the daring question we're asking here with these Breaded Cheddar Cheese Curds. Try a 16-ounce package for yourself for $4.99.

These flavorful Shawarma Chicken Thighs are marinated in onion, garlic, cinnamon, sea salt, coriander, paprika, turmeric, parsley, and cumin. This taste bomb goes great atop a pie to make a delicious shawarma pizza. A 1-pound package of this seasoned chicken costs $6.99.

Birria — tender beef cooked with a savory sauce made of tomatoes and chiles — sounds like the perfect topping to go on a pizza. Trader Joe's Beef Birria paired with some chopped white onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime will turn your pie into a delicious birria taco pizza. Dip each slice in the broth for the full experience. A 1-pound package of this stew costs $7.99.