This Easy Pepperoni Pizza Salad is my very favorite salad (as of today; this is subject to change, of course). It also happens to be a favorite of my family’s and is something we’ve enjoyed for a long time. We call it “Pizza Salad” because it’s basically a riff on a salad that we’d always order from a former favorite pizza spot. With pepperoni, mushrooms, tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella, and a great spicy-sweet sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, the salad itself throws out some pretty solid pizza vibes – it’ll scratch that itch, let’s just say.

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You guys have got to give this Pepperoni Pizza Salad a try. I absolutely love this salad and I think you’ll find it so very satisfying. It’s bright and crunchy, and thanks to all of the big-hitting players, it really works well as a full-on meal – no actual pizza needed.

Easy Pepperoni Pizza Salad

With a total cook time that falls easily under 20 minutes, this Easy Pepperoni Pizza Salad recipe takes hardly any time to make. So, we love it right out of the gate for that reason alone. You can chop all of your veg (the lettuce, mushrooms, onions, etc.) while the bacon is sizzling away on the stovetop. To level up even more? We’ll frizzle our pepperoni in the rendered bacon fat and live OUR BEST LIVES. Then, in that very same pepperoni-bacon fat still warm and now spiced from that pepperoni, we’ll whisk together a sweet-and-tangy cayenne vinaigrette that pulls the whole lot together.

It’s a truly delicious salad that makes for a better-than-your-average weeknight dinner. Or, delight your friends and entertain with it. The addition of a chopped rotisserie chicken helps make it a hearty enough thing that it can stand alone as the main course.

What you’ll need to make this Easy Pepperoni Pizza Salad

This salad’s list of ingredients reads like a combination of your favorite pizza flavors, which is by design of course. There’s some flexibility here, if you’re not keen on something I’ve listed. I’ve broken down the ingredients below for you here.

Ingredients

Bacon: The bacon not only adds heft and heart to the salad – it also provides anchorage for the dressing. We’ll use its rendered drippings to create a fantastic warm bacon dressing, fortified with hot cayenne and sugar. Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds.

Romaine lettuce: For the crunch, for the crunch.

Pepperoni: You can use small cup pepperoni, or huge deli style pepperoni here. Whatever floats your pizza-loving boat is great with me.

Red onion: A little goes along way with these guys. The onion is important in this salad for the same reason the dressing is – it lifts everything up and balances the flavors. With rich, frizzled meats (bacon and pepperoni) this salad needs some other components that offer the opposite qualities. So, think acid for tang, crunch for textural contrast, cold for temperature contrast. See? There’s more thought behind this humble little pepperoni pizza salad that meats the eye. Meets the I, I mean.

Button or Cremini mushrooms: Don’t love mushrooms? I suppose you could leave these out (though it won’t be quite the same). Maybe subbing in some freshly sliced bell peppers would work, giving things a very “supreme pizza” vibe.

Mozzarella cheese: You can use any mozz you like for your pepperoni pizza salad, sure. But in the name of ease and efficiency – I say go for the pre-shredded stuff. It’s not so easy to shred a ball of mozzarella without totally destroying things, you know? So, while I typically suggest shredded cheese fresh at all times, mozzarella is an exception to that rule.

Halved cherry or grape tomatoes: Or, you could slice some Romas as well. About three should work. Another option would be to take two beefsteak tomatoes and dice them. They’d offer more moisture to the salad, which isn’t a bad thing. So, just use tomatoes in any form you like or have around.

Dried oregano: A truly Italian-American ingredient, dried oregano is to pizza as ketchup is to mustard. That may be a weird analogy, but anyway. I find the addition of a little sprinkle of this magical herb to be the perfect finishing touch to so many dishes. None perhaps more so than this pepperoni pizza salad.

What to serve with this Pepperoni Pizza Salad

These Giant Salted Maple Butter Parker House Rolls are great with any salad, always.

A great garlic bread seems like the move here.

This Cheesy Garlic Butter Bubble Bread is practically begging to be picked for the pizza salad night team.

My Herby Pull Apart Garlic Bread is really easy and so very delicious.

How to make the best Pepperoni Pizza Salad

Who doesn’t love a salad that tastes like pizza? This one really drives home the whole pizza parlor vibe with it’s perfect combo of fresh veggies and rich meats. Hey bacon! Hello there, pepperoni. SO glad you joined us today.

But, maybe the most clutch component of the whole salad is actually the dressing. For me, it’s the sweetness of the sugar paired with the heat from the cayenne AND the rich smokiness from the bacon that take it over the top. Otherwise, you’d have an ordinary (but still delish) red wine vinaigrette on your hands. A Pepperoni Pizza Salad is a thing of beauty and a joy forever, and fully deserves to be dressed to the nines. This dressing does just that.

Pepperoni Pizza Salad Directions

Cook the bacon according to package directions, in a large skillet over medium heat, until browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, but leave the drippings behind in the pan.
With the heat still on medium, add the pepperoni to the pan and brown/crisp it all over; takes about 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the plate with the bacon, leaving the drippings behind.
In a large salad bowl or platter, arrange the romaine. Top with (arranging how you like) the cooked/drained bacon, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, cheese, tomatoes, and the oregano.
To make the dressing, pour the pepperoni-bacon drippings into a blender, along with the olive oil, vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, cayenne/chili flakes, sugar, and garlic. Blend on high speed until well emulsified. Taste and season with salt and pepper as you like. All ingredients can be adjusted to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Note: If you like a creamier dressing, this is really nice with a heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise added into the mix as well.