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Zucchini Pizza in a Skillet
Instructions
I prepare the ingredients. Cheese grates on a grater. Tomatoes and zucchini wash and dry. Flour sifts in advance. Both young and older zucchinis work — older ones need their tough skin peeled. Sausages can be replaced with sliced sausage.
Zucchini grates on a vegetable grater, gets lightly salted, then rests 15-20 minutes for moisture release.
Sausages chop into small pieces in any convenient way.
Tomato halves first, then slices.
Garlic chops into small dice.
Celery chops finely.
The grated zucchini needs excess moisture removed. I take a tablespoon of grated zucchini in my palm and squeeze tightly to drain water. Continue until all zucchini is dry — wet zucchini ruins the dough structure.
Squeezed zucchini transfers to a deep bowl. 3 eggs beat in. Mix to integrate.
Sifted flour combines with baking powder in a separate bowl.
The flour-baking-powder mixture adds to the zucchini-egg mixture. Mix to integrate.
Milk pours in. If the mixture is too liquid, add another tablespoon of flour to thicken.
Chopped sausages add to the dough mixture. Stir thoroughly.
Chopped celery and garlic add in, plus freshly ground black pepper.
1 tbsp vegetable oil pours in. Mix to integrate.
Skillet heats with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Heat drops to low. The zucchini dough pours into the skillet. Lid covers.
While the pizza cooks, ketchup mixes with mayonnaise to make the sauce.
When the bottom is baked (lift gently to check), I carefully flip the pizza over.
Mayo-ketchup sauce spreads evenly over the flipped pizza.
Then chopped garlic sprinkles on, tomato slices arrange on top, grated cheese covers everything. Lid back on, cook 10 more minutes until cheese melts fully.
Zucchini pizza in a skillet is ready. Chopped dill garnishes the top. Carefully transfer to serving plate.Zucchini pizza in a skillet is delicious AND health-conscious — pizza satisfaction without the heavy carbs. Experiment with toppings (different sausages, vegetables, cheeses) to find your favourite version. The zucchini-base technique can be adapted for many other "low-carb pizza" applications.
Tips
- 1
THE ZUCCHINI MOISTURE PURGE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. Step 7's hand-squeezing of grated zucchini is the recipe's structural secret. Wet zucchini means watery dough that won't hold together — the pizza falls apart in the skillet. Drier zucchini gives proper structure for the egg-flour binding to work. Don't skip the squeeze; the moisture difference is dramatic. Cheesecloth-wrap-and-squeeze gives even better results than hand-squeezing.
- 2
THE FLIP IS THE TRICKY MOMENT. Step 17's pizza flip is the make-or-break technique. Use a wide flat spatula or two regular spatulas; or invert onto a plate, then slide back into the skillet. The first cook needs to fully set the bottom before flipping (10-12 minutes typically). Don't rush — undercooked bottom = failed flip + crumbled pizza. The lid-on-low-heat phase is what allows full bottom-set without burning. For another skillet pizza variation worth comparing, see Lazy Skillet Pizza.
- 3
TOPPINGS ARE FLEXIBLE. The base zucchini-egg-flour-cheese architecture welcomes endless topping variations. Try: ham + mushrooms + olives (classic Italian-leaning), bacon + caramelised onion + cheddar (American-style), shrimp + spinach + feta (Mediterranean), salami + bell pepper + jalapeño (spicy version). The toppings cook only briefly during the second 10-minute lid-on phase, so use ingredients that cook quickly or pre-cook them. Avoid: very wet toppings (raw mushrooms, fresh tomato in excess) — they release moisture and ruin the structure.
- 4
THE CHEESE MELT TIMING. The 10-minute lid-on phase after toppings is calibrated for proper cheese melting AND topping integration. Less time = unmelted cheese spots. More time = potentially burnt bottom. The lid is essential — without it, cheese melts but doesn't fully integrate with the toppings underneath. The trapped steam ensures everything bonds together for clean slicing. For another zucchini-fritter variation worth trying, try Zucchini Fritters in a Skillet.
FAQ
How is this "low-carb" if it has flour? +
The 3 tbsp flour is dramatically less than traditional pizza dough (which contains 200+ g flour for similar pizza-sized portion). The total carbs come from: 3 tbsp flour (~30 g carbs) + 450 g zucchini (~16 g carbs total) + small amounts from other ingredients. Total carbs per pizza: ~50 g. Traditional pizza of similar size: 200+ g carbs. The "low-carb" claim is comparative — this isn't keto-zero-carb, but it's substantially lower than wheat-based pizza. For genuinely keto versions, replace flour with almond flour or coconut flour (different texture but works).
Can I make this in the oven? +
Yes — adapt for oven baking. Pour the prepared zucchini dough into a parchment-lined baking dish (24-26 cm), bake at 180 °C for 20 minutes, then add toppings and bake another 15 minutes until cheese melts. The oven version gives slightly drier texture (less retained moisture) but works well. Skillet version is faster and uses less energy; oven version is good for parties (multiple pizzas at once, more even cook). Both are valid.
What zucchini variety works best? +
Most zucchini varieties work, with technique adjustments. Best: medium-firm green zucchini (the standard supermarket variety). Yellow summer squash works identically. Pattypan squash works but needs deseeding first (the seedy core is too watery). Avoid: very large overgrown zucchinis with developed seeds (peel + deseed first), or very young marrows (too tender, falls apart during squeeze). The 450 g target is post-squeeze weight; start with 600-700 g of raw zucchini.
How do I store leftovers? +
Cooled zucchini pizza keeps 2-3 days in the fridge in airtight container. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat 3-4 minutes per side (best texture), or microwave 90 seconds (faster but softer). Don't reheat in oven from cold — surface burns before centre warms. Don't freeze — zucchini structure breaks down on thaw. Day-2 leftovers actually taste good cold (like cold pizza in general) for picnics or work lunches.
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