Pizza Toppings Ranked by an Italian – From Pizza Jail to God Tier

Which are the best pizza toppings? That is one of the fastest ways to start an argument at the dinner table. Mention pineapple near an Italian and suddenly everyone becomes very passionate. Mention hot dogs and fries on pizza and now Nonna is standing up from her chair ready to fight.

The truth is, pizza was never meant to carry every leftover ingredient from your fridge. In Italy, pizza is about balance. The dough matters just as much as the topping sitting on it and if you overload it with too many heavy ingredients, the base suffers immediately. A good pizza should let every ingredient work together, not compete with the crust.

That said, I know this ranking is going to upset people and honestly, I’m ready for it. Some toppings deserve legendary status while others should probably stay very far away from a woodfired oven.

So, I put on my imaginary pizza judge robe and ranked the most popular pizza toppings from absolute masterpieces down to toppings that make me question humanity a little.

Watch: Ranking Pizza Toppings from Best to Worst

Pizza Toppings That Belong in Pizza Jail (F Tier)

Meat Lovers Pizza

Bacon, sausage, ham, pepperoni, ground beef, maybe another three meats just in case the pizza still has oxygen left on it.

The dough becomes trapped underneath layers of grease and heavy toppings until the middle turns soft and soggy. You pick up a slice and suddenly everything slides off at once like a landslide.

A pizza should feel balanced, you should still taste the dough, the fresh tomatoes, the cheese and the olive oil instead of feeling like you just ate an entire barbecue platter folded onto bread.

Pineapple Pizza

Look, if you love pineapple pizza, I respect your choice because at the end of the day, you should eat whatever makes you happy.

But before we start putting tropical fruit on pizza, can we first appreciate the hundreds of incredible Italian combinations already out there? Pizza in Italy has so many regional toppings and traditions that most people outside the country have never even tried.

The sweetness and acidity of pineapple mixed with tomato and melted cheese just feels confusing to me. Especially when beautiful toppings like nduja, buffalo mozzarella or friarielli exist.

Würstel and Fries

Ironically, Italians created this one too, so we cannot even blame America for it.

In Italy this is often called pizza americana and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. Hot dogs sliced over pizza with French fries scattered on top. It is usually made for children who refuse to eat anything else and somehow adults kept ordering it too.

Every time I see it, I feel personally attacked by the french fries.

Chicken Pizza

Chicken on pizza always sounds better in theory than in reality. The problem is that chicken has very little fat compared to Italian cured meats, so instead of combining beautifully into the cheese, it dries out quickly and becomes chewy.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

If you think there is nothing worse than chicken on pizza, barbecue chicken somehow takes things even further. First you get dry, chewy chicken, then the beautiful acidic tomato sauce gets replaced by sticky, sugary brown barbecue sauce that completely takes over the pizza.

At that point, it starts tasting more like a sandwich sitting on flatbread than an actual pizza.

Good Pizza Toppings for Everyday Pizza (B Tier)

Capricciosa

Artichokes, mushrooms, black olives and ham all together on one pizza sounds fantastic because honestly, the flavours ARE fantastic.

The only problem is that many of those ingredients release water while cooking and if the pizza dough is not made properly, the middle becomes messy very quickly. A great Capricciosa is beautiful, but a bad one feels like the toppings had a small flood in the oven.

Nutella Pizza

Nutella pizza absolutely deserves a place in life, just not as main course. A thick pizza base baked fresh and covered in warm Nutella is dangerous because once it arrives at the table, everyone suddenly starts “just trying one slice” until the plate somehow disappears.

As a dessert it’s fantastic, but if Nutella pizza is your main pizza order, I might have to quietly unfriend you.

Tuna and Onion

I know some people reading this just froze in horror, but don’t judge the pizza too quickly yet.

Tuna and onion pizza is actually a classic in Italy, and when it’s done properly, it works surprisingly well. Sweet, caramelized onions balance the salty tuna beautifully, and somehow the combination tastes even better late at night with a cold drink beside it. When I was younger, this was one of my favourite pizzas to order.

Finally, Some Serious Pizza Toppings (A Tier)

Nduja Pizza

Nduja deserves every bit of hype it gets because, this topping is taking over the world for good reason. This spicy Calabrian spreadable salami melts into the pizza like rich, fiery butter and somehow seeps into every corner of the crust. Add a drizzle of honey over the top and suddenly you are standing in the kitchen burning your fingertips because you could not wait for the pizza to cool down first.

Prosciutto Pizza

There is one important rule with prosciutto pizza, cook the pizza first, then add the cold ingredients on top.

Beautiful slices of prosciutto should never dry out in the oven until they resemble salty cardboard. Once the pizza comes out, the warmth gently softens the prosciutto while fresh arugula and shaved Parmigiano finish everything off in an incredibly fresh, satisfying way.

Diavola Pizza

Outside Italy, many people call this pepperoni pizza. Inside Italy, though, peperoni actually means bell peppers, which creates confusion very quickly.

What you really want is Diavola, spicy salami curled at the edges, little pools of oil forming on top, and just enough heat to keep you reaching for another slice.

Potato and Rosemary

Suzanne (my wife) and I absolutely love this pizza, and this is one people underestimate all the time.

The words “potato pizza” sound heavy until you taste one made properly with paper-thin slices roasted in olive oil and rosemary. The edges crisp up, the potatoes become buttery in the middle and suddenly you realise carbs on carbs might actually be one of humanity’s better decisions.

The Pizza Toppings That Define Great Pizza (S Tier)

Margherita Pizza

Margherita is the queen of pizzas, loved for its perfect balance of San Marzano tomatoes, fresh fior di latte, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. It proves that simple ingredients made properly will always be hard to beat. When the dough is made properly and the ingredients are high quality, nothing else is needed.

Marinara Pizza

This pizza separates good pizzerias from bad ones immediately because, more often than not, the simplest pizzas are actually the hardest to master.

Tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil. No cheese hiding mistakes. No heavy seafood toppings covering weak dough. If a pizzeria cannot make a beautiful Marinara sauce, I already know I should probably order somewhere else next time.

Mortadella, Pistachio, and Stracciatella

Mortadella, pistachio, and stracciatella might just be the holy trinity of modern pizza. It all starts with a white pizza, no tomato sauce, because this combination is all about rich, creamy flavours working together without distraction.

Once the pizza comes out of the oven, thin ribbons of silky mortadella are draped over the hot crust so the warmth slightly melts the delicate fat. Then comes cold, creamy stracciatella cheese followed by toasted pistachios scattered on top for crunch, texture, and that nutty flavor that ties everything together.

Bufala Pizza

Buffalo mozzarella changes everything because it is like the richer, creamier cousin of a classic Margherita pizza. But with more tang, more softness, and far more flavour than regular mozzarella.

The real secret is adding the cheese after the pizza comes out of the oven. The heat delicately warms the buffalo mozzarella instead of overcooking it, creating little puddles of creamy milkiness that melt perfectly into the tomato sauce.

Salsiccia e Friarielli

If Naples had a king of pizza toppings, this might be it. Friarielli, which are similar to slightly bitter broccoli rabe, mixed with rich pork sausage on a white pizza base creates one of the best flavour combinations in Italian cooking. Every bite tastes balanced, slightly smoky and deeply savoury without feeling heavy.

If you ever visit Naples and see this on a menu, order it immediately.

Four Cheeses with Porcini

Probably my favourite pizza of all, real Italian cheeses matter here like Gorgonzola, mozzarella, fontina, Parmigiano, maybe even pecorino if you are feeling aggressive.

Add earthy porcini mushrooms and suddenly the entire pizza smells like an Italian mountain restaurant in winter. Although honestly, I would still happily eat this in the middle of summer too.

Final Thoughts on Best Pizza Toppings

Pizza is supposed to bring people together, even when we completely disagree about toppings. If your favourite pizza is barbecue chicken, I am not throwing you out of the house. If pineapple makes you happy, keep eating it proudly.

The important thing is not sticking to just one pizza topping because there are so many incredible combinations out there to try. Always remember that the best pizzas also respect balance, simplicity, and most importantly, the dough itself, because no amount of toppings can save a bad crust.

Now I want to know your rankings because pizza debates never truly end. Tell me your favourite topping combination and also tell me which pizza topping should immediately be banned forever. I already know people are sharpening their knives in the comments already.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pizza Toppings

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