Deep fried pizza () is an
Italian dish consisting of a
pizza
Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...
that, instead of being baked in an oven, is
deep fried
Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow frying used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Norm ...
, resulting in a different flavour and nutritional profile. This technique is known in both Italy and Scotland, but there are numerous differences between the Italian and Scottish variants, which probably developed independently.
In Italy
originated in
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, Italy, and is usually made by frying a disc of pizza dough before applying toppings and serving. Alternatively, the fillings may be enclosed in a pocket of dough like a
calzone
Calzone is an Italian oven-baked folded pizza. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and stuffed with prosciutto or salami, mozzarella or ricotta, and Parmesan or pecorino, as well as an egg. Different regio ...
, which is then fried. Frying allows one to prepare a pizza without a pizza oven, for example from a
street food
Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
cart, where an oven is impractical.
In Scotland
Deep fried pizza is common in
chip shops in Scotland. This pizza is
deep fried
Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow frying used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Norm ...
without
batter, although another variation known as a "pizza crunch" consists of a battered half-pizza or slice of pizza deep fried, which can be served with chips as a "pizza crunch supper".
See also
*
List of deep fried foods
This is a list of deep fried foods and dishes. Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, such as cooking oil. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan, and industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum f ...
References
{{Deep frying foods
Pizza
Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...
Pizza styles
Italian cuisine
Scottish cuisine