Growing up in Chicago afforded me the luxury of being surrounded by diverse cuisines. We are truly spoiled with options, but within all that variety, there is a Big Shoulders personality that stands out, whether that’s the controversial deep dish versus thin crust debate (thin crust!), a fully loaded hot dog (yes!), or a juicy Italian beef (also yes!). One thing that the establishments selling any of the above dishes have in common is that tucked away on their side menu, they offer a Windy City staple to complete any meal: the humble pizza puff.
If it’s truly Chicago-style, it’s a flour tortilla stuffed with crumbled sausage, crispy pepperoni, sauteed bell peppers and a tomato sauce all wrapped up into a handheld pocket and deep fried to too-hot-to-handle, golden-brown perfection. In the true Midwestern spirit, I ventured to find out how complicated it would be to create this comfort classic at home with fresh ingredients. I’ll let you be the judge.
Chicago-Style Pizza Puff
Makes: 6 pizza puffs
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Six 10” flour tortillas
1-2 tablespoons of neutral oil
1/2 lb to 1 lb of sausage of choice (I used mild Italian sausage)
8 oz of pepperoni, rough chopped
1 large yellow onion, small dice
2 green bell peppers, small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
8 oz of tomato sauce of choice, or homemade
1 lb of mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper
1. Heat a large, wide pan on medium heat with neutral oil. Cook the sausage, crumbling as it cooks, until lightly browned.
2. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until lightly caramelized.
3. Add the pepperoni and sauté until warmed and lightly browned.
4. Sauté the garlic until aromatic, followed by salt, pepper and dried herbs. Continue to cook until all of the meats are cooked through.
5. Add the tomato sauce and let simmer until slightly thickened and mostly absorbed (mixture should not be watery).
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside to cool.
7. Heat a large, wide pan with neutral oil to 350 degrees.
8. For assembling the pizza puffs, place the slightly cooled filling in a bowl and the mozzarella cheese in a separate bowl. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, a scoop or a large spoon, place filling into the middle of the flour tortilla, followed by a handful of mozzarella on top.
9. Fold the right and left side in towards the middle, slightly overlapping, then the top and the bottom. Place onto a sheet tray, seam side down, and repeat for the remaining tortillas and filling.
10. Once ready, carefully lower the puffs into the hot oil seam side down and fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove and place onto a rack to drain.
11. Serve hot!
Looking for more Chicago classics to try at home? Check out these blogs:
- The Recipe For Real Chicago-Style Giardiniera
- Chicago’s Breaded Steak Sandwich
- Chicago Pizza Ranked
- DIY Chicago Style Deep Dish
- A True Chicago Classic: Sour Cream Topped Cheesecake
Learn how to make pizza from scratch using a sourdough crust in our hands-on Artisanal Breads Boot Camp on Saturday, August 15 at 10am. This class always sells out so don't delay in signing up!
