Keto BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza
Published August 27, 2019 • Updated March 14, 2026
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I started making this keto pulled pork pizza because I always have leftover pulled pork sitting in my fridge after a weekend cookout. Instead of reheating the same plate, I threw it on a fathead pizza crust with some BBQ sauce and cheese. That was three years ago, and it’s become one of our regular Friday night dinners.
Xanthan gum is non-negotiable in this crust. I know it looks optional, but skip it and the dough falls apart under the weight of the toppings. The other thing I’ve learned is to keep the BBQ sauce to 2 tablespoons on the crust. Any more and the dough gets soggy underneath, which defeats the whole point of a crispy base.
For the meat, I use my own sugar free smoked or slow cooked pork that I make on the weekends. Any low carb leftover works here. The key is making sure it’s well drained before it goes on the crust. Wet meat means a wet pizza, and nobody wants that.
The topping combination took me a few rounds to nail down. I landed on blue cheese, red onion, and cilantro because the sharpness of the blue cheese plays off the sweet BBQ sauce in a way that just works. That said, one of my readers (Katie) has been making this monthly since January and swapped the blue cheese for goat cheese. She said it was tangier and creamier, and paired better with the BBQ sauce sweetness. I haven’t tried it yet, but I trust her take.
One thing I’ll mention: this reheats better than most pizzas I make. 350 degrees in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or use an air fryer at 375 for about 4 minutes to get the crust crispy again. I wouldn’t microwave it. The crust goes rubbery and you lose everything that makes it good. I’ve kept individual slices wrapped in the freezer for up to a month with no issues.
This is a great entry point if you’re new to keto pizza nights. I’ve got a whole lineup depending on what you’re in the mood for: chicken pesto pizza, deep dish pizza, grilled pizza for summer, a chicken crust version if you want to skip the dough, and even a breakfast pizza for mornings. But this BBQ version is the one my husband assumed was delivery. That’s the kind of compliment that sticks.
How to Make BBQ Pizza with Fathead Dough
The biggest mistake I see with this dough is not getting the mozzarella fully melted. Microwave until every shred is liquid, about 2 minutes, but check at 90 seconds. Let it cool just enough to touch before adding the egg, or you’ll end up with scrambled bits mixed into your crust. I use an electric mixer to combine everything because kneading by hand takes forever and gets sticky fast. Once the dough comes together, roll it between two sheets of parchment to about 1/4 inch thick. Don’t go thinner or the center won’t hold the toppings.
Ingredients
3 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, plus ½ cup for topping -
1 ½ cups almond flour
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1 egg
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon xanthan gum
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½ teaspoon salt
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2 tablespoons keto bbq sauce
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1 cup sugar free pulled pork
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¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
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2 tablespoons sliced red onion
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2 tablespoons chopped green onion
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1 tablespoon cilantro
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Melt the cheese
Place 3.5 cups of mozzarella in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave for about two minutes until cheese is melted. Stir to combine and make sure all of the cheese is melted. Remove from microwave and let the mixture cool.
Mix dry ingredients
In a large separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.
Add egg and cheese
Add in your egg to the melted mozzarella cheese. Mix using an electric mixer until combined.
Mix dough
Slowly add the almond flour mixture to the cheese mixture. Using an electric mixer or food processor, stir until you have a uniform dough. Don’t be surprised if dough goes flying if you are using the mixer! This can happen, but this is an easy way to combine the mixtures in order to make the best fathead dough. If you don’t have an electric mixer or food processor, I recommend kneading the dough by hand until it comes together. This is messy and takes longer, but the end result is the same.
Knead keto dough
Once combined, form the dough into a ball. Knead it a few times on a lightly almond-floured surface until uniform and fully combined.
Roll out crust
Roll out dough to desired thickness. Remove top parchment layer and place on top of a baking sheet.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get crispy edges on this pizza crust?
I pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes at 400 before adding any toppings. That's the single biggest upgrade I've made to this recipe. Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and watch for the edges to just start turning golden before you pull it out and load it up. I also make sure my oven is fully preheated, not just close to 400.
Can I use goat cheese instead of blue cheese?
I haven't tried it myself yet, but one of my readers (Katie) has been making this with goat cheese instead of blue cheese for months and swears by it. She says it's tangier and creamier, and pairs better with the BBQ sauce sweetness. If you're not a blue cheese person, I'd go with her take on this one.
How many net carbs are in a slice?
My batch makes about 8 slices, and each one comes out to roughly 4-5 net carbs depending on your BBQ sauce. I use my own homemade version which keeps it on the lower end. If you're using a store-bought sauce, check the label because some 'sugar free' options still have 3-4g carbs per tablespoon.
What keto BBQ sauce brands work for this?
I usually make my own, but when I'm in a rush I've used Primal Kitchen and G Hughes. Both are low carb enough that they won't blow the macros on a couple tablespoons. Just read labels carefully. Some keto-labeled sauces sneak in honey or molasses further down the ingredient list.
Is xanthan gum really necessary?
Yes. I've made this without it and the dough just falls apart, especially once you load toppings on. It's the binder that holds everything together. If you can't find xanthan gum, I'd try psyllium husk powder as a substitute. The texture comes out slightly different but it still works.
How do I reheat leftover pizza without making it soggy?
I reheat mine in the oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or in the air fryer at 375 for about 4 minutes. Both keep the crust crispy. I never microwave this pizza. The crust goes rubbery and loses its texture completely. If you're pulling slices from the freezer, I go straight from frozen to oven at 375 for about 12 minutes without thawing first.
Can I use a different crust for this?
If you want to skip the dough, I've used these same BBQ toppings on my BBQ chicken tostada base and it works well. You could also try a crustless version where I just bake the toppings in a cast iron skillet. Different vibe, but the BBQ and blue cheese combo holds up either way.
Besides the pulled pork, the other star here is the homemade BBQ sauce. It’s sweet and tangy and works perfectly in place of red pizza sauce. Two tablespoons is all you need to cover one batch of fathead crust.
If you don’t want to make your own, grab a low-carb store-bought option. I recommend 
Fathead dough makes the best low-carb pizza crust. This version uses mozzarella, almond flour, egg, baking powder, and xanthan gum. The crust puffs up like regular pizza dough with a chewy middle and crispy edges.
The crust held up under all that pulled pork (I was genuinely skeptical it would), but next time I'd go a little lighter on the blue cheese so the BBQ sauce can actually come through.
Ha, glad it held up - I had the same worry the first time I piled it that high. Blue cheese can bulldoze everything else if you're not careful. A little goes a long way with that one.
My husband asked if I ordered it and when I told him I made it he looked at the crust like it owed him an apology.
My husband took one bite and asked 'wait, did you order this?' I was pretty proud of making it from scratch so that threw me off. The crust is what gets people, I think. Almond flour sounded weird when I started but you can't tell. We had leftover pulled pork from the weekend and this was the best use for it. Four stars because I still haven't figured out the crispy edges thing, but we're making this again.
Pre-bake the crust 5 minutes at 400 before any toppings go on. That's what finally fixed the edges for me. And roll it thin, about 1/4 inch.
This is probably my fifth time making this since January, and this round I finally swapped the blue cheese for goat cheese. Tangier and creamier, which paired way better with the BBQ sauce sweetness than I expected. Crust came out the same as always, golden at the edges with that slight crunch. One thing though: the recipe doesn't really spell out how much the xanthan gum matters for dough texture. Took me a couple batches to stop treating it as optional.
Goat cheese with BBQ sauce, why haven't I tried that. And yeah, fair point on the xanthan gum - it looks optional but it really isn't. Skip it and the dough just falls apart.