We respect pizza purists who want a classic slice with nothing on it. Really, we do. But for those of us who love to dip our food into something saucy, pizza is the perfect conduit. Whether you’re enjoying a New York-style cheese pizza or a Chicago-style square-cut pepperoni slice, we’ve compiled the very best dipping sauces to dunk your pizza into. Elevate your creamy, crispy, crunchy pie with these 6 pizza condiments.
Hot Honey.
There is no hit sleepier than hot honey on pizza, and we are here to shout it from the rooftops. Skeptics may say that honey has no place here, but they are very, very wrong. The hint of sweetness with the subtle chili spice is the perfect complement to a greasy, salty, cheesy pizza, providing a delightful tanginess and kick that elevates your slice ten-fold. Bonus points if you’re working with a meaty pizza. This sweet-heat is great with pepperoni, soppressata, meatballs, sausage and more. Want to amp up the spiciness? Try extra-hot honey. Can’t take the heat? Try a classic honey instead!
Ranch.
We’re not sure where this match-made-in-heaven met, but we are sure glad ranch dressing and pizza found each other. A love story for the ages, these two have let us to marital pizza bliss time and time again, pairing tangy, creamy, herby goodness with saucy, cheesy pizza perfection. Whether it’s a $1 slice in college or a gourmet artisan Neapolitan pie, we think ranch can find it’s way on pizza anywhere, in any way. Want to make your own? Check your pantry for staples like fresh garlic, sour cream, lemon juice, black pepper and parmesan and make this extra-dilly ranch recipe.
Garlic Butter.
Garlic is a natural fit for pizza considering you can find it in most marinara sauces AND it makes a great topping whether it’s freshly grated or roasted and dolloped atop. But have you had garlic butter as a pizza condiment? Garlic and butter, when combined, turns any pizza into garlic bread and makes every leftover pizza crust a breadstick ripe for dunking. Take fresh garlic or roasted garlic and your favorite butter (we love Kate’s) and voila, garlic dipping sauce. You can even use garlic powder to make this condiment if you’re really in a jam. The most delightful dipping sauce there ever was.
Sriracha.
A little spice is very nice when it comes to pizza, and even better if it’s partnered with something sweet and garlicky. Enter: sriracha. This lovely sauce made with sun-ripened chili peppers and garlic delivers a tangy and sweet kick with a side of mild heat that just about anyone can handle. Sriracha is super versatile and great with any pizza toppings, from veggies to chicken pizza to hickory-smoked bacon, and gives your slice that extra oomph you may or may not have known it needed.
Hot Sauce.
If you like a spicy pizza and sriracha just isn’t doing the trick, dose your slice with your favorite hot sauce instead! Hot sauce can make any chicken wing a hot wing, and wings go great with pizza, so take the spice all the way and add to your pizza, too. We like to use hot sauce to kick up our pepperoni pie, elevate our Italian sausage or dress up a cheesy slice. The best sauces to make your pizza extra spicy include habanero hot sauce, black garlic and Carolina reaper and West Indian curry.
Barbecue Sauce.
Barbecue sauce is a sweet and tangy pizza condiment that makes any night a pizza night. When you dip a pizza in BBQ sauce, it instantly brings a smoky, umami-laden flavor to each bite. While it may seem like BBQ sauce doesn’t go on pizza, it’s actually a delight when paired with grilled toppings like sweet BBQ chicken pizza, or with sweet and savory flavor combinations like pineapple and ham. Barbecue sauce is also extremely versatile — you can get an extra sweet version, a spicy one or something a little more fun. Here is a barbecue sauce recipe we love if you want to try something homemade.
Get Dunking
We don’t know who needs to hear this but we’ve seen some lists with mayonnaise and ketchup and feel the need to say that these are NOT recommend pizza condiments or pizza dipping sauces. Sure, mayo is a hit at the Domino’s Pizza in Japan. Fine, maybe your kid only eats things covered in ketchup, including french bread pizza. But as a general rule, this is not okay, people!!! Grab your homemade pizza loaded with veggies or your Papa John’s delivery and get dunking with the other delicious pizza dips above instead. Other honorable mentions that we respect on pizza include chile olive oil, pesto, blue cheese and tomato sauce with lots of oregano.
