A Fun Leftover Hack

One of our favorite quick meals this summer has been this Chapli Kebab Pizza —a clever way to use up leftovers and satisfy a pizza craving all at once. My husband, who’s equally obsessed with kebabs and pizzas, crumbled up some leftover beef chapli kebabs from our dinner at Zareen’s and used them as the main topping. He added fresh jalapeño slices for a little kick and finished with a generous sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Just a few minutes in our pizza oven, and we had the ultimate fusion dinner—spicy, cheesy, and so satisfying.

Chapli kebabs work surprisingly well on pizza. They’re bold, juicy, and full of spices, which makes them a great match for gooey melted cheese and a crisp crust. You get the richness of the meat, a touch of heat from the jalapeños, and all the comfort of your favorite pizza night.

I’m sharing a short video showing how we stretched out the dough and baked it in our outdoor pizza oven—check it out if you want to see the magic happen! It’s always fun to watch that cheese melt and the crust puff up in real time!

Quick, flavorful, and just indulgent enough, this Chapli Kebab Pizza is perfect for a laid-back summer dinner. Hope it inspires you to get creative with what’s already in your fridge—leftovers have never looked (or tasted) this good.

Notes

I use store-bought pizza dough from my neighborhood grocery store but you can use any pizza base—naan, flatbread, or a ready to bake store-bought crust all work well.

Want step-by-step tips on stretching out the dough? I walk through it in detail in my Indian-Style Spicy Peppers & Onion Pizza recipe.

For the sauce, I use a jarred spicy marinara—something with a little heat to to complement the kebab and jalapeños without overpowering them.

And if you don’t have leftover kebabs on hand, grab some from your favorite South Asian restaurant or check the freezer section of an Indian grocery store.

Make it vegetarian: try swapping in crumbled falafels or veg kebabs, like hara bhara or aloo tikki for a similar vibe.