30 Pizza Toppings, Ranked Worst To Best

There are few foods quite as beloved and universally-recognized as pizza, and though classic flatbread variations hail from Naples, Italy, it's safe to say that just about every country has put a unique spin on the iconic dish. One of the easiest ways to apply variation to pizza is by way of toppings, and there is certainly no shortage of toppings out there. 

Pizza purists may stick with pepperoni or perhaps even just classic cheese, whereas dough daredevils may opt for some more wildcard toppings like figs, anchovies, or broccoli. While you can put just about anything on a pizza, that doesn't mean that you necessarily should — naturally, some toppings are just better than others.

We ranked a list of pizza toppings that range from life-changing to questionable to downright atrocious. While it ultimately comes down to personal preference, if you're looking to switch up your pizza game, it's a good idea to know which toppings are worth ordering and which ones to avoid at all costs. 

There isn't much nice to say about eggplant as a pizza topping, but if we had to give it a compliment, we'd mention that it is a good bang-for-your-buck topping, as just a few slices will cover nearly the entire circumference of even the largest pizza. Otherwise, we don't have kind words for eggplant in this context, and it's best to steer clear of the purple fruit during your next pizza excursion.

Not only does eggplant offer no remarkable flavor enhancement to a pizza, but it manages to make the overall texture worse. Unless you're a fan of mushy mess on top of your pizza, eggplant is best reserved for lasagna and ratatouille. 

There's something a teensy bit redundant about putting tomatoes on top of a pizza. You've already got a whole layer of tomato sauce as the base, and now you need to top it off with even more tomatoes? At that point, the pizza wouldn't even taste cheesy — it'd just taste like a tomato bomb.

To make matters worse, sliced tomatoes do not provide a good texture for pizza as they become quite mushy after baking. Tomato sauce is one thing — a good thing — but sliced tomatoes as a topping just shouldn't exist. 

If you've ever had artichokes on a pizza, then they've likely been canned artichoke hearts, which definitely earn some points for convenience. Canned artichokes also provide a subtly earthy, salty flavor profile which should pair well with a pizza, but unfortunately, they just don't really do the trick.

Perhaps it's the texture of canned artichokes that doesn't quite work in a pizza context. They're a bit mushy and quite awkward to eat. You don't necessarily want a whole heart in a single bite, but it's ultimately pretty hard to avoid. So instead of enjoying pizza with artichokes, it's often like tolerating artichokes with pizza.

On one hand, potatoes are perhaps the most bizarre option on this list. After all, who has a beautiful, crusty pizza and has the desire to pile starchy slices onto it? If you do ever have such a desire, you might be surprised to find that it isn't quite as weird as it sounds. 

Now, are we recommending you put thinly-sliced potatoes on your pizza? No, not really, as potatoes don't really add much flavor and make the pizza a bit mushy. But if you're a spud enthusiast through and through, well, it just might be the topping for you.

Arugula is an underrated green that beats spinach any day, both on its own and on pizza. The slightly bitter green offers much more flavor complex than similar vegetables like spinach or plain lettuce, though it isn't so overpowering that it'd take over a whole pie.

Another perk to arugula is that you may be more inclined to add it after the pizza bakes as opposed to before. Will the pizza be incredibly enticing? No, but it won't be the worst slice you've ever eaten, either.

There are few foods that aren't improved by garlic, and we're certainly not arguing that pizza is one of them. We're simply arguing that there are better pizza toppings out there, and it can be a bit tricky getting the garlic-to-pizza ratio just right. 

If you opt for minced garlic, it's highly unlikely that the dispersion will be equal. And if you slap on whole cloves, one bite may have nothing but cheese, whereas the next is a garlicky overload. Thin slices are probably the best option, but can still be tough to manage

When in doubt, you can't go wrong with adding more cheese to a cheese pizza. Many pizzas feature the ever-creamy and neutral mozzarella as their base, but why stop there? Load on cheddar, pepper Jack, or even some fresh ricotta if you want to get fancy. 

It's obviously not a bad idea to add more cheese to pizza. But it's certainly playing it safe, and with so many meats, vegetables, and even fruits that you could pile onto a pie, you might be doing yours an injustice by only adding more cheese.

Not all pizzas are high-brow, and in fact, we'd consider most pizzas to be casual cuisine. That said, if you're looking for a way to turn any pizza into something quite decadent, just put some lobster on it.

It's not exactly realistic to get lobster as a topping every time you order pizza, which is why we're not ranking it any higher. If you do have the chance to enjoy the seafood delicacy on a fresh pie sometime, however, we definitely recommend going for it. The subtly sweet, rich, and buttery flavor of lobster works incredibly well on a cheese pizza.

Margherita pizza enthusiasts will be pleased to find basil pretty high up on this list. It's really hard to deny the freshness that this sweet, aromatic herb brings to the table. 

Typically tacked onto a pizza after baking (after all, no one likes burnt basil leaves), fresh basil adds an earthy, herbaceous quality that really balances out the rich, savory goodness of the cheese. It may not be the most groundbreaking topping out there, but we appreciate the pop of color that basil steadfastly provides.

Corn may not be the first pizza topping to come to mind for most people, and in fact, it may not even come to mind at all. As it turns out, the grain makes for quite the delicious pizza topping, as it provides some surprising flavor complexity packed into a little kernel. 

Not only will you find a subtle sweetness with corn on pizza, but you'll find a refreshing juiciness that works well with the otherwise savory pie. Okay, maybe juicy corn doesn't sound like the most appealing topping, but trust us — corn is underrated, so next time you order a pizza, consider giving the grain a spin.

Whether you slice or dice them, onions have a welcome place on just about any pizza. Onions are a versatile ingredient in any type of cooking across any type of cuisine, so it's no surprise that they make such a good pizza topping. 

And you can't go wrong with the type of onion you opt for — red, white, yellow, and even green onions would all taste good on a pizza. Offering just the right amount of sharpness, tanginess, and umami, onions complement a cheese pizza without overpowering the flavor too much.

Drizzling honey onto a pizza may be a newish fad, but it's one that is definitely worth the hype. Whether you enjoy plain and simple honey or you opt for hot honey, it provides a very welcome sweetness to any pizza and helps provide relief from all that savoriness. 

While honey is more of a drizzle or garnish than a strict topping, we still felt it deserved a place on this list and a top spot at that. Even if you don't add any other toppings to your pizza, honey will add enough complexity to take your pie from plain and boring to unique and bold

Perfectly salty and surprisingly buttery, black olives are of the best canned ingredients you could add to a pizza. The flavor combination of cheese and black olive is absolutely a winning one, and even those who don't really like olives can still get behind their rich flavor profile.

Black olives are also great textural toppings, blending in nicely with the cheese without becoming too mushy. They work well with other toppings but also taste good all on their own, and that's what we consider to be a highly successful pizza player.

Unlike bell peppers, jalapeños are most definitely not lacking in the flavor department. The beauty of jalapeños, especially in the context of pizza, is that you might enjoy fresh-sliced or jarred, pickled peppers here. Both are equally as delicious.

Fresh jalapeños will offer brightness and plenty of heat to a pizza, whereas jarred ones will offer a softer bite. If you're a fan of spice, then it's impossible to make a pizza taste worse with jalapeños, so they really are a foolproof topping.

There is simply no pizza out there more iconic than a classic pepperoni, which is why the salty pork topping has earned the top spot on this list. Was there really ever any doubt? Sure, you could go with any topping from the top 10 spots on this list and end up with a good pizza, but for a truly great pizza, you can't go wrong with pepperoni.

Pepperoni is such a successful topping for a few reasons. One, it brings a salty, meaty, and subtly spicy flavor profile to the pizza. Two, it bakes so beautifully into the pie, submerging effortlessly into the pool of melted cheese. And three, it just looks visually appealing — some pepperoni even curls up when cooked. And have you ever seen a picture of a pepperoni pie and not felt hungry? We certainly haven't, so with that, we'll conclude this list and go promptly place an order for a pepperoni pizza.