The Simple Ingredient Your Store-Bought Frozen Pizza Needs For More Flavor

Store-bought frozen pizza is an easy at-home treat that's perfect for when you want a delicious hot meal without putting in a ton of effort cooking. As good as it is, though, even the best frozen pizza brands can benefit from a little personal touch. One simple ingredient is the key for taking your favorite frozen pizza from good to gourmet.

Smoked paprika is just what you need to elevate your frozen pizza. Its smoky flavor with a combination of heat and sweet helps enhance the flavor of many varieties of pizza and add its own delectable taste with just a hint of spice. That sweet heat also helps cut through the richness of the cheese and complements rich, meaty toppings like pepperoni. Just sprinkle it on after the pizza is done cooking. Smoked paprika is sensitive to heat, so add it afterwards to preserve the flavor.

And there's different varieties of paprika to choose from besides smoked, as well. Different varieties of paprika have different uses in cooking, and different flavor profiles. Sweet paprika has less heat and a more sweet flavor, making it better if you're not as big a fan of spice. Inversely, hot paprika has more heat, so if you like your food spicy, this is the type for you.

Paprika is far from the only additive that can enhance your store-bought frozen pizza. Garlic is a staple seasoning, especially when it comes to Italian foods like pizza, and it can make almost any frozen pizza taste gourmet. You can add garlic powder before or after cooking, and it works as a wonderful complement to smoked paprika.

You can also add herbs to your frozen pizza to give it an authentic Italian touch. Oregano is a classic Italian herb that goes exceptionally well with tomatoes and adds an earthy touch to your pizza. Basil is a very popular herb for topping pizza, and its fresh character goes well with many different ingredients. And last but not least, dill has a subtle, almost citrus-like sweetness and goes great with other seasonings like garlic and paprika whole bringing a somewhat unexpected flavor to the proceedings.

If you really want to think outside the culinary box, a great unexpected ingredient for your frozen pizza is lemon. The acidity freshens up the pizza and gives it an extra kick that takes it to the next level. You might not think of lemon as a great pizza ingredient, being so sour, but it's an easy way to upgrade your frozen pie and pairs well with other seasonings, including paprika and different types of herbs. Drizzle just a little lemon zest on before you put the pizza in the oven and marvel at the results.