Salami Pizza with Garlic Dijon Aioli

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Salami Pizza with garlic Dijon aioli topped with a tangy balsamic drizzle is the re-creation of my favorite menu item at Hard Knox Pizza, Le Boxeur. It’s the perfect homemade pizza recipe when craving a unique gourmet slice of delicious ingredients, like smoked mozzarella, genoa salami slices, and grated parmesan cheese.

close up shot of a salami pizza cut into slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar and garlic aioli.

I used my favorite pizza dough recipe to enjoy the authentic taste of a from-scratch pizza pie. However, store-bought dough also works when you are limited in time or energy.

The Hard Knox’s Le Boxeur traditionally has a white sauce as the base. But I like to keep it simple by brushing the dough with olive oil and freshly minced garlic cloves, allowing the tasty cheeses and salami to steal the show!

Top it off with a drizzle of homemade Garlic Dijon Aioli and high-quality balsamic vinegar to bring the pizza to the next level of deliciousness!

I’ll leave you with one warning — after making this irresistible pizza from scratch, you may never grab a frozen one from the store or order delivery again!

ingredients for salami pizza on a table.

Key ingredients & substitutions for Hard Knox Italian Salami Pizza

Pizza dough | If you’re not homemaking the pizza dough, you can use refrigerated fresh pizza dough from your local deli. I would avoid using frozen dough, if possible.
Genoa salami | Top your pizza with salami slices. Although this is one of the critical ingredients for this recipe, you can swap it for another meat, like ham, pepperoni, or bacon, if preferred.
Mozzarella | Shredded smoked mozzarella cheese really makes a difference. So, don’t be tempted to substitute! If you must, use regular mozzarella.
Parmesan | Freshly grated parmesan cheese adds a robust flavor to this gourmet pizza recipe.

Garlic | Minced garlic cloves work with olive oil to create the pizza base instead of a typical white or red sauce. If in a pinch, use garlic powder instead.
Olive oil | Because of the strong cheese and salami flavors, all this recipe needs is a little olive oil and garlic to coat the crust and make a base for the toppings. High-quality olive oil completes the flavors of the pizza.
Balsamic vinegar | The last ingredient you add will be a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar—YUM!
Garlic Dijon Aioli | What really gives this simple pizza its irresistible taste is the homemade garlic Dijon aioli drizzled over the cheeses and salami.

Garlic Dijon Aioli

Mayonnaise | Mayonnaise is the blank canvas that carries the other more flavorful ingredients for your aioli.
Whole grain Dijon mustard | I make my aioli with whole grain Dijon mustard from Trader Joe’s. It makes a world of difference!
Lemon juice | Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to bring citrus notes to the sauce.
Garlic | You’ll need a freshly minced garlic clove to add subtle spice and a nutty taste.

Equipment needed

Pizza Stone
Pizza Peel
Pizza Oven Box for Gas Grill — If you want a real pizza oven experience, this Baker Stone Grill Top Pizza Oven Box is the next best thing.

Sliding a pizza into a grill-top pizza oven

How to make Homemade Salami Pizza Recipe

Start by preparing the garlic and Dijon aioli recipe, then stretch the dough and add the toppings. Your gourmet pizza will be ready to serve in no time!

garlic aioli for salami pizza in a bowl on a table.

Garlic Dijon Aioli

STEP 1 | Mix the aioli ingredients and store

Toss all the aioli ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir them until the texture is nice and smooth. Store the finished garlic aioli in the refrigerator until ready to use it.

To make drizzling this delicious sauce onto the pizza easier, transfer it to a squeeze bottle.

tips

Keep in mind you will only use about a tablespoon of the aioli, which is far less than what you will prepare. There are many other ways to put the tasty homemade garlic Dijon aioli to use! Add it to steak sandwiches, burgers, grilled fish, roasted veggies, or salads.

Pizza

STEP 1 | Preheat the oven

Now, on to the pizza! First, slip a pizza stone into the cold oven. Then, preheat the oven to 500 degrees, stone included.

If you’re making your own pizza dough, it’s a good idea to make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Otherwise, begin with making the dough before preheating the oven and continuing with the recipe instructions.

assembling a salami pizza for the oven; brush dough with olive oil, layer salami and cheese.

STEP 2 | Shape the pizza dough

Next, put a large sheet of parchment paper on the kitchen counter and drop the pizza dough on top. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough or stretch it with your hands to bring it to the desired size.

Then, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour onto a pizza peel and lightly spread it around the surface. Finally, transfer the pizza dough to the pizza peel and prepare the delicious toppings!

STEP 3 | Add the garlic, oil, salami, and cheese

Rather than topping the salami pizza with a white or red sauce, make a simple mixture of olive oil and garlic. So, combine a tablespoon of quality olive oil and one freshly minced garlic clove.

Next, spread it over top of prepared pizza dough and top it with the cheese and salami.

Evenly spread the smoked mozzarella cheese and add a layer of salami slices. And last but not least, sprinkle the freshly grated Parmesan cheese as the final ingredient before baking.

tips

Consider setting the oven temperature to maximum heat if it exceeds 500 degrees. Traditional pizza ovens bake at extremely hot temperatures. So, when using your home oven, crank it all the way up! Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Be careful not to stretch the pizza dough too thin, or the crust won’t support all the toppings. You also want to avoid having an extra thick crust, which may take too long to bake, leaving you with under-baked dough and over-baked toppings.

STEP 4 | Bake the salami pizza

Use the pizza peel to carefully move the pizza into the preheated oven. Bake for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the pizza is bubbly and the cheese and crust are slightly golden.

Everyone likes their pizza at different levels of doneness, so remove it from the oven when it reaches your liking.

salami pizza drizzled with garlic aioli and balsamic vinegar on a table with a pizza cutter.

STEP 5 | Drizzle with sauces and enjoy!

When ready, carefully take the pizza out of the oven and quickly drizzle with the tasty garlic Dijon aioli and tangy balsamic vinegar. Then, it’s time to slice and serve it up!

If you’ve never made pizza at home, today is the perfect day to start! In fact, National Pizza Day wasn’t so long ago, on February 9th this year! Some are intimidated by the challenge. But homemade pizza is easier to make than you think!

And, even better, it’s tons of fun! Invite your friends and family to join you in the kitchen while making tasty salami pizza with garlic Dijon aioli.

There’s no shortage of great pizza recipes here! Check out my Chicken Florentine Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza, and Cheeseburger Pizza.

a salami pizza cut into slices on a pizza stone.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to cook salami before adding it to the pizza?

While there are some meats you need to precook before adding to pizza, salami is not one of them. Meats like salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, and some Italian sausages are sold fully cooked.

If you want to remove extra grease, microwave or lightly bake the salami before topping the pizza. However, this is surely not necessary and may cause the meat to be tougher than desired.

Of course, if using raw steak, chicken, or pork, you should always precook. Never top a pizza with raw ingredients—They will not cook through when baking the pizza.

Do you need a pizza stone to make homemade pizza?

Your job is made much easier when using a pizza stone and Pizza Peel to make pizza at home. For gas grills, the best option is a Pizza Oven Box for the most authentic restaurant-quality experience you can have in the comfort of your home.

However, you can certainly accomplish this recipe without these valuable tools. Set the pizza on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or cornmeal. This will make transferring it in and out of the oven much easier.

How much space should you leave for the crust of homemade pizza?

When applying the toppings to the pizza, leave ¾ inch edges to form a decent-sized crust when baked. There’s no need to take out a measuring tool for accuracy — anywhere under an inch to the minimum of ½ an inch is perfect for making a traditional pizza crust.

That said, it’s your pizza, and you can make it how you like! So, if the crust is your favorite part of a pizza slice, make it a little larger if you’d like.

Toppings

If you love your pizza loaded with all your favorite toppings, feel free to add as many as you’d like!

Try including more ingredients, like banana peppers, red onion, caramelized onions, ham cubes, sauteed mushrooms, crispy bacon pieces, or tomato slices. If desired, sprinkle on roasted garlic as a final, personal touch.

Serving suggestions

What’s the first side you think of when serving pizza? For me, it’s a crisp and refreshing salad. Serve this delicious Homemade salami pizza with my copycat Bravo’s chopped salad, this fresh cucumber and tomato salad, or a classic wedge salad with my homemade blue cheese dressing.

two slices of salami pizza on a plate on a table.

Behind the recipe: Salami Pizza

The current owner of the renowned Hard Knox Pizzeria in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a hard-working mother who has a big heart for her community, Alexa Sponcia.

She bought the restaurant from the original owners in 2014 and has only improved the much-loved pizzeria, like opening its third location!

The restaurant is themed around some of the most famous pro boxers in history, which has been its concept since day one. Some of the most popular pizzas are the Rocky Balboa topped with sausage, peppers, red onion, and provolone cheese and the Bonecrusher with fresh mozzarella, pepperonis, sausage, and fresh rosemary, both clearly presenting the boxing theme.

This successful restaurant is very involved in the community, specifically involving efforts to better under-resourced schools and Knoxville’s youth. Being a famous pizza parlor is clearly not all this company wants to accomplish. Their goals and dreams reach much farther than simply making delicious pizzas.

slices of salami pizza on a pizza stone.

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Salami Pizza with Garlic Dijon Aioli

Author: Sheila Thigpen

This pizza is the perfect homemade pizza recipe when craving a unique gourmet slice of delicious ingredients, like smoked mozzarella, genoa salami slices, and grated parmesan cheese.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 25

Course Pizza

Cuisine Italian

Servings inch pizza

Calories 212 kcal