What makes Chicago style pizza different?

Chicago style pizza is very unique. In fact, you won’t find any other pizza like it. The makeup of the pizza is different, the cooking of the pizza is different, even the way Chicago style pizza is eaten is different. It’s a different type of pizza, but it may be the most delicious type of pizza!

How it’s layered

Traditional pizzas are layered as follows: crust, sauce, vegetables, cheese, meat

Chicago style pizza is layered: crust, cheese, meat, cheese again, vegetables, sauce

You see the difference? There are more layers to Chicago style deep-dish pizza. Hence, its thickness. Each layer of cheese sandwiches the meat. The way each layer is separated allows the pizza to cook evenly and for the fat and grease to disperse. Imagine biting into a minimally greased, thick piece of pizza, filled with carefully cooked ingredients.

How it’s cooked

Chicago style pizza requires the use of a cast-iron pan. Unlike a traditional pizza pan, cast-iron pans have edges. The edges are meant to shape the crust so it can match the width of the many layers. The pizza dough is pushed down as much as possible to eliminate air bubbles and to create a desired crisp. People often match the thickly-layered pizza with thick crust, but that is not the case. Actually, Chicago style pizza crust is relatively thin. Not paper thin, but thin enough to where the vast majority of a bite will consist of the pizza toppings.

What’s really cool about this type of pizza is the fact that the pan seasons the pizza. That’s right, the cast-iron pans are essentially permanently seasoned. Therefore, as the pizza cooks, it seasons. After a firm bake of about 40 minutes, your Chicago style pizza is ready!

How it’s eaten

Now it’s time to eat. But how? Cut the pizza diagonally and pick it up with your hands? Nope. Instead, you do the exact opposite. Chicago style pizza is often cut into squares and is meant to be eaten with a fork. While it is okay to eat it the traditional way, it can be quite messy given its thickness. If you want to fit in, go the square and fork route, at least in Chicago.

Also, it is important to realize that this type of pizza is meant for a sit down, family-style meal. It is too large and too filling to eat on the go. That is why you always hear of Chicago style pizza restaurants and never fast food. Furthermore, how many pizza chains have you come across that serve Chicago style pizza? The answer is likely zero.

Classic Chicago Gourmet Pizza serves you in Irving, TX. If you’re looking for the best Chicago style pizza in Texas, visit or order from Classic Chicago Gourmet Pizza. We cook up all sorts of unique Chicago style deep-dish pizzas, and, for the non-pizza lovers, we have pastas and salads as well. Contact us today to get your pizza fix. Also, visit our blog for additional mouth-watering pizza talk!