I Tried the Viral ‘Lion Pizza’ and It’s My New Favorite Quick Family-Friendly Lunch originally appeared on Parade.
I’m forever on the hunt for new and exciting food trends. In my career as a culinary producer and food content creator, it’s part of my job, but it’s also a lot of fun and a good way to keep me excited about cooking for myself and my family.
As I’m scrolling social media, I get extra excited when I run across recipes that are a little silly and fun-looking and may just convince my kids to sit and eat some food at the table. And that’s why when I saw the viral lion pizza making the rounds, in true @jeanettemadeit fashion, I knew I had to give it a try. I had all the ingredients at home and had a sneaking suspicion my kiddos would be into this dish. Plus, who doesn’t love a dish with a little purr-sonality?!
Read on to find out how this viral dish went over at my house, plus everything you need to make this fun recipe in your kitchen.
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A post shared by Catherine Hellings (@thefastfoodie.tv)
What is the Viral Lion Pizza?
Lion pizza, which I found on Catherine Hellings’ (aka @thefastfoodie.tv) Instagram page, is exactly what it sounds like: pizza styled to look like a lion’s face, complete with ham and cheese ears and a wild tortilla mane. It’s the kind of trend that stops you mid-scroll because it’s equal parts adorable and ridiculous…in the best way. This one took off online because it’s cute, easy to make and customizable. Plus, it’s pizza, and there’s a fair chance that if something is called pizza, most people will enjoy it. There’s really no wrong way to do it. As long as you end up with something vaguely feline and delicious, you’ve succeeded.
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How to Make the Viral Lion Pizza
Making lion pizza isn’t a difficult task. Start with a burrito-size tortilla, which are generally 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place a 4- to 5-inch bowl in the center of the tortilla to keep the face of the lion intact while you use a sharp knife to cut close together cuts from the bowl to the edge of the tortilla to create the “mane”. This doesn’t have to be precise—actually, the more haphazard, the more it looks like an unruly lion’s mane.
Add tomato sauce to the center circle you created with the bowl and top with shredded cheese. I used cheddar and ham for the ears and kalamata olives for the eyes and nose. I also brushed an egg wash (just an egg beaten with a little bit of water) on the “mane” so that it browned and crisped up nicely. I baked it at 425° for about 7 minutes and it was crispy, browned to perfection and almost too adorable to eat.
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What My Kids and I Thought of the Viral Lion Pizza
Viral trends are often more style than substance, but this one totally delivered. It was fun to make and even more fun to eat. As you can see, my son, James, gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I kept the ingredients pretty close to Hellings’ original video, but I can imagine using the method to create even more animals. As a mom of two little kids, I for sure see unicorn and/or zebra pizza in my future.
Will I make it again? Absolutely! It was so simple and a variation of a group of foods my kids love, plus it’s silly and fun. It was such a low-lift meal, I can see myself making it for a larger group of kids the next time we have a chaotic multifamily dinner at our house.
Sometimes the internet gets it right with the crazy trends, and this lion pizza is one of those moments where adorable, simple and delicious all align. It’s a wild little win for the dinner table jungle.
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I Tried the Viral ‘Lion Pizza’ and It’s My New Favorite Quick Family-Friendly Lunch first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
