Best pepperoni pizza: Chicago Town beaten by cheap supermarket rivals

With its mouthwatering combination of melting mozzarella, meaty pepperoni and rich tomato sauce, pepperoni pizza is a classic for a reason. 

But which supermarket offers the tastiest version if you're looking to get your pizza fix for less?

To find out how they compare, our panel of pizza fans blind-tasted six own label double pepperoni pizzas from the likes of Tesco, Aldi and M&S alongside big brand Chicago Town.

We uncovered two top-scoring supermarket pizzas that impressed with their crisp base, cheesy flavour and pepperoni punch. But one pricey premium pizza disappointed tasters with its underwhelming taste and 'stingy' pepperoni topping.

Discover the best cheap supermarket pepperoni pizzas to pick up on your weekly shop, including a great value pick costing just £1.25 - and the ones to leave in the freezer aisle.

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Best frozen pepperoni pizza

There's no need to splash out for a slice of pizza perfection - own label double pepperoni pizzas from Asda and Tesco came top overall in our taste test. 

Both are relatively cheap, but if you're after the best possible value on a budget Aldi's cheap pizza is our Great Value pick. It comes in third place overall alongside Chicago Town.

Best Buy: Asda Stonebaked Double Pepperoni Pizza - 75%

£1.65 (50p per 100g)

Asda's frozen double pepperoni pizza was rated the best of the bunch in our taste test, packing a strong pepperoni hit along with a satisfying cheesy flavour. It's the only one that doubles up on the cheese, with an extra dose of cheddar to compliment the more traditional mozzarella topping.

No soggy bases to worry about here either - our tasters were impressed with the texture of the dough, with 80% rating it just the right level of crispiness.

At less than £2 a pop, this pizza is certainly worth picking up if you have an Asda nearby.

Available from Asda.

Best Buy: Tesco Stonebaked Thin Double Pepperoni Pizza - 73%

£1.65 (50p per 100g)

Another supermarket own label standout in our taste test, Tesco finished just a smidge behind the winning pizza from Asda. 

It scored high marks across the board, and while its pepperoni flavour didn't quite match up to Asda's, it nailed the pepperoni texture with 86% of tasters rating it spot on. 

As the second cheapest pizza on test (alongside Asda), it's a good value option if you're shopping on a budget.

Available from Tesco.

Great Value: Aldi Carlos Thin Crust Stonebaked Double Pepperoni Pizza - 71%

£1.25 (38p per 100g)

It's the cheapest on test, but that didn't stop Aldi from claiming joint third place alongside Chicago Town, offering great flavour that's on par with the leading brand (but for a fraction of the price).

Most of our tasters thought it had well-balanced cheese and tomato flavours - although it didn't quite deliver the same meaty hit of higher scoring pizzas, with 39% finding the strength of pepperoni flavour too weak. 

It also has less salt and calories per 100g than most other pizzas we tested, so could be a pragmatic choice if you're looking for a treat that's not too OTT. Half a pizza clocks in at 391 calories compared to Chicago Town's 522 calories.

Available from Aldi.

Chicago Town Tiger Crust Double Pepperoni Pizza - 71%

£3 (94p per 100g)

Chicago Town's offering worked out as the most expensive pizza per 100g in our taste test, costing more than twice as much as Aldi's. It also has the most calories, fat and saturated fat of all the pizzas we tested.

While it scored well overall, its cheesiness was lacking for some, with just over a third rating the cheese flavour too weak. However it had one of the best-rated bases, with three quarters finding the texture just right. 

It's the only pizza we tested that contains palm oil and there's no mention if it being sustainably sourced. The other pizzas we tested all use rapeseed oil.

All in all, there are cheaper and tastier choices worth trying.

Available from Amazon Fresh, Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose.

Check out our pick of other freezer staples including the best frozen chips, the best frozen fish and vegan chicken substitutes

How Morrisons, Sainsbury's and other supermarket pepperoni pizzas compare

Other supermarket pizzas didn't score too badly, although there are definitely better options out there. M&S was the lowest scorer overall, despite it being the most expensive own label pizza we tested, and Sainsbury's shoppers may also want to look elsewhere.

• Morrisons Double Pepperoni Stonebaked Pizza – 70%. Morrisons is the only supermarket that's decided to ditch the mozzarella in favour of emmental cheese. Not everyone was a fan, with half finding the cheese flavour lacking. Otherwise, it's a decent pizza overall. £2.29 (64p per 100g). Available from Morrisons.
• Sainsbury's Double Pepperoni Thin Pizza – 65%. Good appearance and aroma, but it fell short on flavour and two thirds said the base was too soft. £1.75 (52p per 100g). Available from Sainsbury's.
• M&S Thin & Crispy Double Pepperoni Pizza - 64%. The pepperoni and cheese flavours lacked some punch, with most finding them too weak. Some also thought the amount of pepperoni was a bit stingy. £3.20 (87p per 100g). Available from Ocado.

Frozen double pepperoni pizzas from Co-op, Iceland and Lidl were not available at the time of testing.

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Which pizza has the most pepperoni?

We tested double pepperoni pizzas, which are all topped with a combination of standard and mini pepperoni slices. 

To find out which pizzas offer the most meat for your money, we looked at the total proportion of pepperoni on each pizza. 

Aldi loads up with the most generous helping (14%), while Sainsbury’s contains the least sausage (11.5%), but overall there isn't a great deal between them. 

How many calories are in pepperoni pizza?

Depending on which pizza you choose, the amount of calories you're consuming can vary a lot. Most boxes suggest half a pizza as one serving, which can range from just under 400 to more than 500 calories. 

Of the pizzas we tested, Chicago Town is the most calorific, while Aldi's is the least. Best Buys from Tesco and Asda are also lower in calories than poorer-scoring rivals from M&S and Sainsbury's. 

How to cook frozen pepperoni pizza

Most of the pizzas we tested recommend putting them in a preheated oven at 200-220°C, though cooking times vary. 

The quickest is M&S, which is ready in just 10-12 minutes, while Aldi's takes the longest at 17 minutes.

Nearly all recommend putting them directly onto the oven shelf with a tray on the shelf below. This should help you avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. Some instructions also suggest rotating the pizza halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Some air fryers are also suitable for cooking pizza. See our guide to air fryer vs oven cooking to find out which is likely to be cheapest.

Best air fryers - see our expert buying guide and top review picks to buy

How we tested frozen pepperoni pizza

The pizzas were assessed in January 2023 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and eat this type of pizza.

Each pizza was assessed by 70 people. All products were cooked according to pack instructions. 

The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK. 

The panellists rated the taste, texture, aroma and appearance of each product and told us what they liked and disliked about each one. 

The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order they sampled the pizzas was fully rotated to avoid any bias. 

Each panellist had a private booth so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The overall score is based on:

• 50% taste
• 20% appearance
• 15% texture
• 15% aroma

How to recycle pizza packaging

Cardboard pizza boxes can usually go in your household recycling bin. Some pizzas are wrapped in a plastic film which can only be recycled with bags at large supermarkets.

Prices and availability correct as of 15 February 2023