Panzerotti Recipe – Deep Fried Classic Italian Hot Pocket

This is a Classic Panzerotti recipe. You can think of panzerotti as Italian fried pizza pockets: handheld, snack-sized turnovers stuffed with traditional pizza ingredients and fried until golden. They taste wonderful.

Our from-scratch dough and simple filling will make this Panzerotti recipe a hit in your house!

🥟 Ingredients

This has many of the same ingredients as a traditional pizza, plus extra oil for frying. Check out the recipe card for quantities and more detail, but here are the ingredients we use for this recipe.

• bread flour
• active dry yeast
• granulated sugar
• warm water
• salt
• vegetable oil
• mozzarella cheese
• crushed tomatoes
• dried oregano
• pepperoni
• salt and pepper

🍲 Instructions

This is similar to making a pizza or a calzone up until cook time. Divide the dough into six small balls for individual panzerotti.

Treat this Panzerotti dough much like pizza dough. As with our Classic Chicago Style pizza, we let the dough rise before cooking. Portion it into six small dough balls and allow them to rise individually.

Once the dough has risen, stretch each ball into a small disk. Panzerotti are much smaller than a regular pizza or a calzone. Lay some pepperoni on the dough and spoon the tomato-and-mozzarella filling over the pepperoni, making sure not to overstuff these tasty treats.

Much like a turnover, we fold our little pizza pockets in half and crimp the edges. This is much like we did with our Apple Hand Pie recipe. The idea is to seal our Panzerotti and prepare it for cooking.

For cooking, fry these in about 1 inch of high-heat cooking oil, such as vegetable oil, heated to 350°F. Fry up to two at a time, depending on the size of your pan, turning about every 45 seconds. They should take about 3 minutes total and are done when both sides are golden brown.

Once the panzerotti are golden brown, remove them and allow them to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate for a few minutes, then eat!

🤷 Substitutions and variations

There is a lot of room to substitute and vary this recipe. The main concern is overstuffing your ingredients. Don’t do that.

• Pepperoni – You can use many of the same ingredients you might use on pizza, as long as they are chopped small enough and you don’t go overboard with the filling. If using other meats, use fully cooked meat before adding it to the panzerotti.
• Dough Rising – I recommend allowing your dough to rise, but you could skip that step in a pinch.
• Vegetarian – Leave the pepperoni out or use vegetarian pepperoni. Pineapple tidbits, diced bell pepper, mushrooms, or other pizza toppings can also work well.

📦 Storage

Allow leftover panzerotti to cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat leftovers until the center reaches 165°F.

For longer storage, cool the cooked panzerotti completely, wrap them well or place them in an airtight freezer container, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating for the best results.

🎓 History tidbit

Panzerotti are traditionally associated with the southern Italian region of Puglia and are believed to have developed as a way to use leftover bread dough. The dish made its way to America through immigration and has since spread across North America. Many people may know something similar as a pizza pocket, although traditional panzerotti are fried rather than prepared like the frozen sandwiches found in grocery stores.

Traditional fried panzerotti can be difficult to find outside the East Coast. If interested, this is a pretty detailed look into the American history of the Panzerotti.

❓ FAQ

📝 Tips and tricks

• Allow your dough to rise for the best results, but you can always roll these out immediately in a pinch.
• Don’t overstuff your panzerotti.
• Keep your oil temperature at 350°F when cooking.
• Follow all deep-frying safety guidelines.
• Fry one or two at a time, depending on the size of your pan; don’t overcrowd the oil.

🛠 Products used in this recipe

• Point Thermometer or Fry Thermometer
• Tongs
• Cast Iron Skillet

😋 Did you make this recipe?

That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Panzerotti recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this homemade pizza pocket recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.