There’s nothing quite like the irresistible aroma of freshly baked pizza, especially when it comes straight off the grill. Forget heating up your kitchen with a blazing oven during the warmer months; embracing the grill for your pizza nights is a game-changer. Inspired by a friend’s consistently delicious grilled pizzas, I embarked on my own culinary journey, discovering a method that has truly redefined my appreciation for homemade pizza. I’m excited to share my preferred technique, one that I now favor even over traditional oven baking. This summer, you absolutely don’t have to sacrifice your pizza cravings!
Before you fire up the grill, it’s crucial to ensure it’s in top condition. A clean grill isn’t just about hygiene; it ensures even heat distribution and prevents your pizza from sticking or picking up unwanted flavors. Every summer, I make it a point to thoroughly clean my gas grill, preparing it for a season of delicious outdoor cooking. This simple step sets the foundation for a flawless grilled pizza experience.
Mastering the Art of Pizza on the Grill
It’s been a decade since I first ventured into making pizza on the grill. I vividly remember the excitement, not just for myself but also for my children, who, even as adults today, still list pizza as one of their all-time favorite meals. That first experience was a discovery we shared, a moment of culinary joy that sparked a lasting love for outdoor pizza making.
During the sweltering summer months, turning on the oven to over 400 degrees Fahrenheit is often the last thing anyone wants to do. Grilling pizza offers a fantastic alternative, keeping the heat outside where it belongs. Like any homemade pizza endeavor, success hinges on a bit of forethought and preparation. This means having all your ingredients prepped in advance: chopping your favorite toppings, preparing your pizza dough, simmering your pizza sauce, and if you’re like me, even making your own pizza sausage. A little planning ensures the actual grilling process is smooth, quick, and incredibly enjoyable.
Essential Ingredients for Exceptional Grilled Pizza
Crafting the perfect grilled pizza begins with selecting high-quality ingredients. While convenience often calls for store-bought options, a few homemade touches can truly elevate your pizza to gourmet status. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to gather:
- Pizza Dough: While a good quality store-bought dough is perfectly acceptable for ease and speed, I highly recommend trying my homemade pizza dough recipe for an unparalleled taste and texture. It’s surprisingly simple to make and yields a wonderfully chewy and crisp crust that’s ideal for grilling.
- Pizza Sauce: Similarly, store-bought pizza sauce works in a pinch, but a homemade sauce offers a depth of flavor that is hard to beat. My easy pizza sauce recipe is a quick and delicious option that complements the smoky flavor of grilled crust beautifully.
- Versatile Toppings: This is where you can let your creativity shine! Always have a generous amount of shredded Mozzarella cheese on hand, as it melts beautifully. For meats, classic pepperoni and my savory homemade pizza sausage are family favorites. For fresh vegetables, consider thinly sliced bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and flavorful olives. The key is to chop all toppings into small, manageable pieces to ensure even cooking and melting on the grill.
- Olive Oil: Essential for both flavor and function, olive oil is used to brush the dough, preventing it from sticking to the grill grates and contributing to a beautiful golden crust. It’s a foundational element for a truly authentic grilled pizza.
- Cornmeal: Think of cornmeal as your secret weapon for effortless pizza transfer. A thin sprinkle on your pizza stone or peel acts like tiny “ball bearings,” allowing the dough to slide smoothly and gracefully onto the hot grill surface.
The golden rule for grilling pizza is preparation. Just like stir-frying, the actual cooking time on the grill is incredibly fast. This means you need to have every ingredient – from your dough to your cheese and all your chopped toppings – ready and within arm’s reach before you even approach the grill. This meticulous mise en place ensures a stress-free and enjoyable grilling experience, allowing you to focus on the cooking without frantic last-minute chopping.
Essential Tools for Grilled Pizza Success
Having the right tools makes all the difference when grilling pizza. Here’s a list of the equipment that will set you up for success:
- Grill: Whether you use a gas or charcoal grill, the principles of direct and indirect heat are crucial. A gas grill offers precise temperature control, while a charcoal grill imparts a wonderful smoky flavor.
- Silicone Basting Brush: Ideal for evenly applying olive oil to your pizza dough, ensuring a non-stick surface and a beautifully browned crust.
- Aluminum Foil: A simple yet indispensable tool for transferring raw dough onto the grill without sticking.
- Tongs: Essential for managing the dough on the hot grill, checking for grill marks, and carefully moving the pizza.
- Metal Spatula: A large, sturdy metal spatula (or a pizza peel) is key for handling the delicate dough and the finished pizza on and off the grill.
- Pizza Stone or Cutting Board: A dedicated pizza stone helps maintain heat and crisp the bottom of your crust, but a sturdy cutting board dusted with cornmeal works perfectly as a transfer surface.
The Ultimate Guide: How to Cook a Pizza on the Grill
My method primarily uses a gas grill with four burners, offering flexible heat zones. If you’re using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to adapt these instructions for indirect cooking. The core idea is to create distinct hot and cooler zones. If you’re accustomed to banking your charcoal to one side to create high direct heat and a moderate indirect heat zone, you should be able to follow these steps and make the necessary adjustments for your setup.
Getting Ready for Grilled Pizza Perfection
- **Preheat Your Grill:** Begin by turning all your grill burners to medium-high. Close the lid and allow the grill to preheat thoroughly for about 15 minutes. This ensures the grates are good and hot, essential for a perfect crust.
- **Prepare Your Foil Sheets:** Tear off four sheets of aluminum foil, each large enough to comfortably hold a single pizza dough. Using your silicone basting brush, lightly coat one side of each foil sheet with olive oil. This prevents sticking and helps transfer the dough seamlessly.
- **Portion and Shape the Dough:** Divide your pizza dough into three or four equal pieces. The goal is to create individual pizzas, which are much easier to manage on the grill than one large pie. Use the heel of your hand to gently press and stretch each dough portion into a flat, roughly 7-8 inch diameter circle. Alternatively, you can use a rolling pin if you prefer a smoother, more uniform shape, but pressing it by hand often gives a lovely rustic appearance. From one standard dough recipe, you should get about four individual pizzas.
- **Oil the Dough:** Place one shaped dough circle onto an oiled sheet of foil. Using your basting brush or fingers, lightly oil the top surface of the dough. This adds flavor and prevents the dough from drying out while resting.
- **Stack and Prep:** Place another oiled piece of foil (oiled side facing up) on top of the first oiled dough. Then, place the next dough circle on top of that foil and oil its surface. Continue this stacking process until all four pieces of foil have dough on them, and all dough surfaces are oiled. Set this stack aside.
- **Prepare Your Landing Pad:** Lightly sprinkle a thin, even layer of cornmeal onto your pizza stone or cutting board. This creates a non-stick surface that will help you easily slide the cooked pizza on and off the grill.
NOTE: The olive oil serves multiple crucial purposes. It prevents the dough from sticking to the hot grill grates, ensuring a crisp release. It also infuses the crust with a wonderful flavor. Furthermore, it stops the dough from adhering to the aluminum foil, making the foil an ideal, temporary carrier to guide the dough onto the grill.
The Grilling Process: Achieving Perfect Pizza
- **Final Check:** Double-check that all your prepared toppings and pizza sauce are within easy reach. Have your cornmeal-dusted pizza stone or cutting board ready, along with your tongs and metal spatula. Speed is key once the dough hits the grill.
- **First Grill Phase (Crust):** Turn all four burners down to a medium heat setting. Open the grill lid. Carefully take one piece of foil with dough, invert it directly onto the grill grates, and then gently peel off the foil sheet. The oiled dough should release easily onto the hot surface. Close the grill lid immediately and **LEAVE IT CLOSED** for precisely 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. This initial burst of heat sets the crust.
- **Check for Grill Marks:** After 2 minutes, you can quickly lift a corner of the dough with your tongs to check its progress. You’re looking for visible puffy sections and distinct brown grill marks on the bottom. If they’re present and beautifully browned, move to the next step. If not, close the grill and allow it to cook for another 30 seconds to a minute; typically, 2-3 minutes is sufficient for this stage.
- **Remove and Prepare for Toppings:** Once the first side is nicely grilled, open the lid. Using your tongs and metal spatula together, carefully remove the dough from the grill and place it onto your cornmeal-dusted stone or cutting board, with the grill-marked side facing up. Close the grill lid to maintain the internal temperature.
- **Apply Sauce and Toppings:** With the grill-marked side of the crust facing up, generously spread your pizza sauce and then scatter your chosen toppings over the dough. Be mindful not to overload it, as this can make the pizza difficult to handle and may prevent even cooking.
- **Set Up Indirect Heat:** This is a crucial step for finishing your pizza without burning the bottom. Turn the two middle burners of your gas grill **OFF**. Turn the outer left and right burners up to **HIGH**. This configuration creates a hot, oven-like environment within the grill, but allows the pizza to cook on indirect heat in the center, ensuring the cheese melts and toppings cook through without incinerating the crust.
- **Final Grill Phase (Melting & Cooking):** Open the grill lid. Carefully slide your fully topped pizza back onto the grill, positioning it on the center rack where the burners are off. Remember, the cornmeal acts as tiny “ball bearings,” making it easy to slide the pizza off the stone or cutting board. Close the lid and let it cook for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and the toppings are cooked to your liking. In my experience, 6 to 6.5 minutes often yields perfect results.
- **Serve Hot:** Once ready, use your spatula and tongs to remove the pizza from the grill. Transfer it to a clean cutting board, slice, and serve immediately. Enjoy your perfectly grilled, smoky, and delicious pizza!
To continue making more pizzas: After removing the finished pizza, turn the middle burners back to high for a minute or two to bring the grill back up to temperature, then adjust to medium and repeat the steps above. I’ve found that this method allows me to cook two individual pizzas at a time, sliding both onto the middle indirect heat zone simultaneously, making it efficient for feeding a crowd.
More Delicious Pizza and Grill Inspirations:
- French Bread Pizza: A quick and easy weeknight alternative.
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust: For a gluten-free or low-carb option that’s surprisingly tasty.
- Pizza Lasagna: Merging two comfort food classics into one incredible dish.
- Grilled Chicken: A versatile recipe for tender, flavorful chicken.
- Grilled Chicken Tacos: Perfect for a smoky twist on taco night.
- Grilled Watermelon & Pineapple Skewers: A sweet and unexpected treat for the grill.
- Perfect Grilled Pork Chops: Achieve juicy, tender pork chops every time.
- Cedar Plank Salmon: For an elegant and aromatic seafood dish.
- Shrimp Kabobs: Quick-cooking and bursting with flavor.
Making Pizza on the Grill
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
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Ingredients
- pizza dough
- pizza sauce
- toppings
- olive oil
Instructions
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First, turn your grill on to high and close the lid. Allow it to heat up and get good and hot, about 15 minutes.
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Next, you will need 4 pieces of aluminum foil (big enough to cover a cookie sheet). Brush each piece of foil (on one side only) with olive oil.
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Cut your dough into 3 or 4 pieces. You want to make individual pizzas instead of trying to make one great big one. Use the heel of your hand to press the dough flat and stretch it out, or if you prefer you can roll it, pressing it give it a more rustic look though. 🙂 I made mine about 7-8″ in diameter and got 4 pizzas from one dough recipe. Place one dough onto an oiled sheet of foil. Use brush or your fingers to oil the top of the dough. Place next piece of foil, oiled side facing up, on top of that dough. (You are stacking here) Now place the next dough on top of that foil, then oil the dough, repeat until all four pieces of foil have dough on them and they are all oiled. Just FYI – the olive oil keeps the dough from sticking to the grill grates and adds great flavor as well. Oh, and it also keeps the dough from sticking to the foil. The foil works as a handy way to slap the dough onto the grill.
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Place your stack of dough/foil aside for now.
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Again, be sure all your toppings and your sauce are at the ready, make sure you have your pizza stone or cutting board sprinkled with cornmeal. Have tongs and spatula ready.
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Grab one piece of foil with dough. Turn all four burners down to medium, open grill and invert the dough onto the grill, peel off the piece of foil. Close the lid and LEAVE IT CLOSED for 2 1/2 minutes.
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After two minutes you can check and see how the dough is doing, it should be getting puffy and developing grill marks on the bottom. Check this by lifting the corner with your tongs. If you have nice brown grill marks move on to the next step. If not, close the grill and let them cook a little longer, but generally 2-3 minutes does the trick.
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Next, open the grill, use the tongs and metal spatula to remove your dough and place it on the stone or cutting board, grill marks up. Close the grill.
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Now, add your sauce and toppings to your dough, again the grill marks should be facing up.
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Turn the two middle burners OFF and turn the outer left and right burners back up to high. This creates a hot environment, but allows you to cook on indirect heat so that the bottom of your crust does not burn.
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Open the grill and carefully slide your pizza back onto the grill (the cornmeal acts as ball bearings and lets the dough slide off the stone or cutting board easily) on the center rack, where the burners should be off. Close the lid and let cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and toppings are done.
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Use spatula and tongs to remove pizza. Enjoy!
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post was originally published here on June 25, 2009.