Grilled Pizza
This easy Grilled Pizza is a delicious new way to make homemade pizza during the summer. Crispy and charred, it’s perfect for outdoor entertaining and gets a crispy pizzeria-style crust every time.
Pizza is a crowd-pleaser in any shape or form, and it’s delicious year round — no matter how it’s served or who’s eating it, pizza reigns supreme. And now that it’s grilling season, our family has started making Grilled Pizza for a fun and tasty twist. Cooked directly on the grates, the crust gets an incredible char and the cheese gets super melty and bubbly. It’s easier to make than you think, so it’s perfect for cookouts, pizza night and summer entertaining.
Add your favorite toppings to a chewy, tender crust that’s been grilled and charred to perfection for a smoky, crispy pie unlike any other. Grilled Pizza tastes just like it came from a brick oven, and the topping possibilities are endless, so have fun building. Cooking pizza on the grill is a great way to deliver restaurant-quality flavor right at home without a ton of effort and we love getting the whole family in on the fun, too. If only every night could be pizza night!
If you like this grilled recipe, try some of our other cookout favorites. We love entertaining with these Barbecue Chicken Skewers and these Easy Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers are great to grill up for dinner any day of the week.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Outdoor Entertaining: Grill this pizza for summer cookouts and backyard BBQs with friends and family. After all, you already have the girl fired up, and pizza is a great year round meal.
- Customizable: Choose your favorite toppings and add-ons depending on your preferences. Get creative and try something new each time.
- Faster than Oven-Baked: Thanks to the screaming hot grill, these cook up even faster than traditional oven-baked pies.
- Fun Interactive Meal For Family and Friends: Get the whole crew involved in assembling and building, it’s a great dish for everyone to have a hand in.
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: Use your favorite store-bought, homemade, or pizzeria dough.
- Olive Oil: A good quality, extra virgin olive oil will have the best flavor.
- Pizza Sauce: Tangy and rich, either store-bought or homemade works great.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Use freshly shredded for the best melt.
- Pepperoni Slices: Meaty and savory, these crisp up perfectly on the grill.
- Parmesan Cheese: Sharp and nutty, use freshly grated for the best flavor and texture.
- Italian Seasoning: All the right herbs for that classic pizza taste.
- Fresh Basil: For the perfect fresh, finishing garnish.
Best Dough For Grilled Pizza
The best type of pizza dough for grilled pizza is a higher hydration dough, made with 00 flour or all-purpose flour. Homemade is great, if you have the time and a recipe you like, but store-bought varieties from the refrigerated section or dough from your local pizzeria work, too.
- Be sure to let dough come to room temperature before using it — it’ll stretch easier and hold its shape.
- Stretch gently starting from the center and move out gradually
- Make sure grill is hot and oiled, and the dough is too, to prevent it from sticking.
How To Make Grilled Pizza
1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 400–450°F).
2. Divide the dough into 2 to 4 equal portions and stretch into oval-shaped pizzas.
3. Brush one side of each pizza dough with olive oil.
4. Place the dough, oil-side down, directly on the grill grates. Grill for 2–3 minutes until grill marks appear and the dough begins to firm up.
5. Brush the top side with olive oil and carefully flip the dough.
6. Quickly spread pizza sauce over the grilled side. Top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.
7. Close the grill lid and cook for 4–6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked through.
8. Remove from the grill and let rest for 2 minutes.
9. Garnish with more fresh basil if desired, slice, and serve.
Expert Tips
- Keep Toppings Light: Don’t overload the pizza with heavy toppings — keep them light and evenly distributed so the crust stays crisp and not soggy.
- Have Toppings Prepped: Prep these in advance and have them ready to be used before grilling. So you can build the pizza quickly and easily.
- Use Indirect Heat: If the grill runs too hot, move the pizza placement to slow things down.
- Oil Grates Well: Make sure everything is greased thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Work Quickly after Flipping Crust: Build pizza and add toppings quickly after the flip — the pizza will cook fast.
- Use Grill Pan for Indoors: If you want to grill inside, fire up a well oiled grill pan on the stovetop. Works like a charm.
Pizza Topping Ideas
Here are some of the toppings we’ve added in the past:
- Classic Margherita: Mozzarella, tomato sauce and fresh basil, always a winning combo.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza: Sweet and savory BBQ sauce, tender chicken, mozzarella, Monterey Jack and red onions.
- Pepperoni and Hot Honey: A delicious sweet heat flavor profile.
- Prosciutto Arugula Pizza: Another fresh and flavorful ingredient combo — savory and peppery.
- Veggie-Loaded: Pile on bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli florets, spinach or cherry tomatoes for maximum veggie flavor, texture and color.
Storage
Store leftover pizza wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350° until the crust crisps up and the cheese is melty.
Leftover pizza can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven as instructed above. You can easily prep the dough and toppings in advance — store each component separately in the fridge until ready to use. Bring the dough to room temperature before stretching out, then grill as the recipe instructs.
FAQs
Yes, refrigerated store-bought dough will work perfectly if you don’t make your own. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before stretching it out.
Make sure the grill grates are oiled well, as well as the dough.
Anything that melts well is a good option. We love low moisture mozzarella as a classic choice that tastes great and melts perfectly without making the pizza watery.
More Pizza-Inspired Recipes
Easy Grilled Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough store-bought or homemade
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 20 –25 pepperoni slices
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 400–450°F).
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and stretch into oval-shaped pizzas.
- Brush one side of each pizza dough with olive oil.
- Place the dough, oil-side down, directly on the grill grates. Grill for 2–3 minutes until grill marks appear and the dough begins to firm up.
- Brush the top side with olive oil and carefully flip the dough.
- Quickly spread pizza sauce over the grilled side. Top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.
- Close the grill lid and cook for 4–6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked through.
- Remove from the grill and let rest for 2 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil if desired, slice, and serve.
Notes
- Store leftovers wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350° until crust crisps up and cheese is melty.
- Leftover pizza can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven as instructed above.
- Prep the dough and toppings in advance — store each component separately in the fridge until ready to use. Bring the dough to room temperature before stretching out, then grill as the recipe instructs.
