Yields:
6 - 8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Jump to recipeWhen you've run out of summer dinner ideas, grilled pizza is the only way to go! Not only is cooking and dining outside a lovely evening experience, the grill provides many advantages to making crispy, charred pizza that a home oven simply cannot. If it seems like one of those intimidating grilling recipes, it's not! Read on for a fool-proof grilled pizza recipe and all of the instruction you need for how to cook pizza on the grill.
Can you grill a pizza?
Absolutely, you can grill pizza at home! If you don't have an outdoor wood-fired oven, the grill offers the next best way to achieve high heat and smoky flavor. As for the secret to cooking pizza on the grill? Be prepared: Have your dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings ready to go and near the grill for easy access. The crust will cook quickly and you'll want to be able to top it swiftly so you can eat it while it's hot.
Another thing? Manage the temperature of the grill by having one side of direct heat and one of indirect heat. The grill should be heated to high heat and have a temperature of between 450 and 500 degrees with the lid on, just before cooking—any hotter, and the pizza may char before the dough cooks through; any cooler, and the dough may not blister and brown properly. The oval shape of this pizza allows this to work on either a gas or charcoal grill.
Can you cook pizza on a grill grate?
Yes, it's possible to cook pizza directly on a grill grate. However, it is tricky to maneuver the crust to a grill grate and maintain its shape. For this recipe, we shape the pizza dough on a piece of foil, and drop the whole piece of foil on the grill. The foil conducts heat just the same as placing the dough directly on the grill grate, but allows for a much easier transfer. And of course, you'll want to know how to clean grill grates beforehand.
Do you need a pizza stone to make pizza on the grill?
A pizza stone is a great tool for pizza recipes. Once heated, it holds it's heat for a long time, making it a great choice for making multiple pizzas at a time. (It's great for feeding a crowd!) It captures the heat of the grill and distributes it evenly, giving you a nice crispy crust. However handy it is, though, it is not necessary to make delicious grilled pizza. So if you don't have one, don't worry!
Do I need to make my own crust and sauce?
Feel free to substitute prepared pizza dough and jarred marinara sauce for this recipe. We recommend using freshly made, refrigerated pizza dough balls that are about 1 pound each. This type of dough can typically be found in your grocery store's deli section. (The homemade recipe listed below would normally make two of these one-pound balls).
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Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough (makes 2 pizzas):
- 1
1/4-oz. packet active dry yeast
- 2 tsp.
granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups
warm water (90 to 100°)
- 4 cups
all-purpose flour, plus more for the surface
- 3 Tbsp.
olive oil, divided
- 2 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
For the Caprese-Style Pizza with Burrata (toppings for 1 pizza):
- 1 1/2 cups
chopped tomatoes
- 1
small clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp.
flaky sea salt, plus more to garnish
- 1 Tbsp.
chopped fresh basil, plus more leaves to garnish
- 1 Tbsp.
olive oil, plus more to garnish
- 1/2 cup
homemade pizza sauce or jarred marinara sauce
- 1 cup
shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1
4-oz. piece burrata cheese
For the Arugula-Prosciutto Pizza (toppings for 1 pizza):
- 2 cups
arugula
- 1/4 cup
shaved parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup
thinly sliced red onion
- 2 tsp.
lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp.
olive oil, divided
- 2
cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup
shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 6
slices prosciutto, halved cross-wise
Directions
- Step 1For the pizza dough: Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water (90 to 100°) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to combine and then let sit until bubbles have formed on the top, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt. Mix on low speed using a dough hook until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium-low and mix until everything is well incorporated and the dough is sticky, 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Step 2Drizzle the top of the dough and down the sides of the bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Use a rubber spatula to flip the dough to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Step 3On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough in half and form into tight rounds. To form a nice round, gently flatten one piece of dough onto the countertop in a circle and fold all the edges into the center. Flip it over and gently pull the round against the counter to form a taut ball. Set it aside on a lightly floured sheet tray. Repeat with the second dough ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. (If you're not ready to make pizza, place the rounds on a lightly floured baking sheet with enough space for them to rise and expand. Cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the covered dough balls for up to 3 days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before proceeding.)
- Step 4Preheat a grill (charcoal or gas) to high heat (450˚ to 500°), with the coals or flames only under one half of the grill (indirect heat).
- Step 5Place a piece 14-inch piece of foil on top of an upside-down half-sheet pan. Lightly rub the foil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Step 6On a well-floured surface, press 1 piece of dough into an 8-inch round with a 1-inch outer lip. Carefully lift the dough with your hands cupping the lip to keep from flattening it. Working quickly, rotate the edge of the dough through your hands in a clockwise motion, allowing gravity to stretch the dough into an oval shape. Place the dough back onto the floured surface and stretch it into an oval about 10 inches wide and 14 inches long. Transfer it to the prepared foil. (Be sure to keep the original bottom side of the dough, on the bottom.) Brush just the outer lip with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Step 7Using the upside-down baking sheet as a pizza peel, transfer the pizza, with the foil, to the preheated grill, over direct heat (the side with the coals or flame). Cover and bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom is starting to brown and the edge of the crust is puffed. Lift one edge of the pizza from the foil with a spatula while you use tongs to pull the foil out from under the pizza. Flip the crust and cook over the coals or flame, about 2 minutes more (directly on the grill grates) until the top is browned. Flip the pizza and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Step 8For the Caprese-style pizza with burrata: Combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, basil, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Spread the pizza sauce on the grilled crust and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Return the pizza to the grill over indirect heat (the side with no coals or flame). Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill and top with the tomato mixture. Cut the piece of burrata into 8 pieces and space them evenly over the pizza. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with more sea salt and basil leaves, if you like.
- Step 9For the arugula-prosciutto pizza: In a medium bowl, combine the arugula, parmesan, red onion, lemon juice, salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix gently to combine. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the crust. Sprinkle with the garlic then mozzarella cheese. Return the pizza to the grill over indirect heat (the side with no coals or flame). Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill and top with the arugula mixture. Drape the pieces of prosciutto evenly over the pizza.
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