How to Grill Pizza

How to Grill Pizza that tastes like wood-fired artisan from your favorite restaurant! Thin, lightly crispy crust with your favorite toppings!

I’m going to tread lightly on the topic of pizza because I know most of us have very strong opinions when it comes to what (and who) makes the best pizza.

Grilling pizza can be intimidating with the biggest concern for most being the dough falling through the grates.

I’m sharing my best tips for how to grill pizza including how to prevent this happening. I’m a home cook who happens to be a food blogger which means I cook a lot. I learned how to grill pizza and with the step-by-step instructions below, you can too!

Why should I grill pizza?

1. The flavor is insanely delicious and rivals any wood burning artisan pizza you’ll have from your local restaurant.
2. You won’t heat up the kitchen!
3. This kind of flavor doesn’t come from your oven. 

Will the dough fall through the grates?

This is probably the #1 concern when grilling pizza for the first time. The answer is no the dough doesn’t fall through the grates. Start with a hot grill and the dough will crisp and brown quickly without falling through.

Don’t panic if a little of the dough dips between the grates. Use your tongs and give it a slight turn and it will right itself.

The trick to successfully grilling pizza falls in getting organized before you start grilling. Have all your toppings ready to go before placing the crust on the grill.

what do i need to make grilled pizza?

The ingredients below are for my favorite Margherita pizza but the directions for grilling are the same no matter the toppings. 

• premade dough (or homemade)
• olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper
• pizza sauce
• fresh mozzarella
• burrata (optional – or more mozzarella)
• fresh tomatoes
• fresh basil

I like to use a variety of Heirloom tomatoes from local farm stands but any good slicing tomato will be delicious.

Preparing to grill pizza:

• When I make pizza at home, I usually buy a premade dough but here’s a link to make your own dough
• Take the dough out of the fridge 30 minutes before it. Room temp dough rolls easier and holds its shape better.
• Using your hands or a rolling pin, spread the dough into a rectangle-ish shape (doesn’t have to be perfect!).
• Preheat the grill to high heat (about 400 degrees) and while the grill is preheating, gather all your toppings. 
• Slice the tomatoes, hand tear the mozzarella then lightly season both with salt and pepper. 
• Carry all of the toppings, tongs, spatula and baking sheet cutting board (to bring the cooked pizza in) to the grill.

How to cook pizza on the grill:

Brush the rolled out dough with olive oil then lay the dough oil side down onto the preheated grill. 

Close the lid and grill 2-4 minutes. When you see the dough bubble, gently lift an edge of it with the tongs and see if the bottom has crisped. If not, continue grilling another minute or so. Grilling times vary depending on your grill and the thickness of the dough.

When the crust is gently crisped/charred on one side, flip it over then quickly add your toppings: pizza sauce, mozzarella and tomatoes leaving a little space for the burrata if you’re going to include it.

Close the lid and continue grilling 4-6 minutes or until the bottom is crispy brown, the cheese is softened and the toppings warm. Just before the pizza is done grilling add the burrata where you left space. 

Transfer the grilled pizza to a baking sheet or cutting board then add fresh basil and if you’d like a little more sea salt. Slice and serve hot and with a red wine or even a glass of summer sangria.

What are some variations to this recipe?

This post is about how to grill pizza. Customize it with whatever toppings are your favorites. The possibilities are endless but here are a few suggestions. For more inspiration, check out the menus of your favorite pizza places near you.

• green peppers
• fresh corn
• red onion
• olives
• pepperoni
• ham
• prosciutto
• artichokes
• mushrooms
• shaved parmesan cheese

You can even top the pizza with pesto instead of pizza sauce. Learning how to grill pizza is great for a quick weeknight meal or perfect for showing off your grilling skills to friends and family.

Enjoy!

If you tried this grilled pizza recipe or any other on the blog I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating. Questions? Leave it here too. 

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How to Grill Pizza

Step by step instructions for how to make grilled pizza.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Grilling

Keyword: how to grill pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Author: A Gouda Life

Ingredients

• 1 ball premade dough
• Olive oil
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• pizza sauce
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
• 4 ounces burrata
• Heirloom or other slicing tomatoes
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves

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Instructions

• Slice the tomatoes, season lightly with salt and pepper. Gather the remaining ingredients, chop the basil, then dry the mozzarella and burrata well with a paper towel and hand tear it.
• Roll out the dough then brush the top with olive oil. If you’d like you can also add a sprinkle garlic powder. Transfer it to a pizza stone or baking sheet to carry it outside.
• Once the grill is hot, place the dough on the grill oiled side down and close the lid. Grill 2-5 minutes or until you see the top bubble.
• Using the tongs carefully lift one end. When the crust is gently crisped/charred on one side, carefully flip it. Add the sauce, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese (leaving space for the burrata) and continue grilling 4-6 minutes or the bottom is crispy brown, the cheese is softened and the tomatoes are warm. About halfway through this time add the burrata.
• When the pizza is finished grilling, transfer it to a stone or baking sheet, add the fresh basil and if you're like a little fine sea salt. Slice and serve hot.