Whether fresh or frozen, pizza is often thought of as a food that is best prepared in either a wood fired or traditional kitchen oven. This is because the uniform heat of these ovens helps the pie to cook evenly on all sides. So the idea you could cook frozen pizza on the grill may seem far fetched. However, we’re here to tell you that if you cover your grill and allow it time to heat up, you may start thinking of it as an outdoor oven.
Additionally, a grill may reduce the cooking time and give the pizza a unique grilled taste. This may be done on either a gas barbecue or a charcoal grill, although gas is often thought to have a greater taste.
In the middle of the 1990s, the trend of grilling pizza began to take off. The original recipe was never posted on a food blog since the internet was just getting started at the time, but there have been numerous copies since.
A crispy warm piece of pizza always strikes the spot, whether you’re hungry after a hard day at work or you just want to soothe yourself with your favorite dish.
Even while a wood-fired, freshly-made pizza pie may not always be on hand, having a few frozen pizzas on hand in your freezer will unquestionably come in handy for those time poor on lazier days.
Keep reading this guide, so I can share with you some foolproof methods to cook frozen pizza on the grill.
How do I cook frozen pizza on a pizza stone?
If you have a pizza stone that you can use on the grill, then we are already doing well!
This technique works with both gas and charcoal grills because a pizza stone is preheated to a certain temperature in your grill (just like when using it your kitchen oven) and retains the heat for cooking.
- While the grill is heating up, place the pizza stone near the middle of the grill grates. You’re aiming for a temperature of 475 on the stone, which will take longer to heat up than the grill would (laser thermometers are great for checking this).
- Place your preferred pizza right on top of the stone after it has reached around 475 degrees. Shut the lid, turn off the grill if you’re using gas, and let the pizza cook!
- There is no need to leave the grill on since the pizza stone and heat contained beneath the grill cover will accomplish the cooking.
- After eight minutes, check the pizza. The crust should be crisp, the cheese should be melted, and any meat should be roasted to a temperature of 165 degrees or above.
- It is alright if it isn’t finished. Cooking times might vary. Until you see that bubbling, cheesy deliciousness heaped on a crunchy cracker shell, just keep cooking and check it every four minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the grill and wait for it to cool.
Oh, and even though I only refer to it as pizza stone above, the same process works for using a pizza steel as well, if you have one of those.
How to cook frozen pizza on the grill (gas)?
You’ve got a gas grill in your yard, and you are hankering for some delicious pizza. Here’s how we can use your grill to bake up some tasty goods in a pretty short period of time. Let’s go!
Gas grill method
- Let the pizza thaw.
- Turn on all of the burners and heat the grill on low to medium for five minutes. Maintain the grill cover in place.
- Grill the pizza that has been thawed. Pizza should be wrapped in aluminum foil for a softer crust.
- Place the pizza directly on the grill with a small coating of olive oil to avoid sticking to a crispier crust.
- Allow the pizza to cook while securing the cover. For pizza wrapped in foil, check after 10 minutes. For pizza placed directly on the grill, check after 8 minutes.
- Use the spatula to check the pizza’s crust and rotate it by half a turn so the bottom can finish cooking.
- Cover the pan and continue to cook the pizza. If the pizza is under the foil, check it after five minutes. If it is directly on the grill, check it after four minutes.
- When the cheese has completely melted, and the crust turns golden brown, remove the pizza. Give it two to three minutes to stand.
Your pizza is ready! Sit back, relax and enjoy your pie.
How to cook frozen pizza on the grill (charcoal)?
You have a charcoal grill in your backyard, and keen to get some pizza in your stomach? This guide is here to help!
Follow these steps and get a delicious pizza nice and hot in no time at all. It really doesn’t take much energy to cook frozen pizza on the grill, as you will soon discover.
Charcoal grill
- Let the pizza thaw.
- Warm up the grill slowly. To maintain a low temperature, use just a few briquettes. Briquettes should be placed in the middle of the grill. Allow the grill to heat up while covered.
- Position the thawed pizza over the heated briquettes in the middle of the grill. Pizza should be wrapped in aluminum foil for a softer crust.
- Place the pizza placed directly on the grill after brushing a little quantity of olive oil over the grates to avoid sticking for a crispier crust.
- Close the grill so the pizza may finish cooking. For the pizza wrapped in foil, check after five minutes. For the pizza placed directly on the grill, check after two or three minutes. On a charcoal barbecue, pizza will cook quite rapidly. We recommend that you check often.
- Using the spatula, inspect the pizza’s bottom. If required, rotate the pizza by half before continuing to cook it. Put the lid back on if required.
- After every five minutes for foil-crust pizzas and after every two to three minutes for pizzas cooked on the grill directly, check the crust once more. Check the pizza’s bottom and crust with the spatula. Remove the pizza from the grill after the cheese has melted. Let the pizza crust turn golden brown.
- Let the pizza rest for two to three minutes.
Tips to follow when you cook frozen pizza on the grill
Here are a few extra tips to consider when cooking a frozen pizza on your outdoor grill or BBQ.
Always ensure that you have your grill ready and preheated. You will understand why this is significant if you’ve ever baked a pizza in an oven that wasn’t initially warmed.
The best-cooking pizzas have a thinner crust and fewer toppings. Never attempt to cook a pizza with a thick crust. If you are buying frozen pizza, then sure, feel free to add a little extra cheese or toppings, but don’t go overboard.
Oh and for safety and health, any seafood or meat on your pizzas should always be cooked to at least 165 degrees. Hotter if your grill allows for it.
Conclusion
We hope that the above tips and methods on how to cook frozen pizza on the grill will help you out the next time you have a pizza craving, and don’t have time to make pizza from scratch.
By following our steps above, you should be confident that you will bring out the delicate flavors of the toppings and dough, and produce mouthwatering creations that you won’t believe came frozen in a box!
