Ever since I bought my house last year and was able to get a proper grill (not the electric nonsense I had before), I’ve been working on becoming a total grillmaster. That means all the usual things like learning how to make moist and flavorful chicken, steak, fish, and vegetables.
But one of my favorite things to experiment with has been grilled pizza, so I wanted to share what I’ve learned and provide my best tips for how to grill pizza. I won’t claim to be an absolute expert, but I’m super happy with how it turns out for me!
The beauty of grilled pizza is how versatile it is…you can seriously top it with just about anything, as long as it’s already cooked or mostly cooked. From veggies to protein to fruit to cheese to chocolate, you can’t go wrong.
I’ve outlined my grilled pizza dough recipe below, and then at the bottom of the post I have a list of tips for how to grill pizza—both making and grilling the dough!
How to make the best grilled pizza dough
In a stand mixer (with dough hook) or large mixing bowl, stir together the water and yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved and starting to bubble. Then stir in 3-4 cups of the flour (not all of it!), the oil, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough is formed.
If you’re using a mixer, start it kneading the dough on low speed. This will give you an idea of whether you need to add more flour. You definitely want it on the stickier side. If necessary, add more flour, a little at a time. Knead the dough with the dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes, or knead by hand on the counter for 6 to 8 minutes. Once it’s been kneaded properly, the dough should form a smooth (still slightly sticky) ball and spring slowly back when poked.
If you’re planning to use the dough right away, place it in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours, or until it’s doubled in size.
Alternatively, you have the option to let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight. In that case, lightly oil a large ziploc bag and place the dough in there, and seal it. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
If you’ve refrigerated it, bring the dough to room temperature. Try not to add much flour when you’re rolling it out, because you still want it really soft and sticky, as this will help it roll out easier.
I recommend keeping your dough pieces fairly small, since it’s hard to maneuver a giant piece of dough on the grill without destroying it. Aim for a dough ball a little bigger than your fist, and then roll it out quite thin. Shape doesn’t matter a ton, but you do want it really thin. You can use your fists and hands to gently stretch it, and it’s fine for the edges to be a little thicker than the middle. But THIN is key!
Now it’s go time! (Also, this dough is too fat! Don’t be me.)
Preheat a gas grill with all the burners on high for 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to cook. I’ve never done it with a charcoal grill but I’m sure it works fine. I highly recommend setting up a little table or workspace near the grill with all your toppings, because things go pretty fast once you start. Using a silicone brush (like this one), brush a light coating of olive oil onto one side of the dough, then carefully place the dough directly onto the grill over the flames.
Close the grill and let it cook for a few minutes, until the bottom of the dough shows char marks and is barely cooked (usually 2-3 minutes). While it’s cooking, brush some olive oil on the dough that’s face-up.
Then using long silicone tongs and/or a large grill spatula, flip the dough over.
Brush a little more olive oil on the cooked side, then quickly spread your sauce and toppings on it. Don’t go overboard, as this will interfere with it cooking well. I like to start with a little coating of shredded mozzarella, to get a good melt.
Close the grill and cook until the bottom is nice and crispy, the toppings are warmed through, and the cheese is melted—another 2 to 5 minutes. It will vary depending on your grill. You can turn your burners down a little to avoid burning it, but I’ve found that it does need SOME direct heat to get cooked well and get everything melted. Once it’s done, use your tongs or spatula to slide the finished pizza onto a cutting board. Let it cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
Go crazy with your grilled pizza dough toppings! Here are a few of my favorites:
Peaches, rosemary, goat cheese, and barbecue chicken
Grilled zucchini, corn, and marinated feta
Amazing Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Fresh cherries, feta, and rosemary
I’ve also tried chocolate, peanut butter, and banana…it was delicious but not perfect (the texture was off), so still working on that one. But it’s a winning flavor combo!
So here are my best tips for how to grill pizza
- Make sure your dough is nice and sticky—don’t add too much flour! Dry dough will be hard to work with and won’t roll out nicely. It also has a tighter, tougher texture once grilled. A wetter dough will help make an amazing flavor and soft, chewy texture.
- Feel free to make your dough the night before…it’s a super flexible recipe, and the longer it rises, the more flavor it has. I almost always do it the night before to up the flavor potential. Just put it in the fridge overnight and bring it to room temperature (and letting it rise a bit more doesn’t hurt either).
- Roll your dough very thin!!! This is key, because it won’t be pleasant if it’s too thick.
- Brush olive oil on one side of the dough, throw it on the grill, and then brush olive oil on the other while it’s cooking. When you flip the dough over, brush olive oil on the original side AGAIN before putting all the toppings on.
- Some tools that are helpful for this:
- A silicone brush (like this one) is great for the olive oil
- For flipping the dough on the grill, I use long silicone tongs and/or a large grill spatula
I’m still on the lookout for more awesome grilled pizza flavor and topping combinations, so hit me up with your best recommendations in the comments!
Other grilled faves you’ll love:
The Best Grilled Pizza Dough
A simple and delicious pizza dough that stands up well for grilling. Can rise in just an hour or two, or will develop more flavor if the dough is risen overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups of water
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of active dry or instant yeast*
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of salt
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a stand mixer (with dough hook) or large mixing bowl, stir together the water and yeast. Let it sit for a few minutes until the yeast is dissolved and starting to bubble. Then stir in 3-4 cups of the flour, the oil, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough is formed.
- If you're using a mixer, start it kneading the dough on low speed. This will give you an idea of whether you need to add more flour. You definitely want it on the stickier side. If necessary, add more flour a little at a time. Knead the dough with the dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes, or knead by hand on the counter for 6 to 8 minutes. Once it's been kneaded properly, the dough should form a smooth (still slightly sticky) ball and spring slowly back when poked.
Rising and preparing:
- If you're planning to use the dough right away, place it in a lightly-oiled bowl to rise at room temperature for 1-1.5 hours, or until it's doubled. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit.
- You also have the option to let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight. In that case, lightly oil a large ziploc bag and place the dough in there, and seal it. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it (break into the appropriate portions and freeze separately); just thaw it entirely and then let it rise at room temperature for a bit.
Grill the pizza: You should be able to do 2 at a time if necessary
- Bring the dough to room temperature if it's not already (at least an hour).
- Lightly flour a surface and roll out small portions of dough (a little bigger than your fist). I've found that it's better to do more, smaller pizzas rather than a large one---it's difficult to control the dough once it's on the grill, and you'll end up ripping it or dumping your toppings. Roll it out into a thin circle or oval (though honestly, the shape doesn't matter at all). You can use your fists and hands to gently stretch it, and it's fine for the edges to be a little thicker than the middle. But THIN is key!
- Preheat a gas grill with all the burners on high for 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to cook. I've never done it with a charcoal grill but I'm sure it works fine. I recommend setting up a little table or workspace near the grill with all your toppings, because things go pretty fast once you start.
- Using a silicone brush, brush a light coating of olive oil onto one side of the dough, then carefully place the dough directly onto the grill over the flames. Close the grill and let it cook for a few minutes, until the bottom of the dough shows char marks and is barely cooked (usually 2-3 minutes). While it's cooking, brush some olive oil on the dough that's face-up.
- Then using long silicone tongs and/or a large grill spatula, flip the dough over. Brush a little more olive oil on the cooked side, then quickly spread your sauce and toppings on it. Don't go overboard, as this will interfere with it cooking well. I like to start with a little coating of shredded mozzarella, to get a good melt.
- Close the grill and cook until the bottom is nice and crispy, the toppings are warmed through, and the cheese is melted---another 2 to 5 minutes. It will vary depending on your grill. You can turn your burners down a little to avoid burning it, but I've found that it does need SOME direct heat to get cooked well and get everything melted.
- Once it's done, use your tongs or spatula to slide the finished pizza onto a cutting board. Let it cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
- This recipe is super flexible. You can also halve it; I often make a half batch, which gives me 2-3 large single-person pizzas.
- The less time you have to let the dough rise, use more yeast. If you're letting it rise in the fridge overnight, you can err on the lower side. I typically do 2 teaspoons because I'm using it right away.
- Make sure your dough is nice and sticky---don't add too much flour! Dry dough will be hard to work with and won't roll out nicely. It also has a tighter, tougher texture once grilled. A wetter dough will help make an amazing flavor and soft, chewy texture.
- Feel free to make your dough the night before...it's a super flexible recipe, and the longer it rises, the more flavor it has. I almost always do it the night before to up the flavor potential. Just put it in the fridge overnight and bring it to room temperature (and letting it rise a bit more doesn't hurt either).
Roll your dough very thin!!! This is key, because it won't be pleasant if it's too thick. - Brush olive oil on one side of the dough, throw it on the grill, and then brush olive oil on the other while it's cooking. When you flip the dough over, brush olive oil on the original side AGAIN before putting all the toppings on.
Adapted from The Kitchn
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Here’s my tip. After the toppings are on the pizza and you close the lid leave the burners on only about 2-3 minutes. Leave the lid closed and turn the burners off, let your pizza sit another 2-5 minutes. This allows the toppings to heat and the cheese to melt in the still hot, closed grill without burning your bottom.
That’s a good idea! Especially to get that cheese nice and melty…
This dough was incredible! I ended up using about 3 1/4 cups of flour and it made the right amount of sticky before the rise. I love the way the dough puffed up when I put it on the bbq and it was such a nice soft yet crispy dough that had the right amount of chew! I didnt even need to flour my counter or rolling pin when i rolled out the dough! This one is going in my recipe binder for sure! I ended up freezing the leftover dough i had also!
Hi Shaheer! I’m so glad, it’s become a complete favorite in my house. Love the chewiness and the flavor. Let me know how freezing and then thawing/re-rising the dough turns out…I’ve never tried it!
Have you ever made the dough gluten free?
Hi Cassie! I have not made it gluten-free, but if you give it a try with some gluten-free flour mix I’d love to know how it turns out!
Could I freeze the dough as soon as it’s made and then let it rise in fridge as it thaws? Thinking it could be a good recipe for campfire pizza so I would need to make it beforehand.
Hey Sheila! I haven’t tried it and so a little hard to say…my gut says that you should let it do its first rise and *then* freeze it, and let it thaw/re-rise in the fridge. But I haven’t tried it…if you do, please let me know!
Trying this with our favorite toppings: thin sliced red skinned potatoes (pre boiled), crumbled bacon with ranch dressing . Potato skin pizza!
Mmmmm sounds good! Love potatoes on pizza!
Our favorite toppings attempt to recreate a local restaurant’s wood fired oven pizza that is no longer offered. Pesto is our sauce, cheese, chicken, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes.
Mmmm that sounds so good. I’ve definitely been making pesto pizza! I tend to go simple and do fresh pesto with parmesan, some fresh mozzarella, and pine nuts.