How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

YOU GUYS. I can’t believe I get to finally this step-by-step tutorial on how to grill pizza. This grilled pizza recipe is easy to make and one of Tony’s and my favorites for summer. I’ll show you exactly how to do it with step-by-step photos and a fun video you don’t want to miss.

You won’t need a pizza stone or anything fancy for this recipe, just grab some pizza dough and your favorite toppings and get ready for grilled pizza that’s ready in 15 minutes from start to finish!

I say…FRIDAY NIGHT PIZZA NIGHT EVERY NIGHT.

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (1)

About our Weber Grill

I got Tony the Weber Genesis IIfor his birthday earlier this year because our old grill went kaput and frankly, it was just way too small. I had heard great things about Weber from my sister-in-law and decided to give it a shot. After using it the past few months, we really appreciate how it has plenty of space for grilling and is also great for entertaining. With three burners and three separate temperature controls you can easily monitor temps and cook everything super evenly. The grill fits about 20 burgers, so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd! My personal favorite thing? It’s easy to clean!

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (2)

Step 1: prepare your grill

Preheat your grill to 425 degrees F. Once the grill is preheated, scrape off any bits with a grill brush that were left behind when you last grilled. I love using my Weber Genesis IIgas grill because it has 3 burners for super even heating at each part of the grill. Preheating your grill will ensure that your pizza gets nice and golden brown, and that the dough does not slip through the grill grates.

Step 2: get your pizza dough + toppings ready

  1. Whether you’re making pizza dough from scratch or buying it pre-made, it’s important to use pizza dough that’s at room temperature so that’s it’s easy to work with. You’ll want to use about 1 pound of pizza dough per pizza, which means you might have to cut your store-bought dough in half.
  2. At this point you’ll also want to get all of your pizza toppings out, measured, and near your grill so that you can easily top your pizza when the time comes.
  3. Place parchment paper on a hard surface (like a cutting board) and add plenty of olive oil to the parchment paper. Use your hands to coat the parchment paper with olive oil
  4. Add your pizza dough onto the oil coated parchment paper, and stretch it out into a rectangle or circle until the dough no longer pulls back. Drizzle the top of the dough with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Step 3: add your dough to the grill

To easily add your pizza dough onto the grill grates, simply take your parchment paper where the dough has been stretched out, and flip it over so that the dough lands safely onto the grate. Then, peel your parchment paper off of the back. This takes practice the first few times, but I’ve found it’s the easiest way to do it!

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (3)

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (4)

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (5)

Step 4: grill your pizza

  1. Once your pizza is safely on the grill, close the lid and let it cook for just about 2-3 minutes until it’s nice and golden brown on the bottom. The pizza may produce some bubbles on the top, but those will settle once you flip.
  2. After 2-3 minutes carefully check the underside of the dough using tongs. The bottoms should have nice grill marks and be golden brown. If it is, go ahead and flip your pizza.
  3. Quickly and carefully top your pizza with all of your desired toppings. Head to the end of the post for some delicious combinations and recipes!
  4. Close the lid of your grill to allow the pizza to fully cook and cheese to melt – about 3-4 minutes more. At this point you’ll want to check the temperature gauge of your grill to be sure it climbs back up to 425. The Weber Genesis II makes it super easy to adjust the temperature using the three control knobs. To keep your pizza from burning on the grill be sure to utilize the temperature gauges and adjust as necessary.
  5. After a few minutes your toppings should be nice and melted, and the bottom of your pizza should be golden brown. To remove from the grill, simply grab your pizza with tongs and slide it onto a cutting board. Allow the pizza to cool for a few minutes before cutting into slices or squares!

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (6)

Delicious pizza recipes and combinations to try:

  • Margarita: your favorite tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and grated parmesan cheese
  • Hawaiian: tomato sauce, fresh pineapple, fresh mozzarella, canadian bacon, red onion, and grated parmesan cheese
  • Summer Veggie: tomato sauce, mini bell peppers (sliced), red onion, baby bella mushrooms, jalapeño, grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, dried oregano
  • BBQ chicken: bbq sauce, chopped cooked chicken breast, cheddar or mozzarella, red onion, cilantro
  • Monique’s favorite: tomato sauce, onion, black olives, pineapple, jalapeños, fresh mozzarella, red chili pepper flakes
  • Abra’s favorite: tomato sauce, broccoli, mushrooms, roasted garlic, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (7)

Watch the video to see how to grill pizza

More grilling recipes to try this summer

  • Jalapeño-Goat Cheese Grilled Stuffed Mini Peppers
  • Spicy Maple Dijon Grilled Brussels Sprouts
  • Sesame Garlic Grilled Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt Curry Dip
  • Jalapeño Curry Turkey Burgers
  • Firecracker Salmon with Peach Avocado Salsa

Get all of our grilling recipes here!

I hope you love this step-by-step guide to grilling pizza! If you try this grilled pizza recipe, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (8)

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The Best Grilled Pizza

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How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (9)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

ServesServes 16 slices

Everything you need to know about how to cook pizza on the grill! This is seriously the best, easy grilled pizza you'll ever make without a pizza stone. It's chewy, crispy, and perfect for adding your favorite toppings.

Ingredients

  • Parchment paper
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1 lb pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds
  • 6-8 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons grated or shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat your grill to 425 degrees F, and then scrape off any bits with a grill brush that were left behind when you last grilled.

  • Place parchment paper on a hard surface and spread olive oil onto parchment paper using your hands.

  • Add your pizza dough onto the parchment paper, and stretch it out into a rectangle or circle until the dough no longer pulls back.

  • Transfer your pizza dough to your grill by taking your parchment paper and flipping it upside down so that the dough lands safely on top of the grates. Then, peel your parchment paper off of the dough.

  • Close the lid of your grill and let it your pizza cook for 2-3 minutes until it's golden brown on the bottom. The pizza may produce some bubbles on the top, but those will settle once you flip.

  • After 2-3 minutes carefully check the underside of the dough using tongs. If the bottom is golden brown, use your tongs to flip your pizza.

  • Quickly and carefully top your pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella slices, and basil leaves (or whatever toppings you are using).

  • Close the lid of your grill and allow the pizza to cook for 2-3 minutes more until the cheese is melted and the underside is golden brown.

  • Once the cheese is melted and the underside of your pizza is golden brown, slide your pizza onto a cutting board with your tongs.

  • Allow pizza to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, cut into 16 slices, and serve.

This post is in partnership with Weber Grills. All recipes, text and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting AK and the brands that help make this site possible. xo!

How to Grill Pizza (the best grilled pizza recipe!) | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What temperature should you cook a pizza on the grill? ›

The third T is the Temperature of your grill.
  1. When grilling pizza directly, I focus on getting temperatures in the 425-450 degree range. ...
  2. When grilling indirectly, the temperature of the grill should be around 375-400 degrees. ...
  3. When using a pizza stone, keep the temperature of the grill between 450-475 degrees.

Is pizza better in oven or grill? ›

First, the smoky taste of grilled anything is great, and grilled pizza turns out even better. Second, your grill can reach much higher temperatures than your kitchen oven. Is it okay to cook a pizza directly on the grill of an oven? If it's raw dough, probably not.

How do you keep pizza from burning on the grill? ›

Just preheat your grill with a 2-zone system, but don't get the hot side very hot, only medium. Place the pizza on the grates right over the heat, close the lid, and start checking the bottom every minute or so to make sure it does not burn.

How long to grill pizza at 500 degrees? ›

To do so just heat the pizza stone up on a 475 to 500 degree grill for about 20 minutes. Add the toppings on the shaped dough (raw, not partially cooked) then slide the assembled pizza onto the preheated stone using a well floured pizza peel. Cover and grill until cooked through, about 6 to 9 minutes.

What is the best temperature to cook pizza on a gas grill? ›

The third T is the Temperature of your grill.
  • When grilling pizza directly, I focus on getting temperatures in the 425-450 degree range. ...
  • When grilling indirectly, the temperature of the grill should be around 375-400 degrees. ...
  • When using a pizza stone, keep the temperature of the grill between 450-475 degrees.

Can you cook pizza on a regular gas grill? ›

It's also possible to bake pizza on a gas grill, which is done on a stone and at lower temperatures around 350–425 degrees. Just place your pizza on the stone as usual, then step back and let the convection heat of your grill work its magic for about 10–12 minutes.

Can you cook pizza directly on grill grate? ›

You can use a pizza stone or place the dough directly on the grates of the grill. I prefer to do it on the grates. It takes a little finesse to make sure the crust doesn't burn, but it's easy once you get the hang of it and the flavor and texture are so worth it.

How do you cook a premade pizza on the grill? ›

Place frozen pizza on the gas grill. Close the lid to ensure the temperature stays at 400 degrees. Grill 15 to 20 minutes. Grill times may vary between Jack's Pizza varieties, so check the package's back label for specific instructions.

Why does pizza taste better from a restaurant? ›

The No. 1 reason restaurant pizza is better than homemade is that they have ovens that can reach 900°F, or even hotter, which makes for perfectly crisp and chewy crusts, with those lovely charred spots, says Kierin Baldwin, chef-instructor of Pastry & Baking Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Why does pizza taste better in a pizza oven? ›

It Retains Freshness – The high heat in a wood-burning oven doesn't just cook pizza quickly, it also helps the toppings hold onto their freshness and flavor, unlike other slower-cooking ovens that can dry out or even burn toppings.

How long to cook pizza at 450 on grill? ›

Grilling Pizza on the Grill Grates
Type of PizzaTemperature Range (° degrees Fahrenheit)Approximate Cook Times
All crusts (baked on a stone)350-425 degrees10-12 minutes
Thin crust (fired on the grates)425-450 degrees1½ minutes per side
Thick crust (fired on the grates)425-450 degrees3-5 minutes per side
2 more rows

What temperature do you grill frozen pizza? ›

Grilling Instructions

Pre-heat grill with lid closed for 8-10 minutes. Open grill lid and place an oven thermometer probe on the inside of the grill leaving the bulb indicator on the outside and close lid to verify that the grill temperature is at a minimum of 400°F.

How long to cook pizza at 800? ›

Although the ideal temperature for cooking pizza in 3-5 minutes is around 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat retention and insulation are very important when considering a commercial pizza oven. They are what allow pizza ovens to get to high temperatures and retain them without burning people on the outside of the oven.

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