Delish Grilled Pizza Recipes

Grilled pizza is my summer love story. It’s pizza, but wilder—blistery, smoky, a little char around the edges in the best way, and it cooks in like 6 minutes. No turning your oven into a sauna, no fancy stone, just dough, a hot grill, and that glorious sizzle. If you’ve never tossed a stretched dough onto the grates and watched it puff like a balloon, you’re in for a treat. Messy? Sure. Worth it? Every single time.

My husband turns into a full-on backyard pizzaiolo when this comes out. The kids do their tiny “restaurant” voices and order their own minis—one is a pepperoni purist and the other is a pineapple renegade—and I hover with a bowl of basil like an over-invested garnish queen. One night we ran out of sauce and used smashed cherry tomatoes, salt, and olive oil. The dog was circling like a shark and we ate on the steps because we couldn’t even make it inside. New family classic, sealed.

How to Make It

Grab a pound of pizza dough (store-bought is great) and let it hang out on the counter for 30 minutes so it chills out and stretches without fighting you. Heat your grill to medium-high—like 500°F if you’ve got a thermometer. Clean the grates, then oil them like you mean it. I just dip a folded paper towel in neutral oil and swipe it on with tongs.

While the grill heats, prep toppings. Keep them light and dry—slice mozzarella thin or use shredded low-moisture, pat watery veg (mushrooms, mozz, pineapple, I see you) with paper towels, and have sauce ready. I do about 1/2 cup sauce and 2 cups cheese total for two 10–12-inch pies. Too much and the crust steams instead of crisping.

Dust a board with flour or a little cornmeal. Split the dough in two and hand-stretch into imperfect circles, about 10–12 inches. Don’t stress the shape. Brush one side with olive oil. Now the fun part: slap the oiled side down on the grill, close the lid, and cook 2–3 minutes until the bottom gets char and the top bubbles like a puffy moon surface.

Flip. Work fast—brush the grilled side with a whisper of oil, spread a thin swipe of sauce, scatter cheese, add toppings. Close the lid and cook 2–3 more minutes. If you get flare-ups, scoot the pizza to a cooler zone. Cheese should be melty, bottom should be spotty and crisp. Pull it off, shower with basil, maybe a drizzle of hot honey or chili flakes, slice, done. Repeat with the second crust or do minis—four 6–7 inchers are adorable and great for kids.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Pizza dough (1 lb): Room temp is key—cold dough snaps back and makes you say words in front of your neighbors. Split into 2 pies or 4 minis.
– Olive oil: Brush the dough and you’ll get that glossy blister and less stick. Skipping it is how you donate crust to the grill.
– Tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup): I use crushed tomatoes, salt, garlic, and a pinch of sugar or honey if it tastes sharp. Go light—this isn’t lasagna.
– Mozzarella (2 cups, low-moisture): Melts like a champ. Fresh mozz works but pat it mega-dry or your pizza gets soggy.
– Toppings: Keep them thin and pre-cooked if they’re raw meats. Mushrooms, onions, peppers—slice thin so they actually tenderize in time.
– Cornmeal or flour: A tiny dusting makes transfer easier. Too much and it tastes gritty, so… tiny.
– Fresh basil: Throw it on after grilling so it doesn’t turn into char confetti.
– Hot honey/chili flakes: The little finish that makes people ask what you did. You did nothing. You just drizzled.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat grill to 500°F (medium-high), clean grates, and oil them well.
2. Rest dough at room temp 30 minutes; prep and pat dry all toppings.
3. Divide dough into 2 rounds; stretch to 10–12 inches on a floured board and brush tops with olive oil.
4. Lay dough oiled-side down on grill; close lid and cook 2–3 minutes until bubbled and charred underneath.
5. Flip, lightly oil the grilled side, add thin sauce, cheese, and toppings; close lid and cook 2–3 minutes more.
6. Transfer to a board, finish with basil/hot honey, rest 1 minute, slice, and repeat with remaining dough.

What to Serve It With

– Big bowl salad: romaine, lemon, olive oil, tons of parm.
– Grilled veggies on the side—zucchini ribbons or asparagus take like 4 minutes.
– A little ranch or garlic dip, because you are an adult and you can.
– Cold beer, chilled rosé, or sparkling water with lime. It’s a vibe.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t overload. A mountain of toppings = soggy center. Be ruthless.
– Dry things off. Fresh mozz, mushrooms, pineapple—pat, pat, pat.
– Oil the dough and the grates. This is the anti-stick insurance.
– Use the parchment trick: build on oiled parchment, slide onto grates, peel off after 30 seconds.
– Create a cooler zone. If things char too fast, move the pizza and let cheese finish melting under the lid.
– Keep a lid on it. Closing the grill is your “oven” effect—melty cheese happens quicker.
– Pop giant bubbles with a skewer if they start to take over.
– If dough tears, pinch it closed and pretend it’s rustic. Because it is.

✔Storage Tips

Leftovers go in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat slice-by-slice in a skillet over medium heat with a lid for 3–4 minutes—crispy bottom, melty top. Air fryer or toaster oven works too (375°F, 5–7 minutes). Cold breakfast slice? Absolutely acceptable. I’ve eaten it over the sink and felt nothing but pride. You can also freeze par-baked crusts (after the first grill flip, no toppings) up to 2 months; top and finish from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Margherita: light tomato, fresh mozz (well dried), basil at the end.
– Pepperoni + hot honey: salty-spicy-sweet, dangerously good.
– White pie: olive oil, garlic, dollops of ricotta, mozz, lemon zest, arugula after grilling.
– BBQ chicken: leftover chicken, BBQ sauce, red onion, cheddar-mozz blend, cilantro.
– Veggie supreme: peppers, mushrooms, olives, spinach—thin slices, don’t pile.
– Pesto swap: ditch tomato and go all-in on basil pesto.
– Gluten-free dough: grillable, just keep it smaller and use parchment to prevent drama.
– Dairy-free: go with a meltable vegan mozz or just do a garlicky olive oil base with veggies.
– Sauce tweaks: pinch of sugar or honey if your tomatoes taste sharp; red pepper flakes or a splash of balsamic for oomph.
– No dough? Use naan or store-bought flatbreads and grill 1–2 minutes per side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Delish Grilled Pizza Recipes

Make irresistibly crispy grilled pizza with charred edges, melty cheese, and bold toppings—all in minutes on your backyard grill.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound pizza dough let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes
• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornmeal for dusting peel or sheet
• ▢ 0.75 cup pizza sauce
• ▢ 2 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
• ▢ 3 ounce pepperoni slices
• ▢ 0.5 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• ▢ 0.25 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• ▢ 0.25 cup fresh basil, chopped plus more for garnish
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 450°F). Clean and oil the grates well to prevent sticking.
• On a cornmeal-dusted peel or inverted baking sheet, stretch the dough into a roughly 12-inch round. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Carefully flip the dough onto the grill, oiled-side down. Grill uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes until the top bubbles and the bottom has grill marks. Brush the now-top side with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Flip the crust. Quickly spread the pizza sauce, then add mozzarella, pepperoni, bell pepper, and red onion. Close the lid and cook 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted and the bottom is crisp.
• Transfer to a board, sprinkle with basil, rest 2 minutes, then slice into 8 pieces and serve hot.

Notes

Tip: If using a charcoal grill, build a two-zone fire to finish the pizza over indirect heat if the crust browns too quickly. Add crushed red pepper or a drizzle of hot honey for a sweet-heat finish.