How to Grill a Pizza on an Outdoor Grill

As mentioned earlier, the secret to grilling a well done pizza is in the preparation. Preparing your pizza starts with the dough. Most people like to make their own dough, but you can also use store-bought pizza dough. Since we're making grilled pizza from scratch, here's a step-by-step breakdown of how to prep your pizza for grilling.

1. Combine 2 cups warm water, 1/8 tsp yeast, and 1 tbsp sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so that the yeast activates.
2. Add in 3 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt to the bowl. Mix until all ingredients are combined, adding more flour if necessary to get a smooth and elastic dough.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Essentially, you don't need different topping ingredients for grilled pizza. You can use the same toppings you would use on an oven-baked pizza. However, we recommend cooking the vegetables before adding them to the dough. Given the short time it takes to grill a pizza (usually 2-3 minutes), some ingredients will still be raw when the pizza is finished. It's okay if you want vegetables to remain crunchy, but you can also pre-cook them before putting them on the pizza to ensure that they’re well cooked. However, any meat toppings you want to add must be pre-cooked first. With grilled pizza, it’s also a good idea to go light on the toppings. This will keep your pizza light and crispy.

1. Clean and oil the grill to prevent the crust from sticking. Preheat it to 425 degrees (medium-high).
2. Shape the pizza dough by lightly flouring a surface and stretching it. Work around the edges of the dough, letting it hang and stretch as you stretch it out with your fingers. Allow the dough to sit for 5 minutes and then push it out with your fingers again until you have a nice round shape, about 12 inches in diameter. Do not raise the rim, as this will interfere with the grilling process.
3. Brush one side of the dough with olive oil; this will be the pizza’s base.
4. Place it on a lightly floured pizza stone or a rimless cookie sheet if you do not have a pizza stone.
5. Hoping that the grill is hot enough (425 degrees), slide the dough off the cookie sheet onto the grill gates and allow the pizza to cook for two minutes.
6. Check the dough after 2 minutes to see whether it's browned. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute if it's just on one side. If the bottom isn't browning, cover the grill and cook for another minute. A hot grill should make it quick. The pizza dough will start to bubble.
7. Remove the pizza dough off the grill using a cookie sheet or pizza peel after it has browned slightly on one side. Flip the dough over with a spatula so that the cooked side is facing you. Cover the grill to preserve heat for the next step.
8. Brush a little extra virgin olive oil on the grill-side of the pizza, then place a ladleful of sauce on it—no more or it will turn out soggy. Then put on your vegetables, followed by cheese, followed by meats. Don't overload the pizza with too many toppings if you want it to be light and crispy.
9. Re-grill the pizza with the toppings on. If you're using a gas grill, lower the heat. If it's a charcoal grill, close all its vents and then close the cover. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the bottom chars and the cheese is bubbly.
10. Lift the pizza from the grate and place it on a cutting board or other flat surface. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it. Cut and serve!

As long as you follow our lead, we can assure you that you'll be able to put this technique into practice in no time! All it takes is some dough, sauce, and cheese- and the best part? The whole process only takes about 10 minutes! While cooking times will be different without a stone, and you may want to go even lighter on the toppings to preserve the pizza’s structural integrity, you can still follow the instructions above.

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
2. Place the frozen pizza directly on the grates.
3. Close the lid of the grill and cook until there are light brown patches at the bottom of the crust, about 3 minutes.
4. Turn over and cook until there are light brown patches at the bottom of the crust, about 3 minutes more.
5. Remove from grill.

Grilling frozen pizza over an open flame is always going to be a little tricky – adding things in the right order, and preventing the dough from sticking, are important. Your first option would be to cook the crust only, and then top it with sauce and toppings once it’s done. Another option is to use a grill stone as your surface. Using a pizza stone will help keep the dough from sticking. You can get a nice, crispy crust in just about half the time that it would take if you were cooking directly over the fire. With a pizza stone, you’ll want to grill the frozen pizza for about six minutes. Without one, twelve minutes should be about right.

• You want a relatively thick and sturdy dough. Relatively dry, and not too sticky. You can do this by adding just a touch more flour than you would for an indoor pizza.
• Roll with the rustic aesthetics. Grilling a pizza outside, you’re unlikely to end up with a perfectly round pie.
• Make sure your grill is extra hot. Around 500 degrees should be about right.
• Use plenty of oil. Oil the grate or pizza stone, and then brush a little on the underside of the dough.

If you don’t have a dedicated home pizza oven, using a charcoal or gas grill with an open flame is actually one of the best ways to get the right temperature for a great pizza. With or without a pizza stone, a quality grill is key. If you’re interested in taking your outdoor cooking game to the next level, check out these recommendations: