How to Make Pizzas on the Grill

I am more than happy to admit that I’m a pizza monster. My husband just said the other day, “I think Jess eats pizza everyday.” While this isn’t true, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind eating pizza everyday. I know I’m not the only one that feels this way, right? RIGHT? During a summer abroad in Florence, Italy between my junior and senior years of college, I did eat pizza almost everyday. I gained 12 pounds (yes, this is more than 10% of my body weight) in one month. Alas, pizza everyday is not an option (even though working off that weight gain was worth every bite of Italian pizza I had).

However during the summer my pizza consumption does increase. The nostalgia for that Italian summer calls, and I say, “Screw swimsuit season!” in exchange for bubbling cheese and crispy crusts. Now that I have a backyard and a grill, making crispy-Italian style pizzas is even easier. One day I will own a wood-fired oven (but still drive the crappiest car out there). Until then, my gas grill does the trick (don’t know how to use a gas grill? learn how to here). It gets hot enough to produce a slightly charred and crispy crust, and it takes just a few minutes for the cheese to start oozing. I’m so excited to show you how to make pizzas on the grill in the video below:

The video steps are easy to follow, but my main tips are:

• Whether you buy your pizza dough or make it from scratch (I do the former), take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes beforehand. I divide them in half, lightly cover with flour, and give it some time to rest before I start rolling it out. This makes your dough way more manageable.
• Smaller pizzas are easier to work with than larger ones. I’m still no pizza master, so I find it much easier to manage smaller pieces of dough onto and off of the grill.
• Grill one side of your dough until it gets golden and crispy and then add toppings on the grilled side. This ensures crispy (not soggy) pizzas.

Lunch, dinner, or entertaining. I’ve been doing a lot of pizza grilling already this summer. Below is a medley we made for friends last Friday. Toppings left to right / top to bottom: Broccoli & Pesto; Roasted Cauliflower; Pesto & Figs; Plain Tomatoes. Remember to follow us on Instagram here.

What’s your favorite pizza combo? Would you consider having a pizzas on the grill party? Share in the comments below. 

Read more of our grilling series here.