Note: Before attempting this recipe, make sure you have a grill that can accommodate a 10″ cast iron skillet and can maintain 425 F indirect heat. You do not want any flame directly below the skillet, so the heat will come from burners that are away from the skillet. It can be hard to get to 425 F, so you might want to do a trial run (I highly recommend placing an oven thermometer on the grill grate where you would put the skillet) before diving in! Can’t do it? That’s ok, you can make this delicious pizza in the oven too!
I cannot even begin to describe how much we both loved this easy deep-dish pizza we made on our gas grill. It so reminded us of the pan pizzas we could get years ago from Pizza Hut. Thick crust that has a wonderful crunch on the outside, but is soft and airy inside, each and every slice was like a slice of pizza heaven. The cheese on the sides of the pan got a great char and crunch to them, much like a Detroit-style pizza. All on the grill. Easy. Crazy easy.
I could make (and eat) these easy deep-dish pizzas all day long. There’s nothing complicated about them. I was worried the first time.. would I get the right heat on the grill? Would I burn it? Well, my fears were very much unfounded. This pizza was pretty much a ‘grill it and forget it’ dish.
Make extra, because the leftovers are just as good as the day you make it.
Mini lasagnas are also super easy to make on a gas grill.
Easy Deep-Dish Pizza using a Gas Grill
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough frozen
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- pizza sauce
- your favorite pizza toppings
- your favorite pizza cheeses you'll want a good melting cheese. I recommend freshly grated (not sliced) mozzarella or Monterey Jack.
Instructions
- Transfer the dough from the freezer to your fridge the night before using.
- Set the dough on your countertop 2 hours before you want to start making the pizza.
- Coat a 10" cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, or use a 12" skillet and 3" of oil for a thinner pizza.
- Add the dough and use your fingers to flatten it out to 1/2" from the edges of the pan. It's ok to get oil on top of the dough as you move it around.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 1/2 hours. Note: I found that my plastic wrap adhered to the slick skillet better if I took a bit of oil on my finger and ran it around the edges of the pan first.
- Fire up your grill for 425 F indirect cooking.
- Remove plastic wrap from skillet and spread pizza sauce over top of dough. Don't go crazy the sauce. More wet toppings mean a less crispy pizza.
- Add the remaining toppings and cheese. Get the cheese right up to and even a it up the edges of the pan. Using your fingers, press the cheese in around the edges. You want the cheese to extend up the sides of the pan as much as 1/2".
- Transfer the skillet to the grill and bake over indirect heat at 425 F for 30 minutes. Check on the pizza every 10 minutes, rotating the skillet 90 degrees each time so it cooks evenly. After 20 minutes check the bottom of the pizza to make sure it's baking. The pizza could take less than the full 30 minutes.
- Transfer the skillet to direct heat above the flames and cook another 3 minutes. This will get a nice crust on the bottom.
- Remove the skillet from the grill. Use a butter knife or spatula around the edges to loosen the cheese an crust from the pan.
- Transfer pizza to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
- Slide the pizza onto a cutting board and slice as desired. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
