I have never been and will never eat “over” a frozen pizza (once cooked, of course). They are comfortable. They are delicious. They are customizable. But cooking has a way of heating up your kitchen as it takes a fair bit of heat to get all browned and bubbly. Fortunately, there’s another searing source of heat that can make frozen pizza just as well – if not better – than your oven, and it’s out there that’s already hot. That’s right, I’m talking about the grill in your yard.
Grilled frozen pizza has all the makings of a simple but strange midweek dinner. You can grill several pizzas one at a time and eat the first one in a leisurely clip while the next cooks. Grilling a pizza from frozen to hot and crispy takes 20 minutes and the preheating time is significantly shorter than that of your oven.
The crust becomes crispier, more bubbly and wonderfully browned. The only downside is you can’t turn on a grill for browned cheese, but I was pretty pleased with the way the cheese melted and browned around the edges thanks to the swirling, indirect heat from the coals. You can grill any frozen pizza, but some are better than others and there are a few strategies you can take to ensure frozen pizza grilling success.
Avoid super thick crusts
I grilled a variety of frozen pizzas last night and found the thinner, crispier crusts to be the best. Thicker pizzas came out a bit doughy and took (obviously) longer. That’s not so bad if you’re just making a frozen pizza (or using a gas grill), but if you’re working with charcoal, you have limited time and want to have as many pizzas cooked as possible (or at least I do). Skip the DiGiorno, I say.
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Stay cheap
I love Totino’s Party Pizzas deeply and unanimously, and the grill brings out the absolute best in their cracker-like crust. I mean, just look at that tan (but don’t look at my dirty plate).
The Red Baron pizza I grilled was pretty good too, but everyone at the table (and three other people were) agreed that the crust of the fancier Screaming Sicilian was a let down (although the meat was pretty excellent).
If you’re not sure which brand to buy, I highly recommend grabbing a box of party pizzas. They’re incredibly cheap – like a dollar a pizza – and honestly tasted the best of all the pizzas we’ve tried. (Red Baron kind of slapped, though, and I’ll bet the brand pizza would kill.)
Take care of your coals
Again, if you have a gas grill, fuel isn’t really an issue (unless you’re low on propane and propane supplies), but a chimney full of coals is a finite resource. I could get four pizzas out of a chimney and I could probably have picked another one. As with all charcoal, the key is to be careful of your vents.
If you’re using a charcoal grill, keep the lower inlet opening fully open all the time, starting with the outlet opening about halfway open. You want to keep your grill temperature in the range of 375-425 ° C. I know this seems wide, but you will open the grill quite a bit so fluctuations are inevitable. (Also, don’t rely on the little built-in thermometer on top of your grill for an accurate reading – anyone grilling over charcoal should have an external thermometer.) Any pizza, as the coals gradually cool down as they cook. On my fourth pizza, I had both vents fully open.
Just grill
To grill a frozen pizza to crispy, bubbly perfection, you will need:
That’s it.
If you’re working with charcoal, fill a chimney and get it going by lighting a starter cube or newspaper underneath. As soon as the coals are glowing and partially ashed, tilt them to one side of the charcoal grids and place the grillage on top. Open the inlet opening fully and the lower opening about halfway and allow the temperature to rise to at least 375 ° C. If you’re using a gas grill, set up a two-zone system with the burners set on medium high to achieve the same temperature. Place a pizza on the “indirect” side (the opposite side of the coals) and close the lid.
Let the pizza cook for five minutes, then turn it a quarter turn and cook for another five minutes. Repeat the process two more times, then slide the pizza on the direct side for a minute if you want to crisp the bottom. (Be careful here as it can burn, but I like a little char on my pizza.)
Take the pizza out, close the grill and, if you are using charcoal, open the top ventilation a little further. Let the temperature rise again, then place your next pizza on the grill and do it all over again. Repeat until you run out of pizzas (or until your charcoal runs out).
