Did you know you can make grilled pizza on a charcoal grill? You can. In fact, one of our favorite things to do during the summer is eating outside on our deck directly from the grill. We haven’t gotten to enjoy the deck much this summer because we’ve been getting so much rain. A few weeks ago, we got our first chance to eat outside when we made grilled pizzas. We first made grilled pizzas last summer for Meatless Monday on David’s Weber Performer. We’ve been waiting ever since the deck furniture was put out this season for the perfect day to do it again. If you think just because you have a charcoal grill you cannot grill pizzas, think again, you can!
There are all kinds of pizza stones, and wonderful attachments to adorn the grill with for cooking pizza. I’m sure they all work great, but our dream is to have a big authentic wood-fire oven, on a brand-spanking new patio, in our wee-backyard, but until Rome is built we will settle for making pizzas on our charcoal grill.
How to Make Grilled Pizza On a Charcoal Grill
Servings: 2-4 | Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 16-ounce pizza dough – store bought or make your own
- Pizza Sauce – Store-bought or homemade
- Meats: bacon (pre-cooked), soppressata sausage, pepperonis (pre-cooked)
- Vegetables: red bell pepper (charred and sliced), black olives (sliced), onions (sliced thin), tomato (sliced thin), mushrooms (sliced), pickled jalapenos (sliced),
- Cheeses: Parmesan (freshly grated), mozzarella cheese (shredded or sliced), ricotta, feta, Mexican cheese blend
- Garnish: red chili flakes, oregano, dried, fresh basil
PREPARE THE PIZZA DOUGH:
Allow refrigerated dough to come up to room temperature, or if using a recipe to make the dough and have it ready for the grill. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into pieces if needed. Roll each piece into a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball into an irregular oval, dusting with flour as needed.
PREPARE THE SAUCE:
Make the sauce and allow it to simmer a bit on the stove or warm jarred sauce.
PREPARE THE GRILLED PIZZA TOPPINGS:
Pre-cook any meats.
Have the red bell pepper ready to go onto the grill. Chop and slice the veggies and have them close by and ready to go with the pizza dough.
FIRE UP THE GRILL:
Light the charcoal chimney and let it get hot. When the coals are hot dump them into the grill. Using long tongs, move all of the coals to cover only half of the grill. Doing this will give you a direct and indirect heat source. Preheat the grill on medium heat, about 350 to 400 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes.
FIRE ROAST THE PEPPERS:
While the grill is preheating, is the ideal time to roast any vegetables that you want to put on your pizza.
Place the bell pepper over direct heat and cook until charred and blistered, about 15 minutes.
After the pepper is charred, place it into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 5 minutes, then slice and dice.
GRILL THE CRUST:
Oil the grill with a rolled-up towel and tongs, then carefully add the dough to the side of the grill with direct heat.
Grill until the top is bubbly and the bottom is marked; about 2 minutes.
Flip with tongs and grill until just marked on the other side.
Remove from the grill and transfer to a baking sheet; repeat with any remaining dough you may have.
Without a pizza peel, you never know what shape the dough will take, but it won’t matter you’ll forget all about shape when you taste it!
ADD THE GRILLED PIZZA TOPPINGS:
Working on the baking sheets or platters, top the crusts with sauce, meats, veggies, and cheeses.
Have fun creating unique grilled pizzas, like this one with half Mexican cheese, jalapenos, scallions, and bacon while the other half left off the green onions and added pepperonis.
FINISH THE PIZZAS:
Return the pizzas to the indirect heat side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve in about 3 minutes.
Note: When grilling pizza, it is very important to have all the prep work done beforehand. It is next to impossible to prep everything at the same time you light the grill.
We had waited so long to be able to make grilled pizza again, that our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. We decided to have them again on the weekend. Our plans changed as soon as we got home and a storm blew in.
Within 5 minutes, it was pouring and the deck was soaked. No grilled pizza that night. Thank goodness for a nice dry house and a hot oven!
If you want to fire up your charcoal grill to make a pizza, but don’t feel your grill is up to par for the occasion, you can put it back into commission fast by finding new parts to make it like new. Just visit my friend David’s website: QualityGrillParts.com I’m sure he’ll help you get that grill fired up before your pizza dough finishes rising!
Grilled Pizza On A Charcoal Grill
Ingredients
- 2 12-inch pizza dough store bought or make your own
- 1 cup pizza sauce store bought or make your own
Meats:
- cooked bacon crumbled
- Sopressata sausage chopped
- pepperonis (pre-cooked)
Vegetables:
- red bell pepper charred and sliced
- black olives sliced
- onions thin sliced
- tomato thin sliced
- mushrooms sliced
- pickled jalapenos sliced
Cheeses:
- parmesan freshly grated
- mozzarella cheese shredded or sliced
- fresh ricotta cheese
- feta cheese crumbled
- Mexican cheese blend shredded
Garnish:
- red chili flakes to taste
- dried oregano to taste
- fresh or dried basil to taste
Instructions
PREPARE THE DOUGH
- Allow refrigerated dough to come up to room temperature, or if using a recipe to make the dough and have it ready for the grill. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into pieces if needed. Roll each piece into a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball into an irregular oval, dusting with flour as needed.
PREPARE THE SAUCE
- Make the sauce and allow it to simmer a bit on the stove or warm jarred sauce.
PREPARE THE TOPPINGS
- Pre-cook any meats.
- Have the red bell pepper ready to go onto the grill. Chop and slice the veggies and have them close by and ready to go with the pizza dough.
FIRE UP THE GRILL
- Light the charcoal chimney and let it get hot. When the coals are hot dump them into the grill. Using long tongs, move all of them to cover only ½ of the grill. Doing this will give you a direct and indirect heat source. Preheat the grill on medium heat, about 350-400 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes.
FIRE ROAST THE PEPPERS
- While the grill is preheating, is the ideal time to roast any vegetables that you want to put on your pizza. Place the bell pepper over direct heat and cook until charred and blistered, about 15 minutes.
- After the pepper is charred, place it into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 5 minutes, then slice and dice.
GRILL THE CRUST
- Oil the grill with a rolled-up towel and tongs, then carefully add the dough to the side of the grill with direct heat. Grill until the top is bubbly and the bottom; about 2 minutes. Flip with tongs and grill until just to on the other side. Remove from the grill and transfer to a baking sheet; repeat with any remaining dough you may have.
ADD THE TOPPINGS
- Working on the baking sheets or platters, top the crusts with sauce, meats, veggies, and cheeses.
FINISH THE PIZZAS
- Return the pizzas to the indirect heat side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve in about 3 minutes.
Patrons of the Pit says
Very nice! Can’t beat grilled pizza. But then, how can you ever have a bad meal with a view like that for supper every day. I could eat card board and axle grease and be happy on that deck of yours. It kind of sorta lowers the blood pressure just looking at it….Here I go with my deck envy again.
You guys live the life!
PotP
The Mountain Kitchen says
We can’t stand looking at it everyday… and if you believe that, then we’ve got some axle grease cardboard pizza burning on the grill right now just for you! 😉
All kidding aside, thank you. I cannot count the times we still pull up in the driveway and cannot believe we live here. We’re truly blessed!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Love grilling pizzas and your pizza has me drooling! We were also going to do it last Saturday but the 105 heat index kept us inside. It’s great grilling pizza for guests too because we can sit out and just eat them up as soon as they come off the grill.
The Mountain Kitchen says
I love the whole make your own concept. Everybody is full and happy by the time the grill is cold. I don’t blame you for staying inside. It has been so hot!!
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Friday is pizza night here at home. Everyone looks forward to that. Doing pizza outside on a grill is really the best and I even eat two pieces!!! Nice job.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Sounds fun! ?
Conor Bofin says
Debbie,
I am so envious of your balcony view. The pizza had me going too!
Best,
Conor
The Mountain Kitchen says
Conor,
Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look around.
I hope you’ll come back again soon. Have a great weekend!
Debbie