Cooking pizza on the grill without a stone takes a little extra work, but it’s worth it. The resulting crust is light, flavorful, and a perfect vehicle for your favorite toppings.
To get started, let your dough rest at room temperature and prep a pizza peel or well-floured flat baking sheet. Brush the grate with olive oil and add your dough.
Prep the Dough
While your grill is preheating, flour your hands and the surface you will work on to prevent the dough from sticking. You should also lightly oil the grate of your grill (or use a wadded up paper towel coated in cooking spray) to prevent sticking and ensure a nice crisp crust on the pizza.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces, or whatever size you want your individual pizzas to be. If you’re making one large pizza, divide it into two even portions instead of four. This will make it easier to handle and flip once you start cooking it on the grill.
Begin by shaping each piece of dough. If you’re using a gas grill, you can shape it on the grates directly. If you’re using a charcoal grill, preheat it for two-zone cooking and position the direct heat side over the flames to get it really hot – about 500 degrees F.
Once the grate has reached a high temperature, place the first piece of dough on it. Close the lid and cook until the underside turns a light brown. It should take about three minutes, but each grill is different so the timing could vary.
Once the underside is cooked, gently lift the pizza and check for air bubbles. If they haven’t formed, give it another minute before lifting again. When the top is browned, scoop the pizza back onto its pizza peel or onto a flat baking sheet. It’s important to move quickly at this point so the dough doesn’t cool down too much and become difficult to work with.
Prep the Toppings
To make grilled pizza, cook the dough first, then add toppings. It’s easier to work with dough that’s already cooked than uncooked, and the toppings will cook more quickly on the hot grill.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12″ circle. Place it on a pizza peel (or a cookie sheet or cutting board dusted with more flour). Brush the top of the dough with olive oil. Place it on the preheated grill and cook until air bubbles begin to form and the underside of the crust is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Use metal tongs or a spatula to flip the dough and cook it for 2 more minutes, until the top of the crust is brown with grill marks.
If you’re using fresh herbs, vegetables or meats, consider pre-cooking them on the grill before adding to the pizza. That will help them retain their shape and color while they cook and prevent them from blowing off the pizza in strong winds.
Prep the Grill
Ideally, the grill should be set up for indirect heat. This allows the dough to cook through without burning or scorching it. The ideal temperature range is 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows the crust to crisp up and create a lovely char while also ensuring that the toppings are thoroughly cooked. If the temperature is too high, the crust can burn before the toppings are done cooking; if it’s too low, the pizza will be soggy.
To create the indirect heat, turn off one burner on your gas grill or move hot coals to a side of your charcoal grill. Once the dough has pre-cooked into a crust, carefully transfer it to a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled or coated with nonstick spray. Alternatively, you can use a flat pizza peel to transfer the pizza to a work surface.
Lightly oil the pizza with a pastry brush. Flip the pizza so that the oiled side is facing up. Using your pizza peel, or the flat pizza peel you transferred it to if you are using that instead, carefully transfer the pizza back onto the grill, making sure that the grilled side is face up again. Add your sauce and toppings to the pizza. Let it cook over indirect heat for about 4 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust is crispy.
Cook the Pizza
Depending on how thick your crust is and how many toppings you’re using, it can take between 8 and 10 minutes to bake your pizza on the grill. It’s important to be patient and not rush the cooking process. This will ensure that your dough and toppings are cooked evenly.
When the bottom of your pizza starts to brown and develop some nice grill marks, flip it over. This is done by using a spatula to gently separate it from the pizza peel and then flipping it over onto the grate. It’s important to use a low heat when doing this to prevent the pizza from burning or becoming too charred.
After you’ve flipped the pizza and allowed it to cook on the other side for about three minutes, remove it from the grill and transfer it back to the pizza peel with the browned side down. Then use a brush to lightly oil the pizza crust and spread it with sauce before adding your desired toppings.
Be sure to avoid overdoing your pizza with too many toppings, as this can weigh down the dough and cause it to break. A good rule of thumb is to have a balance of both crunchy and creamy toppings. Once your pizza is topped, cover the grill and allow it to cook for one minute. This will give the cheese a chance to melt while still maintaining a crust that is both crispy and chewy.
