How to Grill Pizza on a Pellet Grill
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Enjoying a wood-fired pizza usually requires heading out to a trattoria, but when you have a Traeger, you can enjoy delicious wood-fired pizza at home. Here's how to do it.
Can You Grill Pizza on a Pellet Grill?
Yes, you can grill pizza! You can grill pizza on any type of grill, but we think it’s easier and tastes better when grilled on a Traeger. Because you can set a Traeger grill like an oven, you can set it and forget it. Plus, the pure wood pellets infuse the pizza with authentic wood-fired flavor.
Do You Need a Pizza Stone to Grill Pizza on a Pellet Grill?
You don’t have to use a pizza stone to grill a pizza. However, a pizza stone holds and distributes heat more evenly than a baking sheet. What that means for your pizza is that when the pizza stone is properly preheated, your crust will get a lot of heat the moment it hits the stone, which firms up the crust. It will also lead to a more evenly-cooked crust overall.
Also, the porous surface of a pizza stone helps draw the moisture out of the dough as it cooks, resulting in a nice, crispy crust.
How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Pellet Grill
When using a pizza stone or a pizza steel on a grill, it's important to preheat it. To do so, put it on the grates before you heat the grill, then set the Traeger as high as it will go, 450°F to 500°F. Once the grill is at temperature, wait another 15 minutes or so to ensure the stone is thoroughly heated.
How to Cook Pizza on the Pellet Grill Without a Stone
If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can either grill your pizza on a baking sheet or directly on the grill grates. When grilling directly on the grates, it's best practice to cook the dough on both sides first to firm it up before adding any toppings
Just like with a pizza stone, you want the grill grates to be hot so the crust gets that quick burst of heat the moment it hits the grill. This will cause the crust to start cooking and firm up immediately.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Pizza on a Pellet Grill?
The time it takes to cook pizza on a grill depends on the temperature at which you set the grill and how well done you like your pizza. A hotter grill will cook pizza more quickly, and a cooler grill will cook it more slowly. On average, a fresh pizza will finish grilling in about 12 minutes.
How Do You Grill Pizza Without Burning the Crust?
Because your Traeger cooks with convection, your pizza is more evenly heated than it would be on other grills. The best way to grill pizza without burning the crust is to simply check the bottom of the crust every few minutes to make sure that it’s not getting too dark. Another method is to flash-grill the dough at a high temperature (500 degrees Fahrenheit) on each side until it cooks completely. Then, you lower the temperature of the grill to cook the toppings and melt the cheese. The idea is the same as buying a pre-cooked pizza crust, but fresher and tastier.
How to Grill a Frozen Pizza on a Pellet Grill
Grilling a frozen pizza on a Traeger is as easy as baking it in an oven. To grill a frozen pizza, heat your grill to the recommended temperature according to the packaging, and grill until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted. Because a Traeger doesn’t have open flame like a gas or charcoal grill, you don't have to worry about the crust burning. Simply set a temperature and cook, just like you would with your indoor oven.
What Wood Pellets Pair Well With Grilled Pizza?
In general, wood pellets with a stronger flavor profile like hickory, work best with meatier pizzas like our sausage-topped Combination Pizza because they hold their own against the stronger flavors of the meat.
Milder wood pellets like alder are great for vegetarian options like our Baked Wood-Fired Pizza because you don’t want the strong flavor of the wood pellets to overpower the more delicate flavors of your toppings.
Pellet Grill Pizza Recipes
A lot of us have our go-to pizza recipes and favorite toppings. If you’re looking for a little inspiration or want to try out a new dough recipe, here are a few of our favorites to get you started.
Combination Pizza
Whether you call it a combination or a supreme, this pizza’s mix of hot Italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives, peppers, and red onions make it favorite of pizza lovers everywhere.
Vegetarian Wood-Fired Pizza
https://www.traeger.com/recipes/wood-fired-pizza
Loaded to the brim with portobello mushrooms and artichoke hearts, this pizza isn’t just for vegetarians. It’s a hearty, satisfying pie that will help you get your daily serving of vegetables.
New York Style Pepperoni Pizza
https://www.traeger.com/recipes/new-york-style-pepperoni-pizza
New York City is known for its stellar pepperoni pizza slices. This pie is sure to please everyone from pizza aficionados to the pickiest eaters.
Margherita Pizza
https://www.traeger.com/recipes/pizza-margherita
Sometimes, you just want a classic pizza, and it doesn’t get more classic than the simple and elegant margherita pizza.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
https://www.traeger.com/recipes/bbq-chicken-pizza
BBQ chicken pizza is a delivery go-to, but it tastes even better when it’s grilled fresh on your Traeger.
Summary
How to Grill Pizza on a Pellet Grill:
- Place your pizza stone on the grill grates.
- Set your grill as high as it will go.
- Let the stone preheat for an additional15 minutes.
- Place the pizza on the stone.
- Cook until the crust is nicely browned.
- Remove from the pizza stone and let rest.
- Slice and serve.
Grilled Combination Pizza
by Traeger Kitchen
9 Reviews
Prep Time
10 Min
Cook Time
20 Min
Serves
4
Pellets
Hickory
No matter how you slice it, our grilled combination pizza is what wood-fired dreams are made of.
Ingredients
main
| 8 Ounce | hot Italian ground sausage |
| 1 Pound | pizza dough |
| Semolina flour, for dusting | |
| 1/2 Cup | pizza sauce |
| 1/2 Cup | shredded mozzarella cheese |
| sliced mushrooms | |
| sliced black olives | |
| Diced green bell pepper | |
| Sliced red onion | |
| Parmesan cheese |
1
In a medium pan over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain and discard the fat. Set aside.
2
Roll out the pizza dough to your desired shape and thickness on a lightly floured surface.
3
Transfer the dough to a pizza peel dusted with semolina flour.
4
Spread the pizza sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
5
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce, then top with the sausage, mushrooms, black olives, pepper, red onion, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
6
When ready to cook, place a pizza stone on the grill grates, if using. Set the Traeger temperature to 350℉ and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
7
Slide the pizza off the peel onto the pizza stone, if using, or directly onto the grill grates. Close the lid and bake until the crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
