How to Cook a Pizza on a Pellet Grill? (6 Steps to Try)

Although I’m a huge meat lover, my love for the salty, cheesy, tomatoey, and carby richness of homemade pizza has soared over the past few years.

Whenever I crave smoked pizza, I'd fire up my pellet grill and make one.

But cooking pizza on a pellet grill isn't a precise science and has a learning curve.

I had to consult a local pitmaster to learn how to cook pizza on a pellet grill until I finally perfected this skill.

Let’s get into it.

Quick Summary

6 Steps to Cooking Pizza on a Pellet Grill

Cooking pizza on a pellet grill is done in simple steps discussed below.

1. Get a Pizza Steel or Stone

These practical tools, either steel or stone, hold heat more evenly to guarantee that your pizza's components are being cooked equally and produce a wonderfully crispy crust.

Besides that, it helps in removing excess moisture from particularly wet portions of your pizza dough.

2. Light your Pizza Stone and Fire Up the Pellet Grill

You'll want your pellet smoker to be hot to make the best grilled pizza ever.

Set your pellet grill temperature between 450-500°F using the control setting.

After that, put your pizza stone in the exact middle of the grill grates so it can heat up.

While your pizza stone heats up, prepare all of your toppings.

3. Use Parchment Paper

First, cut a piece of parchment paper into a square or circle to fit your homemade or premade crust.

The parchment paper will help you quickly move the pizza to and from the stone.

Roll out the dough and set it on parchment paper.

4. Craft Your Pizza Design

Here’s how you can craft your pizza design:

• Prepare the toppings for your pizza crust while your wood pellet grill is heating up.
• Press the stretched pizza dough against the floured cutting board a few times to pick up flour. For round pizzas, make a circle, outline the crust, and pinch the pizza dough's outer inch in a circular motion.
• You can stretch it out to however shape you want, like a heart-shaped, round, or rectangle.
• Spread out the dough widely on the parchment paper. Brush the top of the pizza stone or baking sheet with olive oil to prepare the crust quickly. After that, spread the remaining olive oil over the outer inch of the pizza crust.

You have a lot of creative freedom with just a traditional pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese base, but you can go even crazier with options like BBQ sauce or a white pizza topped with ricotta and extra virgin olive oil.

5. Place Your Pizza on the Hot Pizza Stone

Let’s see how this step works below:

• After topping it, move the pizza onto the pizza stone in your pellet grill using a baking sheet or pizza peel. Make sure to move the parchment paper along with it.
• For a smooth pizza transfer, sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza peel before transferring it.
• Close the lid once it is in position. For the best cooking results, reduce the heat to 425 degrees afterward.
• Rotate the pizza and remove the parchment paper under it after five minutes. The pizza will continue to cook on the pizza stone for the final few minutes. An excellent homemade pizza should be ready to eat in no more than 7 or 8 minutes overall.

Knowing how fast the pizza cooks, it's necessary that you use toppings that are ready to be eaten.

There won't be enough time to caramelize onions or cook uncooked sausage since pellet grills cook the pizza on high heat.

"Prepare any raw foods in advance and finely chop those you intend to eat raw."
- Anthony Felix Gemignani, Italian Chef & Restaurant Owner

6. Take Your Pizza off the Pellet Grill and Slice

Use your pizza peel or a big spatula to take out pizza from the pizza stone with the parchment paper on it.

Remove the parchment paper, place the pizza on a clean cutting board, and divide the pie into pieces with a pizza wheel.

3 Benefits of Cooking Pizza with a Pellet Grill

Pellet grills are unquestionably a perfect complement to any backyard and may significantly enhance the food you prepare, including wood-fired pizzas.

Let's look at the benefits in detail.

1. Versatility

The versatility of a pellet grill in cooking is one of its most attractive features.

You may grill, smoke, roast, barbecue, and even bake with your pellet grill.

Practically every type of cuisine is doable.

2. Enhance Taste & Quality

The pizza's taste and quality are significant benefits of using a pellet grill.

It's a proven fact that using wood to cook enhances the flavor of everything.

Wood pellets come in various tastes, including hickory, pecan, apple, mesquite, cherry, or even a combination of these.

Anything cooked on your grill with these wood pellets guarantees a delicious flavor [1].

3. Easy to Use

Even amateur grillers can produce pizza on a pellet grill comparable to a skilled pitmaster's.

Simple temperature controls found on pellet grills free you from continually watching on the grill so that you can enjoy more time with friends and family.

2 Tips for Pellet Grill Pizza Cooking

Pizza cooked on a pellet grill will always taste better than one cooked in a regular oven once you try it.

Here are more tips for using your pellet grill to make a tasty pizza.

1. Prepare Homemade Pizza Dough

While you can get store-bought or frozen pizza, a homemade pizza tastes better when the dough is made from scratch.

Below are basic instructions for your pizza dough recipe:

• Mix two tablespoons of active yeast with two tablespoons of flour, one tablespoon of sugar, and around 3/4 cup of warm milk. Let it rest for about 15 minutes after thorough mixing.
• Add a mixture of your preferred herbs and spices and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. I love adding a teaspoon of the following to my pizza dough: black pepper, paprika, white pepper, and oregano.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir these and gradually add additional flour until you have a soft, no longer sticky dough that can be formed into a ball.
• Place your raw pizza dough in a bowl coated with olive oil and rest it for 30-60 minutes. As your dough is resting, you can prepare your pellet grill.

This dough recipe produces a 14-inch pizza crust.

Also Read: Homemade Bacon Brine Recipe

2. Customize Your Grilled Pizza

The flavors of the toppings, coupled with the delectable thick or thin crust, tomato sauce, and melted cheese, make grilled pizzas to die for.

Pizza cooked on a pellet grill expands your creativity when you are in charge.

Try unique toppings if you decide to go with an adventurous pizza.

For instance, a smoked crust with BBQ pizza sauce tastes terrific when topped with chicken, red onions, and some peppers.

Related Articles:

• How Long Does Pizza Last in the Fridge
• What Is Pepperoni Made Of?

Use Meat As a Topping

Don't limit yourself to a simple mozzarella cheese pizza.

Add meat to your pizza to make your side dish a whole meal.

Your pellet grill can cook chicken, sausage, bacon, ham, pepperoni, and more on your pizza.

Ensure you cook your meat to the USDA-recommended temperature before eating [2].

Also, your pellet grill pizza recipes will improve if you experiment with various toppings.

Leftover meats, such as shredded BBQ chicken or pork, work wonderfully on a pellet grill pizza.

FAQs

Is Cooking Pizza on a Pellet Grill a Good Idea?

You should make pizza in your pellet grill since adding smoke is comparable to adding another ingredient to your dish.

If you follow these steps, your pizza will be crispy and have a tinge of smoke-induced taste.

If you still have no idea which pellet grill to use to make pizza, make sure to check our list of the best pellet grills available on the market.

You can find the perfect grill that suits your needs and preferences, ranked based on its price, durability, and performance, ensuring a remarkable pizza-cooking journey every time.

References: 

1. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-are-pellet-grills-and-smokers-fueled
2. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart