How to Grill Pizza Like a Pro, For Crispy Crusts and Melty Cheese

Grilled pizza is one of summer’s greatest pleasures: crisp and smoky on the bottom, bubbly and melty on top, and endlessly customizable. Whether you’re a backyard grill enthusiast or just pizza-curious, mastering how to grill pizza takes a little know-how, but once you do, it’s hard to go back. We spoke to two experts to find out the best dough and toppings to use, plus the essential equipment that makes grilling pizza much easier. Get their tips and tricks to ensure your pizza comes off the grill just perfect every time.

How to Grill Pizza: A Quick Overview

Grilling pizza is all about harnessing direct heat for a fast, crispy bake. You start with a well-prepared dough, shape it thinly, and cook it on a preheated grill until the bottom is lightly charred. Then you flip (if you're going directly on the grates), add toppings, cover the grill to trap heat, and finish baking until the cheese melts and toppings are cooked.

Grilling mimics the intense heat of a pizza oven—especially when done right. But to avoid floppy crusts, burned bottoms, or unmelted cheese, a few tweaks are essential.

Choose the Right Dough

Stefano Carniato, founder of South Florida’s Piola pizzerias and Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli Campus in Miami, recommends using a traditional pizza dough with slightly lower hydration—about 58–62% water relative to the flour. “Lower hydration makes the dough firmer and easier to handle on a grill, especially without a stone,” he says. He prefers Italian 00 flour, which adds elasticity and lightness.

A New York-style dough with higher hydration, oil, and a bit of sugar, which browns nicely on a high-heat grill, is to grilling go-to for Mary Cressler, grill expert and co-author of Fire + Wine: Backyard Pizza. If you’re planning to cook directly on grates, she suggests making your own dough so you can control the moisture level. Store-bought dough may be too soft or sticky for grilling and can sag through the grill grates before it firms up.

Use a Pizza Stone—Sometimes

Whether you need a pizza stone or not depends on how you’re grilling the pizza. If you’re using a gas or pellet grill, Cressler recommends a pizza stone or steel to provide consistent heat and support. “For kettle grills, where the fire is directly below the stone, we actually recommend a pizza steel instead of a stone to avoid cracking,” she says.

Carniato prefers to skip the stone altogether. He favors a pizza screen—a mesh metal circle that supports the dough and allows heat to flow underneath. Using a lightly oiled pizza screen can make a big difference, he explains. It prevents sticking, helps avoid burning, and gives great results over an open flame.

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Other Essential Equipment

No matter which route you take, a few tools make grilling pizza easier:

• Long-handled pizza peel: To move your pizza safely onto the grill.
  
• Heatproof gloves or tongs: For adjusting the pizza or the screen.
  
• Lid or foil tent: To trap heat for even cooking and cheese melt. Carniato emphasizes this step: “Covering the pizza is crucial. It creates humidity, melts cheese evenly, and cooks toppings before the bottom burns.” 
  
• Instant-read thermometer: Cressler uses an instant-read thermometer to make sure the stone or grill surface reaches 500–550 degrees Fahrenheit before baking.

Prevent Sticking and Burning

A few smart tricks can save you from pizza disasters.

When using a pizza screen: Carniato recommends oiling the screen—but not the dough—to keep it from sticking. He also advises skipping excess flour under the dough, since it burns quickly on the grill.

When using a pizza peel: Cressler uses semolina flour, not cornmeal, on her peel to prevent sticking. “Cornmeal can burn and leave a gritty texture,” she explains. Semolina’s finer grain helps the dough slide cleanly without that bitter aftertaste.

When cooking directly on the grates: Rather than putting raw dough on the grates, consider par-cooking it first. “It gives the dough a chance to firm up before toppings go on,” says Cressler—and prevents the dreaded sag-and-stick problem.

The Toppings and Sauces That Work Best

Grilled pizza shines with light, flavorful toppings. Overloading it with cheese and sauce can weigh it down and lead to soggy centers.

Both pros agree: stick to a thin layer of sauce, a moderate amount of cheese, and no more than three or four additional toppings. Cressler loves adding grilled vegetables or thin slices of steak—grilled separately, then added after baking. “It’s a combo you just can’t get from a home oven,” she says.

Carniato’s favorite combo is tomato, fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, sweet peppers, and Italian pancetta. “It’s a very nostalgic combination of ingredients for me,” he says. “I grew up in Treviso, and this reflects the flavors of northern Italy—salty pancetta, sweet peppers, and creamy cheese.” It’s also light enough to grill beautifully.

When it comes to cheese, Cressler reaches for low-moisture mozzarella or other melt-friendly varieties on the grill. After baking, she often finishes her pies with Maldon salt, fresh herbs, or a drizzle of hot honey.

Final Tips for Grilled Pizza Perfection

• Temperature matters: Aim for 320–355 degrees at the grill surface if you’re not using a stone, or 500–550 degrees on the stone itself.
  
• Cover it up: Use a grill lid or foil to mimic oven-like conditions.
• Don’t walk away: Grilled pizzas cook fast, often in just 3–5 minutes.
• Less is more: Simpler pizzas cook better and taste brighter.

With a little practice and the right setup, grilled pizza can become your go-to summer specialty—no delivery required.