Best for: Pan-pizza night — crisp edges, cupped pepperoni, and a crust that fries in the skillet.
A cast-iron skillet on the grill makes the pepperoni pizza of pan-pizza dreams: the dough fries gently in olive oil against the hot iron, the mozzarella pushed right to the edges crisps into a lacy, dark-gold rim, and the pepperoni cups char at the edges. The grill’s lid does the oven’s work — no kitchen heating required.
Grill: Covered grill at 450°F; the pizza bakes in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over indirect heat. Equipment: 12-inch cast-iron skillet, grill with a lid, wide spatula, trivet.
Ingredients
Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 38 minutes.
Sauce
- 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
Pizza
- 1 lb pizza dough (homemade grilled pizza dough or store-bought), at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for the skillet
- 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 3 ounces pepperoni slices
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon hot honey, for serving (optional)
Directions
Heat the covered grill to 450°F with the cast-iron skillet inside over indirect heat, so the iron is hot when the dough lands. Stir the sauce ingredients together.
Coat the hot skillet with the olive oil (use a mitt — it is grill-hot). Press the dough into the skillet, pushing it up the sides slightly, and set the skillet back over indirect heat.
Bake with the lid closed for 5 minutes, until the crust sets and just begins to color at the edges — this par-bake keeps the bottom crisp.
Spread the sauce over the crust, then scatter the mozzarella all the way to the edges so it crisps against the iron. Lay on the pepperoni and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Bake with the lid closed for 10–12 minutes more, until the cheese is bubbling, the edge is deep golden and crisp, and the pepperoni cups char at the rims.
Rest the pizza in the skillet for 5 minutes, then loosen it with a spatula and slide it onto a board. Slice and serve with hot honey if you like the sweet-heat finish.
Grilling tip: Cheese touching bare iron is the whole trick — push the mozzarella past the sauce line to the very edge for the lacy, crispy rim.
