Take your homemade pizza to the next level by grilling it

Joe Difazio, USA TODAY
·4 min read

When you think of grilling, I bet you think of foods like cheeseburgers, hot dogs, steaks and chicken. But a grill is a pretty versatile tool. Why not try cooking pizza on it, too?

The idea of grilled pizza is thought to have originated in Providence, Rhode Island, at a restaurant called Al Forno in the mid-1980s. Owners George Germon and Johanne Killeen had a storefront with a charcoal grill and no pizza oven, so they got inventive. Their grilled pizzas became an obsession for their customers who raved and craved these unique pies.

Now you can follow in their footsteps and make a delicious grilled pizza of your own.

How to cook pizza on propane grill

Start by heating up the grill; you can use either charcoal or propane. Then take your flattened-out pizza dough and put it right on the grill, shutting the top.

You will let one side cook until you see charring on the bottom. Depending on how hot your grill is, this should take about two or three minutes.

Once one half is done, you'll take the dough out and flip it upside down.

Now add your toppings to the cooked side. Cheese? Sauce? Pepperoni? Vegetables? You can get creative and make whatever kind of pizza you're in the mood for. Then put the pizza back on the grill.

Once the cheese is thoroughly melted and you start to see char on the bottom of the pizza, it's time to take it out and enjoy.

Using a pizza stone

If you happen to have a pizza stone you can use that on a propane or charcoal grill for a more even cook, but you might lose out on some of the char.

With a pizza stone, you spread some flour on the stone, then stretch out the pizza dough on the stone.

Next you add your toppings and pop the stone into the pre-heated grill over direct flame. Once the dough starts to brown, you can move it to a cooler part of the grill if the cheese needs more time to melt or other toppings need more time to cook.

Once the toppings look good and melted and the dough is brown, the pizza is ready to eat. Remove the pizza and stone with a large spatula and enjoy.

Material from The Providence Journal, part of the USA TODAY network, was used in this article.

Reviewed-approved grilling and cooking recommendations:

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Reviewed helps you find the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of kitchen and cooking experts are always testing new pizza stones, grills and more so you can shop for the best of the best.

  1. Our favorite grilling spatula: OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Grilling Set

  2. The best pizza stone: Lodge Bold 14-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan

  3. Top-rated grill: Weber Spirit II E-310 3-Burner Liquid Propane Grill

  4. The best skillet: Lodge Cast Iron Chef Collection Skillet, Pre-seasoned

  5. Our favorite pizza cutter: Progressive International PL8 Artisan Pizza Wheel

  6. The best oven thermometer: KT Thermo 3-Inch Dial Oven Thermometer

  7. An excellent cutting board: OXO Good Grips Plastic Utility Cutting Board

  8. Top-rated cooler: OtterBox Venture 25

  9. The best value in cookware: Cuisinart MCP-12N Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

  10. Our favorite pizza oven: Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven

More problems, solved

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to make pizza on propane grill

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