The Best Grilled Margherita Pizza

Name: The Best Grilled Margherita Pizza
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb prepared pizza dough, at room temperature; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes; 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese; handful of fresh basil leaves; crushed red pepper flakes or balsamic glaze for topping

July 9, 2020

This is the best grilled Margherita pizza made on a gas grill ever! It took me lots of trial and error to figure out the best way to get perfect pizza every time you grill.

I know, I know. Yes, it is another grilling recipe.

The temperatures here have been steadily in the 80’s – 90’s for the past two weeks.

NO COMPLAINTS!

I would much rather be outdoors than inside at this point.

After almost 4 months of quarantine and various stages of lockdown, I welcome the sweltering heat. I relish the boob sweat mixed with the sounds of birds and my kids splashing in the inflatable pool.

It’s the new soundtrack to the summer.

All this outdoor time gave me an excuse to sit and monitor grill temperatures so that I could end up with perfect bbq ribs on the gas grill.

The secret is just having a good book on hand, a bit of shade, one eye on the kids, and the other eye watching the gas grill temperature.

Pizza in the oven normally cooks at 500 degrees, or thereabout.

It’s bad enough I am heating my house for sourdough in the wee hours of the morning.

There is no way I am reheating it to 500 after it just cooled off… Know what I am saying?

Pizza on the grill can easily burn right on the grill grates if you have it up that high. My grill also has several hot spots that it took me some time to manage.

If you are looking for an outdoor activity to keep you busy wile the kids play and you as the adult on watch have to technically be out there, pizza making is going to be right up your alley.

I preheat all grill grates on low and keep the cover closed. You are looking for the temp to get to 400 degrees.

It is hot enough to give you good grill marks but not burn the dough.

I like to use a store-bought pizza dough or a pizza dough kit for this recipe. Try my yeast pizza dough if you are looking to make dough from scratch.

Once you flip the first side of the dough, add the toppings.

I like to use San Marzano crushed tomatoes and fresh, sliced mozzarella to make the best grilled Margherita pizza.

Once the cheese melts, after about 7-10 minutes, add the fresh basil.

The flavors are pure summer.

Feel free to finish it off with some crushed red pepper flakes or balsamic glaze drizzle.

You will keep coming back to this perfect pool-side treat everytime.

The Best Grilled Margherita Pizza

Yield: 1-2, 10"-12" pizzas

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Tips and tricks to making the perfect, gas-grilled Margherita pizza every single time.

Ingredients

1 lb prepared pizza dough, at room temperature
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
handful of fresh basil leaves
crushed red pepper flakes or balsamic glaze for topping

Instructions

Prepare your pizza dough according to the packages instructions. If you bought dough from the store, make sure it sits at room temperature while the grill preheats so it isn't cold anymore. This will make it easier to work with.
Preheat the gas grill to 400 degrees F with all burners on low and the lid closed.
Cut the dough into 2 equal portions. Stretch one half of the dough out on a floured pizza peel or cutting board until it is about 10"-12" or so.
Use a tsp or so of the olive oil to grease the grill grates once the grill is at temperature.
Transfer the dough to the oiled grates. Close the lid and grill the pizza for 5-7 minutes until grill marks appear and the dough is firmer.
Drizzle another tsp or so on the side of the pizza dough that is facing up. Flip the dough. Top the dough with about 1 cup of the tomatoes and half the fresh mozzarella. Drizzle a little of the remaining olive oil over the whole pizza.
Close the lid and grill for 7-10 minutes until all the cheese is melted.
Use a spatula to transfer the grilled pizza back to the cutting board. Top with a few fresh basil leaves.
Let the pizza cool slightly before cutting. Repeat steps with other half of the dough or make another creation suing the same time frame for the perfectly grilled dough.