Most of us probably associate cooking pizza with an oven, but have you tried wood-fire grilling pizza?

One reason to love grilled pizza is because grills can get hotter than a conventional oven. A Traeger can reach 500 degrees Fahrenheit (something not all residential ovens can do).

Another reason to grill your pizza is that a grill, especially a wood pellet grill like a Traeger, adds that traditional wood-fired flavor to your pizza. It’s an authentic flavor usually reserved for pricier pizza parlors.

Can You Grill Pizza on a Pellet Grill?

Yes, you can grill pizza! You can grill pizza on any type of grill, but we think it’s easier and tastes better when grilled on a Traeger. Since a Traeger can maintain its temperature with minimal babysitting, you can use a Traeger to cook a pizza like you would in an oven. You can grill homemade pizza, store-bought pizza, and frozen pizza on a grill. You can even reheat pizza on a Traeger.

Do You Need a Pizza Stone to Grill Pizza on a Pellet Grill?

No, you don’t need a pizza stone to grill a pizza. However, if you’re grilling a lot of pizzas, you may want to invest in a pizza stone. A pizza stone holds and distributes heat more evenly than a baking sheet. What that means for your pizza is that when the pizza stone is properly preheated, your crust will get a lot of heat the moment it hits the stone, which firms up the crust. It will also lead to a more evenly-cooked crust overall.

Also, the porous surface of a pizza stone helps draw the moisture out of the dough as it cooks, resulting in a nice, crispy crust. Because the last thing you want in your pizza is wet spots in the dough that cause a limp crust to fall apart in your hands.

How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Pellet Grill

To use a pizza stone on a grill, you simply preheat your Traeger to 500 degrees Fahrenheit with the pizza stone on top of the grill grates. It takes a pizza stone about 30 minutes to completely heat up, so don’t add your pizza too early. A Traeger typically only takes about 15 minutes to preheat, but it’s worth the extra wait, we promise.

How to Cook Pizza on the Pellet Grill Without a Stone

If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can either grill your pizza on a baking sheet or place the pizza directly on the grill grates. Some folks are concerned their dough will fall through the grill grates, but as long as you preheat your grill, you’ll be fine.

Just like with a pizza stone, you want the grill grates to be hot so the crust gets that quick burst of heat the moment it hits the grill. This will cause the crust to start cooking and firm up immediately.

However, even if you preheat your grill, loose dough could still fall through the grates. If your dough is a loose consistency, you might want to add flour or start over. Your pizza is going to have a host of other problems if your dough isn’t right.

If you’re using an open-flame grill instead of a Traeger, you will want to check the bottom of your crust from time-to-time to ensure it doesn’t burn.

How Long Does It Take to Cook Pizza on a Pellet Grill?

The time it takes to cook pizza on a grill depends on the temperature at which you set the grill and how well done you like your pizza. A hotter grill will cook pizza more quickly, and a cooler grill will cook it more slowly. On average, a fresh pizza will finish grilling in about 12 minutes.

How Do You Grill Pizza Without Burning the Crust?

The best way to grill pizza without burning the crust is to simply check the bottom of the crust every few minutes to make sure that it’s not getting too dark. Another method is to flash-grill the dough at a high temperature (500 degrees Fahrenheit) on each side until it cooks completely. Then, you lower the temperature of the grill to cook the toppings and melt the cheese. The idea is the same as buying a pre-cooked pizza crust, but fresher and tastier.

However, burning a pizza crust is a bigger concern with open flame grills like gas or charcoal grills. Those types of grills often have hot spots and cool spots, meaning you have to check on your food and move it around on the grill grates so everything cooks at the same speed. With a Traeger, hot air circulates around the grill, ensuring even cooking.

How to Grill a Frozen Pizza on a Pellet Grill

Grilling a frozen pizza on a Traeger is as easy as baking it in an oven. To grill a frozen pizza, heat your grill to the recommended temperature according to the packaging, and grill until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted. Because a Traeger doesn’t have open flame like a gas or charcoal grill, you don't have to worry about the crust burning. Simply set a temperature and cook, just like you would with your indoor oven.

What Wood Pellets Pair Well With Grilled Pizza?

These are our favorite wood pellets for different grilled pizzas.

• Hickory, which we recommend for our Combination Pizza
• Apple for our New York Style Pepperoni Pizza
• Alder for our Baked Wood-Fired Pizza
• Pecan for our Grilled Margherita Pizza

Wood pellets with a stronger flavor profile like hickory, work best with meatier pizzas like our sausage-topped Combination Pizza because they hold their own against the stronger flavors of the meat.

Milder wood pellets like alder are great for vegetarian options like our Baked Wood-Fired Pizza because you don’t want the strong flavor of the wood pellets to overpower the more delicate flavors of your toppings.

Pellet Grill Pizza Recipes

A lot of us have our go-to pizza recipes and favorite toppings. If you’re looking for a little inspiration or want to try out a new dough recipe, here are a few of our favorites to get you started.

Combination Pizza

https://www.traeger.com/recipes/combination-pizza

Whether you call it a combination or a supreme, this pizza’s mix of hot Italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives, peppers, and red onions make it favorite of pizza lovers everywhere.

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces hot Italian ground sausage
• 1 pound pizza dough
• semolina flour, to dust pizza peel
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• mushrooms, sliced
• black olives, sliced
• green bell pepper, diced
• red onion, thinly sliced
• Parmesan cheese

Vegetarian Wood-Fired Pizza

https://www.traeger.com/recipes/wood-fired-pizza

Loaded to the brim with portobello mushrooms and artichoke hearts, this pizza isn’t just for vegetarians. It’s a hearty, satisfying pie that will help you get your daily serving of vegetables.

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
• 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup fine cornmeal
• 1 large grilled portobello mushroom, sliced
• 1 jar pickled artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• To taste roasted garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• To taste banana peppers

New York Style Pepperoni Pizza

https://www.traeger.com/recipes/new-york-style-pepperoni-pizza

New York City is known for its stellar pepperoni pizza slices. This pie is sure to please everyone from pizza aficionados to the pickiest eaters.

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 can (28 ounces) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• To taste red pepper flakes
• To taste kosher salt
• 2 sprigs basil, leaves attached
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and split
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• To taste salt
• 4½ cups bread flour
• 1½ tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 15 ounces water, lukewarm
• bread flour
• cornmeal
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 pound pepperoni, sliced

Margherita Pizza

https://www.traeger.com/recipes/pizza-margherita

Sometimes, you just want a classic pizza, and it doesn’t get more classic than the simple and elegant margherita pizza.

Serves: 6

Cooking time: 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium tomatoes, stemmed and cut in pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 pound pizza dough
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

BBQ Chicken Pizza

https://www.traeger.com/recipes/bbq-chicken-pizza

BBQ chicken pizza is a delivery go-to, but it tastes even better when it’s grilled fresh on your Traeger.

Serves: 2

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1½ cups warm water (110°F to 115°F)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups flour
• 1 pound chicken, grilled
• As needed salt
• As needed pepper
• 1/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• As needed cornmeal
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 cups fontina cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Summary

How to Grill Pizza on a Pellet Grill:

1. Place your pizza stone on the grill grates.
2. Set your grill to 450 °F.
3. Let the stone preheat for 15 minutes.
4. Place the pizza on the stone.
5. Let cook for 10-18 minutes until the crust is nicely browned.
6. Remove from the pizza stone and let rest.
7. Cut and serve.

Can You Cook a Pizza on a Pellet Grill without a Pizza Stone?

• Yes, you can cook a pizza on a pellet grill without a pizza stone. Place the pizza directly on the grill grates or on a baking sheet.