Grilled Pizza

We LOVE a grilled pizza that feels like summer charred on the Bbq and versatile with toppings. Especially this spicy sausage lamb topping, feta and honey, SO GOOD! The taste and texture of grilled pizza is different than the oven ones, and they’re likewise prepared in a different way. Here’s a tutorial on everything you need to know to make the best pizza on the grill this summer!

I’m honored to partner with my friends at the American Lamb Board to share with you this delicious grilled pizza recipe today. All opinions and views are my own. 

We’re sharing a phenomenal pizza recipe today, like a seriously amazing one. A homemade pizza dough which is fool proof, and super easy to make. And our favorite toppings for grilled pizza include Lamb Sausage, Feta cheese, hot honey or honey and chilli flakes.

What Is Grilled Pizza (Pizza on the Grill)?

Grilled pizza, also called pizza on the grill is pizza cooked directly on a barbecue grill instead of in a traditional oven. The dough is placed over high, direct heat to cook quickly, creating a crisp, lightly charred crust with a smoky flavor that’s hard to replicate indoors.

Grilled pizza is basically cooked over direct grill heat resulting in a crisp, smoky crust in minutes.

Why You’ll LOVE Pizza on the Grill

• It has a charred taste that enhances the flavor of crust and toppings.
• You can make it using homemade or store-bought pizza dough with great success!
• Pizza on the grill cooks in a fraction of the time, so you can get this on the table in minutes.
• It’s a fun process so you can make this for a party and have everyone part of making their own pizza.
• This recipe works in any type of grill—gas or coal. 
• You can prepare the lamb sausage way ahead of time, and the pizza dough a few days before. On the day of, the process will be a breeze!
• Leftovers are heated up beautifully in the air fryer and taste just as fresh!

Why American Lamb?

Always and forever advocating, sharing and buying exclusively American Lamb. It’s fresh, local, quality lamb that’s raised to the highest standard. I’ve visited many farms and ranches across the country and I have to say, it was amazing supporting these wonderful families.

They work day in and day out so you can find local, fresh, quality lamb accessible at your stores or online. They do it with so much love and passion, it fascinated me. Every time I go, I leave with a heart full of memories and love.

The most important thing I would recommend is for you to ask before you buy. Make sure you ask for American Lamb. You’ll often find the meat without specifying the source of it, so it’s crucial you ask to double check. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground American Lamb
• Lamb Sausage Spices: following the recipe here
  
  
•  Homemade or store-bought pizza dough. 
• Feta Cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Hot Honey, or honey and chilli flakes
• Olive oil. 

How To Grill Pizza

Gather and Prep the Toppings

1. Start by preparing your ingredients. Have the pizza dough made or store-bought and ready to use. Dust extra flour on the surface and flatten the dough ready.
   
   
2. Cook the lamb sausage. Whether you have the sausage ready in your freezer or making it from scratch, use ground American lamb. The spice mix can definitely be adjusted to your taste.
3. You can add onions, mushrooms or your favorite toppings here.
   
   
4. You’ll start by adding the ground lamb to a hot skillet along with all the spices together. Stir frequently until the lamb is no longer pink. 
5. Preheat your grill, charcoal or gas. If you have a perforated pizza pan like I have above, add it to the grill for preheating. Otherwise, make sure to oil the grates so the dough doesn’t stick.

Prep The Pizza Dough

Roll the pizza dough or flatten it using your hands to the thickness you prefer. Some like a thinner crust while others prefer a thicker one. Keep in mind that grilled pizza doesn’t puff up as much as baked ones.

1. Brush one side of the pizza dough with olive oil. Line a pizza peel with parchment paper for optimal way to transport the pizza to the grill.
   
   

Grill the Pizza Dough

1. Place the rolled out pizza on the grill oil side down. Let that side cook for 2-3 minutes until firm and set.  Place it on a side of the grill where there is direct heat at first. 
   
   
2. Flip the dough  using tongs and while the other side of the crust is grilling, you’ll start piling your toppings.
3. We LOVE having an initial layer mozzarella cheese. This helps all the toppings to stick so beautifully onto your pizza. The pizza cooks in minutes!
   
   
4. For this specific combo of toppings, we prefer it without the classic tomato sauce—however you can layer that in as well. Also try adding some basil pesto, sun dried tomato pesto for a light sauce option. 
5. The cooked ground lamb is added over the cheese, some feta, seasonal cherry tomatoes and fresh oregano leaves.

You’ll need to shut down the grill lid for the grill to allow for the cheeses to melt. And at the same time, drop down the heat to low so that the bottom crust doesn’t become to hard.

 Serve Grilled Pizza

1. It’s ready when the crust is golden and cheese has melted. You’ll also see beautiful grill marks on the dough.
2. To serve the grilled pizza, we love a finish of more fresh herbs, specifically fresh oregano for this combo. Rosemary would work lovely too.
3. Sprinkle some chilli flakes and a drizzle of hot honey to finish it off. 
4. SO GOOD!!!!

Tips for Grilled Pizza 

• Make your lamb sausage ahead of time. Either make the sausage links as we do and keep them in the freezer for a happy day. Today we made the ground lamb sausage as it’s the easiest option.
• The ground lamb can still be cooked 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. This mixture makes great tacos, add it to pasta, rice dishes, salads, bowls and so much more! So make plenty!
• You can use store-bought pizza dough if you’re not into making your own and it works just as well.
• Make sure the ball of dough is at room temperature.
• When flattening the dough for the grill, remember that it doesn’t puff up as much as it would in the oven. So avoid super thin dough as it’s harder to top, flip, and grill overall. 
• The KEY to perfect pizza on the grill is to cook one side fully at first. The second KEY and skill is to start piling your toppings as soon as you flip the pizza while dropping the heat.
• The lower heat allows time for you to pile the toppings without overcooking the crust in the meantime. 
• Ideally the pizza is ready when cheese is melty, but this pizza focuses heavily on feta cheese which doesn’t melt. So our pizza is ready as soon as the crust feels crisp and golden, and the toppings are incorporated.
• While it’s optional, the combo of sweet honey and spicy chilli flakes with the ground lamb and salty feta on charred pizza dough is TO DIE FOR! However feel free to remove the spice if you’re not into spicy foods. 

How to Reheat Pizza?

Our absolute favorite way is air fryer 350 degrees F for 3 minutes. The pizza comes out fresh, and the crust has a perfect texture. 

Can you Grill Frozen Pizza?

While frozen pizza is grilled differently than fresh, it’s still doable. It’s best to grill it at an indirect heat, very low temperature for about 15-20 minutes depending on the size. 

How Can you Grill Pizza without burning the Bottom?

This is the most frequent asked question ever. Lower the heat when the first side of the dough has cooked. When you flip the pizza dough, you can place it on a side that has indirect heat as you pile the toppings. Make sure to cover the lid so the toppings begin to blend and melt. 

Do you need a pizza stone to grill pizza?

No. You need clean and well seasoned or oiled grill grates to grill your pizza. If you’re feeling fancy like we did, pick up one of those perforated grill pans and place it directly on the grill.

Is Grilled Pizza Authentic?

Grilled pizza isn’t traditional to Italian pizza culture, but it’s a modern, widely accepted technique. It’s especially popular in home cooking, restaurants, and outdoor gatherings. It’s a method rather than a specific style.

What Types of Pizza Are Best for the Grill?

• Thin dough pizzas (cook evenly and don’t burn)
• Flatbreads and yeast-light doughs
• Cheese-light or no-cheese pizzas (less risk of flare-ups)

This is why meat-topped flatbreads like lahmacun adapt especially well to grilling.

Common Ways to Grill Pizza

1. Direct-grate method: Dough is grilled on one side, flipped, topped, and finished.
2. Pizza stone on the grill: Mimics a wood fired oven with more control.
3. Covered grilling: Lid closed to circulate heat and melt toppings evenly.

Pizza Recipes You’ll LOVE

Margherita Pizza
Cacio e Pepe Pizza
Birria Pizza
Air Fryer Pizza
Caprese Pizza
Burrata Pizza
Turkish Pizza Lahmacun
Mushroom Pizza

5 from 11 votes

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Grilled Pizza

We LOVE a grilled pizza that feels like summer charred on the Bbq and versatile with toppings. Especially this spicy sausage lamb topping, feta and honey—SO GOOD! The taste and texture of grilled pizza is different than the oven ones, and they’re likewise prepared in a different way. Here’s a tutorial on everything you need to know to make the best pizza on the grill this summer!

Course BBQ, grill, main, Main Dish, pizza

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword grilled pizza, homemade pizza, homemade pizza recipes, how to grill pizza, pizza, pizza on the grill, Pizza recipe, sausage pizza

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 540 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

Sausage Ingredients

• 1 lbs ground American Lamb
• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons allspice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Pizza Toppings

• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup oregano leaves fresh

Assemble and Serve

• Homemade pizza dough or store-bought
• Hot honey or honey and 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
• 1/4 cup oregano leaves

Instructions

1. Start by cooking the ground lamb. In a 9 inch skillet preheated over medium heat, add the lamb and all the spice blend at once.
   
2. Toss and mix frequently until the lamb is golden and no longer pink, and all the flavor have blended in the meat. This takes between 7-8 minutes.
3. Let the lamb cool slightly as you prepare the remaining ingredients and preheat the grill.
   
4. Preheat the grill one medium heat.
5. Divide the pizza dough and roll or flatten it into your preferred size, shape and thickness.
   
6. Place one side of the dough on the grill and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes until set.
   
7. Turn the heat to low and immediately flip the dough.
8. You can place the dough in an area of indirect heat at this point.
9. Start layering the pizza toppings.
   
10. Mozzarella, the cooked ground lamb, tomatoes, oregano and feta cheese.
11. Place the pizza back on the low heat area of the grill and cover the lid.
    
12. Wait for 5 minutes until the toppings have melted or blended together and check on the pizza.
13. When the curst is golden and ready, remove it from the grill.
    
14. Sprinkle some chilli flakes, more oregano leaves and a healthy drizzle of honey.
15. Serve and enjoy
    

16. USDA recommends the following time and temperature parameters: Ground Lamb Internal temperature of 160°F

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Tips for Grilled Pizza 

• Make your lamb sausage ahead of time. Either make the sausage links as we do and keep them in the freezer for a happy day. Today we made the ground lamb sausage as it’s the easiest option.
• The ground lamb can still be cooked 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. This mixture makes great tacos, add it to pasta, rice dishes, salads, bowls and so much more! So make plenty!
• You can use store-bought pizza dough if you’re not into making your own and it works just as well.
• When flattening the dough for the grill, remember that it doesn’t puff up as much as it would in the oven. So avoid super thin dough as it’s harder to top, flip, and grill overall. 
• The KEY to perfect pizza on the grill is to cook one side fully at first. The second KEY and skill is to start piling your toppings as soon as you flip the pizza while dropping the heat.
• The lower heat allows time for you to pile the toppings without overcooking the crust in the meantime. 
• Ideally the pizza is ready when cheese is melty, but this pizza focuses heavily on feta cheese which doesn’t melt. So our pizza is ready as soon as the crust feels crisp and golden, and the toppings are incorporated.
• While it’s optional, the combo of sweet honey and spicy chilli flakes with the ground lamb and salty feta on charred pizza dough is TO DIE FOR! However feel free to remove the spice if you’re not into spicy foods. 
• USDA recommends the following time and temperature parameters: Ground Lamb Internal temperature of 160°F

How to Reheat Pizza?

Our absolute favorite way is air fryer 350 degrees F for 3 minutes. The pizza comes out fresh, and the crust has a perfect texture. 

Can you Grill Frozen Pizza?

While frozen pizza is grilled differently than fresh, it’s still doable. It’s best to grill it at an indirect heat, very low temperature for about 15-20 minutes depending on the size. 

How Can you Grill Pizza without burning the Bottom?

This is the most frequent asked question ever. Lower the heat when the first side of the dough has cooked. When you flip the pizza dough, you can place it on a side that has indirect heat as you pile the toppings. Make sure to cover the lid so the toppings begin to blend and melt. 

Do you need a pizza stone to grill pizza?

No. You need clean and well seasoned or oiled grill grates to grill your pizza. If you’re feeling fancy like we did, pick up one of those perforated grill pans and place it directly on the grill. 

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Pizza

Amount Per Serving

Calories 540 Calories from Fat 369

% Daily Value*

Fat 41g63%

Saturated Fat 20g125%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 15g

Cholesterol 138mg46%

Sodium 1.273mg0%

Potassium 482mg14%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 32g64%

Vitamin A 1.092IU0%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 458mg46%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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