Cast Iron Pizza

5 from 22 votes

Cast Iron Pizza is an easy way to make homemade pizza with crispy golden edges and delicious chewy dough - made with an oven-safe skillet in just 30 minutes

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You’re probably thinking, can I really make pizza in a cast iron pan? Yes, just like you can also make grilled pizza. The process for making Cast Iron Pizza is almost the same as making regular pizza in the oven, but the result is more crispy edges (every time!!). Use whatever dough and toppings you like, and try this simple homemade pizza idea this week.

Final result of the cast iron pizza after coming out of the oven

What I love about this recipe is that it mimics that deep dish style pizza you’d find at a pizzeria with the crispy edges and bottom, with thick and chewy dough with perfectly cooked toppings. But it’s also versatile enough to make as a thin crust pizza. Just split the dough between two skillets instead of one.

How to make pizza in a can iron pan

Start by preheating the oven as hot as it’ll go. Mine only goes up to 475ºF, so that’s what I based this recipe on. You don’t want to broil it though. That will just burn the cheese before the dough cooks.

While the oven is preheating, drizzle olive oil on the pizza dough and stretch it with your hands until it’s round and flattened. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap now while you prepare the ingredients.

Then stretch the flattened pizza dough into a cast iron skillet. Make sure to push the dough up the sides of the skillet since it will shrink a bit and slump back down. You can now season with garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes, or any other seasoning you prefer. Add the remaining olive oil on top.

Collage showing the pizza dough going in the pan and getting seasoned

Now you’ll want to set the cast iron skillet pizza in the oven for 5 minutes to heat the pan and start to get a light golden color on the bottom of the dough. You can also do this on the stovetop or alternatively only heat the pan without the dough in the oven and allow the residual heat to start cooking the dough.

After a few minutes, take the cast iron skillet out of the oven and add your toppings. Start with the marinara, then add the toppings and cheese. I use red onions, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese to keep it vegetarian.

Collage showing the pizza sauce getting added and then the toppings

After 10 minutes, you’ll have glorious puffed up chewy dough with golden crispy cheesy pizza edges. Now the hard part is letting it rest for a few minutes to allow the cheese to settle and the skillet to cool before slicing. It will be very very hot! Top the pizza with any additional toppings and some fresh basil, and enjoy!

Cast Iron Pizza garnished with basil and sundried tomatoes

Tips for making cast iron pizza

  1. Thinly slice toppings since they cook pretty quickly. Whatever toppings you add should be thinly sliced because the oven time is only 10 minutes. If you’re using any chicken, beef or sausage, make sure to cook them completely before adding on top of the pizza.
  2. Don’t use flour when shaping the dough or in the bottom of the skillet. The olive oil will allow the dough to become pliable to work with and it won’t stick to the pan.
  3. Pre-cook the dough in the skillet before adding the sauce and toppings. This allows the top of the dough to get firm and cooked so it doesn’t turn into a soggy situation when you add the sauce and toppings. Alternatively, you can heat the pan in the oven or on the stovetop.
  4. Use the top rack in the oven. This will basically emulate the way a pizza oven works by getting that direct heat right on the toppings and creating perfect pizza dough bubbles.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature do you cook pizza on?

The correct answer is the highest temperature your oven will go, even if that means 550°F. The high heat allows the dough to puff up, create dough bubbles and a chewy texture while keeping the edges crisp. Don’t set the oven to broil though because that will just burn the cheese.

What size cast iron skillet is best for pizza?

The size doesn’t matter too much and will depend on what you have and what you want to work with. I used a 10″ skillet. Just keep in mind that the larger the skillet is, the thinner the crust will be.

More pizza recipes:

Slice of pizza served topped with fresh basil

As long as you have an oven-safe skillet, you can make this cast iron pizza work at home. It’s such an easy recipe using store bought pizza dough, your favorite pizza sauce and any toppings you like. It just my be the best homemade pizza recipe you’ll ever try. And, you may never want to make pizza in a traditional pan again!

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feelgood Cast Iron Pizza recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

Cast Iron Pizza

Cast Iron Pizza is an easy way to make homemade pizza with crispy golden edges and delicious chewy dough – made with an oven-safe skillet in just 30 minutes
5 from 22 votes
Servings 4 servings
Course Entree
Calories 324
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces pizza dough store-bought, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • cup marinara
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup red onions thinly sliced
  • Sundried tomatoes for serving
  • Fresh basil for serving

Instructions

  • Place a rack in top-most position of oven; preheat to 475°F. Place dough on a work surface; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, turning to coat. Stretch out to a 10" round and cover loosely with plastic wrap, while preparing the toppings.
  • Carefully lay dough inside a well seasoned cast-iron skillet, using your fingers to help extend dough all the way to the edges. Season with salt, crushed red pepper flakes and crushed garlic and drizzle remaining olive oil on top.
  • Place the cast iron pan in the preheated oven until crust is lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove skillet from the oven, spread marinara over entire dough surface. Top with mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and red onions. Return skillet to the oven and bake on the top rack until crust is deep golden brown around the edges and cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then top with sundried tomatoes and basil.

Notes

Recipe: This recipe was inspired by Bon Appetit.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge. To reheat, place in a cast iron skillet and heat until cheese is melted, or reheat in a toaster oven.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the store-bought pizza dough preparation I’ve outlined. However you can change out the seasonings and definitely change out the toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 885mg, Potassium: 112mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 220IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Entree

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Comments

  1. I have not been able to find anything online about this but why not use the cast iron upside down? Like can you place your pizza on the underside of the pan?

    1. You can totally do that too! I think it’s neater this way so nothing spills over and gives you the edges that can crisp up nicely.

  2. Made a classic cheese pizza with your recipe. It was soo delicious, I’m actually surprised I was able to make something so good. Why would anyone order pizza when you can make this?!? Soo easy and yummy.

    Thanks for all your recipes ?, you’re changing the way we eat! We used to eat out maybe 1-2 times per week but now we’re making meal plans for the week with some your recipes and it’s great!

    1. So glad to hear that! Thanks so much for the positive feedback…I love hearing that you’re cooking more at home and making meal plans for the week. Thanks for sharing!!