dinner, lunch

Grilled Margherita Pizza

Grilled Margherita Pizza - a fresh and delicious recipe combining mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and garden tomatoes on a garlic and olive oil-brushed crust.
I have a complete, unadulterated obsession with pizza. Not just any pizza. It has to be Italian-quality, homemade, thin-crust with fresh-from-the-garden toppings. In my mind, a hot from the oven, crusty pizza oozing with fresh mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes might just be the perfect food, which is partly why I claim to be part-Italian. 🙂 One look at me and you’ll know there’s NO Italian blood there, but a girl can dream, right? This recipe for grilled margherita pizza was born from that obsession, which actually started a long time ago…….

My very best friend in junior high was named Melissa. We were always together. In fact, people started calling us Melizabeth because we were together so much. I still consider her a very dear friend, even though we don’t see each other very often. She was the kind of friend I could tell my deepest, darkest secrets to, and I knew she wouldn’t tell anyone. I could be completely silly and ridiculous in front of her, and she wouldn’t make fun of me or laugh at me. When I fell apart, she would put her arms around me and cry with me. When you’re thirteen, having even one loyal friend is a big, big deal. (Really, at any age, that’s a big deal, right?!)

Grilled Margherita Pizza - a fresh and delicious recipe combining mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and garden tomatoes on a garlic and olive oil-brushed crust. Grilled Margherita Pizza - a fresh and delicious recipe combining mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and garden tomatoes on a garlic and olive oil-brushed crust.
One day, we decided to walk to our favorite pizzeria, The Pizza Oven. This was no small task. The Pizza Oven was located down a huge hill from our neighborhood, about three miles away. It seemed like a very long way to walk on a hot summer’s day! But we were determined to be independent and get there without any help, and boy, was it worth it. The Pizza Oven had a large window in the middle of the restaurant, where you could stand and watch as your pizza was rolled out, tossed in the air, topped and slid into the fiery ovens. And I can still smell that heady aroma of yeast, garlic and tomatoes. Mmmmm. We felt very grown-up as we sat at our own table and munched our hot, gooey slices of pizza and sipped our root beers.

Grilled Margherita Pizza - a fresh and delicious recipe combining mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and garden tomatoes on a garlic and olive oil-brushed crust.
The Pizza Oven is now gone, replaced years ago by a fire station. But every time I drive past, I smell that garlicky crust, taste that fresh mozzarella, and think of Melissa and our 13-year-old selves. That was a pretty great day!

Grilled Margherita Pizza

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 6 pizzas

Ingredients

    Crust
  • 2 Tbsp. dry yeast
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • Cornmeal for sprinkling
  • Toppings:
  • 6 roma tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 cups fresh mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove

Instructions

    Crust
  1. Combine the yeast, honey and warm water in a standing mixing bowl. Let sit for about five minutes until the yeast begins to bubble.
  2. Add the oil, 4 cups of flour and salt. Blend on low using a dough hook.
  3. Increase the speed and knead for 8-10 minutes. Add more flour as needed if the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl. (It should stick to bottom of bowl but pull away from sides.)
  4. Cover the bowl and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
  5. Cooking and assembling pizzas
  6. Heat grill to a temperature of about 400 degrees (or hotter.)
  7. Punch dough down and divide into about 6 pieces. Sprinkle surface with a little cornmeal, and roll dough out into circles about 1/3-1/2 inch thick.
  8. Brush one side with olive oil and garlic.
  9. Prepare toppings: Slice tomatoes, basil and cheese.
  10. Place pizzas carefully on hot grill, with oiled side down.
  11. Grill about five minutes over high heat. Watch closely and turn heat down if bottoms are browning too quickly.
  12. Flip pizzas over, brush again with oil and garlic, and add toppings. Cook another five minutes.
  13. Serve immediately!

Notes

*Most of the prep time is just giving the dough a chance to rise. This is really easy to make and comes together fast!

https://www.kiwiandcarrot.com/grilled-margherita-pizza/

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30 Comments

  • Reply Dina July 25, 2016 at 8:05 am

    This looks great! Awesome photos!

    • Reply Elizabeth July 25, 2016 at 8:53 am

      Thanks, Dina! Hope you like it!

  • Reply Candy July 25, 2016 at 8:10 am

    Your speaking my language. Homemade thin crust. Homemade mozzarella. Fresh veggies. Now I’m want pizza

    • Reply Elizabeth July 25, 2016 at 8:55 am

      Candy, ha ha! We made this at 9:00 in the morning, and after photographing, I wolfed the whole thing down. #pizzaforbreakfast! Hope you love it!

  • Reply Rachel July 25, 2016 at 8:35 am

    YUM YUM YUM. This pizza looks so good and pizza is the best on the grill! Can’t wait to try it out!

    Rachel / http://www.seashellsandsparkles.com

    • Reply Elizabeth July 25, 2016 at 8:55 am

      Rachel, thanks so much! and I agree..grilled pizza is THE best, and so easy to make. Hope you love this one!

  • Reply Cori July 25, 2016 at 8:49 am

    This looks soooo yummy! I really need to not read food blog posts before lunch.

    • Reply Elizabeth July 25, 2016 at 8:57 am

      Cori, ha ha! We made this first thing in the morning, and I wolfed it down for breakfast after photographing. Hope you love this as much as we do!

  • Reply Jackie July 25, 2016 at 9:50 am

    That looks delicious and so much better than my recent attempt at grilling pizza on the BBQ. I think I need to reconsider my method for grilling and give your recipe a try!

    Jackie
    Something About That

    • Reply Elizabeth July 25, 2016 at 2:14 pm

      Jackie, I think grilled pizza is sooo worth trying again! Try this one and see what you think! Please reach out if you have any questions. Good luck!

  • Reply Jenny July 25, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    This pizza looks absolutely delicious! I’m going to have to make these next time I grill.

    • Reply Elizabeth July 25, 2016 at 2:15 pm

      Jenny, thanks so much! Hope you love it. Happy grilling:)

  • Reply Liz Mays July 25, 2016 at 2:39 pm

    I pinned this! I love a good margherita pizza with fresh tomatoes, and this one has me drooling big time.

  • Reply Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder July 25, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    I love that first photo of ooey goodness!

  • Reply Sophia July 25, 2016 at 7:08 pm

    I would love to make this. It looks good.

  • Reply Dia All The Things I Do July 25, 2016 at 7:11 pm

    Hello,
    I’m Dia a fellow lover of pizza. LOL This looks so good! Like super yummy!

  • Reply Bree July 25, 2016 at 7:14 pm

    YUM!!! This looks SO good!!

    • Reply Elizabeth July 26, 2016 at 10:02 am

      Bree, thank you! Hope you love it.

  • Reply Kenia July 25, 2016 at 9:05 pm

    This is perfect for a summer party. Looks yummy!

    • Reply Elizabeth July 26, 2016 at 10:03 am

      Kenia, this is great for a party because nobody needs to spend a ton of time standing at the grill…just a few minutes and it’s done! Hope you love it.

  • Reply Jenn July 25, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    Yum! I love making pizza on the bar-b-q. Definitely adding this to the meal plan.

    • Reply Elizabeth July 26, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      Jenn, I agree. Grilling is the best. Hope you love this one!

  • Reply Catherine July 26, 2016 at 9:43 am

    I love the grill marks on the crust. Yum!

    • Reply Elizabeth July 26, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      Catherine, hope you love this one. Happy grilling!

  • Reply Amber Starr July 26, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    This looks so darn amazing! I really want to try this crust too! As soon as I can get back into the kitchen, this is going to happen!

    • Reply Elizabeth July 26, 2016 at 2:51 pm

      Amber, let us know what you think! Happy cooking/grilling:)

  • Reply Krysten July 26, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    Your photography is so on point!
    This looks absolutely amazing!
    I am going to make this for my family this weekend!

    • Reply Elizabeth July 26, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      Krysten, thank you so much for your very kind comment. Let us know what your family thinks! Hope they love it. Happy grilling:)

  • Reply Valentina | The Baking Fairy July 28, 2016 at 8:03 am

    Such a sweet story! I’m Italian so pizza is practically in my DNA, and I absolutely love this grilled version! I have yet to make pizza on my grill but I’m thinking it will have to happen very soon 🙂 Yum!

    • Reply Elizabeth July 28, 2016 at 8:31 am

      Valentina, from one Italian girl to another 😉 please let me know what you think of this recipe! Grilling pizza is super easy and fast. Hope you love it!

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