Backyard Margherita Grilled Pizza

Most people have never had pizza made on a grill. They've had oven pizza, they've had delivery pizza, they've maybe had wood-fired pizza at a nice restaurant , but the backyard version? It's different from all of them. The heat comes from below and above at once, the crust picks up a little smoke, and the whole thing comes together in under six minutes once the stone is hot. It's genuinely one of the most impressive things you can pull off at a cookout without anyone knowing how easy it actually is.

The secret is the stone. Get it screaming hot before the dough touches it. Everything else is just not overthinking it.

Makes 2 pizzas (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store-bought, brought to room temperature)
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• ½ cup good-quality tomato sauce or crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn
• A small handful of fresh basil leaves
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Flaky sea salt
• Cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Place your Old Stone Pizza Kitchen pizza stone on the grill and preheat the grill (with the lid closed) on high for at least 20 minutes. You want that stone hot.
2. While the grill heats, divide your dough in half and stretch each piece into a 10-inch round on a floured surface. Don't worry about perfect circles — rustic is the vibe.
3. Brush the top of one dough round lightly with olive oil. Carefully slide it (oiled side down) onto the hot stone using a pizza peel.
4. Working quickly, brush the now-top side with a little oil, then spread on a thin layer of sauce. Dot with mozzarella. Close the grill lid.
5. Cook for about 4–6 minutes, peeking once or twice, until the crust is puffed and charred underneath and the cheese is bubbling.
6. Use your peel to slide the pizza off the stone. Top with fresh basil, a final drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of flaky salt, and cracked pepper. Slice and serve immediately.
7. Repeat with the second dough.

Pro tip: Don't overload the toppings. Grilled pizza is best when it's simple, too much weight and the dough won't crisp properly.

Once you've got the base recipe down, the variations basically write themselves. A little prosciutto laid on right after it comes off the stone. Roasted cherry tomatoes instead of sauce. A handful of arugula and some shaved parmesan. The structure is always the same: hot stone, thin dough, not too much on top. Everything else is up to you.

What makes this work at a party is the pace of it. Two pizzas at a time, six minutes each, and you're feeding people in waves. It keeps the energy going and honestly it's more fun to watch than most things you can do at a grill. People will crowd around. Let them.

One more thing: room temperature dough is non-negotiable. Cold dough tears when you stretch it and won't get that airy, blistered crust you're after. Pull it out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan to cook.

Tools used: Old Stone Pizza Kitchen Pizza Stone