How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill (#1 Beginner’s Guide)

By: the PROs

How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill (#1 Beginner’s Guide)

How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill

Quick question: do you know how to use a pizza stone on a grill?

A pizza stone is a worthwhile investment if you love baking pizzas at home.

But is pizza stone usage restricted to pizza ovens?

We think not!

They’re also a perfect addition to the grill if you don’t have a pizza oven for cooking pizzas.

These ingenious inventions allow you to recreate the heat and surface of a brick oven in your own home. However, before transforming your grill into a pizza oven, you must consider some things.

For starters, you must know how to use a pizza stone on a grill. This post will discuss the ins and out of how to use a pizza stone on a grill.

So, read this post till the last line and add a cheesy item to your next barbecue plan!

So, let’s get started!

pizza stone for a grill

Here’s What You Need to Learn How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill

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  2. Unicook Heavy Duty Pizza Grilling Stone
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How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill

Choosing a Pizza Stone for a Grill?

When you learn how to use a pizza stone on a grill, as you can see, besides a grill, the first you need is a pizza stone.

If you think you can walk into the store and buy a pizza stone, here’s a reality check: it’s not that easy!

Because you’ll be laying a stone over flames, be sure the stone you’re using can withstand the intense heat. After all, you don’t want to invite your pals over for a pizza party, only for your pizza stone to break or burst.

Here are some things you should be thoughtful of when buying a pizza stone for a grill:

Material

Unless you want your pizza to stick to the stone, you should purchase a pizza stone made of natural materials.

Clay, porcelain, cast iron, and cordierite are some of the materials used to make pizza stones.

The best way to get a crispy crust is to use clay, but it takes a long time to preheat.

Cordierite has excellent heat retention; however, it is porous, so it is likely to break from absorbing excess moisture. Ceramic heats evenly, but if not adequately preheated, it breaks easily.

While all these different materials have pros and cons, it all comes down to one thing: which of these is best to use on a grill? Ceramic pizza stones are the best options.

They are excellent at evenly transferring intense heat and are the most cost-effective option.

Furthermore, preheating the stone provides an intense burst of initial heat to the dough, blowing up the crust.

Size

You don’t want to invest in a pizza stone that doesn’t fit on your grill.

So, before you head to the market and buy a pizza stone, measure the width and depth of your grill. Also, seek a pizza stone that you can easily store in your home kitchen without making it a headache.

Additionally, you need to assess your needs. Are you a family of five, or do you want to serve pizza to a large gathering?

To ensure that the pizza bakes evenly, you need as much surface area as possible to rotate and move it.

But be prepared that a large-sized pizza stone costs more.

Durability

The worst embarrassment is hosting a pizza party and finding the pizza stone cracked on the grill right at serving time.

To ensure you never experience such a scenario, purchase a durable pizza stone on a grill. Look for something with thick enamel and rust-proof coating.

Handles

While they are not a must, handles make your life much easier when taking the pizza out of the flaming grill.

Not to forget, they also look good when serving the cheesy goodness to a party.

Accessories

We all like free stuff. Most pizza stones come with recipe books, pizza cutters, and a pizza peel holder.

While these accessories aren’t exactly free, you will certainly get them for cheaper with a pizza stone than buying them individually.

Here’s What the PROs at Homemade Pizza Pro Use and Recommend

Our Top Pick
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Heat resistant up to 1,450°F (787°C).

The Unicook Pizza Stone evenly distributes heat for a consistently crisp and beautifully browned crust every time, while its porous surface absorbs excess moisture, bidding goodbye to the dreaded soggy crust. Its considerable size makes it perfect for baking family-sized pizzas, bread, biscuits, and more. Step into a world of unmatched flavor and crispness with the Unicook Heavy Duty Pizza Grilling Stone—your gateway to a home pizzeria experience.

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How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill?

Here comes the part you have been waiting for: learning how to use a pizza stone on a grill. It might seem daunting, but baking pizza on a grill is just like cooking steak, if not easier.

Here is the ultimate step-by-step guide on how to use a pizza stone on a grill:

Step 1: Preheat the Pizza Stone

Like every good pizza recipe, cooking pizza on a grill starts with heating the pizza stone. A pizza stone’s charm is that it maintains a lot of heat, but it must be preheated before producing gloriously crisp golden-brown pizzas.

Placing the pizza stone on a cold grill is your best bet, as it will eliminate the chances of potential burns. Close your grill’s hood or cover it to help the pizza stone heat up faster.

Step 2: Prep Your Toppings

Instead of spending hours in the kitchen cutting your veggies, we suggest prepping your pizza while the stone is heating.

Shape the dough with your hands, spread some pizza sauce, sprinkle some cheese, add your veggies and meat and top it with some more cheese.

It would save your time and would also result in fresh toppings on your pizza.

cooking pizza on grill

Step 3: Assemble your Pizza

Once your pizza stone is hot, dust some semolina and place your uncooked pizza on it using a peel.

Hold the peel at a 45-degree angle and swiftly pull it towards yourself – your pizza should slide right to the center of the pizza stone.

We suggest using a metal peel as a wooden peel could catch fire when cooking in live flames.

Step 4: Time to Bake

Whether baking pizza on a gas grill or a charcoal one, you would need to give it some alone time to cook properly.

While cooking your pizza uncovered is technically possible, it may take longer and result in an unevenly cooked crust.

So, we suggest placing the lid or closing the hood of your grill, whichever is feasible, to give your pizza an even cook.

Step 5: Ready to Serve

This step is almost self-explanatory. Cut your pizza into slices and enjoy!

Here’s a Video Brought to You by Weber on How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill

How to Clean a Pizza Stone on a Grill?

Let’s admit it: pizza stones get greasier on a grill than in an oven.

To ensure you get the same quality of cheesy pizza every time, you should know how to clean the stone.

Here is a step-by-step guide to cleaning a pizza stone:

  1. Pizza stones are made to absorb and transfer heat, and they can do so for an extended period. Wait for the pizza stone to reach room temperature before cleaning it.
  2. Crust, cheese, and toppings eventually stick to the surface of the pizza stone. Scrape them with a rubber or plastic spatula to get most of the stuff out.
  3. It may take more than a rubber spatula to remove them. Using a tablespoon of baking soda and a few drops of water, make a gritty paste. Apply the paste to the pizza stone and scrub with a nylon-bristled brush. After that, dampen a microfiber towel and wipe away the paste residue.
  4. Pizza stones can accumulate stubborn food stains that are difficult to remove with standard cleaning methods. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and leave the pizza stone inside for an hour. Then it’s time to bake at a high temperature. Some people use the self-clean mode on the oven, which raises the temperature even higher, although it can get smokey.
  5. Wipe away any remaining residue with a gently wet microfiber cloth. Food and stains should be gone at this stage.
  6. Allow it to dry before storing it. If the pizza stone is wet, it won’t be able to absorb as much moisture from the dough, resulting in a soggy pizza.

FAQs on How to Use a Pizza Stone on a Grill

Can You Put a Pizza Stone Directly on a Grill?

Of course, you can! However, not all pizza stones can survive the scorching temperatures inside a grill. So, we suggest investing in something that doesn’t crack after the first use.

Check our recommended pizza stone for grills for more info.

For How Much Time Do You Heat a Pizza Stone on the Grill?

Unless you want to end your evening with a soggy pizza, you would want to allow your pizza grill to heat correctly.

Generally, it takes around 30 minutes for pizza stones to heat in grills. We suggest covering your grill when preheating the stone to get an evenly crispy crust.

Do You Have to Heat the Pizza Stone Before Putting Your Pizza on It?

Yes! You need to preheat your pizza stone before putting the pizza on. If you transfer your pizza to a cold stone, it won’t absorb the dough’s moisture, and you will be eating a soggy crust.

As a result, it’s critical to preheat your pizza stone. A pizza stone functions by storing heat, which is subsequently utilized for baking the pizza’s bottom.

Thus, you should preheat your pizza stone for at least 45 minutes to get a lovely, crispy pizza crust.

Pizza Stone Grill Temperature

How Hot Should My Grill be for Pizza?

Baking pizzas on the grill is more or less similar to baking them in an oven. It would be best if you kneaded the same dough, added the same toppings, and preheat the medium before tossing your pizza in.

As a result, you would end up with a dry crust. Alternatively, cooking the pizza in a super hot oven will result in a burnt crust.

You will have to cook the pizza longer if your grill isn’t hot enough. Ideally, you should maintain a 400 to 500 Fahrenheit temperature inside your grill for cooking your pizza.

Can I Put Oil on a Pizza Stone?

The best part about pizza stones is their ease of use. You don’t have to season them like cast iron cookware before use.

In fact, you should never put oil on your pizza stone since the pores will absorb the fat, and the pizza will not cook properly.


Then what should you do to avoid the dough sticking to your pizza stone? Dusting some cornmeal or semolina is a perfect alternative to oiling your pizza stone.

However, if you still notice pizzas sticking to your pizza stone, you can place it on a lightly greased aluminum foil sheet and shift the whole thing to your preheated pizza stone.

Should I Flour My Pizza Stone?

No rule says you can’t! That said, we suggest using flour alternatives like semolina or cornmeal.

When you cook your pizza on the grill, the direct flames might burn the flour, resulting in a charred crust. However, you can still use flour to knead or spread your pizza dough.

Why Is My Pizza Sticking to My Pizza Stone?

We receive tons of questions inquiring about the deal with the pizza sticking to a pizza stone.

If your pizza dough isn’t correctly floured, you may find blackened pieces of dough and crumbs adhered to your pizza stone.

You can overcome this issue by adequately flouring your dough and pizza stone and using less water when kneading the dough.

Can You Use Both Surfaces of a Pizza Stone?


Most pizza stones are flat and don’t mark the top or bottom. In this case, you can use either side for baking your pizzas.

However, we recommend using one side to increase the product’s longevity. Alternatively, you can dedicate one side to baking pizzas and the other to bread if you love homemade loaves of bread.

Some companies print their logos on one side of the pizza stone. You don’t want to place your pizza on the ink.

Do I Put Cornmeal on the Pizza Stone?

Cornmeal acts as a barrier between the dough and your pizza stone.

Thus, pizza bakers commonly use it as a flour alternative. Compared to flour, cornmeal is coarser, resulting in a crispier crust.

Moreover, it makes it easier to slide the pizza off the stone after baking on the grill.

Can I Cut My Pizza on the Pizza Stone?

Can you cut your pizza on the pizza stone? Yes! But should you do so? Absolutely not! Cutting a pizza on a pizza stone is perhaps the worst thing you can do with it.

Because many of the materials used to make pizza stones are porous and brittle, cutting directly on them might result in irreversible damage.

Moreover, the cheese and crumbs can get stuck inside the pores, so your stone wouldn’t distribute heat from the grill as efficiently as it should.

Instead, you should use a pizza paddle to remove your pizza from the grill and cut it on a counter. Once the grill has cooled down, only then should you remove the stone from it.

Here’s What We Are Reading

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After all, John Delpha did hone his grilled pizza techniques at Al Forno in Providence, an award-winning restaurant famous for inventing grilled pizza. With this book, John Delpha will give you all the insider techniques for cooking pizza on the grill, and incredible recipes so you can make the perfect pie every time.

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Pizza and Grilling ― a sure-fire combination.  Americans love pizza and Americans love to grill. Put them together and you have your own at-home version of a wood-oven pizza, straight from your gas or charcoal grill.

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The Last Slice

We hope that you’ve learned how to use a pizza stone on a grill. So, are you ready to get started?

People have many reservations regarding how to use a pizza stone on a grill, and we have tried to cover most of them in this post’s FAQs section.

If you still have any questions, know that you can always contact us.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go through our guide and clear your mind of all doubts regarding how to use a pizza stone on a grill and be the best homemade pizza PRO!

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Once the food is ready, easily transfer it to the large prep and serve the table, making for a seamless prep-to-serve grilling experience. Make food never thought possible in a grill with the Weber Crafted™ Outdoor Kitchen Collection.

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