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This Cast Iron Pizza Recipe is perfect for a pizza night at home. Homemade pizza dough is cooked in a cast iron skillet for a super crispy crust, that is still soft and chewy on the inside.
Our family loves doing pizza nights at home. We partially bake the crusts and then let everyone pick their own toppings to create their own pizzas. The kids love helping in the kitchen and creating their own dinners!
While they are not your traditional deep-dish pizza, they still remind me of the ones we used to get back in Chicago. This cast-iron skillet pizza recipe would be great served alongside chicken wings, Italian beef, or penne pomodoro.
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Notes About the Ingredients
- Pizza Dough - My homemade pizza dough recipe is perfect for cast-iron pizza. If you use store-bought pizza dough, plan for about 1 pound of dough per 10" pizza.
- Sauce - I always have a batch of my Italian Gravy in the freezer to use if needed. You can also use your favorite store-bought pizza sauce.
- Toppings - One of my favorite cast-iron pizza toppings is Margherita style. This consists of sliced mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil. For even more topping ideas, check out my list of suggestions below.
Pizza Topping Ideas
- White Pizza - Use alfredo sauce and top with ricotta and parmesan cheese.
- BBQ Chicken - Use BBQ sauce, shredded chicken, and mozzarella.
- Veggie - Add sautéed sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach.
- Meatball - Use cooked mini meatballs, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
- Hawaiian - Add chopped ham, diced pineapple, and shredded mozzarella.
- Classic - Use sliced pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, and sliced black olives.
- Pesto - Switch red sauce with fresh basil pesto.
How to Make Pizza in a Cast Iron Skillet
Make the Pizza Dough - Mix and knead the homemade pizza dough and let it rise. Note: If you are using store-bought pizza dough, skip these steps.
Add the Dough - Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal over the bottom of the skillet, then add the dough. Press the dough to cover the bottom and up the sides.
Pre-Cook the Crust - Heat the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. As it starts to heat up, press the edges of the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Let the dough continue to cook until it starts to puff up and bubble.
Season the Crust - Remove the pan from the heat and then use your fingers to create dimples in the dough around the bottom. Drizzle the top of the dough with a thin layer of olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add Toppings - Top the crust with sauce, then layer the mozzarella and tomatoes. Sprinkle the crust with parmesan cheese, then it's ready to finish off in the oven at high heat.
Cook the Pizza - Cook the pizzas in a 525˚F oven for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Note: The pizzas can be finished in cast-iron pans, on a sheet pan, or directly on the oven rack.
Finish and Cool - Top the finished cast iron pizza with fresh basil leaves and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing.
Amanda's Expert Tips
- As the dough heats up on the stovetop, it will start to soften and become easier to push up the sides. If it's still too stiff, give it a minute to heat up a bit more.
- A super-hot oven works best for cooking pizza. The cast iron gets very hot, so the crust stays crispy. Place it on the middle rack of the oven so neither the top nor the bottom cooks too quickly or burns.
Glossary
If you don't recognize a tool or skill I mentioned, you can look it up in my Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information!
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
CRUSTS - Pre-bake the crusts on the stovetop and then cool completely. Store in a zip-top bag for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. To freeze, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen crusts and crisp them in a cast-iron pan on the stovetop.
LEFTOVERS - Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
My Cast Iron Pizza Skillet
This is the 10" cast-iron skillet I use for this recipe. It's lasted me for years and works great!
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Homemade Pizza Recipes
If you loved this cast-iron skillet pizza recipe, check out these other pizza recipes that I know you will love, too!
- Pizza on the Grill - Another fun way to cook pizza!
- White Pizza (Pizza Bianca) - No red sauce, and lots of cheese!
- Breakfast Pizza with Ricotta - Pizza for breakfast? Yes, please!
- Italian Flatbread Pizzas - Quick, no-knead dough.
Recipe
Homemade Cast Iron Pizza
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pizza dough, homemade or store bought, divided into two pieces
- 2 Tablespoons cornmeal
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Italian gravy, or pizza sauce
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
- 1 medium tomato, sliced thin
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 525°F and sprinkle a 10" cast iron pan with a tablespoon of the cornmeal.
- Gently roll or stretch each piece of dough out into about 10" circles. Press one of the rounds of dough into the bottom of the pan, pressing it out towards the edges and up the sides as best as possible.
- Place skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. As the pan and the dough heats up, start to press the dough more evenly onto the bottom of the pan and up the sides to form the crust.
- Let the dough continue to cook for a few more minutes until it starts to puff up and bubble.
- Use fingers to create dimples in the bottom of the dough. Drizzle it with 2-3 Tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper.
- The crust is now pre-baked and can be topped with the sauce and toppings and finished in the oven. It can also be removed from the skillet, so the other crust can be pre-baked.
- Once both crusts are pre-baked, top each with ½ cup of sauce. Add alternating slices of the tomatoes and mozzarella on top of the sauce and sprinkle each crust with 2 Tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. The pizzas can be finished in a cast iron pan, on a sheet pan or directly on the oven rack.
- Top finished pizzas with fresh basil leaves and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Topping Ideas
- White Pizza - Use alfredo sauce and top with ricotta and parmesan cheese.
- BBQ Chicken - Use bbq sauce instead and top with shredded chicken and mozzarella cheese.
- Veggie - Add sautéed sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach.
- Meatball - Use cooked mini meatballs, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
- Hawaiian - Add chopped ham, diced pineapple, and shredded mozzarella.
- Classic - Use sliced pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, and sliced black olives.
- Pesto - Switch out the sauce for fresh basil pesto and add your favorite toppings.
Stacie
Ok I was initially a little intimidated but the pictures looked so good I had to try... Man, am I glad I did... easiest weeknight dinner ever! I made the dough earlier in the day when I had a few minutes and by the time everyone was home it was ready to be put together. 7 year old picky eater loved plain cheese and the adults loved the tomato, basil and mozzarella. Next time, I will make a large batch and freeze the precooked crusts for an even quicker and easier dinner. Thanks for a great recipe, I will be using this for all of my homemade pizzas now!
Amanda
Thanks Stacie! I'm so glad you and your family liked it, thank you for trying the recipe!