How to Make Margherita Pizza: Grilled Recipe

Have you ever wondered How to Make Margherita Pizza on the barbecue? All secrets revealed to make this Napoletana pizza without a wood-burning oven!

You may not live in Naples, but you can still make a great Pizza Margherita in the comfort of your own home.

Today, we will attempt to mimic a wood-burned Neapolitan pizza.

How?

By using a pizza stone and high heat to grill it on the barbecue.

I guarantee you will get all that smokey flavor without having to deal with wood. As an added bonus, you will also get a crispy pizza crust.  

Just in case you are wondering, yes, you can still make this amazing pizza in your oven. 

I’m so excited to share this simple pizza recipe with all of you. 

Ingredients

The printable recipe card, found at the bottom of the page, has specific amounts for each ingredient. 

• Pizza dough. Store-bought or homemade. I am partial to my family recipe (link below).
• Pizza sauce. No need for a special Margherita pizza sauce -use your favorite tomato sauce or my mom’s pizza sauce (link below).
• Mozzarella. Use a high-quality cheese like mozzarella di bufala.
• Oregano. An aromatic garnish that is optional.
• Basil. Fresh. Just a few leaves to garnish our pizza. 

How to Make a Margherita pizza

Ideally, all of the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Let’s begin with the pizza dough.

The pizza dough recipe I use, along with all of the details on How to Make Pizza Dough can be found by simply clicking on the highlighted link.

This is my family recipe and in my humble opinion, it is the best homemade pizza dough. That being said, feel free to use whatever dough is convenient for you.

Since I already have some in my refrigerator, I simply transfer the bowl of pizza dough to the counter. Always leave the dough covered with the plastic film as this prevents a crust from forming on the surface of the dough.

The pizza dough needs to be at room temperature before I can even think about stretching it. This can take a couple of hours, so plan ahead. 

Let’s prepare the pizza topping combinations that will garnish this pizza.  

I love to use my mom’s Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe. It’s a no-cook sauce that requires just 5 minutes and a few quality ingredients to make. Once you try it, you will never go back to the commercial product (just click the highlighted link for the recipe).

Next, remove the fresh mozzarella balls from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before topping the pizza. We need about 100 grams per pizza. Bocconcini cheese is also a great cheese to use.

When the dough is at room temperature, cut in half and gently reshape into 2 smaller balls.  Simply rotate and pull the dough towards the bottom of the ball. This redistributes the air bubbles evenly throughout the dough.

Now that we are within 30 minutes of making our pizza, place the room temperature pizza stone on the barbecue grill. Then, fire up the BBQ to the highest setting. Never place your pizza stone on a hot grill (or in a hot oven) as this will potentially result in a cracked pizza stone. 

Place one ball of dough on a piece of parchment paper. This facilitates the transfer of the pizza to the pizza stone. By using parchment paper, there is no need to use cornmeal or extra flour. 

Smooth out the surface of the dough with lightly oiled fingertips. Allow the dough to rest for 10-15 minutes. This will make stretching it a lot easier.

After this wait time, with lightly oiled fingertips, gently stretch out the pizza ball into a 10-12 inch circle. 

If your pizza dough tears while stretching, just pinch it back together and wait a few minutes before attempting to stretch it again. 

Once the dough is stretched, use scissors to trim the excess parchment paper. Cut as close as possible to the edge of the pizza as the parchment paper will char due to the high heat.

Please note: For a thin crust pizza, spread toppings and bake immediately. For a thicker crust, allow the dough to rest for an additional 10-15 minutes. The longer the waiting period, the thicker the pizza crust. Experiment for yourself to suit your personal preferences.

With a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, spread about ¾-1 cup of pizza sauce over the surface of the stretched out pizza dough. 

Add about 100 grams of fresh mozzarella cheese. You can drain the excess moisture from the mozzarella by quickly blotting on a paper towel.  

Drizzle with olive oil and with the help of a pizza paddle, transfer to the pizza stone.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottom crust of the pizza is golden brown, the sauce and cheese is bubbly. My barbecue reaches a temperature of 800 °F. Please adjust the total time for your own barbecue. 

Allow the pizza to rest for a few minutes.

The only thing left to do is garnish with basil leaves, dried oregano (optional) and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Tips 

• Please make sure to verify the appropriate temperature range for your pizza stone specifically for your barbecue.
• For a great tasting pizza crust, make and refrigerate the pizza dough at least 3 days before you plan on making your pizza. This is referred to as a cold rise. 
• NEVER use a rolling pin to stretch out the dough as these will break all of the wonderful air pockets that are responsible for a light, airy pizza crust. 
• Remove the mozzarella cheese from the refrigerator 30 minutes before making your pizza.
• Quantities for the ingredients are for 1 (10- 12 inch) pizza. 

Can I use the oven to bake this pizza?

Yes, if using your oven, it’s important to always preheat it. Make sure the oven stays at 500 °F (260 °C) for about one hour before lowering the oven temperature slightly to 425° F (220 ° C) and bake for about 20 minutes. Experiment and feel free to adjust your own oven temperature in order to get the best pizza.

Why did my pizza dough tear while stretching it?

If using a stand mixer, the dough should be kneaded for at least 5 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This is the time where the gluten develops. Also, allow the dough to rest before attempting to stretch it after the second rise.

Easy pizza recipes we love

• Pesto Pizza
• Potato Pizza
• Best Homemade Pizza [Mom’s Slab Pizza]
• Pizza Rolls
• Salad Pizza

Make sure to visit my Pizza page for more recipes, including this Seafood Pizza!

Recipe origins

Growing up Italian meant we had pizza at least once a week. 

My mom was all about simple recipes and a pizza topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella is the perfect example. Although this is a very simple pizza, made with few ingredients, the flavor is unbelievable!

I’ve already mentioned that my dad was a great gardener, and as a result, my mom would dry her own herbs, especially oregano.

She would also use her own canned tomatoes to make the pizza sauce. If interested, please refer to the step by step guide in this tutorial on Canning Raw Pack Whole Tomatoes. 

Although you may not have access to a backyard garden, quality ingredients can be found at farmers’ markets and specialty stores.

I am convinced this makes all the difference for the best homemade pizza toppings. 

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to join us on YouTube where we share how to make tasty pizza recipes from start to finish.

While you are there, subscribe to the YouTube channel and join in on all the fun!

Hope to see you there!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this Neapolitan pizza recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!