5-Ingredient Grilled Pesto Pizza
This five-ingredient grilled pesto pizza is cooked right on the barbecue grill. It is topped with fresh summer-ripe tomatoes, pesto and melted cheese. And the best part of this summer pizza recipe is that it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
This recipe was originally shared on August 15, 2014. I have updated the text and photography to share with you again today.
Table of contents
Why We Love Grilled Pesto Pizza
This Grilled Pesto Pizza comes together in only 20 minutes thanks to store-bought pizza dough and purchased pesto. It’s still delicious tastes great with fresh tomatoes and a little bit of smoky flavor from the barbecue grill.
In the summertime grilling is one of my favorite ways to cook. Not only does that mean I can be outside while I am cooking, but there are fewer dishes to do. I love how the pesto pizza gets nice and crispy and even a little smoky. If you’re a pizza grilling newbie see our tips on how to grill pizza like a pro.
Recipe Highlights
- Super kid friendly
- Calls for just five ingredients
- Can be made with homemade pesto and our whole wheat pizza crust– or you can throw it together with 5 simple store-bought ingredients depending on how much time you have.
- Pesto, tomatoes and cheese are a classic combination that you can’t go wrong with.
- Cooked on the grill- perfect when it is too hot to cook indoors!
Key Ingredients For Grilled Pizza with Pesto
- Pizza Dough: Use any store-bought ball of dough. If you can find whole-wheat use it for the additional nutrients and fiber or make your own whole-wheat pizza dough. Sometimes the best bet for a great ball of dough is to buy one from your local pizza shop.
- Flour and/or Corn Meal: Use flour (any kind) to roll out your dough. And then to allow the dough to slide off the pizza peel or sheet pan, use either flour or cornmeal.
- Basil Pesto: Make it from scratch, buy it if you’re in a rush or try a variation like kale pesto.
- Tomato: Use regular tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes or even cherry tomatoes. They all will work.
- Fontina Cheese: Fontina is one of my favorites for pizza because it melts beautifully. Alternatively, you could use a pizza blend, mozzarella, havarti or Monterey-jack cheese.
How To Grill Pizza with Pesto and Tomatoes
Step 1: Preheat grill
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Step 2: Roll out pizza dough
Dust work surface with flour. Roll pizza dough out to 15 to 16 inches. Sprinkle flour or cornmeal on a large unrimmed baking sheet or pizza peel. Transfer the pizza dough to the baking sheet or peel.
Step 3: Par-grill pizza dough
Brush grill grate to clean it and oil it with an oil soaked towel. Slide the dough off the baking sheet or peel onto the grill and cook until it is firmed up and crisped on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Assemble & finish grilling pizzas
Carefully, Flip the dough over using the peel or tongs and baking sheet. Spread the pesto over the dough. Top with tomatoes and cheddar. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slice into 8 wedges and serve hot.
How to Grill Pizza Like a Pro
- Have everything you need ready to go before you start grilling. This is called your mise en place. Once the dough is rolled out, have all of your remaining ingredients and tools organized on a sheet pan or tray. In this case you will need pesto with a little spatula for spreading, sliced tomato, cheddar and tongs. I like to set up a little station next to the grill to set my tray of ingredients down on.
- Use a pizza peel or un-rimmed baking sheet to get your dough on the grill. Make sure that you use a lot of flour or cornmeal on the peel or baking sheet so the dough won’t stick and it will slide off easily onto the grill.
- You must oil the grill rack. This keeps the dough from sticking. It is important to do this right before you put the pizza dough onto the grill otherwise the oil will burn off before you add the dough. To oil the grill soak a clean paper towel with oil. Hold the paper towel with tongs and then pull the towel toward you running it along the grill grate. Do not spray cooking oil spray directly onto your lit grill.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, microwave until just warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Alternatively, reheat in the oven or a toaster oven at 400 degrees F for 6 to 10 minutes.
Variations to Try
- Substitute fresh sliced or shredded mozzarella for the fontina cheese.
- Make it even simpler by using pitas.
- If you’d like to add protein, top with cooked sliced sausage or prosciutto.
- Swap out the pesto for marinara
- Add other toppings like fresh basil, onions, peppers, pepperoni, olives, artichokes, and more.
What Goes With Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes?
We love serving this summery grilled pizza with salads and veggies on the sides. Here are some of our favorite serving suggestions for this grilled pesto pizza:
- Our classic restaurant-style Caesar salad is always a win- no matter who you’re serving this meal to!
- Our corn and green bean salad has two more summer fresh produce items.
- We love this basic cucumber salad because it only takes a minute to whip up and is low in calories.
- While the grill is hot, make this grilled zucchini, grilled broccoli or grilled onions.
More Pizza Recipes to Try
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Grilled Pesto Pizza Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This five-ingredient grilled pesto pizza is cooked right on the barbecue grill. It is topped with fresh summer-ripe tomatoes, pesto and melted cheese. And the best part of this summer pizza recipe is that it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 1-lb to 1.25-lb. ball pizza dough, preferably whole-grain
- All-purpose flour and/or cornmeal for dusting
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Fontina cheese, pizza blend or another melting cheese
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Dust work surface with flour. Roll pizza dough out to 15 to 16 inches. Sprinkle flour or cornmeal on a large un-rimmed baking sheet or pizza peel. Transfer the pizza dough to the baking sheet or peel.
- Brush grill grate to clean it and oil it with an oil soaked towel. Slide the dough off the baking sheet or peel onto the grill and cook until it is firmed up and crisped on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Carefully, Flip the dough over using the peel or tongs and baking sheet. Spread the pesto over the dough. Top with tomatoes and cheese. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
Notes
Storing Instructions: Stack the pizza slices on a dinner plate with pieces or parchment in between each layer. Cover with plastic wrap or tin foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave until just warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 400 degrees F for 6 to 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
This recipe also appears on Rachel Cooks. If you have never visited over at Rachel’s blog, I think you’ll really like it. She is a busy mom just like me, and she loves to share healthy family-friendly meals on her blog.
Made this pizza last night for dinner my husband loved it !! Easy ,fun on the grill no stove!!
Thank you for letting me know you tried it! And I am happy he liked it. Please let me know which recipes you try next.
This pizza turned out amazing! And it was so nice to enjoy pizza in the summer without having to turn on the oven!
Thank you Kristen! I am glad you ended up trying this one and that you liked it!
I love the smokiness you get from grilling the pizza! So many bright flavors, and the slight char notes just scream summer!
I love that part too! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know that it came out well!
Love the flavor that grilling the pizza added and the pesto is so so good! The whole family loved it!
Thanks so much Tracy!
We love pizza and this 5 ingredient recipe is no exception! Thank you for making it easy and delicious for us!
Thanks Ned!
We really like this recipe. Never knew it was this easy to make. Will be trying without further delay!
How great! Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe! Pesto is one of my favorite ingredients – I don’t do group fitness classes, but only because I’m not a member with a gym. It is so much more fun to exercise with a friend…much more motivating than going solo.
I just had a great panini last night with pesto on it. I dont ever get sick of that flavor! Thanks for coming by Doug!
This pizza looks awesome! Love your picture!!! You look very fit, Katie.
this is one dish I won’t feel guilty about after the gym!! Love a good quick-fix pesto, and this pizza just looked so fresh and delicious, I love the twist of grilling it! I’ve mentioned before that I’m a Les Mills follower, but I do a bunch of other strength-training type classes too, I love it! Getting strong is totally addicting lol. Good luck in Boston Katie!!
Interesting pizza with pesto..yummy:)
Thank you Ilona. Pesto is the best at this time of year!
No and no. I would love to try your grilled pizza though :-)) I prefer to exercise at home with CSI series on LOL..
You look so fit and fantastic, Katie.
Oh I love watching a bit of TV when I am not motivated. It is amazing how quickly the time goes by. Lately though the group fit classes get me motivated. Thank you for the compliment Angie.
Yes and yes! Adore pizza on the grill but don’t make it enough as we have a charcoal grill so more prep is needed vs. just turning on the gas.
As for as exercise classes, I shunned them for years as I pretty much stuck to running and that was my alone time in my head but ever since I signed up Boot Camp class 2x week 2 years ago, I love it – the balance it gives my exercise routine and the community feeling.
BTW, you look AMAZE BALLS, girl 🙂
I just got a charcoal grill for our patio and I love the flavor it gives, but I don’t always take the time to use it since it does require the set-up.
Bootcamp sounds great. I love that kind of stuff. Thanks for the compliment. 😉