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!

the pesto pizza from overhead with tomatoes on it

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Why We Love This Recipe For 5-Ingredient 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 This Grilled Pesto Pizza

the ingredients for the pizza on a white table
  • 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
  • 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

preheat the grill and roll out the dough

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.

par cook the pizza dough on the first side then flip and add toppings

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.

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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.
two slices of pesto pizza on a white plate with salad

FAQs and Expert Tips

How should I store this pizza?

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheating instructions:

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:

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close up of the pizza right when it came off the grill (before slicing into wedges)

More Pizza Recipes to Try

A pizza sitting on top of a cutting board

Homemade Greek Pizza
slices of asparagus pizza from the side with a spoon with pesto on it

Asparagus Pizza
Have you heard of potato pizza before? If not, keep an open mind, and prepare your taste buds for a surprisingly delicious combination. In this white pizza version, I have a bit of rosemary, garlic and cheddar cheese to make it super savory and yummy! #vegetarian #pizza #whitepizza #potato #cheddar

Potato Rosemary White Pizza
the pizza cut into 8 wedges

Chicken Pesto Pizza
side view of spinach pizza cut into triangles on a pizza board

Spinach Pizza
topping the pizza with arugula salad

Arugula Pizza

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. 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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the pesto pizza from overhead with tomatoes on it

5-Ingredient Grilled Pesto Pizza

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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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

Scale
  • 1 1-lb to 1.25-lb. ball pizza dough, preferably whole-grain
  • All-purpose flour and/or cornmeal for dusting
  • ½ cup basil pesto
  • 1 large tomato, sliced
  • 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Fontina cheese, pizza blend or another melting cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Keywords: grilled pesto pizza,grilled pizza with pesto,pesto grilled pizza,pesto tomato pizza on the grill,grilled pesto tomato pizza,

Did you make this recipe?

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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.