Home » Recipes by Course » Cast Iron Margherita Pizza

Cast Iron Margherita Pizza

A quick, easy and delicious trick for getting that brick oven style pizza at home! Use your cast iron skillet to make this tasty Cast Iron Margherita Pizza!cast iron skillet with Margherita pizza topped with fresh basil

My love for good pizza runs deep! Everywhere we travel to, I always do a little research to see if they have a pizza place worth check out.  From fast food pizza delivery, to Chicago deep dish style to wood-fired I’ve tried it all.  And all along the way I’ve remained partial to a good Margherita pizza.  From time to time I will stray, but really my heart belongs to that delicious crispy crust with tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil.  I love a good wood-fired or brick oven crust, but it can be hard to replicate at home.  Until now.  Did you know you can get that crispy crust at home by using your oven and a cast iron skillet?  Until a few days ago, I had no idea.  Now I will be making this Cast Iron Margherita Pizza at home on a regular basis.

pizza dough stretched on wood board ready to bake

Sometimes I make my dough from scratch using my bread machine, but honestly, there are so many really good quality store bought options these days.  I grabbed an herb and garlic variety from the freezer section and it was perfect for this pizza.  I simply divided it in half to be the perfect size for my skillet and made one pizza.  This pizza would serve two, so if you wanted to make a few pizzas in different varies, this is pretty quick and you could make a couple varieties to please everyone.

margherita pizza in a cast iron skillet

Can I really make pizza in a cast iron skillet?

Yes!  It’s perfect for getting that nice crispy crust and quickly cooking the pizza.  Here are a few tips:

  • Preheat the skillet in a 450 degree oven for 5 or 10 minutes before adding the pizza
  • Stretch out your dough so it’s just the right size and can just be slid right into the hot pan without burning yourself trying to press it down
  • Add a little oil to the bottom of the pan and the top of the crust to get that nice golden brown color
  • Use fully cooked or quick cooking topping because the crust will cook very fast and you don’t want it to burn waiting for the toppings to be done

side view of Margherita pizza cut into 4 slices

margherita pizza cut into 4 slices on round cutting board

One of the most important aspects of this pizza is the cheese, so I wanted to take a minute to discuss why I used the exact combo of cheese that I did.  I LOVE fresh mozzarella and I think it’s super important to use here.  BUT, too much and will make your pizza watery on top.  So I used both some Italian cheese blend (shredded) as well as fresh to get all that fresh flavor but none of the watery stuff on top.

Plenty of melty cheese for the win!!

picking up one piece of pizza with cheese pulling off

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, they are inexpensive and a great investment.  You can make so many delicious meals in a cast iron skillet!

cast iron skillet with Margherita pizza topped with fresh basil

Cast Iron Margherita Pizza

Print Recipe
A quick, easy and delicious trick for getting that brick oven style pizza at home! Use your cast iron skillet to make this tasty Cast Iron Margherita Pizza!
Add to Collection
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 oz prepared pizza dough if frozen, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 2 oz fresh mozzarella pearls or cut into small pieces
  • 1 oz shredded Italian cheese blend
  • fresh basil for topping

Instructions

  • Place an approximately 10" cast iron skillet in oven and set to preheat to 450 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes
  • In the meantime, roll out pizza dough on lightly floured surface to fit pan
  • Carefully pull pan out of oven using hot pads or cast iron pan holders and drizzle 1 tablespoon oil in bottom of pan
  • Carefully add dough on top being careful not to touch the hot pan
  • Drizzle dough with remaining oil then spread with tomatoes and top with cheeses
  • Bake for 6-8 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted and has just a few crispy spots
  • Cut 2-3 leaves of basil into tiny strips and add to top of pizza
  • Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 1064mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 3.6mg
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 2
Calories: 542kcal
A quick, easy and delicious trick for getting that brick oven style pizza at home! Use your cast iron skillet to make this tasty Cast Iron Margherita Pizza! #pizza #castiron #skilletmeal #margherita

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating