25 Foods To Cook In Your Pizza Oven (With Recipes) - Pizzeria Ortica (2024)

Pizza ovens are amazing and versatile, and you can cook pretty much anything in them.

Do not assume that you are limited to just cooking pizzas in your pizza oven; they are great for literally anything, from chicken dishes to mac and cheese.

It can be difficult to think of things to make, and you may even forget you can cook these things in your pizza oven. After all, you don’t want it sitting there being unused.

This article will give you some of the best recipes for foods to cook in your pizza oven.

Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is a prominent, brilliant choice for outdoor cooking, and even better with an open flame pizza oven. Pulled pork is best cooked low and slow, left alone.

A pizza oven is a perfect way to do this because you can use it outside and return to it 6 or 7 hours later. Pulled pork also benefits from smoke, adding to its flavor.

So, if your pizza oven is outside, you can go to town on your pulled pork without setting any fire alarm off! Pulled pork is best brined beforehand, then dried.

After you have brined your pork for as long as you want (ideally 3-8 hours), pat it dry. Make sure you have trimmed any excess fat you don’t require on the pork.

Then, get your dry rub! Pulled pork tastes the best with brown sugar, coffee, orange, spices, and bbq flavors.

If you have a wood-fired pizza oven that holds temperature well, light it a few hours before you want to put your pork in, so it can be cooked slowly.

If not, put your pizza oven at the lowest temperature, then wrap your pork in foil, and place it in the oven for around 6-7 hours, at 250f, cooking low and slow.

You can also baste the meat at this time to ensure it is juicy.

Spatchco*ck Chicken

A spatchco*cked chicken is one of the best things to cook in a pizza oven. Spatchco*cking a chicken is the process of flattening the chicken by removing or flattening the spine, so it cooks flat.

You can stuff the chicken with garlic, lemon, and vegetables. Spatchco*cking the chicken gives you better and more flavorful results.

In a pizza oven, it is best to season your chicken with salt, pepper, along with herbs and spices of your choice, such as thyme and rosemary.

Then, wrap the chicken in foil and cook either low and slow or at a medium temperature.

After you’ve cooked your chicken for an hour or so, it is best to remove the foil to crisp the skin if desired. You can also save the juices from the chicken to make gravy!

Nachos

Nachos are a great party snack and perfect for sharing with friends and family. Nachos are easy to make and will take minutes in a pizza oven.

If you have a wood-fired pizza oven, you won’t need to put your nachos in for long. To make nachos, place some tortilla chips in a heat-proof pan or dish.

Top with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, jalapenos, and other toppings of your choice. Lastly, top those chips with cheese – be generous with the cheese!

Put your dish into the oven and watch it carefully. It won’t take long because you only need to melt the cheese. Watch until the cheese bubbles, then carefully remove your nachos.

Gratin Potatoes

Gratin potatoes are a genius dish to make in your pizza oven. Gratin potatoes are made from thinly sliced potatoes, layered and baked in butter, cream and stock.

To make this in a pizza oven, it would be wise to use a cast iron pan or dish or a clay baking dish. You should slice your potatoes thinly and arrange them in the pan.

Mix up your cream, butter, stock along with a cheese of your choice (although this is not necessary) and herbs. Pour this mixture liberally over your layered potatoes and cover.

Bake the covered potatoes for an hour on medium heat, and remove the foil to cook for a further 10 minutes.

S’mores

S’mores are the best dessert for anything outdoorsy. S’mores can be cooked in a pizza oven, but you may have to get creative with the way you cook them.

It could be made into a s’mores pizza or turned into s’mores dippers. Either way, you want to start with the basics: Graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.

Set your pizza oven on medium or low, so it doesn’t burn the marshmallows and chocolate.

You could make it into a s’mores pizza, with crackers on the bottom, followed by chocolate and marshmallows. You could even make smores kebabs on skewers.

Bake them for no longer than 3 minutes, as they do not require long. It’s a creative dessert, so be creative with it!

Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken is another contender for the pizza oven. Season a whole chicken with salt, pepper, and herbs, and spices of your choice. Lower the chicken onto an open, or cut beer can.

Cook the chicken upright, with a drip tray underneath. This will mean by the time the chicken is cooked (an hour), it will have absorbed the beer and will be juicy.

Roasted Potatoes

To cook crisp, golden roasted potatoes in a pizza oven, chop up your potatoes into quarters. You can peel the potatoes if you wish, too.

It is best to boil your potatoes for around 5 minutes to soften them slightly. Then, pop your potatoes in an iron skillet or heat-proof dish/tray.

Cover your potatoes in garlic, thyme, rosemary, and butter. Cook them for 20 minutes. Add oil, or duck fat, to get them crispy. Turn the heat up, and watch your potatoes get crisp and golden!

Focaccia

Weigh and mix your focaccia dough, ensuring you let it rise properly. When your dough is ready to be cooked, gently put it into a tray or a pizza board.

Gently poke indents into the top of the dough, and brush with olive oil. You can top focaccia with herbs of your choice. The most popular will be garlic, thyme, rosemary, and basil.

Make sure to salt your focaccia, as this is what makes it so good. Cook this in your pizza oven at 390f.

You can spray water into your wood-fired pizza oven. This will make the focaccia airy and puffy in the middle.

Sourdough

Sourdough is one of the finest breads, which tastes even better wood-smoked. Sourdough is perfect for cooking in the pizza oven, especially woodfired ovens.

Prepare and shape your dough and place it in a dish. Place it in the pizza oven, preferably at a temperature of 320-350f.

Bake the sourdough for around 40 minutes, making sure it is hollow when you tap on the bottom. There’s nothing better than fresh, warm bread!

Baked Fish

Baked fish is an easy and staple dish. Any fish will work in a pizza oven; just make sure it is seasoned and surrounded by juices; otherwise, the fish will dry out.

A nice example is sea bass in a white wine and parsley sauce. Prepare your sea bass fillets, removing any bones if necessary. Pat them dry and place them in your foiled pan.

Cover the sea bass in garlic, thyme, and parsley, along with butter, white wine, and vegetable stock. Let the fish cook at around 320f for 8-10 minutes.

Make sure the fish is cooked, and pour your white wine sauce over it. If possible, take the fish out before the sauce. This will let the white wine reduce and become flavorful.

Alternatively, fish such as snapper makes great roasting fish with fresh veggies and lemons.

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are hassle-free and delicious. Pop some baking potatoes on a tray (you can put them directly in the oven after they are prepared).

Rub them with olive oil, flaky salt, and pepper. Poke some holes with a fork on the top of the potatoes. This will ensure the skin can get crispy whilst steaming the inside.

You can wrap them in foil to get optimal fluffiness. Pop them in the pizza oven, at around 350f, for 45 minutes to an hour.

Towards the end, turn the heat up, drizzle with some more olive oil and watch the skin get crispy!

Camembert Or Brie

Who doesn’t love cheese? Line a tray with foil and cut the lid of your camembert or brie. Place the cheese in the middle and garnish with garlic, thyme, and whatever else you desire.

Place this in the pizza oven at around 350f. You can cover the cheese with foil if you want it to cook quicker, and you can also place the whole cheese inside a hollowed-out loaf of bread too! To do this, just place the cheese in the bread before you cook it.

Ribs

Place your chosen ribs on a rack in a pan. Season them with salt and pepper and your chosen dry rub. You can skip the dry rub and go straight to the sauce if you want.

Rub your ribs with your seasoning and brown sugar and top with barbeque sauce and bake, low and slow.

Toward the end, you should take any foil off (if you have used any) and put the pizza oven on higher heat.

Turkey

Surprisingly, you can cook a whole turkey in a pizza oven. In a pizza oven, you actually have more space compared to an oven. Put your turkey either upright or lying down on a tray, and season with your chosen seasonings.

Place it in the pizza oven. You can use foil, but you can use it without foil too. Keep the pizza oven on 350f, and turn and baste the turkey regularly to ensure it is evenly cooked and moist.

Deep Dish Pizza

Deep dish pizza is perfect for a pizza oven! You can put your deep dish dough into a cast-iron skillet or deep dish suitable for the oven.

When your dough is in the dish, top with lots of cheese, then place your chosen toppings on top of the cheese, followed by sauce!

Place it in the oven on a higher heat, close to 400f. Bake for around 8-10 minutes, depending on how high you choose the heat to be.

Casserole

Sometimes there is nothing more hearty and warming than a casserole. A casserole is easy to make and quick to cook.

Prepare and layer your ingredients in a heat-proof dish and place in the pizza oven at 35f for about 30 minutes. Top with cheese for a cheesy chicken casserole or with garnishes!

Steak

You may think it’s difficult to cook a steak in a pizza oven. However, if you are using a fired pizza oven, it is really simple. Simply choose your cut of steak, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.

Rub the steak with olive oil. You can either cook it with a preheated iron pan in the pizza oven, a wire tray or directly in the oven. It is probably best to cook it in a pan or wire rack on the logs.

Add butter, garlic, thyme, and other herbs of your choice to the pan.

After searing and basting each side for a couple of minutes in the intense heat, rest your steak on a board. After 7 minutes, slice and enjoy!

Bread And Flatbreads

Bread is one of the most versatile things to bake in a pizza oven, and your choices are limitless: Flatbreads, garlic bread, pittas, tortillas, or crusty loaves.

Your choices are endless! Flatbreads are minimal effort and will take minutes in a hot, fired, pizza oven. Prepare your dough and roll it nice and thin.

Preheat a pan in the pizza oven as you are rolling your dough. Place your dough in a hot pizza oven and cook for a few minutes on each side.

The same goes for any type of light bread, its easy and quick to cook in a pizza oven.

Salmon

Salmon tastes amazing with a hint of woodsmoke. So, if you have a woodfired pizza oven, look no further than salmon! Grab your salmon and some foil.

Wrap the salmon in the foil along with lemon, dill, and whatever seasonings you desire. Cook in a pizza oven on medium heat for 8-10 minutes.

Alternatively, you can cook salmon in a pan. This is where the flavor is from the wood. If you are looking for that smoky flavor, use maple or cedarwood to burn alongside the salmon.

Then, place your salmon in a cast-iron skillet and cook on medium, basting with lemon and butter if desired.

Apple Crumble

Apple crumble is a favorite sweet treat. It is simple to make and cook in the pizza oven, too. Caramelize your apples with brown sugar. Line your skillet or pan with pastry dough, and top with your apples.

Add cinnamon and other desired toppings and spices. Sprinkle a mix of buttery, flour, and sugar. This should be made by mixing butter and sugar with flour to make little floury balls.

Bake on medium-high in the pizza oven for 15 minutes, or longer if necessary. Top with fresh cream or custard!

Cookie Dough Pizza

A cookie dough pizza is one of the quickest recipes on this list. It is low-maintenance and delicious. Prepare your cookie dough and ensure it is pasteurized or egg-free as you want the gooey cookie dough.

Add the dough to a cast-iron skillet. Cook in the pizza oven on low/medium heat. This will ensure the chocolate will not burn. You want the dough to be cooked but gooey in the middle.

When finished, take it out of the oven and let it sit, and top with cream or chocolate pieces.

Corn On The Cob

What is better than some sweet, buttery corn on the cob? Grab your corn and place it in a lined pan. Add salt to the corn, and rub with room temperature butter.

Place it in the pan or a wire rack and add to your pizza oven. The corn will adopt a wood-smoked taste if you have a woodfired pizza oven and will be basted in butter.

Cook your corn on medium, serve, and enjoy! Alternatively, you can cook the corn directly in the pizza oven (without butter).

Grilled Bananas

Grab some bananas and slice lengthwise into four slices. Coat your banana slices in brown sugar and melted butter, along with cinnamon and other warming spices.

Pop these slices of banana in a pan, with more of the melted butter and sugar, making a gorgeous caramel. You can also add heavy cream to this caramel to create a fudgy caramel sauce.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a vegetarian classic and perfect for a pizza oven. Grab a skillet or heat-proof pan. Prepare your vegetables and make your sauce.

Saute onions, garlic, and peppers, and add your tomatoes. Add basil, and then add all of your vegetables on top of the sauce, arranging in layers—Bake in your pizza oven at 375f for around an hour.

Brownie

Last on our list is another sweet favorite. Prepare your brownie batter and pour it into a lined skillet or tray. Top your brownie with milk/dark chocolate and other toppings if you wish.

Place the brownie in the pizza oven, but not too close to the flame. Cook the brownie, rotating it regularly for around 30 minutes.

This will be cooked best and gooey in the middle if you cook it low and slow, at 320f.

Benefits Of A Pizza Oven

Pizza ovens are versatile and look great in a garden. They are great for outdoor, theatrical, and practical cooking! If you have a woodfired pizza oven, they provide an amazing flavor depth to your dishes.

We must add, they are the best for cooking pizzas too, almost as if they were designed for pizzas! Pizzas are easy and versatile, so surely you can cook anything in a pizza oven!

Well, you basically can: From desserts to steaks and bakes. A pizza oven is simply an upright, larger, and more direct source of heat for your cooking.

Types Of Pizza Ovens

There are wood-fired pizza ovens, as well as gas-fired pizza ovens. Gas-fired pizza ovens are likely more common, as they are less expensive and smaller.

Wood-fired pizza ovens are amazing and run on burning wood. They are practical and will add a depth of flavor to your food that you never knew you needed.

Gas pizza ovens are easier to maintain in terms of temperature and are easy to clean. Wood burning ovens are not that easy to clean, so anything you place in there should ideally be dry and easily cleaned.

Conclusion

There are so many brilliant recipes that are perfect for pizza ovens, and we hope this article will assure you of that fact. Pizza ovens are in no way limited to pizzas, or even just bread for that fact.

They are amazing and will provide a whole other depth of flavor, too. There are endless possibilities for what you can cook in a pizza oven.

Most recipes will be adaptable to a pizza oven, as they are arguably more practical than a regular oven.