It’s no secret that we believe pizza is one of life’s great culinary treasures. We may even have a few blog posts on the subject. From thin crust to deep dish to square pan pizza, every type of pizza has a time and a place, and all are amazing. With such a great love of pizza, we’ve had our fair share of leftover slices. And while we aren’t opposed to a cold slice right out of the fridge, reheated leftover pizza can either be an absolute delight or a huge disappointment, depending on the method you use to heat it. After a lot of trial and error, we’ve found the best way to reheat leftover pizza.
Best Way to Reheat Pizza
Note: fresh toppings like greens and herbs won’t do well during the reheating process no matter what method you use. Remove fresh greens before reheating and replace them before you eat. Now, let’s look at the best way to reheat pizza.
7. Microwave
Everyone has had a sad, soggy, microwaved piece of pizza in a moment of impatience. It’s fair to say that microwaving is the worst way to heat up leftover pizza, but unfortunately, it is the most convenient. If you’re in a rush, microwaving a slice or two might be the only option. If you must microwave your pie, try putting a glass of water in the microwave while your pizza reheats, which will help your pizza retain its crisp crust and not turn into a pile of mush.
6. Toaster Oven
With minimal preheat time, the toaster oven can warm your pizza more quickly than a standard conventional oven, and it doesn’t heat your house up nearly as much. We found the most success reheating slices at 375 F for 7-10 minutes, though toaster ovens vary greatly due to size and design. One drawback is the close proximity of precious toppings to the heating element causing potential unwanted char, but that’s nothing a quick cover with foil can’t fix.
5. Grill
If you want to add a little something extra to your leftover pie, try heating it up on the grill. Heat the grill to medium, place the pizza directly on the grates, and grill for 7-10 minutes. This method works well with large portions of pizza or entire pies but is less effective for small, individual slices. It’s definitely the least convenient of the bunch but might be a great option in the summer months.
4. Smoker
Smoking your pizza is for sure an unconventional way to reheat your pizza, but we wanted to be very thorough in our research and try every reheating method. The addition of smoky flavor was nice but might not match up with every type of leftover pizza. Heat the smoker to 450 F. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the smoker while it’s preheating. Otherwise, place the pizza directly on the grate and smoke for 5-10 minutes.
3. Stovetop
For a great reheating option that doesn’t require any small appliances or turning on the oven, look to the stovetop. Heat a heavy cast iron pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add your slices and cover with a lid. It’s done once the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted. While this might take a bit of finesse to make sure your toppings are heated before the crust burns (kind of like perfecting the heat and timing for a grilled cheese), the end result is well worth it.
2. Oven
Reheating pizza in the oven is the most well-known way to freshen up leftover slices or whole pies. To reheat pizza, preheat the oven to 375 F and bake on a cookie sheet for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pizza is heated throughout. Use a preheated pizza stone to make sure the crust crisps up nicely, as well. No soggy bottoms here.
1. Air Fryer
Air-frying pizza revives the crust perfectly and melts all the toppings in record time. While it does yield similar results to reheating in the oven, the air fryer heats up so fast. When you need pizza, it’s so much better to have it now instead of in the 20 minutes it takes for the oven to heat up. Stick your slices in at 350 F for 3-5 minutes, and voila, perfect pizza. One minor negative: you won’t be able to fit a whole pizza in the air fryer at once. But each batch heats up so quickly this is a non-issue.