How to Reheat Pizza in The Oven: Best Methods

Thinking about how to reheat pizza without turning it into a ball of sticky dough? It is a relevant question for those who like to order pizza and leave some leftovers to enjoy it the next day or maybe just couldn’t finish it at once. Most pizza lovers think that while reheating pizza loses its taste and crisp crust.

Table of Contents

• How to Store The Leftover Pizza
• The Best Way to Reheat Pizza
• Reheating Pizza in Oven
• Microwave
• Skillet
• Slow Cooker
• Grill
• The Toaster Oven
• Air Fryer

Actually, there are some tricks to save perfectly crispy crust and initial flavor. Here’s our guide to help you warm up your cold pizza and make it look and taste like it’s been just baked and delivered. Know that we made this quire together with Michelangelo’s Pizza. They surely know how to do it as professionals without stealing the authentic taste of pizza. We trust Michelangelo’s Pizza and got some tips and tricks from them because of their experience which starts back in 2000’ when pizza wasn’t so famous.

Although the name of the company is Michelangelo’s Pizza, there are some people who still confuse us with Michaelangelo’s Pizza. But they are not the same! They have different employees and different food!

At Michelangelo’s Pizza there is a wide variety of pizzas that you can choose from, including ham and pineapple, pepperoni, and cheese. You can also get a personal size or a large one. If you’re looking for something other than pizza, they also offer salads and chicken wings. 

The employees at Michelangelo’s Pizza are friendly and helpful. They will make sure that you get exactly what you want!

How to Store The Leftover Pizza

Don’t neglect some simple rules for storing your leftover slice. In fact, the future taste of reheated pizza largely depends on the conditions of its storage. You can get the same rich taste if you do everything right. Here are some steps to keep the original taste of the dish:

• Remove the leftovers of your pizza from the box and put them in an airtight container;
• Place a napkin, foil, or rimmed baking sheet inside the container, and wrap it outside with polyethylene paper;
• Left the pizza cooling. Never put a warm pizza in the fridge;
• Do not store the leftover pizza slices for more than three days. Terms could be longer (up to a month) if stored in the freezer but in this case, the dough becomes friable after defrosting;
• Reheat your pizza only after defrosting at room temperature;
• Remove some ingredients before reheating (lettuce, arugula, smoked meats, and greenery).

These simple tips will help you save your pizza tasty and crusty even after reheating.

The Best Way to Reheat Pizza

Here are some popular tips to make your one-day-old pizza fresh and tasty again. Each method is good for both homemade and delivery pizzas.

Reheating Pizza in Oven

One of the best ways to make cold pizza not “just hot” but fresh, tasty, and crispy is to warm up leftover slices in the oven. The most important rule for this method is to put your cold pizza in a preheated oven. It is the main secret of getting a tasty pizza after warming it up. Don’t set the high temperature to prevent slices from drying out. While you reheat pizza, oven temperature should be set at about 350-376 ºF.

Further steps depend on your preferences. If you want to get a crisp crust, then cover a hot tray with aluminum foil and put the pizza over it. If you need to reheat pizza in oven without foil, you can also use baking paper. Put the baking tray on the middle rack and leave it to bake until the crisp becomes golden brown. In case you want a softer crust, you need to put the pizza on the oven grate and put it on the bottom rack. That’s how the steam would warm your pizza up well without getting it fried.

How long to reheat pizza in the oven? It usually takes about 10-15 minutes. It is ample time for the pizza to heat up and release moisture. Anyway, you’d better control the process to prevent the pizza crust from burning or drying out.

How to reheat pizza in the oven and make it look fresh? Try to add some fresh toppings on top. The best way to refresh your pizza is to put some tomato sauce, fresh peppers, grated gooey cheese, and a few drops of olive oil. It will brighten the taste and makes your pizza look like it was just baked and delivered.

Microwave

This is probably the laziest method of heating pizza! That’s why it is also the favorite method when you’re busy or just being in a hurry. Many lovers of this traditional Italian food prefer to reheat pizza in the microwave. On the one hand, it is the fastest and the easiest way to heat a cold pizza. But the point is that after reheating in the microwave, pizza seems to be not as fresh and tasty as it was. However, there is a way to reheat pizza in the microwave and make it taste almost as good as a freshly baked pie.

First, you should lightly moisten the pizza crust and whole dough with water. It will remove your pizza from getting overdried. It usually takes 1-2 minutes to warm it up, but if the pizza was frozen, it will take about 5-7 minutes (the power should be set to 700-800 W).

Note: Try to set a shorter interval first. Overheating will make your one-day-old pizza into a stone. Once warmed up, you should leave slices in a dark place for 4-5 minutes to let them cool smoothly and lose extra moisture. Otherwise, you’ll get soggy slices.

How to reheat pizza in the microwave and save its taste and freshness? Lay a napkin on the plate under the slices, set the power to a maximum of 500 W, and set the timer for 2-3 minutes. To make your pizza crust juicier, put half a glass of water along with a plate. This step will ensure uniform heating.

Skillet

It may sound a little odd but this method is considered the most favorable among the true lovers of Italian food. To reheat pizza well in a skillet, you should preheat the pan without adding oil or water. Many home cooks recommend using a cast iron pan because it provides even heat and helps to get the perfect crispy crust. Once preheated, put every single slice on the hot pan in one layer, add some grated cheese on top, and cover it with a lid. It usually needs about 4-8 minutes in medium-low heat to become ready to eat. The pizza will warm up evenly with the melted cheese all over it. You can also pour the crust with water to prevent drying.

Note: If you are worried that the pizza will burn on your pan, we have a lifehack for you. Before reheating, sprinkle coarse salt on a hot clean surface, fry it over high heat, then leave it to cool and rinse it off gently. It will provide even the stainless steel skillet with a non-stick pan effect.

Heating pizza in a skillet makes it possible to return the food to its fresh flavor and former juiciness. This happens because you’re braising the food in its own juice. Therefore, reheating on a skillet is considered to be the best method of warming up your pizza.

Note: If for some reason you didn’t have a lid of the required diameter on hand, use ordinary foil (one layer will be enough). The foil does not allow air to pass through and provides the necessary baking – the circulation of the heat flow.

Slow Cooker

If you have a slow cooker at home, you can also use it to reheat pizza. Put the leftover slices on the bottom in one layer, set the “Heating” or “Baking” mode to the minimum power, and set the timer to 5 minutes.

Grill

Another useful method for those who have a grill! First, you should set it to medium heat and give it a few minutes to warm up well. Then place the leftover pizza on the grate and put it on the grill for about 5 to 6 minutes. Once complete, make sure that the crust is crispy enough for you and the cheese is melted evenly. If you still see the soggy crust, place the grate with pizza back on the grill and wait for a few more minutes. Lastly, remove the pizza from the grill and enjoy its fresh taste.

There are also many ways to cook pizza on the grill. Check out this recipe to get a tasty homemade pizza on your own.

The Toaster Oven

This lazy method could be a solution when you need to reheat a single slice and don’t want to waste time preheating an entire oven.

Also, you don’t need to preheat the toaster oven to reheat pizza.

1.) It takes longer.

2.) If you start in a fully heated oven it’s easy for the toppings and crust to get dried out before the middle is warmed through. We just pop the slices in, set a timer, and let the oven do its thing. Brie

All you need to do is set the temperature to 325 °F, put your leftovers on the tray in a single layer, and pop it in the toaster oven for about 5 to 8 minutes.

The right time you need to warm your food up depends on the specifics of your toaster oven and the pizza type. That’s why you should check your pizza after a few minutes to prevent it from drying out.

Air Fryer

What’s the difference between an air fryer and an oven? The air fryer is a mini convection oven with less preheating time. Since it’s smaller, you can use it when you need to warm up just a couple of slices at a time while being in a hurry.

It couldn’t be easier to reheat pizza in air fryer. First, you should set the fryer at 350 °F. Next, place a few slices into the basket and heat it for about 4-5 minutes. Make sure your slices are not overlapped. Otherwise, you’ll get a bit of a cheesy mess.

The total amount of time to warm your pizza up depends on the size of your air fryer, and the type of the pizza. Just control the process and check your pizza from time to time, especially if you are heating it in batches. It will take less time to warm the pizza up after the first batch as the air fryer will be preheated.