Hawaiian Pizza
Fire up the grill and make a homemade Hawaiian Pizza for an easy weeknight dinner. The perfect way to use up leftover ham and a guaranteed hit for busy families.
Why You Will Want to Make Hawaiian Pizza on the Grill
- Easy Dinner: This Hawaiian pizza recipe not only brings a tropical twist to your table but also elevates your outdoor cooking experience. I realize pineapple on pizza comes with strong opinions, but it is the perfect combination with smoky ham and one of our favorite pizza recipes.
- Delicious Flavor Combination: There’s something magical about the combination of sweet pineapple, savory ham, and melted cheese on a pizza. Now, imagine infusing this delicious mix with the smoky flavors that can only be achieved by cooking on a grill.
- Wood Fired Pizza at Home: Cooking pizza on a grill offers a unique opportunity to achieve a perfect crust with a smoky flavor that’s hard to replicate with conventional ovens. The heat from the charcoal and hardwood smoke adds a subtle smokiness to the pizza, enhancing the overall taste. It’s basically the same as a wood fired pizza from your favorite restaurant at a fraction of the cost.
Ingredients for Homemade Hawaiian Pizza Recipe
- Pizza dough (store-bought or homemade). Our easy pizza dough is quick to make and doesn’t require any rising time.
- Tomato Sauce – for homemade pizza sauce or use your favorite pizza sauce
- Basil Pesto
- Smoked ham chunks or Canadian bacon
- Pineapple chunks or tidbits – fresh pineapple or canned pineapple will work
- Red Onion – thin sliced
- Mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil
- Garlic Butter: Butter, fresh garlic
Step by Step Directions for Grilled Hawaiian Pizza
- Prepare a Grill Fire: We are using lump charcoal with hickory chunks for smoke flavor. Start the fire and place a pizza stone directly onto the grill grate. We like to cook pizza at between 350° and 400°.
- Prepare the Pizza Sauce: In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce and basil pesto, use store bought pizza sauce if desired.
- Roll Out the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pizza dough to your desired thickness to about an 10 to 12-inch circle. Fold the edges over to create the crust. Place on a piece of parchment paper on a flat baking sheet or pizza peel.
- Assemble the Pizza: Brush the pizza dough with olive oil in a thin coating, covering the bottom and edges. Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the dough. Top with mozzarella cheese, followed by ham chunks, pineapple chunks and red onion. Add a bit more shredded cheese.
- Grill the Pizza: Slide pizza onto the hot pizza stone with the parchment paper. Close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Carefully slide the parchment paper out from under the pizza. Use a pizza steel or large spatula to turn the pizza a quarter turn and continue to cook with the grill closed, turning every five minutes. Cook until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Make the Garlic Butter: In a small skillet melt butter over medium heat, add sliced garlic cloves and cook, stirring often about 2 minutes, set aside
- Serve and Enjoy: Once pizza is done, carefully remove the pizza from the grill onto a tray or cutting board. Brush garlic butter over the edges of the crust and let it rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
More Pizza Toppings for Classic Hawaiian Pizza
- Bacon – Cooked and crumbled crispy bacon pairs perfectly with the ham, pineapple and cheese.
- Bell Peppers – Red bell peppers or green bell peppers, thinly sliced are a great addition.
- BBQ Sauce: Drizzle your favorite sweet bbq sauce over the pizza after it comes off of the grill. Alternately, you can also use barbecue sauce in place of the pizza sauce.
- Red Pepper: Chili Flakes or red pepper flakes add a spicy kick to the delicious pizza.
Best Side Dishes for Pizza
- Garlic Bread: A classic choice that complements any pizza and it’s so easy to make on the grill.
- Smoked Mac and Cheese: Pizza and pasta go great together and this smoky mac and cheese is topped with crispy bacon for a family favorite.
- Garden Salad: A fresh green salad with peppercorn ranch makes an easy side dish for pizza recipes.
Grilling Tips for Pizza
- Use a Pizza Stone: A pizza stone distributes the heat evenly, ensuring your pizza crust cooks perfectly.
- Preheat the Stone: Always preheat your pizza stone on the grill for at least 15 minutes before cooking your pizza.
- Don’t Over Load the Pizza: When making homemade pizza, less is more. Use a small amount of sauce and toppings for the best results and you are less likely to end up with soggy pizza.
- Monitor the Temperature: Keep a close eye on the grill’s temperature to avoid burning the crust. Adjust the vents as necessary to maintain the right heat.
- Rotate the Pizza: Rotate your pizza about 45 degrees, every five minutes to ensure even cooking.
- Don’t Skip the Garlic Butter: The garlic butter adds so much flavor to the finished pizza and it’s the secret ingredient that will make it taste just like a restaurant pizza!
- Storage: Store leftover pizza wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Leftover pizza can be enjoyed cold or reheat in a hot oven, 375° on a pizza pan or sheet pan for about 8-10 minutes.
Cooking Hawaiian pizza on a Big Green Egg not only promises a delicious meal but also an enjoyable cooking experience. The smoky flavors from the grill, combined with the sweetness of pineapple and the savory taste of ham, create a pizza that’s both unique and irresistibly tasty.
Accompany your meal with one of our easy side dishes and you will have a perfect outdoor dining experience. Remember to follow the grilling tips to ensure your pizza comes out perfectly every time.
The combination of smoked ham and pineapple with a homemade sauce makes for a delicious Hawaiian Pizza recipe that’s sure to impress your family and guests.
If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a comment and a five star review. Help us share on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
Hawaiian Pizza
Fire up the grill and make a homemade Hawaiian Pizza for an easy weeknight dinner. The perfect way to use up leftover ham and a guaranteed hit for busy families.
Servings: 3 Pizzas
Calories: 405kcal
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough for 3 pizzas homemade or store bought
- all purpose flour for rolling the dough
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- 3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 ½ cups diced ham
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits or chunks
- ⅓ cup thin sliced red onion
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 garlic cloves thin sliced
Instructions
- Prepare a Grill Fire: We are using lump charcoal with hickory chunks for smoke flavor. Start the fire and place a pizza stone directly onto the grill grate. We like to cook pizza at between 350° and 400°.
- Prepare the Pizza Sauce: In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce and basil pesto.
- Roll Out the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pizza dough to your desired thickness to about an 10 to 12-inch circle. Fold the edges over to create the crust. Place on a piece of parchment paper on a flat baking sheet or pizza peel.
- Assemble the Pizza: Brush the pizza dough with olive oil in a thin coating, covering the bottom and edges. Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the dough. Top with mozzarella cheese, followed by ham chunks, pineapple chunks and red onion. Add a bit more shredded cheese.
- Grill the Pizza: Slide pizza onto the hot pizza stone with the parchment paper. Close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes. Carefully slide the parchment paper out from under the pizza. Use a pizza steel or large spatula to turn the pizza a quarter turn and continue to cook with the grill closed, turning every five minutes. Cook until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Make the Garlic Butter: In a small skillet melt butter over medium heat, add sliced garlic cloves and cook, stirring often about 2 minutes, set aside
- Serve and Enjoy: Once pizza is done, carefully remove the pizza from the grill onto a tray or cutting board. Brush garlic butter over the edges of the crust and let it rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
Additional Toppings: cooked and crumbled bacon, sliced bell peppers, red pepper flakes.
Storage: Store leftover pizza wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Reheat: Leftover pizza can be enjoyed cold or reheat in a hot oven, 375° on a pizza pan or sheet pan for about 8-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 811mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g
