Who doesn’t like cooking pizza with minimal effort in less than an hour? Frozen pizzas have become a go-to for pizza lovers who wish to eat from home but still want that flavor of a take-out pie. However, many struggle with cooking a frozen pizza and fail to achieve the desired results- they usually end up with a soggy mess!
There are different techniques you could use to cook a frozen pizza. But nowadays, many wonder, can you broil a frozen pizza? You can, but not entirely. Let’s take a look at how to broil a frozen pizza and other alternatives that would work best for you. Keep reading!
Can you broil a frozen pizza?
Yes, you can broil a frozen pizza. You can broil your frozen pizza using a broiler, cast-iron pan, baking tray, or baking sheet. Broiling a pizza would take just a few minutes after you defrost it. However, you may need to be careful not to burn or overcook the outer sides and leave the inner pie undercooked.
How long do you broil a frozen pizza?
Broiling the pizza is advised for just about 2 minutes at the maximum. Before that, we suggest that you preheat your oven/broiler for approximately 20 minutes. Make sure you keep the oven door open a few inches while preheating to avoid overheating or other issues.
How to broil a frozen pizza?
Broiling a frozen pizza does not take too long, and you can have a perfectly cooked, steamy hot pizza in just under 5 minutes. With these 5 easy and quick steps, you will be ready to enjoy a delicious pizza. Here is what you need to do:
Step 1: Preheating the broiler
Preheat your oven’s broiler for about 20 minutes at a fairly high temperature (the maximum baking temperature reading on your oven). Once you are done heating, switch your oven’s setting from ‘baking’ to ‘broiling (it’s okay if your oven does not have this feature).
Step 2: Choosing a suitable pan
A pan with a flat base would work best for broiling pizza. The size also depends on the radius of your pizza. You can choose from flat pans like a cast-iron pan, a baking sheet, or a baking tray.
Step 3: Defrosting the frozen pizza
Unwrap the pizza and put it in the microwave. Let it run for about a minute. If you have some extra time on your hands, you can leave it out to defrost on its own.
However, we recommend using a microwave as it is quick and allows for a uniform texture to prevail within the entire pizza. Be quick in transferring the defrosted pizza to the broiler to avoid a soggy texture.
Step 4: Covering the sides/crust
Use aluminum foil to wrap the crust of the pizza that is exposed on the upper side. Covering it this way would prevent it from blackening while you broil the pizza.
Step 5: Broiling the pizza
Now, just lay the prepped pizza on your chosen pan and slide it into the broiler. Use the middle rack to allow the pizza to broil evenly throughout. Leave it in for a maximum of 2 minutes and then take it out when you notice the cheese bubbling (we usually broil ours for a little over 1 minute).
And, you are good to go! Broiling food never seemed so easy, especially an entire pizza. Just be careful while using the broiler and handling the pan, as very high temperatures are involved in the process. Gear up well for it. We also suggest that you time yourself to be accurate and avoid a burned mess.
Do you bake or broil a frozen pizza?
You can bake a frozen pizza or broil it as well. Baking would require more time, usually about 15-25 minutes while broiling after defrosting would take just a couple of minutes at the maximum. Both of these can be done using an oven and a suitable pan.
You can also use a combination of baking and broiling. Here is what you need to do to bake a frozen pizza and then give it a slight touch of broiling at the end:
- Start by preheating the oven to a temperature of 375-500 degrees F.
- Place your frozen pizza on a flat baking tray (non-stick) and slide it into the bottom rack of the oven. Leave it there for half of the length of the total baking time.
Note: The total baking time will depend on the size of your frozen pizza and the number of toppings it has. There is usually a recommended baking time printed on the box; follow that. Or you could bake it for approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Shift to the middle rack once half of the baking time has elapsed to allow the cheese to melt and the crust to cook properly.
- Take the pizza out carefully using mittens to avoid any burns.
- To add a touch of broiling, turn the broiler on. After baking, your oven would already be preheated, so just wait a few minutes after turning the broiler on. Slide the pizza in again and take it out after about 20-30 seconds.
And, you will have a perfectly baked and broiled pizza! The process takes a little longer, but if you are more inclined towards and comfortable baking, we say you should go for it!
Related FAQs
Can you broil a pizza in the oven?
Yes, you can broil a pizza in your oven. Simply preheat the oven to 400-500 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Defrost your pizza in the microwave and slide it into the oven to broil for about one and a half minutes.
Why does my frozen pizza not cook in the middle?
The middle might stay undercooked if the pizza was not at room temperature before entering the oven/broiler. Make sure you defrost it appropriately to avoid this issue.
How do you cook a frozen pizza evenly?
Cooking frozen pizzas evenly requires just the right amount of heat and flame exposure. Hence, cooking the frozen pizza in the middle rack of your oven would allow the pizza to cook as evenly as possible. Cooking at the top rack might burn the top, while the bottom rack may leave the top soggy and the bottom harder.
Wrapping up my thoughts on broiling a frozen pizza!
The entire process of broiling a pizza will take you no more than 10 minutes. Within these 10 minutes, you will be enjoying a scrumptious homemade pizza that would taste as good as a take-out pie from your favorite pizzeria!
Just make sure you take all precautions and defrost the pizza properly before broiling to make sure that it cooks through and through. Also, the aluminum foil hack is a game-changer for broiled frozen pizzas!