Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
This cast iron skillet pizza is an easy way to make delicious homemade pizza with a golden crust, plenty of melted cheese, and all your favorite toppings! It’s made with my easy no-knead pizza dough and baked right in a skillet in your oven. No pizza stone or special equipment needed!
Recipe overview: Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
- Simple to assemble: Once your dough has risen, just shape it in the pan, add toppings, and bake.
- Easy homemade crust: My favorite no-knead pizza dough comes together in minutes with simple ingredients.
- Classic pizza toppings that you can customize: I’ve used pizza sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni, and you can easily swap in your favorite toppings.
- Baked in a cast iron skillet: An 11-inch skillet makes a pizza with a thicker, chewy crust and golden edges. No pizza peel or stone necessary!
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Pizza Night has been a weekly tradition at our house for years. I’ve made homemade pizza just about every way imaginable (you can find all my favorite techniques and advice in my complete guide to making pizza at home), but this just might be the easiest pizza I’ve every made!
Unlike traditional Chicago-style deep dish pizza, this is more like a regular homemade pizza baked in a cast iron skillet, with sauce and toppings layered on top of the dough. You’ll love how the pizza crust get nice and crispy on the edges, but stays soft and chewy on the inside.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Pizza dough: I use a half batch of my easy no-knead pizza dough, made with all-purpose flour, yeast, water, olive oil, honey, and salt. You can also use store-bought pizza dough!
- Pizza sauce: Use your favorite store-bought sauce or my easy homemade pizza sauce. It’s a simple no-cook recipe that takes just 5 minutes to make.
- Mozzarella cheese: I recommend full-fat, low-moisture mozzarella for the best flavor and melt. Fresh mozzarella contains more water and can make your pizza soggy.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a little extra cheesy flavor.
- Pepperoni: Or substitute your favorite pizza toppings. Just don’t pile on too many!
- Olive oil: For greasing the skillet and, if desired, brushing the outer crust for additional color.
Other pizza toppings: cooked sausage, sliced onions, sliced peppers, mushrooms, ham or Canadian bacon, pineapple, sliced jalapenos.
How to make cast iron skillet pizza
Annalise’s expert tips
- Let the oven preheat fully. Once your oven reaches 450°F, give it another 30 minutes to get thoroughly hot. This helps the pizza bake evenly and quickly.
- Place your oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. This puts the bottom of the pizza closer to the heating element, which helps create a crispy bottom crust.
- Give your dough time to relax. If it keeps springing back while you’re shaping it, don’t fight it! Let it rest for a few minutes and try again.
- Don’t overload the toppings. Too much sauce, cheese, or moisture-heavy toppings can prevent the crust from baking properly. Keep additional toppings to about ½–1 cup total.
- How to reheat leftover pizza: Use an air fryer on the reheat setting for 3-4 minutes. Or, place slices of pizza in a hot cast iron skillet and toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of water and cover with a lid and cook for 1-2 minutes more until cheese is melted.
Cast iron pizza FAQs
Absolutely! My recipe makes approximately 13 ounces of dough and most packaged pizza dough comes in 16-ounce portions. If you use the full 16 ounces, know that your crust will be thicker and you’ll need to add a few minutes of baking time.
I recommend cast iron pan because it holds heat really well, helping the pizza develop a golden, crispy bottom crust. If you do not have an 11 or 12-inch cast iron skillet, you can also use an oven-safe metal skillet or round cake pan of a similar size. You can also make a homemade sheet pan pizza instead.
Yes! I use an 11-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe, but you can make it in a smaller pan. For a similar crust thickness, use approximately 7 ounces of dough for an 8-inch skillet, 9 ounces for a 9-inch skillet, or 11 ounces for a 10-inch skillet. Reduce the sauce, cheese, and toppings proportionally, too. Baking times may vary, so keep an eye on your pizza and bake until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
This cast iron skillet pizza is more like a traditional homemade pizza with a slightly thicker, chewy crust and crispy edges. Unlike Chicago-style deep dish pizza, which has a tall crust and thick layers of cheese and tomato sauce (usually with the sauce on top), skillet pizza has a more traditional arrangement of sauce, cheese, and toppings. It’s also easier to pick up and eat by the slice!
More homemade pizza recipes
Have you tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious.
Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
Ingredients
For the pizza dough:
- â…” cup (150 grams) water
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (7 grams) honey
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) active-dry yeast , or instant yeast
- 1 â…” cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) coarse salt
To assemble the pizza:
- â…“ cup pizza sauce
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sliced pepperoni , or other toppings as desired
- Olive oil , for brushing (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
To make the pizza dough:
- Add water, olive oil, honey, and yeast to a large bowl and combine with a spoon or dough whisk. Add flour and salt and combine to make a thick shaggy dough.â…” cup (150 grams) water, 1 tablespoon (13 grams) olive oil, 1 teaspoon (7 grams) honey, 1 teaspoon (3 grams) active-dry yeast, 1 â…” cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) coarse salt
- Cover and let rise 2-3 hours at room temperature until doubled in size, slightly puffy and full of bubbles. (Rise time will be quicker with instant yeast.)
- Gently punch down the dough and shape into a ball using floured hands. Dough will be sticky, that's normal. Add only enough flour as needed, and be careful not to add too much.
To assemble the pizza:
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease an 11 or 12-inch cast iron skillet.
- On a floured surface, work the dough into a round about 12 inches wide. If the dough resists and springs back, let it rest for 5 minutes then try again (I usually have to do this at least once while working with pizza dough).
- Carefully lift the pizza dough into the skillet and press it to the edges of the pan. You want the dough to be even along the bottom, but a little thicker on the edges.
- Spread pizza sauce over the dough, then top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Add pepperoni or other desired toppings. Brush edges with a little olive oil for additional color if you want.⅓ cup pizza sauce, 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup sliced pepperoni, Olive oil
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Let the pizza sit for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve (Carefully tip the skillet at an angle and use a spatula to slip the pizza out onto a cutting board for easier slicing).
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. An air fryer is my favorite way to reheat leftover pizza.
Video
Notes
- Pizza dough: This dough recipe is my no-knead pizza dough recipe cut in half. If you want, you can make the original full recipe and freeze half of it to make a pizza another time (Wrap well in plastic, thaw in the fridge overnight). If you want to use store-bought pizza dough, know that most come in 1lb (16oz) portions and this recipe uses a 13oz portion, so your pizza crust will be thicker and puffier than shown here.
- Cast iron skillet: I used an 11-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe. For a similar crust thickness, use approximately 7 ounces of dough for an 8-inch skillet, 9 ounces for a 9-inch skillet, or 11 ounces for a 10-inch skillet. Reduce the sauce, cheese, and toppings proportionally, too. Baking times may vary, so keep an eye on your pizza and bake until the crust is golden brown and cooked through. You can also use a 12-inch pizza pan instead, you just won’t get the same crisp edges.
- Pizza toppings: Use any toppings you like, but plan for only ½-1 cup toppings at most. Too many toppings create extra moisture and prevent pizza from browning.
- Mozzarella cheese: I recommend low-moisture full-fat mozzarella if you can find it. Skim mozzarella doesn’t have the same flavor, and soft/fresh mozzarella can make the pizza soggy with its extra moisture.
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Recipe history: This recipe was originally published many years ago as a deep dish Chicago-style pizza. Over the years I found that I only really baked traditional pizzas in my cast iron skillet, so I’ve updated this recipe and method in 2026 to reflect what I actually make in my own home for my family. Some older comment may still reference the original recipe.
I love how easy this cast iron pizza is to make! Somehow it feels SO MUCH EASIER than my other pizza recipes, even though they’re all pretty easy. The pizza turns out awesome too, and it’s always a winner with my family! Highly recommend!
Used white whole wheat flour. My layers were mozzarella pearls, toppings, 8 oz crushed tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Very filling and very good.Â
Delicious pie turned out great
Easy recipe and such a good recipe to impress friends and family. My sister thought I’d gotten it from a restaurant!Â
Should I grease the inside of the pan before putting dough in?
Never got a response regarding greasing the inside of the pan before putting the dough in is that a need to do or is it a dry crust
Oh. My. Word. This looks incredible and is now on my “to make” list!
Well this looks amazing. Think I’d be able to swing it in a 10-inch cast iron skillet? 🙂
Absolutely! You’ll have some dough left over for another little pizza, or you could divide the dough in half and roll it really thin to fit the 10-inch pan, freezing the other half for later.