A BBQ pizza oven, often associated solely with perfectly crisp pizzas, is capable of far more than many realize. Thanks to its intense heat and versatile design, this backyard centerpiece can serve as a multipurpose culinary tool. Whether you have a wood-fired or gas-powered oven, you might be surprised by how many other dishes you can create within it. From roasted meats and vegetables to desserts and seafood, this article explores the wide range of foods you can cook in your BBQ pizza oven, offering practical tips and recipes to help you expand your outdoor cooking repertoire.
Understanding the Versatility of a BBQ Pizza Oven
Before diving into specific dishes, it’s important to understand how a BBQ pizza oven works and why it’s so versatile. These ovens typically reach temperatures up to 900°F (482°C), creating a searing environment ideal for pizzas, but also useful for a variety of other cooking techniques like roasting, baking, smoking, and even stewing.
Wood-fired ovens use a radiant heat source that evenly distributes warmth, allowing for quick searing and slow cooking when temperatures drop. These ovens are popular for their ability to infuse food with a natural smoke flavor.
Gas-powered pizza ovens, on the other hand, offer excellent temperature control and consistent heat, making them suitable for both high-heat searing and more precise baking or roasting processes.
The secret to maximizing the use of your pizza oven lies in temperature regulation, cooking times, and the right tools. With some experimentation—and the proper cookware—you can prepare more than just pizza.
Main Categories of Food You Can Cook in a BBQ Pizza Oven
While traditionally used for Italian-style pizzas, a quality pizza oven can easily transition to cooking other delectable dishes. Here are the primary food categories that thrive in this unique cooking environment:
Roasted Meats and Vegetables
The high and even heat of a pizza oven makes it perfect for roasting everything from chicken and lamb to root vegetables and squash. The radiant heat seals in juices and creates a charred finish that enhances flavor.
- Whole Chicken – Slow-roasted for up to an hour at lower temps (300–350°F), you can achieve a succulent inside with a slightly crispy exterior.
- Lamb Shoulder – A popular choice in Mediterranean dishes, lamb shoulder becomes tender and aromatic when roasted gently with garlic and herbs.
- Vegetable Trays – Zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and even mushrooms roast beautifully with a bit of olive oil and sea salt.
Baked Breads and Flatbreads
Since pizza ovens are essentially high-powered baking chambers, you can create artisanal loaves and rustic breads that rise perfectly and develop a delicious crust.
Italian Sourdough, Baguettes, and even Naan can be cooked in a pizza oven for ultra-authentic results. You may need to adjust timings when baking non-pizza doughs, especially if using a wood-fired option where temperatures fluctuate.
Seafood Delights
Surprisingly, many types of fish and shellfish can be prepared in a pizza oven, often wrapped in foil or seafood parchment like papillote-style cooking to preserve moisture and flavor.
| Seafood | Recommended Cooking Style | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | Wrapped in foil or directly grilled | 8–10 minutes |
| Shrimp | Skewered or baked | 3–5 minutes |
| Whole Fish | In lemon and herb foil packet | 12–15 minutes |
Perfect Desserts – Beyond Pizza Dough
Believe it or not, pizza ovens can even bake desserts like cakes, tarts, and fruit crumbles. The key is using insulated trays or heat-resistant containers and adjusting the temperature downwards for slow baking.
Apricot Galette and Apple Tarts can be cooked on a pizza stone at around 300°F for the perfect golden crust, while Bread Pudding benefits from the even heat to achieve a soft yet crisp texture.
How to Prepare Your BBQ Pizza Oven for Other Dishes
To move beyond pizza, you’ll need to adjust your cooking approach. Here are steps you can take to best prepare your oven:
Temperature Management
Understanding heat levels is crucial. Here’s a quick guide to different temperature zones:
| Cooking Style | Temperature Range | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| High Heat | 700–900°F | Pizza, flatbreads, and fast-seared steaks |
| Medium Heat | 450–600°F | Roasting meats, vegetables, and casseroles |
| Low Heat | 300–350°F | Baking breads, desserts, and slow cooking |
Selecting the Right Cookware
Not all pizza ovens allow for pots or pans, especially if you’re using a small portable model. However, many mid- to large-sized ovens can accommodate stainless steel or stone cookware.
- Pizza stones serve dual roles – excellent for pizza and baking pastries and breads.
- Ceramic or cast iron pots are suitable for stews and casseroles.
- Perforated trays allow for steaming vegetables and roasting meats evenly.
Heat Retention Techniques
Using a Heat Damper
Some modern ovens include dampers to control the intensity of heat. If yours doesn’t, you can manually control it by adjusting airflow or by placing an insulated tray between the oven floor and your cookware to moderate temperatures.
Wood Management
For homemade or wood-fired ovens, timing is key. The best time to bake bread or desserts is just after removing the initial fire, when the residual heat offers a steady cooking surface (often referred to as the ‘retained heat cooking’ method).
Innovative Recipes to Try in Your Pizza Oven
Let’s move from theory to flavor by exploring specific recipes and serving suggestions.
Pizza Oven Roast Chicken with Herbs
This dish is simple but packed with flavor. Marinate a whole chicken with garlic, rosemary, lemon, and olive oil. Place it on a heavy-duty roasting tray and cook at approximately 350°F for about an hour. The result is juicy meat and crispy skin, finished with a unique charcoal flavor.
Pepperoni and Potato Bread Twist
A twist on Italian grissini (breadsticks), this savory recipe combines finely sliced potato, pepperoni pieces, finely chopped herbs, and extra virgin olive oil. Spread the mixture into a thin rectangle on rolled out bread dough, roll tightly, and slice into portions. Bake on a pizza stone at 450°F for a rich, smoky snack ideal for game nights or parties.
Apple & Fig Galette
A perfect autumnal dessert, this rustic tart works wonders in a pizza oven. Blind bake your dough slightly before adding the fruit filling. Toss apple slices and dried figs in a bit of cinnamon, sugar, and lemon zest. Fold the edges up and pop it in on a cast iron plate. Bake at 300°F for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Pizza Oven Stuffed Mushrooms
Ditch the pizza crust and try stuffed mushrooms. Mix breadcrumbs, garlic, Parmesan, and herbs. Stuff into large mushrooms like Portobello or Crimini, and bake for 8–10 minutes at 450°F. The mushrooms turn out with a perfect balance of moisture and texture, ideal as appetizers or side dishes.
Unexpected Uses for a Pizza Oven in Everyday Outdoor Cooking
Beyond food, your pizza oven can also double as a unique preparation spot for items that are often prepped in standard kitchen appliances.
Making Dried Herbs
While ovens can be too intense for most drying processes, at lower heat, dried herbs like oregano or thyme can be done quickly. Place them on a perforated tray and let them sit at 200°F until dehydrated—ideal for making homemade seasoning blends.
Heating or Toasting Nuts
To bring out their natural oils, spread unsalted almonds, walnuts, or pecans in a thin layer and toast briefly at lower temps (250–300°F). This can be done during dessert prep and adds a gourmet touch to salads and desserts.
Bonus Tips: Making the Most of Every Cooking Session
Maximizing each pizza oven session is key to efficient cooking and minimizing fuel or energy waste. Here’s how to get more from your outdoor oven:
Multi-task Cooking
Prepare Side Dishes During Pizza Baking
If you’re already firing up the oven for classic pizzas, consider adding side dishes to the stones during the last few minutes. Roasted vegetables, garlic bread, and even baked camembert cheese fit perfectly in leftover radiant heat.
Cook Successively
Plan meals where you cook multiple dishes consecutively. For instance:
– First, bake pizzas at the highest heat.
– Once the fire reduces, roast meats or bake bread.
– Finally, as the oven cools, prepare desserts or dry herbs.
This smart strategy ensures a fully utilized oven and diverse meal options.
Storing Flavor with Smoke and Heat Infusion
With wood-fired ovens, your food naturally develops more complex flavor profiles due to the smoky ambient heat and wood types used—whether oak, hickory, or fruitwoods like apple and cherry, each imparts its own unique taste.
Conclusion – Unlock a New World of Flavor with Your Pizza Oven
Your BBQ pizza oven is more than just a pizza-making machine—it’s a multi-functional outdoor kitchen that can enhance your culinary skills, reduce your indoor cooking demands, and wow your guests with new creations. Whether roasting meats, baking artisanal bread, searing seafood, or crafting decadent desserts, this versatile appliance opens up a world of cooking techniques you may not have considered.
By mastering heat zones, using the right tools, and experimenting with ingredients, you can easily transform your pizza oven into something much more than just a pizza place in your backyard.
So next time you fire yours up, think beyond the Neapolitan slice and try something new—a well-seasoned roasted squash, a rustic sourdough loaf, or even a tropical fruit cobbler. With this guide in hand, the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
Can you cook vegetables in a BBQ pizza oven?
Yes, you can definitely cook vegetables in a BBQ pizza oven, and they often turn out incredibly flavorful due to the high heat and smoky environment. Vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms benefit from the quick, intense heat that these ovens provide, which helps to char them slightly on the outside while keeping them tender inside. You can roast them directly on the oven floor or on a tray, and adding a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning enhances their natural flavors. For optimal results, it’s best to cut vegetables into even sizes so they cook uniformly.
The smoky aroma imparted by the BBQ pizza oven adds a unique depth to roasted vegetables, making them a great side dish for meats or a healthy standalone meal. They can be used in salads, wraps, or served as a complement to grilled proteins. Keep in mind that leafy greens should be cooked separately or briefly flash-grilled, as they tend to dry out quickly. Monitoring the temperature and adjusting cooking times based on the type of vegetable will help achieve perfect results every time.
Is it possible to bake bread in a BBQ pizza oven?
Absolutely, a BBQ pizza oven can be used to bake a wide variety of bread, including artisanal loaves like sourdough and baguettes. The high heat and steam-retaining properties of the oven create the perfect environment for developing a crisp crust and airy interior, similar to the way traditional bread ovens function. By allowing the oven to preheat fully and then reducing the temperature slightly for baking, you can mimic the baking conditions found in professional bread ovens. Some ovens even include a baking stone or steel that helps regulate the heat for consistent results.
When baking bread, it’s important to manage the temperature carefully and control the steam during the initial phase of baking to promote proper rise and crust formation. This can be achieved by spraying water into the oven or placing a tray of hot water inside during the first few minutes of baking. Using a pizza peel or baking steel to transfer the dough safely into the oven and keeping an eye on the timing will ensure perfectly baked loaves. Whether it’s rustic country bread or focaccia, your BBQ pizza oven can become a versatile baking station.
Can you grill meats in a BBQ pizza oven?
Yes, grilling meats in a BBQ pizza oven is not only possible but often yields exceptional results thanks to the intense radiant heat and smoky flavor. Meats like steak, chicken, ribs, and burgers can be cooked directly over the flames or using the indirect heat method depending on the desired outcome. The high temperature sears the meat quickly, locking in juices and creating a flavorful crust. To achieve even cooking, it’s best to control where you place the meat in the oven and monitor the temperature using a meat thermometer.
BBQ pizza ovens can be used much like a traditional grill, with the added benefit of consistent heat and the option to use wood or charcoal for extra flavor. For tougher cuts of meat, you can slow-cook using indirect heat or partially close the oven’s vent to maintain lower temperatures. The versatility of these ovens makes them ideal for everything from searing a perfect filet to slow-roasting a pork shoulder, making your outdoor cooking experience more dynamic and rewarding.
Can seafood be cooked in a BBQ pizza oven?
Seafood can absolutely be cooked in a BBQ pizza oven, and it often takes on a delicious char and smokiness that enhances its flavor. The high heat allows for quick cooking, which is ideal for fish like salmon, tuna, and swordfish, which benefit from a quick sear. Whole fish can be stuffed with herbs and citrus, then wrapped in foil or grilled directly on the oven rack. Shellfish such as shrimp, scallops, or mussels can be skewered or cooked in a cast-iron skillet for even heat distribution and easier handling.
Because seafood is more delicate than meat, timing and temperature control are crucial. Overcooking can cause it to dry out or become rubbery, so it’s best to preheat the oven to a moderate temperature and cook the seafood quickly. Using marinades or rubs can help protect the fish while adding flavor. Additionally, incorporating lemon slices, garlic, or olive oil-based sauces during or after cooking will elevate the dish and make the most of your BBQ pizza oven’s culinary potential.
How do you roast coffee in a BBQ pizza oven?
Roasting coffee beans in a BBQ pizza oven is a creative way to use the versatile high-heat environment such a device provides. Though unconventional, small batches of green coffee beans can be roasted in a cast-iron skillet placed directly in the oven. Because these ovens can reach very high temperatures, it’s crucial to monitor both the beans and the temperature carefully. The goal is to bring the beans through the drying phase and into the Maillard reaction and first crack, which gives the beans their roasted flavor.
The key to successful home coffee roasting in a BBQ pizza oven is maintaining control over the roasting time and heat intensity. You’ll want to keep a small fire going or adjust gas settings to maintain a steady temperature, typically between 400°F and 500°F depending on the desired roast profile. Stirring the beans frequently ensures even roasting and helps prevent burning. Once the beans have reached the desired color and smell profile, they should be cooled immediately. This method offers a hands-on experience for enthusiasts who enjoy customizing their coffee roast while making full use of their outdoor oven.
Can desserts be baked in a BBQ pizza oven?
Yes, desserts can absolutely be made in a BBQ pizza oven, allowing for everything from fruit cobblers to cookies and even cakes. These high-heat ovens can be temper-controlled for baking sweet treats by managing the fire intensity and using heat-retaining surfaces like baking stones or cast iron pans. You can place desserts on a pizza peel or in baking dishes and slide them in to bake. The residual heat after a pizza or main course offers an opportunity to bake desserts at a gradually decreasing temperature.
Fruit-based desserts like peach cobbler or apple tarts benefit greatly from the smoky nuances imparted by the oven, especially when cooked in a cast-iron skillet. Using Dutch ovens and wrapping them appropriately ensures even baking and avoids burning. By preheating the oven properly and adjusting the wood or fuel intake, you can create ideal baking conditions for desserts. Whether you’re looking to surprise guests or indulge in a homemade treat, your BBQ pizza oven can deliver delicious results beyond the savory realm.
Are there any tips for cooking multiple dishes in a BBQ pizza oven simultaneously?
Cooking multiple dishes at once in a BBQ pizza oven is possible and can enhance your efficiency, but it requires proper planning and temperature control. Because these ovens reach high temperatures, it’s important to understand how to zone the heat within the oven. Placing items that require higher heat and quick cooking, like pizzas or flatbreads, closer to the fire while placing items that need more moderate temperatures, like roasted vegetables or meats, further back allows for simultaneous cooking of various dishes.
Using different cooking surfaces, such as a pizza stone for baked goods, a skillet for stews or sauces, or a grill rack for meats, can help manage multiple types of food. Timing is also crucial; planning for dishes with longer cooking times to go in first ensures everything finishes together. Understanding the nature of radiant heat and how it distributes in your specific oven helps optimize your cooking layout and avoid over- or undercooking any dish. This approach turns your BBQ pizza oven into a multifunctional cooking powerhouse.