What Is the Best Method To Reheat Pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite foods, so I care more about reheating it well than I probably should. If you love cold pizza, you can ignore everything below. I never managed to get on board with that.

If you want the short answer, the best way to reheat pizza depends on how many slices you have.

• One or two slices: use a skillet or an air fryer
• Several slices: Use the oven
• Microwave: only if you are desperate

If I had to pick one best overall method, it would be the skillet. The oven is best for bigger batches, and the air fryer is the easiest if you already have one.

Microwave

Yes, the microwave will make pizza hot. That does not mean it is a good idea.

The crust usually turns rock hard in some spots and soggy in others, the cheese gets weird, and the whole slice just tastes sad. If you are starving and need food in 60 seconds, go for it. Otherwise, skip it.

Oven

The oven is your best option if you need to reheat more than a couple of slices at once. It takes longer, but the results are way better than the microwave.

The biggest mistake people make is putting cold pizza on a cold pan. That is how you end up with pizza that is hot on top and soggy on the bottom. Preheating the pan helps a lot.

A pizza stone or cast iron skillet works great here, but even a regular sheet pan is fine if you heat it first.

How To Reheat In the Oven:

• Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
• Step 2: Put your pan, pizza stone, or cast iron skillet in the oven while it heats.
• Step 3: Once the pan is hot, lightly grease it or give it a quick coat of cooking spray.
• Step 4: Arrange the pizza in a single layer and cover it loosely with foil.
• Step 5: Bake until the slices are hot, usually about 10 to 15 minutes.

If you are reheating deep-dish pizza or really thick slices, you may want to bump the oven up closer to 400 to 450 degrees F.

Oven Reheating Tips:

• Covering the pizza helps the cheese melt before the crust dries out.
• If the cheese still looks dull when the pizza is hot, uncover it and broil for 1 to 3 minutes at the end.
• Set a timer. Burnt leftover pizza is tragic.
• If you forget to preheat the pan and the crust comes out soggy, finish the slices in a skillet on the stove for a minute or two.

Air Fryer

If you are only reheating a slice or two, the air fryer is one of the easiest methods. It heats quickly, crisps the crust well, and takes almost no effort.

The downside is that most air fryer baskets are small, so this is not the best method if you are reheating a lot of pizza at once.

How To Reheat Pizza In the Air Fryer:

• Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Step 2: Place the pizza in the basket in a single layer.
• Step 3: Heat for 3 to 5 minutes, checking early so it does not overcook.

The exact timing depends on your air fryer and the thickness of the slice, so start checking sooner than you think you need to.

You do not always need foil or parchment. In a lot of air fryers, the pizza can go straight into the basket. If you use a liner, just make sure it is safe for your machine and does not block too much airflow.

Skillet

If you want the best texture on a single slice, the skillet is hard to beat.

This method gives you a crisp crust, melted cheese, and a much better texture than the microwave. It also does not heat up your whole kitchen the way the oven does.

How To Reheat Pizza In A Skillet:

• Step 1: Preheat a skillet over low to medium-low heat.
• Step 2: Place the pizza in the skillet crust-side down.
• Step 3: Cover the skillet with a lid.
• Step 4: Heat for about 5 to 6 minutes, checking occasionally, until the slice is hot and the cheese is melted.

A lot of internet advice says to add a few drops of water to the pan for steam. That can help if the pizza is dry or if the cheese is taking too long to melt, but it is not always necessary.

I do like using a very small amount of olive oil in the pan. It helps the crust brown more evenly and gives it a better texture.

Just keep the heat low. If the pan gets too hot, the crust will burn before the cheese is fully warmed through.

Toaster Oven

A toaster oven works well for a slice or two and is basically a smaller version of the regular oven.

You can usually put the pizza straight on the rack, though some people prefer using a small tray. If you use a tray, preheat it first if you want a crisper crust.

A good starting point is 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, but toaster ovens can be unpredictable, so keep an eye on it.

Which Method is Actually Best?

If I had to rank them, I would put them in this order:

• 1. Skillet
• 2. Oven
• 3. Air fryer
• 4. Toaster oven
• 5. Microwave

The skillet gives you the best texture for one or two slices. The oven is the best option when you need to reheat several slices at once. The air fryer is probably the easiest choice if you already have one.

Extra Tips for Better Leftover Pizza

If reheated pizza tastes a little flat, add a pinch of oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, Parmesan, or even a little salt before serving. Leftover pizza sometimes needs a little help.

Storage matters too. If you leave pizza in the delivery box in the fridge, it is much more likely to dry out. Wrap slices individually or store them in an airtight bag or container instead.