How to cook Frozen Pizza on a stovetop?

In this brief guide, we will answer the question, ‘how to cook frozen pizza on a stovetop?’. We will study the procedure step-by-step to cook a well-cooked Frozen Pizza on the stovetop. We will also consider changing the stove into a makeshift oven.

How to cook Frozen Pizza on a stovetop?

To cook Frozen Pizza on a stovetop, use a skillet or a frying pan and cook on slow flame (1). Add butter or olive oil to avoid sticking on the pan and cover the pan or skillet to distribute and homogenize the heat throughout the pizza (3).

The effect of reheating frozen baked goods, including pizza, is more positive by using conventional heating than by using microwave ovens, according to studies.

Microwave oven heated frozen bakery products result in the hardening of the crumb and other negative characteristics of the dough texture right after the heating procedure (2). 

Can you cook frozen pizza on the stove? 

Yes, you can cook frozen pizza on the stovetop. Simply grease the pan or skillet before placing the pizza on it and cover the pan or skillet to reduce heat dissipation to the environment (3).

Reheat to an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) measured with a food thermometer (1). 

What are the benefits of cooking frozen pizza on a stovetop?

Cooking frozen pizza on a stovetop has the following benefits (2,3,4,5):

  • Convenience: an unplanned meal can be improvised immediately by cooking frozen pizza without thawing it first
  • Safety: there are safety concerns when food is improperly thawed, which is avoided by the reheating frozen food directly 
  • Cooking frozen pizza on the stovetop is fast in small portions, as the surface of the cooking pan or skillet can be fastly heated to high temperatures. The heat is transferred to the pizza, allowing fast thawing/ cooking of the pizza
  • Cooking frozen pizza on the stovetop prevents the use of a microwave oven to reheat the pizza. Reheating pizza and other baked goods in the microwave have deleterious effects on the texture  
  • The cooking on the stovetop can be done with reduced heat as compared to conventional oven, which reduces the risk of lipid oxidation and generation of oxidized lipids, which are toxic to the body 

What are the drawbacks of cooking frozen pizza on a stovetop?

The drawbacks of cooking frozen pizza on the stovetop are (2,5):

  • The difficult heat control, when compared to cooking in the conventional oven
  • Risk of burning on the bottom of the pizza, creating a burnt flavor
  • Cooking on the stovetop takes longer than cooking in the microwave

How to cook frozen pizza on a stovetop?

To cook frozen pizza on a stovetop, follow the instructions (1,2,3,5):

  • Take the Frozen Pizza out of the freezer and its box.
  • If necessary, break it into pieces.
  • Grease the pan with a spoon of oil.
  • Place the pizza on the pan and keep the stove at a low flame. 
  • Cover the lid of the pan tightly. Let it cook for about 20 minutes or till the temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
  • At this point, the crust will seem a little crisp, and the pizza will be hot to the core. However, if you would like your cheese to melt, proceed to heat it further. 

What are the safety recommendations to cook frozen pizza on a stovetop?

The safety recommendations to cook frozen pizza on a stovetop are the following (6):

  • Always wash your hands with soap and running water
  • Wash surfaces, cupboards and all utensils to be used with running water and soap
  • Do not handle uncooked foods while manipulating cooked ingredients to avoid cross-contamination
  • Cook and reheat food products to an internal safe temperature of 165°F or 75°C to prevent foodborne illness
  • Do not consume the frozen pizza if you notice any signs of spoilage, such as mold growth, bad odors, slime, changes in the texture or color
  • Cool leftovers to a temperature of 40°F (4°C) within 2 hours before storing in the refrigerator for 3 months or freezer for 2 months

Citations

  1. Leftovers and Food safety. United States Department of Agriculture. 
  2. Uzzan, Michael, et al. Mechanism of crumb toughening in bread-like products by microwave reheating. J agric food chem, 2007, 55, 6553-6560. 
  3. Cernela, J., B. Heyd, and B. Broyart. Development of experimental devices in order to study the interactions between heat and mass transfer phenomena and thermal degradation reactions of lipids during domestic reheating of pre-fried food products.French National Research Agency. 
  4. Raab, C; Oehler, N. Freezing Freezing convenience foods. University of Idaho 
  5. Parvin, Rashida, et al. Influence of reheating methods and frozen storage on physicochemical characteristics and warmed-over flavor of nutmeg extract-enriched precooked beef meatballs. Antioxidants, 2020, 9, 670. 
  6. Keep Food Safe! Food Safety Basics. United States Department of Agriculture.

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