Can You Cook Pizza on Aluminum Foil?

We’ve all been there. Put your pizza in the oven, and after a while, half of it has spilled down the pan and there’s cheese all over the oven. Or maybe you’re planning on making a pizza but don’t even have the appropriately sized pan. You think of slapping your pizza on a piece of foil, but can you cook pizza on aluminum foil? 

Yes, you can cook pizza on foil, even if it may not be the best option. But sometimes we just have to make do with what we have lying around the house. Whether you choose to place aluminum below your pizza pan to stop any spillage or choose to use it directly it’s a great alternative to a pizza stone that most people don’t even have. 

Aluminum reflects heat, however. You might end up with a dough that’s raw in the middle and not cooked all the way through if you don’t take proper measures. So here are certain tips and tricks you should know to get that perfect pizza. 

How to Cook Pizza on Aluminum Foil?

There are several different ways to cook a pizza using aluminum foil. You can use it directly with the raw dough, you can use it to cover your pizza and enclose it entirely, you can use it with a pizza pan and place it under the rack in the oven as well.

Let’s take a look into how exactly you can pull this off. 

Grilling the pizza

Perhaps the best way to cook pizza on aluminum is to not use an oven, but a grill instead. This gives an amazing rustic taste to the pizza, and leaves the crust crispy and slightly burned while keeping the cheese soft and melted on the top and all your toppings cooked just right. 

Simply put your pizza on a large enough piece of aluminum foil, and fold up the edges to make a little make-shift plate. This prevents anything from dripping out. Then place your pizza on a hot grill over medium-high flame, and cook it for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has slightly browned. Once you fall in love with grilled pizza, there’s no going back! 

Using the foil like a pan

Similar to the grilling method, you use your foil like you would any pizza pan. Fold up the edges slightly and place your pizza in the middle. Put your pizza and aluminum foil in a middle rack of a preheated oven and you’re good to go.

This technique might give you different results each time because aluminum reflects heat. So some places in the pizza might not get cooked properly while others might be slightly burnt. If you have a stone oven, which is unlikely, this will work fine.

But with regular ovens, the results can be a little messy. You can use a pre-baked crust though, and then the pizza is cooked just fine. The toppings get the perfect roast, and the dough is slightly burnt but still cooked all the way through. 

For completely raw pizza dough, however, the heat distribution is not even because of the aluminum foil. So, this method is not usually recommended if you have other alternatives. 

Use the foil to cover the entire pizza

This is a great way to heat up pizza, as we all know. But you can cook pizza like this as well. Just use a thin plate or just leaf it directly on the aluminum sheet, and cover the top as well with the aluminum. This way, there’s no chance of spillage. 

But again, the thing to keep in mind is that aluminum reflects heat. So it might be harder to get an even heat distribution and get the pizza cooked properly. The crust might not be very crispy. This is more like steaming the pizza, rather than baking it. 

Use it with a pizza pan

If you have a pizza pan lying around and your problem is that the toppings spill over and cover your entire oven in a mess, then this is the solution for you! Put your pizza in a pizza pan like you normally would, and place an aluminum foil under the rack, instead of just beneath the pan. 

This will catch any drippings and stop your pizza from going all over the place. This also makes it much easier to clean up afterward. Remember to not use it directly under the pan, as this would prevent heat from reaching the dough properly, as the shiny side of the aluminum works like an insulator. 

Using aluminum with a pizza stone

The best pizzas are made with a pizza stone. While everyone does not own one, investing in getting a pizza stone can be rewarding as it will give you store-like pizza every time. Though you can use aluminum to line the stone, and then place the pizza on top of the aluminum, it is not recommended.

The aluminum stops moisture from seeping out into the stone and thus makes it pointless to use the stone in the first place. So, if you have a stone, you’re better off using parchment paper, rather than aluminum. 

How Do You Get Pizza Off Aluminum Foil?

If you are directly placing your pizza on aluminum foil, remember to crumple it up before, and then lay it down flat. The creases in the foil will make it stick less to the dough and thus make it much easier to take it off after the pizza is cooked. 

The main problem with using aluminum foil is that there is no non-stick element to the foil, so raw dough may end up sticking a little to the sides. But if you remember this trick to not use smooth aluminum paper, you should be fine. 

You can also try greasing the foil beforehand, as you would with any regular pan. Butter, oil, or non-stick spray, any of these should work just fine. You can also use extra flour and sprinkle it all over, for the pizza to stick less. 

Is it Safe to Cook Pizza on Aluminum Foil?

Yes, it is safe to cook pizza on aluminum foil. Most restaurants use aluminum foil to cover their food anyway, so aluminum is known to be food safe. Though certain types of aluminum can seep into the food if heated. But it is in very small amounts, and it should be fine as we do not consume high levels of aluminum in our regular diets. 

There are no safety concerns in using the oven either as aluminum takes heat very well. There’s no chance of it catching fire. They are known to store heat very well, so you can use it to cover your entire pizza after it’s done cooking to keep it warm as well. 

Conclusion

So, next time another college student asks you “Can you cook pizza on aluminum?”, you’ll know how to impress them with your pizza knowledge. Even if you don’t own the cool, expensive utensils to cook a pizza, you can always make do with what you have lying around at home. It’s just a way of knowing how to do it properly. 

It’s now easier than ever to cook up a frozen pizza or make one on your own. And if you are using aluminum, there’s one less dish to clean up afterward. You can just throw it out, once you’re done eating.