Name: Exactly How To Reheat Deep Dish Pizza
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 portion deep dish pizza; 1 splash water

Table of Contents

Chicago-style Pizza is universally loved, so it’s no surprise there is some controversy over which method is best to reheat it.

With that in mind, I decided to test 4 reheating methods to see which one delivered the best chewy-but-crunchy base and gooiest cheese.

Hint: I loved the skillet.

For those of you in a rush, here’s a quick overview of how I did it.

The best way to reheat deep dish pizza is in a skillet. Heat a spray of oil in a skillet on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, place the pizza slices in (crust side down), and sprinkle some water around the edge of the pan. Cover with a lid and reheat your Chicago-style pizza for 5-6 minutes.

A note on my experiment

I ordered in a couple of deep-dish pizzas for Friday night from my favorite Chicago-style pizzeria, and after eating my fill, I put the rest in the fridge.

The next day, I tested these four reheating methods:

In a skillet (this was my favorite method)
In the oven/toaster oven (tasty pizza but not as good as the skillet)
In the microwave (not great, but okay for stale pizza)
In an air fryer (a good, quick option)

It might sound strange, but the skillet really works wonders on leftover pizza. It’s brilliant!

The oven and the air fryer both worked well too, so the microwave is the only option I would avoid (unless your pizza is super stale).

Those are the highlights.

Now for the deep-dive into deep-dish pizza heaven.

Reheating deep dish pizza in a skillet

To reheat a deep dish pizza in a skillet, heat a spray of oil in the skillet on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, place the pizza slices in (crust side down), and sprinkle some water around the edge of the pan. Cover with a lid and warm for 5-6 minutes.

Periodically check the pizza crust to make sure it isn’t burning.

How to reheat deep dish pizza in a skillet:

Take your pizza slices out of the fridge.
Heat your skillet with a minimal amount of oil over medium heat. Too much oil will leave you with a greasy pizza crust.
Once the oil in your pan is hot, pop the deep-dish pizza slices in (crust side down).
Sprinkle some water around the edges of the pan and cover it with a lid.
Heat the pizza for 5-6 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy and the cheese is melted.

If your skillet doesn’t have a lid, you can fashion one from a sheet of aluminum foil.

The water in the pan creates steam, which helps to re-moisturize the pizza and ensure it heats all the way through.

The steam will also melt the cheese and turn it wonderfully gooey.

My verdict

Of all the methods I tried, this one was my personal favorite.

The slices were evenly warmed with a soft doughy middle and a crunchy bottom.

It might have even been better than the night before (although that could have been the hangover talking).

Reheating deep dish pizza in the oven/toaster oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), along with a lightly oiled baking tray. Arrange the pizza on the hot tray, spritzing it with a bit of water before covering it loosely with foil. Heat the pizza for 15-20 minutes or 10 minutes in a toaster oven.

Note that these timings are approximate and will vary depending on your pizza and oven type.

How to reheat deep dish pizza in the oven/toaster:

Lightly oil a baking sheet and place it in the oven while it preheats to 350°F (180°C).
Place the deep dish pizza on the preheated tray and sprinkle the slices with some water (for added moisture).
Loosely cover the pizza with foil. Not too tight or you could end up with a soggy pizza.
Heat the pizza for 15-20 minutes or slightly less time in a toaster oven. Frozen slices will take longer.
Optional: remove the foil for the last 4-5 minutes of heating to brown the cheese.

The water helps to create steam which will soften the dried-out dough.

Preheating the baking tray helps to crisp the bottom of the pizza. If you use a cold baking tray, you won’t get as much crunch back.

An alternative is to place the pizza on a wire rack, but you might get some crumbs in the bottom of the oven.

My verdict

The oven works well for a whole pizza, with the base crisping up nicely, but it’s a bit slow for just a slice.

The dough wasn’t as moist as it could have been either, so if your pizza is very stale, I’d steer clear of the oven.

For one or two slices, it’s better if you have a toaster oven because it’s much faster.

Reheating deep dish pizza in the microwave

Place no more than 1 or 2 slices of pizza on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the pizza with a damp paper towel for added moisture and reheat it in 30-second intervals until the slices warmed through. Let the pizza rest for an additional 30 seconds before serving.

How to reheat deep dish pizza in the microwave:

Place no more than 1 or 2 slices of pizza on the microwave-safe plate.
Cover the pizza with a damp paper towel.
Reheat the slices in 30-second intervals until hot.
Let the pizza rest for 30 seconds before serving.

Don’t forget to put the damp paper towel over the slices to prevent them from drying out.

Make sure to eat the reheated pizza before it gets cold.

Once the dough cools down, it will become inedible and cardboard-like very quickly.

Tip: be careful biting into any stuffed crusts just after microwaving… they can trap steam and get very hot.

My verdict

There was no bite to the bottom crust, and the dough in the middle was a little too stodgy for my liking.

That said, the cheese was super gooey, and the microwave is really good at reviving stale pizzas.

I only recommend using the microwave if you’re in a real hurry or if your pizza is so stale it doesn’t matter if you ruin it.

Reheating deep dish pizza in an air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Place your pizza slices into the air fryer basket and heat them for 4-7 minutes. Check that the slices are heated through completely before removing the pizza from the air fryer.

How to reheat deep dish pizza in an air fryer:

Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
Place your pizza slices in the air fryer basket.
Your slices should heat through in 4-7 minutes.

Check on your pizza fairly often while it’s in the air fryer.

The direct heat can quickly burn or overheat the pizza, which will leave it dry.

I found that smaller slices are a better option in the air fryer as they heat through more quickly.

With bigger slices, the very middle was still only lukewarm when the toppings started to burn.

My verdict

As the heat in the air fryer is quite harsh, the cheese and toppings get a little crispy with this method.

You also get a wonderfully crisp bottom (but slightly dry dough).

The air fryer works well as an alternative to the oven and has the advantage of being quicker.

How to store deep dish pizza

Let your pizza cool to room temperature, and then place a paper towel between the slices before wrapping them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can also use an airtight container. Deep dish pizza will last for 3 – 4 days in the fridge, or you can freeze it for longer-term storage.

It is important that you allow the pizza to reach room temperature before wrapping it and putting it in the fridge, as any extra heat will cause condensation to form in the package.

The excess moisture will make the dough soggy and unpleasant.

Don’t store your leftover pizza slices in a pizza box – it’s not airtight, and the increased air circulation will cause the pizza to go stale more quickly.

Can you freeze deep dish pizza?

Deep dish pizza freezes well, and you can keep individually frozen slices for up to 2 months in the freezer. Uncooked pizza also freezes well, with the dough lasting up to 2 months frozen. Partially cooked pizzas make excellent meals and last for up to 3 months frozen.

How to freeze deep dish pizza:

Cut your whole pizza into slices, or store smaller pizzas whole.
Wrap the pizza, or each individual slice, completely with plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil.
Label and date the pizza.
Your frozen pizza slices will stay fresh for up to 2 months.

Make sure the plastic wrap is tight against the pizza to minimize the amount of air in the packaging.

If there’s too much air in contact with the pizza, it can develop freezer burn, ruining the taste.

How to reheat frozen deep dish pizza

To reheat your frozen deep dish pizza, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake the pizza slices for around 20 minutes (less if you’re using a toaster oven). Cover the pizza with foil while it’s in the oven to prevent it from drying out too much.