Whoever coined the phrase, “There’s no such thing as bad pizza,” has probably never reheated last night’s leftover slices in the microwave. We’ll explain five methods for how to reheat pizza that make your favorite leftover pie taste like you just ordered it. Even microwave pizza.
Storing Leftover Pizza is Key for How to Reheat Pizza
Pizza night is a win! Fewer dishes, time saved on the cooking, and everyone is happy. The kids might have even eaten veggies on that slice. That’s the magic of pizza. You’ve just finished all you can eat, and several pieces are still left to enjoy the next day. That’s an awesome feeling.
In preparation for reheating pizza, it must be stored properly. Every great recipe starts with top-notch ingredients, and that includes how to heat up pizza (or any leftovers). The key to storing pizza leftovers is in airtight containers. The worst possible storage is in the refrigerator in the original box. That way leads to dried-out, stale crusts, mushy toppings, and sadness.
Proper storage is fairly simple; place your leftover pizza into resealable plastic bags and press as much air out as possible. You can also wrap the slices in cling wrap, then follow that with foil. Lidded storage containers should be avoided because they aren’t airtight. They’re not much better than the pizza box.
5 Methods for Reheating Pizza That Tastes Fantastic
These five methods won’t surprise most of us, but we’ve added tweaks to reheat leftover pizza that gives your slices a fresh-from-the-box taste even the next day!
How to Reheat Pizza in the Oven
The oven is the tried-and-true method to most reliably produce the freshest results and crispy crust. It’s not the fastest, and not all of us have access to an oven, like in the workplace lunchroom. But the oven is king at getting perfectly crispy crust so your leftovers taste just delivered.
Tip #1:
Preheat your oven to 350℉ simultaneously with a foil-lined baking sheet or pizza pan (not a pizza stone, which takes longer to heat through). Place your pizza slices onto the already-hot pan when everything reaches temperature for maximum crispness. Bake for 10 minutes for nice and melty cheese.
Tip #2:
Put a cold pizza slice on a cold, rimmed baking sheet, then cover the whole thing tightly with foil, taking care not to let the foil touch the toppings. Place on the lowest rack in the oven while it preheats to 275℉ and set the timer for 25-30 minutes. The pizza will slowly warm through and taste fresh.
How long to reheat pizza in the oven is a matter of preference. For a crispier pizza crust, go longer. For a softer crust, place the pizza on a cold baking sheet and warm the recommended 10 minutes.
How to Reheat Pizza in the Air Fryer
Air fryers are great for crispness. They’re much faster than ovens, so they’re a great way to reheat pizza.
- Place one or two slices in the middle of the air fryer basket, and set the temperature to 375℉.
- Set the timer to 2 minutes and press start.
- Halfway through, check the pizza to ensure it’s not overdone and remove if necessary.
Crust thickness and quantity of toppings will affect the time in the air fryer, so adjust accordingly.
Air fryers are great for how to reheat frozen pizza because the pizza preset buttons on many air fryers are calibrated for frozen pies.
How to Reheat Pizza in a Skillet
This method uses a surprise tip: steam. It gets the crust nice and crisp while achieving that gooey, melted cheese perfection. However, reheating pizza in a skillet can go south quickly, so it’s important to do it carefully.
- Prep: Use a non-stick pan with a lid you can grab quickly. Some using this method call for a cast iron pan. Have a cup of water ready. You can use a teaspoon for measuring or your fingers.
- Place your single slice of cold pizza in the center of your non-stick pan and turn the heat to medium-low.
- Heat for two minutes, both for a crisp crust and to heat the pan’s surface to create steam.
- With either your teaspoon or your fingers, sprinkle few water drops beside the pizza. It will sizzle on the hot surface, so be ready to quickly capture the steam and trap heat with the pan lid.
- The steam heats and moistens the cheese fast, so turn from medium heat to low for one more minute.
- Plate the slice. Repeat for as many slices as needed.
A thin-crust pizza takes less time than a thick crust, so adjust times accordingly.
How to Reheat Pizza in a Toaster Oven
For toaster ovens, low heat is sweet. No preheating is required because toaster ovens are preprogrammed to warm food without browning. Here’s how to reheat pizza in one:
- Choose the Reheat or Leftovers function on your toaster oven, whichever yours has
- Select 325°F with the convection fan on if your oven has it
- Place your slice or slices in the oven and start reheating for crispy crust, hot toppings, and melted cheese, between 5 and 8 minutes
- Thin crust and fewer toppings take less time, so it’s wise to check around the 4-minute mark to see where your pizza stands.
- Toaster ovens vary and so do pizzas, so your times and preferences may need adjustment
How to Reheat Pizza in the Microwave
We know the microwave isn’t ideal, but sometimes, that’s all people have at their disposal, like in a dorm room or office break room.
Microwaves cook food from the inside out by heating water molecules, which effectively steam the food. It’s why the crust goes floppy and chewy, and the part without the sauce loses moisture and gets hard and dry.
Here are some tips for reheating a slice in a microwave:
- Next to your pizza, place a microwave-safe mug full of water, and heat on high (not full power) for 30 to 45 seconds. The water will absorb some of the energy and redistribute the microwaves more evenly, so the cheese melts before the crust goes dry
- If you have a toaster oven, oven, or skillet, microwave the slice for 30 seconds first with the water, and then crisp the crust for a minute or two in another appliance.
There you have it! How to reheat pizza that tastes fantastic the next day. To try any of these methods, If looking for the best pizza in Ohio, Plaza Pizza is ready to take your order by phone or online.
You can order a pizza in Newark or, order a pizza in Heath.
Just be sure to order enough for leftovers!