How to Reheat Deep Dish Pizza

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

If you’ve been lucky enough to get your hands on some authentic Chicago-style deep dish pizza, you may be wondering how you’re supposed to reheat this heavy behemoth of cheese and tomato sauce. Luckily, you’ve got plenty of options when it comes to reheating deep dish. In this article we’ll break down how you can reheat your pie efficiently and offer a few recommendations on which options work best.

Things You Should Know

Reheat your deep dish in the oven at 350 °F (177 °C) for 15-20 minutes.
Use a skillet, toaster oven, or air fryer if you’re only heating a single slice.
Avoid the microwave; it’s going to leave your pizza soggy and unevenly heated.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Oven

1
Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Set at least one of the wire racks in the middle of the oven. Turn the oven on and let it preheat. Keeping the temperature a little on the lower side will keep the crust from burning while fully heating your pie.^{[1]
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- According to most Chicago-style afficionados, the oven is the ideal method for reheating deep dish. It takes the longest, but the rewards are well worth it!^{[2]
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2
Set the pizza on a greased baking sheet. Pull out a sheet of aluminum foil that matches the size of your baking sheet. Use your hands to smooth it out. Then, spritz the foil with a thin layer of non-stick cooking spray so that the crust doesn’t stick. Put any number of slices on the baking sheet.
- Leave a small gap between each slice of pizza you’re reheating so that they cook evenly.
- You can use oven-safe parchment paper instead of aluminum foil if you prefer.
- If you don’t have cooking spray, pour ¹⁄₂ tsp (2.5 ml) of vegetable oil on the foil and spread it out with your finger or the back of your spoon.
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3
Mist the pizza with water and cover loosely with foil. Use a spray bottle to mist the top of the pizza with water or do what every old school pizza chef does and dip your fingers under running water before flicking it on your pie. The water will evaporate into steam and keep your pizza from drying out. Cover the pizza loosely with foil.^{[3]
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- Some people think that little splash of water is pointless. These people are wrong, and no one will ever convince us otherwise. That little splash of moisture is the difference maker when it comes to keeping the pizza from drying out.
4
Bake for 15-20 minutes and let it cool for 2-3 minutes before you enjoy. For thinner deep dish that’s only 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) thick, 15-17 minutes should do the trick. For the really thick stuff, you may be better off waiting the full 20 minutes. You can tell the pizza is done when the cheese on the sides of each slice begins to melt and the crust has turned a slightly darker shade.^{[4]
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- Don’t wait so long that the cheese on the side of each slice completely melts and puddles up on the foil!
- Let the pizza cool off for 2-3 minutes so that the cheese firms up a bit and you don’t burn your tongue.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Skillet

1
Oil a cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Pour ¹⁄₂ tsp (2.5 ml) of vegetable or olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and wait a few minutes for the skillet to heat up (if the oil starts to smoke, you’ve waited too long).^{[5]
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- After the oven, the skillet is your best bet when it comes to reheating deep dish.
- You can use a regular nonstick skillet if you’d like, but just know that you’re being judged silently in the distance by pizza snobs.
2
Set the slice in the middle of the skillet and cover it. Once the oil and pan are heated, slowly set the pizza slice into the skillet with the crust side down. If your skillet is big enough for multiple slices, add your additional slice. Then, cover your skillet.^{[6]
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- If you do not have a cover for your skillet, lay aluminum foil over the skillet.
- Covering the pizza will insulate it and allow the heat to build up at the top of the pizza. If you don’t cover the skillet, your crust will burn and the cheese at the top won’t be warm.
3
Let the pizza cook for 4-5 minutes and enjoy. Keep the cover on and let the pizza heat up. After 4 minutes or so, lift the cover up. You can tell the pizza is ready to go when the sauce at the top has softened up and the cheese on the sides is starting to melt.^{[7]
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- Give your pie a minute or two to cool off once you plate your slices.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Toaster Oven

1
Line the center rack with foil and preheat the oven to 450 °F (232 °C). Cover the center rack of your toaster oven with foil. Preheat your oven and wait for the temperature to peak.^{[8]
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- On some toaster ovens, you can’t set a specific temperature. In this case, use the “medium” setting. That should fully reheat your pizza.
- After the skillet and oven, the toaster oven is widely acknowledged to be the most reasonable option for reheating deep dish.
2
Add a small amount of oil and put the pizza in the oven. Put on an oven mitt and pull the rack out. Pour a ½ spoonful of olive or vegetable oil on the foil and spread it around with the back of a spoon. Set the pizza in your toaster oven, shove the tray back into the toaster oven, and close the door.^{[9]
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- You can heat multiple slices this way if they fit on the rack. Just leave a gap between each slice so that they aren’t touching.
3
Run a few 3-5 minute cycles to fully reheat the pie. Toaster ovens typically shut off after a 5-minute cycle. If your toaster oven has a shutoff point, run 2-3 complete cycles at 450 °F (232 °C) or “medium” to fully reheat your pizza. You know you’re good to go when the crust is slightly browner and the cheese along the sides of each slice is starting to melt.^{[10]
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- Let your slices cool off a bit before you bite into them.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Air Fryer

1
Set the air fryer to 350 °F (177 °C). If you’ve got a standalone air fryer or your oven has an air fryer built into it, you can use it to reheat your deep dish without any oil! Preheat your air fryer 350 °F (177 °C) and wait for it to fully heat up.^{[11]
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- The air fryer is a controversial option among deep dish purists. Don’t let anyone deter you here, though; you may be on the cutting edge of deep dish reheating experimentation, but many folks find the air fryer to be the best option.
2
Place the pizza directly on the rack or basket. Set as many slices as you’d like inside of your air fryer. Set them on the rack, basket, or platform that you use to heat food in your air fryer.^{[12]
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- If you don’t have a tray at the bottom to catch drippings, you can lay a sheet of aluminum foil at the bottom of the air fryer.
3
Turn the temperature down to 325 °F (163 °C) and wait 6-7 minutes. Close the door of your air fryer and immediately lower the temperature to 325 °F (163 °C) so that your pizza heats evenly. Give it a few minutes to heat up and then use your oven mitt and a spatula to transfer the slices to your plate.^{[13]
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- Let your pizza cool off for a minute or two before you enjoy.