Are you in the mood for an authentic-tasting Margherita Pizza? If so, you’ll love this classic recipe with a cheesy, crispy twist. This dish uses a few shortcut ingredients from my buddy Bobby T, making it simple and delicious. We used his new dough mix to create a skillet pizza with a crisp exterior and a light, chewy interior. Some may say this cooking method mimics a pizza oven!

This recipe is universally friendly because it cooks in the oven. Cooking it in a cast-iron skillet ensures the crust is evenly cooked, giving every bite the attention it deserves. Whether you’re ramping up family pizza night or impressing guests with a homemade pie, no one will leave the table hungry. 

Margherita Pizza | Heath Riles BBQ

Pepperoni pizza has its place, but sometimes, you want something lighter. This tasty pizza originated in Naples when everyone wanted to impress Queen Margherita, who was visiting the city. One local chef made a pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, which are Italy’s signature colors.  The pizza won over the Queen and the locals. Today, you’ll find Margherita Pizza in homes and restaurants worldwide. 

The Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make a delicious homemade Margherita Pizza. 

• Bobby T’s Perfect Pizza Dough. If you’re looking for a foolproof way to make pizza dough at home, Bobby T’s got you covered. His pizza dough mix uses pure ingredients to create a pizza with the ultimate crust. You can also use this mix for calzones, homemade pizza rolls, breadsticks, and more. 
• BBQ Bob’s Bobby T’s Pizza Sauce. A family recipe inspired this traditional pizza sauce, which couldn’t taste more authentic. Any type of pizza will benefit from this rich sauce infused with a proprietary blend of herbs. 
• Toppings. We topped the pizza with fresh basil, shredded mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano cheese. 
• BBQ Bob’s Bobby T’s Pizza Seasoning. If you want to take your pizza to the next level, add a dash of this seasoning. You can add it to your favorite red sauce or use it as a pizza topping. Think outside the box and add it to your favorite pasta dishes! 

The Process for Making Margherita Pizza

Be sure to watch the video to see how Bobby T and I made this delicious Margherita Pizza. For now, here’s a quick rundown. 

1. Preheat the skillet. We preheated the oven to 500℉ and stuck a YETI 12” cast iron skillet inside to heat up. This makes the crust golden and gives it that beautiful, crispy texture. 
2. Form the pizza crust. To form our pizza crust, we removed the dough from its bowl and sprinkled our clean work surface with flour. We rolled the dough into the flour to cover it on all sides. Doing so makes it easier to work with and gives it a great texture. Then, we worked the dough to remove the air bubbles. Once the dough was in a round shape the size of a plate, we used our hands to flatten it out. Check out the video to see Bobby T’s foolproof technique for making pizzeria-style dough. 
3. Add the dough to the skillet. We removed our preheated YETI 12” cast iron skillet from the oven and drizzled it with olive oil. Then, we carefully transferred our crust to the skillet, conforming it to the pan's shape. 
4. Assemble the Margherita Pizza. Once the crust was formed in the pan, we topped it with a drizzle of olive oil and BBQ Bob’s Bobby T’s Pizza Sauce. We spread the sauce to the edges of the crust and added mozzarella pearls and fresh basil. Then, we thought outside the box and added a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese to the edges of the crust to make it crispy. 
5. Cook the pizza. We placed the Margherita Pizza in the oven and let it cook for 12-15 minutes until the crust was golden and crisp. We carefully loosened the pizza from the YETI 12” cast iron skillet and laid it on a cooling rack. 
6. Add garnishes. We garnished the Margherita Pizza with olive oil, BBQ Bob’s Bobby T’s Pizza Seasoning, Pecorino Romano cheese, and fresh basil. The only thing left was to dig in! 

The Results

Thanks to its cheesy crust, the Margherita Pizza was similar to Detroit-style pizza. The herbs and mozzarella pearls made it taste fresh, yet the crust kept it filling. 

Serving Suggestions for Margherita Pizza

Serve this Margherita Pizza alone, or add Caesar salad and breadsticks for a pizza parlor-style meal. 

Storing Leftovers

You can store leftover pizza in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If freezing, par-bake the crust, remove it from the oven, add toppings, cover with saran wrap, and freeze. To reheat, cook for 15-20 minutes in a 500℉ oven.

Equipment and Tools

Mixing bowls, YETI 12” cast iron skillet, Nechtik BBQ Gloves, metal spatula, disposable cutting board, ThermoWorks Hi-Temp Silicone Spatula