What Can You Cook In a Pizza Oven?

Pizza ovens are arguably one of the best investments every pizza lover can make but why limit yourself to pizza?

In this article we will look at one of the most commonly asked questions What Can You Cook In a Pizza Oven?

A pizza oven provides an economical and efficient way to cook multiple pizzas at a time but whilst a pizza oven can improve every person’s pizza-making game, it can prove to be fairly expensive.

Because of this, many people just can’t help to ask “Is a pizza oven worth the money?” Well, the short answer is YES, and here’s why.

A pizza oven doesn’t just allow you to cook great-tasting pizzas but also other dishes that you may love. It is very versatile and can cook simple to complex dishes just like a regular kitchen oven.

However, unlike kitchen ovens, pizza ovens can give your dish a flavour boost especially if you had a wood-burning pizza oven.

With the right cookware and temperatures, you can certainly cook any mouthwatering dishes you want in a pizza oven.

In this article, we’ll share the different irresistible dishes you can cook in a pizza oven so you can put them to optimum use.

We’ll also discuss other useful information about using your pizza oven for various dishes so you can cook any pizza oven dish.

What Can You Cook in a Pizza Oven?

You will be surprised how easy it is to cook a variety of tasty dishes in a pizza oven once you get the hang of controlling the heat.

Dishes that can be easily cooked in a pizza oven include:

• Side Dishes
• Main Dishes
• Breads
• Deserts

Take a look below at all of the dishes you can cook under each subheading.

Side Dishes

A side dish or simply called a side is a food item that is served with the entrée.

It helps diversify the flavours of a meal and can also add vitamins and minerals to the main dish.

Side dishes are generally easy to make and serve and most people prefer a side of simple salad or mashed potato. But why settle for a salad if you can level up your side dishes with a pizza oven?

With a pizza oven, you can make a number of appetizing and healthy side dishes like

• Simple roasted vegetables like green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, and more
• Cheesy roasted potatoes
• Herb roasted carrots
• Baked creamy potato
• Baked beans
• Grilled corn
• Baked goods like bread rolls, garlic bread, and more
• Cheesy baked Brussel sprouts
• Baked egg

When cooking easy-to-cook ingredients like vegetables, the temperature should be between 180 to 250 degrees Celsius. Take note to always mind the temperature of your pizza oven to avoid burning your side dishes.

Main Dishes

The main dish is the highlight of every meal. This dish is extra special and is often composed of fish, meat, and other protein. The entrée can be fried, roasted, simmered, steamed, and even baked.

The main dishes that you can cook in the pizza oven are

• Slow-cooked meats like pork, chicken, beef, and more
• Grilled seafood like fish, shrimp, and more
• Roasted or flamed steak and turkey
• Barbeque
• Stews
• Tray-baked Chicken
• Baked pasta
• Oven-baked sausage
• Casseroles
• Baked salmon and other seafood

Cooking main dishes in a pizza oven often requires temperatures between 90 to 300 degrees Celsius depending on the recipe. Just like cooking side dishes, temperature also plays a major role in cooking the perfect main dish so always keep an eye on it.

Breads

By far, the most popular foods to cook in a pizza oven other than pizza are bread like loaves, flatbreads, and more. To use a pizza oven for baking you just have to make your dough as you would normally do and operate the pizza oven accordingly so you can get the right baking temperature. The temperature could be a tricky part of using the pizza oven for baking. Hence, make sure to always check the temperature so your baked goods will rise properly and will not be undercooked or overcooked.

Here are some of the tasty bread you can bake in a pizza oven.

• Crusty bread
• Bread rolls and loaves
• Focaccia
• Flatbreads
• Sourdough bread
• Pitta bread
• Brioche
• Cinnamon rolls
• Pizza rolls
• Buns

For the most part, your pizza oven should have a temperature that is 200 to 230 degrees Celsius or more depending on what the recipe requires.

Desserts

If you think that you can’t make desserts with a pizza oven. you are certainly mistaken. The versatility of a pizza oven extends to the sweetest part of every meal. A pizza oven allows you to cook luscious desserts that all members of your family will surely love.

Below we’ve listed our best selection of desserts that you can cook in a pizza oven.

• Brownies
• Cake
• S’mores
• French toast
• Baked fruits like apples and bananas
• Pie
• Cookies
• Tart
• Muffin

To prepare your desserts, your pizza oven should be set at a temperature of about 160 to 200 degrees Celsius. As we have mentioned above, always check the temperature to prevent a sudden temperature drop or increase that can affect your desserts negatively.

Dos and Don’ts

There are a number of important dos and don’ts that you should take into account when cooking different dishes in a pizza oven including:

Do use the right cooking tool and cookware that can withstand the pizza oven temperature.

Do set the temperature correctly to prevent undercooking or overcooking.

Do clean your pizza oven after cooking different dishes to prevent leftover scents and flavors from transferring to the next dishes you will cook.

Do use heat-protective gloves in holding pots and pans from the pizza oven.

Do not operate your pizza oven near any flammable materials or items.

Do not use a pizza oven without proper knowledge.

Do not be afraid to try new dishes using a pizza oven.

Pizza Oven Cookware

As we’ve mentioned, if you’re planning to cook a range of alternative foods in your pizza oven you need to ensure you have the right type of cookware.

Whether you’re cooking a steak, chicken, vegetables, or pie the right cookware will keep your pizza oven in good shape and also cook the food to perfection.

Some of the best types of cookware to use are cast iron pans and skillets. If you’re looking to buy some cookware suitable for cooking in a pizza oven take a look at some of the best-selling ones available from Ooni.

Final Thoughts

When cooking in a pizza oven, make sure to always check and maintain the temperature to ensure the best taste.

Using a pizza oven in preparing dishes other than pizza can be pretty weird and scary to try. However, you shouldn’t be discouraged to try cooking new dishes in a pizza oven.

Unlike other cooking appliances, pizza ovens are relatively easy to use with the right tools and knowledge. It can also level up the flavour of your food.

Don’t forget that you can find lots of recipe books in our online shop or failing that head on over to the Ooni website where you can find lots of tasty recipes.

So if you have the chance to cook different dishes in a pizza oven, we highly suggest trying it even once in your life. We know you can do it!