Wood-fired pizza ovens are flexible ovens that cook more than just a homemade pizza. In fact, pizza ovens will cook almost anything that you make in a regular oven.
That said, knowing what to put in a wood-fired pizza oven versus a conventional oven is tricky. The good news is that we’re here to help with great recipes.
We’ll take you through some of our favorite pizza oven recipes.
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The Best Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Recipes
Wood-fired pizza ovens like the Ooni Koda have several great recipes. Like standard ovens, you can cook anything from fresh vegetables to meats like brisket.
Here are a few of our What Can You Cook in a Pizza Oven
1. Neapolitan-Style Pizza
Neapolitan-Style pizza is made with fresh tomatoes, a thin crust, and high-temperature ovens. It’s possible to cook a good Neapolitan-Style pizza in less than five minutes. Wood-fired pizza ovens that reach up to 1,000° Fahrenheit, for example, cook delicious pizza in less than eight minutes.
To help your pizza stand out, we recommend adding basil and other spices to the pizza sauce along with fresh mozzarella. Wood-fired pizza ovens can also make other types of pizza. Just make sure you have the supplies you need like a pizza peel and a hot pizza stone.
Another important tip to make pizza is to use an infrared thermometer before putting the pizza in the oven. Doing so will tell you the temperature so you don’t melt the cheese or burn the crust.
Remember, there is a learning curve to making pizza, so don’t panic if it doesn’t go your way the first time. It’s not easy to make the perfect pizza.
2. Whole Chicken
Making a whole rotisserie chicken in a wood-fired pizza oven is also possible. Some ingredients you need for this dish include carrots, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Seasoning the chicken and surrounding it with fresh vegetables adds flavor.
From there, cook the chicken how you prefer. We recommend keeping the oven at a lower temperature like 400° Fahrenheit. It’s also possible to cook a whole chicken in a gas pizza oven with similar results.
3). Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are also exceptional in a pizza oven. The best part about chicken wings is that you can try dozens of flavors. You can try dry rubs with salt and garlic powder, or sauces like a classic Buffalo sauce.
While it’s easy to fry wings or cook them in a regular oven, pizza ovens add a smokey flavor. Our favorite wood-fired pizza oven recipe for chicken wings is Buffalo wings. With this recipe, you only need wings and sauce.
4). Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs contain some of the best meat from the chicken. There are many ways to cook chicken thighs but baked chicken thighs in an oven are the best.
Making chicken thighs is easy in a wood-fired oven. Begin by seasoning the chicken and then add a layer of olive oil to make the skin crispy. Then, place it in your wood-fired oven to add a smokey flavor.
5). Chicken Breast
A chicken breast with a smoky flavor from wood pellets or hot coals is tough to beat. If you don’t want to use the barbecue but want to enjoy honey-garlic chicken breast, wood-fired pizza ovens are perfect.
When making honey-garlic chicken breast add the appropriate seasoning and keep the oven temperature at 400°F. To keep the chicken juicy, add olive oil to cook the skin faster.
6). Roasted Potatoes
A roasted potato is a good potato. While there are hundreds of ways to cook potatoes, you can’t go wrong with a simple recipe. This is where the herb-crusted, oven-roasted roasted potatoes come into play.
The goal with these potatoes is to make the skin crispy but have the inside remain fluffy. To make roasted potatoes add herbs and olive oil, followed by time in the oven. Whether or not you peel them is up to you.
Keep in mind that they take about 20 minutes to cook in an oven at 400°F.
7). Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are similar to potatoes with the main difference being their sweet flavor. Therefore, many of the same recipes apply to sweet potatoes. That said, one of the best recipes for sweet potatoes is roasted sweet potatoes.
Cooking roasted sweet potatoes in a pizza oven is great because you add a smoky flavor. Plus, the high temperatures make the skin crispy when you add water and olive oil. If you’re struggling to keep the potatoes moist in the pizza oven, add more water.
8). French Fries
Who doesn’t like french fries? While they’re usually fried, french fries are also delicious in the oven. Like many other roasted or baked potato recipes, french fries just need olive oil and the right seasoning.
To make homemade french fries in a pizza oven, set the temperature to 450°F. Then, coat the fries in seasoning and olive oil. Place the fries in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Make sure you add water or more olive oil to keep the fries moist.
9). Potato Wedges
Potato wedges are similar to french fries. Essentially, potato wedges are thicker french fries. In a wood-fired pizza oven, potato wedges aren’t difficult to make.
To make baked potato wedges you need to season the potatoes with olive oil and seasoning. This recipe calls for paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and onion powder. Then, the potatoes just need to be cut into wedges and cooked at 400°F for 20 minutes.
10). Potato Chips
Another way to cook potatoes is to make them into chips. There’s something about homemade potato chips that’s more satisfying than buying Doritos at the store. Plus, making potato chips in your backyard pizza oven is easy.
When making potato chips it’s important to cook them at high temperatures. You also want them to be on the dryer side. For seasoning, the recipe calls for keeping it simple with olive oil and salt.
11) Fresh Vegetables
Fresh vegetables are a delicious choice for any occasion. Vegetables make great side dishes and even appetizers. To make fresh vegetables in a wood-fired pizza oven you have a lot of options.
The best vegetables to make include broccoli, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and more. With fresh vegetables, you can also use tomatoes to create your pizza sauce! Don’t be afraid to use one of these fresh vegetable recipes with any meal.
12) Lava Cakes
Wood-fired pizza ovens also make dessert fun. One of the most famous desserts, the lava cake, is simple to make in a pizza oven with the right recipe. To make these cakes you’ll need butter, eggs, chocolate, sugar, and flour.
The recipe calls for mixing these ingredients and placing them in an oven at 350°F for less than 30 minutes. You’ll know the lava cakes are done when the chocolate begins to peak out.
Lava cakes are best in a gas pizza oven because there’s no smoky flavor.
13) Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon rolls are also delicious when you make them in a pizza oven. This recipe calls for dough, flour, cinnamon, eggs, and sugar. Many of these ingredients need to be mixed in a bowl before going into the oven.
When placing cinnamon rolls in a wood-fired pizza oven we have a few tips. First, don’t use baking sheets because they might catch fire. Instead, it’s better to use cooking oil to prevent them from sticking.
We recommend using an indoor pizza oven or a gas pizza oven to cook cinnamon rolls. Wood-fired ovens may add a potent smoky flavor.
14) Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a tasty dessert that many people know and love. While New York cheesecake is the most popular, Basque burnt cheesecake is the best type to make in a pizza oven.
Basque burnt cheesecake requires high oven temperatures of 400°F, so pizza ovens are perfect. Ingredients like eggs and flour are involved in this recipe, so cook the cheesecake fully before serving.
15) S’Mores
S-mores are a fun campfire snack that kids love. However, that doesn’t mean that they need to be reserved for the campfire. Plus, some s’mores recipes are so good that adults love them too.
Wood-fired pizza ovens will help you make s’mores that taste like they’re from the fire. The burning wood pellets emulate this flavor well. All you need to make S’mores in a wood-fired oven is chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows.
Another tip is to have an open flame in the pizza oven to make it easier to roast the s’mores the classic way.
16. Shrimp
A good shrimp dish is also easy to make in a wood-fired pizza oven. Shrimp, like most fish, is juicy and quick to cook. It’s one of the fastest meals you can make in a wood-fired pizza oven with a sub-10-minute cooking time.
The best way to make shrimp in a pizza oven is to have the temperature over 400°F. Then, coat the shrimp in a honey-garlic glaze to make honey-garlic shrimp. The honey-garlic flavor combined with the smoky flavor is to die for.
17) Focaccia Bread
Focaccia bread is a more delicate recipe that requires time and patience. What makes this recipe unique is the preparation. Instead of throwing dough in the oven, there are some extra steps.
The most important difference with this focaccia bread recipe is that the dough needs to be refrigerated for 48 hours. This helps the dough maintain moisture when entering the pizza oven. The moisture is important for keeping the bread fluffy and delicious.
18). Flatbread
Flatbread is similar to pizza in many ways. For this reason, it’s a great meal to make in a pizza oven. Flatbreads are also easy to make and only require a few ingredients like olive oil, mozzarella cheese, and basil.
That said, this flatbread recipe calls for plain yogurt and seasonings like garlic powder. These ingredients along with soaking in lukewarm water help the dough maintain moisture in the hot oven. Flatbreads should have a crispy crust.
19). Stews
This may come as a surprise but it’s possible to make stew in a wood-fired pizza oven. When making stew in a pizza oven it’s best to use a cast-iron skillet to cook the beef. Also, you want to make sure you slow-cook everything to preserve moisture.
To make the perfect stew you want to cook the meat and vegetables in the oven first. You can use your choice of meat and fresh vegetables. Then, everything needs to be slowly cooked in a larger pot.
20). Casseroles
Casseroles are a staple of oven cooking. Many people know how to make a casserole but finding a recipe that stands out is easier said than done. The good news is that we’ve found one of the best recipes.
The Mamaw’s Chicken Casserole recipe can be made in any oven, including pizza ovens. It calls for ingredients like chicken breast, white rice, water, cream of chicken soup, salt/pepper, and butter. When these ingredients are combined the casserole can be cooked in the oven at 400°F for 10-20 minutes.
21). Baked Feta
Cheese is something that’s universally loved. With so many types of cheeses, though, it’s hard to try them all. That said, it’d be a shame if you never got to try Greek-style baked feta.
Greek-style baked feta is a Mediterranean side dish that requires fresh vegetables, olive oil, and feta cheese. Adding oregano also helps with flavor when making this dish in a pizza oven.
22). Steak
Steak is a common dish that people make in frying pans, barbecues, and stoves. However, there’s nothing like a pan-seared steak in a wood-fired pizza oven. The smoke from the wood pellets adds a smoky flavor that’s hard to find in a regular oven.
When making a steak in a pizza oven, it’s best to start by searing the steak. Use a cast-iron skillet with olive oil to sear both sides for a few minutes. Then, crank up the heat and slow-cook the steak in the oven to finish the recipe.
23). Pork
Pork is another great meal to cook in a pizza oven. It’s tasty in a pizza oven because of the smoky flavor produced by the wood pellets. Pork is also easy to season with olive oil and things like onion powder and garlic powder.
That said, the best pork recipe for a pizza oven is roasted pork. Pork can be roasted as pork loins or pork chops.
24). Salmon
Salmon is usually best when it has a smoky or garlic flavor. However, with a pizza oven, you can combine a potent garlic flavor with a delicious smoked consistency. All you need is olive oil, seasoning, and a wood-fired pizza oven.
The salmon needs to be cooked until it’s flaky and we recommend adding lemon juice for moisture. When cooking salmon in a pizza oven it will taste similar to salmon cooked on a charcoal grill.
It’s also possible to sear the salmon in a cast-iron skillet before placing it in the oven.
25). Tuna
Tuna is another type of fish that’s great in a pizza oven. Like salmon and steak, tuna is best when you pan-sear it in a cast-iron skillet first. However, this tuna patty recipe calls for a different approach.
Instead of searing the tuna, you want to make the meat into a patty. We recommend using bread crumbs, olive oil, and eggs to make the best coating. Then, slowly cook the patties in the oven and place them on a roll with cheese.
26). Flounder
Flounder is one of the most flexible fish to cook. While it’s good on a gas grill or in a standard oven, it’s also great in a pizza oven. Pizza ovens give flounder a baked consistency combined with a smoky flavor.
Baked founder is easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. Because the flounder gets dry in ovens fast, we recommend adding lemon juice. Other good seasonings include garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
27). Loaves of Bread
What makes pizza ovens fascinating is the high temperatures they reach. These temperatures are often hot enough to make entire loaves of bread. Our favorite bread recipe for pizza ovens is Ciabatta bread.
Ciabatta bread calls for bread flour, water, instant yeast, salt, and olive oil. When the ingredients are mixed it’s important to let the bread rest for two or three hours. Then, bake the bread in the pizza oven at 450°F for 10 minutes.
28). Dinner Rolls
Dinner rolls are delicious. They’re easy to make in regular ovens but the wood pellets of a wood-fired pizza oven add flavor. In an oven, dinner rolls only take about 30 minutes to cook.
The particular dinner roll recipe that we cover includes a few ingredients. These ingredients include milk, yeast, sugar, egg, butter, salt, and flour. After mixing these ingredients they need to be cooked in the oven until the yeast rises.
29). Salsa Verde
Many people make meals and side dishes in an oven but what about dips? Salsa verde, green salsa, is made in the oven and goes with tortilla chips. It also pairs well with quesadillas and nachos.
To make salsa verde you need onions, tomatillos, jalapeño, and cilantro. These ingredients need to be baked in the oven for about 20 minutes. Then, it’s time to mix other ingredients in the blender to complete the recipe.
30). Nachos
Nachos are one of the best dishes to make for parties. They serve a lot of people and you can add almost anything to nachos. To start, all you need are chips and cheese.
Once you have the chips you can add ingredients like chili, cheese, beef, jalapeños, peppers, salsa, sour cream, and more. While it’s possible to make nachos in a conventional oven they’re better in a pizza oven. The high heat melts the cheese better and adds more crispness to the chips.
31). Quesadilla
Another Spanish dish, quesadillas are great in pizza ovens. A quesadilla is also a flexible dish like nachos because you add almost anything. For example, some quesadillas have beef, while others have chicken.
To make quesadillas you only need a few ingredients. These ingredients are tortillas, cheese, and any meat you want to add. People also add spices like garlic powder and crushed red pepper.
In a pizza oven, quesadillas only take about 10 minutes to cook.
32). BBQ Ribs
Everyone thinks that ribs can only be made on a barbecue. While ribs are delicious on a barbecue, it’s also possible to make them in a pizza oven. The process is almost the same too but works best with wood-fired pizza ovens.
When making BBQ bibs you need to add the sauce first. From there, all you have to do is cook them in the pizza oven to add the smoky flavor. Ribs take about 30 minutes to cook in pizza ovens.
33). Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob is one of the most common side dishes in the United States. What makes it popular is how flexible corn is as a food. Some examples of how you can eat corn include on the cob, off the cob, popped or added to salads.
That said, this specific roasted corn-on-the-cob recipe is special. It only requires corn, a wood-fired pizza oven, and a few key ingredients. These ingredients include butter, salt, garlic powder, and more.
34). Turkey
Turkey is also something you can make in a pizza oven. With holidays like Thanksgiving, turkey has become a popular meat to cook. Unfortunately, some ovens aren’t large enough to accommodate a big turkey.
This is where pizza ovens come into play. Many pizza ovens are large enough to cook a whole turkey. Plus, you can stuff the turkey or add almost any ingredient you want.
35). Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a vegetable stew that’s popular in the summer. It’s not the simplest dish to make but its taste is second-to-none. While it’s hard to cook, it’s a good idea to use an oven for some parts of the process.
Ultimately, to make ratatouille you need a bunch of vegetables cooked and mixed. You can either cook these vegetables in a cast-iron pan or the oven. We recommend cooking them in the pan first and then moving them to the oven.
36). Brownies
Brownies are a popular dessert because they’re delicious and easy to make. All you need are eggs, flour, chocolate, butter, and a few more ingredients to make brownies. Brownies are also fun to bake because you can add things like sprinkles.
All that said, brownies are the best in an outdoor pizza oven. The fire from the wood pellets does a great job of making the corners crispy but the inside gooey.
37). Hot Dogs
Hot dogs are usually reserved for the gas grill. However, hot dogs are great when you get creative with them. A great example is a gourmet hot dog recipe.
Gourmet hot dogs typically consist of a hot dog that’s combined with other ingredients. Many gourmet hot dogs are encased in pizza dough or other types of dough.
These hot dogs can also be made in gas-powered ovens or portable pizza ovens. Unfortunately, the flavor doesn’t compare to pizza ovens.
38). Onion Rings
Onion rings are a staple side dish. They’re also tasty on burgers and even on homemade pizza. To make onion rings in a pizza oven there is a simple recipe for you to follow.
The recipe focuses on combining flavors that bring out the taste of the onion. So, a great way to add flavor is with garlic and onion powder. You’ll also need dough or bread crumbs to create the fried-looking shell.
39). Apple Pie
Apple pie is another dessert that’s simple to make in a pizza oven. To make apple pie all you need is pie crust, fresh apples, sugar, cinnamon, flour, nutmeg, eggs, and lemon. When in the pizza oven, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook.
Wood-fired pizza ovens are great for apple pie because they add an element of flavor. For example, Ooni pizza ovens are well-known for adding smoky flavors to apple pie that make it unique.
40). Jalapeño Poppers
Jalapeño poppers require intense heat to cook properly but the process is worth it. Good jalapeño poppers don’t take a lot of time to cook and come out great in natural gas ovens. To begin, you’ll need jalapeños and bread crumbs.
Once you have the ingredients you want to place the poppers at the back of the oven on the oven floor. Doing so maximizes the amount of heat they get. Once you have the right temperature let the poppers cook for about 30 minutes.
Looking for more recipes for your pizza party? Check out some of our other articles below:
- Best Appetizers & Sides for Your Pizza Party
- Topping Ideas for a Pizza Party
- Easy Outdoor Pizza Dough Recipe
As someone from Long Island, New York, Thomas knows what it takes to make a good pizza. He understands that it’s a combination of high-quality ingredients, well-rounded pizza ovens, and a little bit of love. From the dough of a Neapolitan-style pizza to the wood that powers a wood-fired pizza oven, he has you covered. Thomas’ love of pizza is what got him here and he hopes that you’ll enjoy pizza as much as he does soon.
