This yummy blend of carbohydrates and cheese with a rich Italian history is a favorite worldwide, with different countries putting their own spin on this great dish.
For so many people, pizza is just the go-to meal.
If you don’t know what you fancy? Pizza.
Can’t be bothered to cook after a long day at work? Pizza.
It is the perfect food for any occasion, so there’s really no question why it is so popular.
As pizza is so popular, a lot of people choose to freeze it so that they can enjoy it at any time. Freezing is great for this, but there is one downside that comes with freezing, and that is defrosting.
Most frozen dishes require being thawed slowly and this can be very frustrating, especially when you are hungry.
For those hungry people who want their pizza quickly, thankfully we have microwaves. These handy devices can be used not only to reheat food, and cook fresh food.
But they can also be used to defrost and cook food that has been frozen. Among these foods that microwaves can cook is, of course, frozen pizza.
So if you are a pizza lover, and you want to be able to eat your pizzas that have been frozen quicker, you’re in the right place.
We’ve put together this guide which is complete with everything that you need to know about cooking frozen pizza in the microwave.
From cooking instructions to timings, we’re giving you all the information you need to make cooking your frozen pizza in the microwave a breeze.
Different Types of Frozen Pizza
Before we go any further, we must acknowledge how vast a type of food pizza is.
Considering it is all grouped together under one name, it is surprising how many different types of pizza you can get. They come in different sizes and different shapes.
They come with cauliflower bases if you want a healthy option, or a variety of different crust types if you want a more traditional base.
That’s without even considering the sauce and topping options that you have.
When you consider all the variations and options that come with pizza, it is clear to see why this food is so popular. It is simply so diverse that it can be tailored specifically to you, and exactly what you want.
If you are looking to cook a frozen pizza, it is likely that you bought that pizza when it was already frozen.
There are a variety of companies that have built their entire brand around producing frozen pizza, and a lot of other companies who produce frozen pizzas as part of their product range.
If you have experience with frozen pizza, you likely have your go-to brand. Some companies produce frozen pizzas that are better than others, but you likely will have found your favorite through trial and error.
Some frozen pizza companies will provide cooking instructions which can be used to cook your pizza in the microwave. But if your go-to brand doesn’t, there’s no need to worry.
Just because the packaging does not list cooking instructions for that pizza, this doesn’t mean that you cannot cook the pizza in the microwave.
So if you want to cook your frozen pizza, but don't know how to because there are no instructions on the box, keep reading to find out how.
Freezing pizza is a great way to preserve the food, and it also means that you eat your pizza whenever it is convenient for you.
If you are a fussy eater, or you have been unable to find a brand of frozen pizza that you like, making your own is an excellent option.
So before we take a look at how you cook a frozen pizza in the microwave, let’s take a look at how you can make your own frozen pizzas.
The first thing you need to do is decide what toppings you want on your pizza. As well as toppings, you should also consider the sauce that you want to use for your pizza and the base that you want to use.
Most people will choose to use the standard ‘pizza dough’ base, however, you could choose a healthier alternative if you want a lighter option.
Should you choose the traditional pizza base, most grocery stores sell ready-made pizza dough, or you can make your own.
If you have bought ready-made pizza dough, it will likely come chilled, so you must let it warm to room temperature before attempting to roll it.
Once your pizza has warmed to room temperature, you can then begin the cooking process. Before you add any toppings to your pizza base, you will need to par-bake the dough. This is an essential part of the process and prepares the base for use in the future.
The frozen pizzas that you buy in a store will have been through the same process to ensure that your pizza tastes nice, even though it has been frozen.
To par-bake the dough, you should preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you have rolled your pizza dough, and then bake it for 3-5 minutes.
You will know that your dough is par-baked when it is dry and puffy while still remaining light in color. If the dough starts to brown, it has been in the oven for too long.
After the pizza dough has been par-baked, you can then begin preparing your pizza. Ideally, you should allow the dough to cool before you begin adding your pizza sauce and the toppings.
Alternatively, you could just freeze the pizza base without the toppings if you can’t decide what toppings you want on your pizza.
Once you are happy with the pizza that you have prepared, you need to pre-freeze it. To do this, you should place your pizza on a baking tray and lay it flat in the freezer for approximately 3 hours.
After that, you can then take your pizzas out of the freezer and wrap it ready for the future.
This is an essential part of the process as it protects the pizza against freezer burn, and ensures that it will remain fresh for future use.
How to Cook Frozen Pizza in the Microwave
So now that you know how to prepare your own frozen pizza, it’s time we move onto how to cook your frozen pizza in the microwave.
There are lots of different options you have when cooking pizza, but if speed and convenience are the most important things to you, the microwave is the best option.
It is a very easy process to complete, but you will notice some changes between pizza that has been cooked in the microwave and pizza that has been cooked in more traditional ways.
If you want to cook your pizza in the microwave, there is no need to defrost it prior as the microwave will do all the work.
Simply take your pizza out of the freezer, remove all of the packaging, and place it on a microwave-safe plate or dish before placing it in the microwave. (A baking sheet works as well as a pizza stone if trying this on a traditional oven rack.)
Close the door and then it’s time to set the timer. The amount of time that it takes to cook your pizza will depend on the size of your pizza and the thickness of the crust.
Assuming that you have set the microwave to the top heat setting, we would recommend cooking a standard 8-9 inch pizza for between 4-6 minutes. This provides the pizza with plenty of time to defrost and cook ready for a scrumptious meal.
We would recommend cooking the pizza for the first 4 minutes straight and then cooking it in 30-second intervals until you determine that it is ready to eat.
As expected, the time that you will need to cook the pizza increases as the size of the pizza increases. We would recommend cooking a 10-inch pizza for between 5-7 minutes, and a 12-inch pizza for 7-11 minutes.
Another common type of pizza that you may have frozen is mini pizzas. These will require a shorter cooking time and will take approximately 5-7 minutes to cook in the microwave.
Finally, you may have french bread pizzas or ‘sub’ pizzas.
Due to the thickness of the dough in these pizzas, you should cook them for between 7-8 minutes.
Please note that these are just general instructions. If you have bought a store-made frozen pizza, and it comes with microwave instructions, you should always follow these instructions.
The cooking instructions on the packaging will be tailored specifically to that pizza so you should always follow them.
However, these cooking times work as excellent guidelines if you have no idea how long you should cook your pizza for.
Factors to Consider
Now that we have established how easy it is to cook your frozen pizza in the microwave, it seems only fair that we outline the things you should consider before doing so.
The main thing that you need to consider is the differences that you will observe in pizza that has been cooked in the microwave.
Microwave ovens are great, but food that has been cooked in a microwave is generally soggier than food that has been cooked in a normal oven.
This is often the case with pizzas that have been cooked in the microwave. It is also made more obvious when pizza is cooked in the microwave as the dough of the pizza will not have browned.
Microwaves do not have a browning function which can make pizza that has been cooked in the microwave appear uncooked.
As well as not being browned, the pizza will also be a lot less crispy than pizza that has been cooked in the oven.
For most people, this will not be an issue as the pizza still tastes exactly the same, the consistency will just be slightly different.
However, if the lack of crispiness in your pizza poses an issue for you, there is a way around this. If you want your pizza to be crispy, there is a thing called a microwave crisper pan which you can buy.
Simply cook your pizza on this dish in the microwave and your crust will be crispier. There are lots of different options available, including this great one, on Amazon.
So if you want the convenience of microwaved pizza, but can’t part with a crispy crust, this is a great way to solve the issue.
But other than the lack of crispiness, pizza that has been cooked in a microwave is virtually the same as any other pizza. It might not taste as great as normal pizza purely because of the lack of crunch.
However, for the convenience of cooking pizza in the microwave, a slight change in the texture is not an issue in most cases.
Summary
In short, cooking frozen pizza in a microwave is a quick and easy way to have pizza ready in minutes.
While 6-10 minutes might seem like a long time to cook something in the microwave, it would take significantly longer to cook the pizza from frozen in the oven.
The pizza may appear slightly different from how it does when cooked in the oven, but it is a quick way to enjoy pizza for your lunch.
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
