What Can You Cook In Your Ooni Pizza Oven? (2023)

Pizza is part of the American experience, despite largely originating from Italy. Yet there is a wide range in the quality of pizza we consume. Some of us grew up on $5 fast-food pizzas and frozen pizzas, but as we get older, many of us were exposed to more authentic, wood-fired pies. The unique wood taste and crispier pizza baked in a wood-fired grill are second to none. Of course, if you are like me, you aren't always in the mood to go to a restaurant, and sometimes you don't want to spend that kind of money either.

Fortunately, Ooni has developed an entire line-up of outdoor pizza ovens that reach the maximum temperature necessary for authentic flavoring, and that maximize efficiency and heat retention. And because the max temperature hovers around 950 degrees, the Ooni enables shorter cooking times, meaning you can pump out enough pies to host an entire pizza party.

What Can I Cook In An Ooni?

You can cook everything from pizza to bread, and nearly every meat imaginable in an Ooni pizza oven. Surprisingly, there are several desserts that work well in an Ooni pizza oven too. Really, your own culinary imagination is the only limit.

Ooni is known for being the pizza oven company. They don't dabble in smokers or fire pits, or any other type of outdoor cooking device. And Ooni has done such a great job of cornering the pizza oven market, that Ooni sells nearly as many varieties of pizza ovens as the rest of the market offers combined. It's really incredible when you think about it.

If you read our

The Perfect Homemade Pizza

So, what can I make in an Ooni? We would be remiss to overlook delicious homemade pizza with a crispy pizza crust. The hot pizza stone is essential for cooking authentic, Neapolitan-style pizza, so while

Plus, the beauty of Ooni's line-up is that the brand offers ovens in multiple sizes, and with multiple fuel sources. With a smaller, more portable pizza oven, such as the Ooni Fyra, you can cook 12-inch pizzas, while with the larger ovens you can cook 16-inch pizzas. Pro tip: It is easiest to learn to cook with Ooni by cooking smaller pizzas (easier to maneuver) in a larger oven (more room to work with), so unless you are specifically looking for a pizza oven to take to the beach, we recommend opting for a larger oven.

And about those fuel sources, it is hard to argue that the most authentic and smoky flavor comes from wood, but not everyone wants to manage a wood fire. For those of you looking for simplicity, the Ooni Koda works with propane gas, making it quite easy to manage the temperature level with the turn of a knob. On the other hand, the more portable Ooni Fyra uses wood pellets, and the multi-fuel outdoor pizza ovens, including the Ooni Pro and Ooni Karu, burn wood or gas if you attach the correct propane valve.

So regardless of which style of pizza you want, how big you want to make your pizzas, and how your preferred heat source, Ooni first and foremost is an excellent pizza oven. Fire up Chicago-style pizza or traditional Neapolitan pies. Once you dial in the proper technique in using your Ooni pizza oven, you will wonder why you didn’t perfect fire-cooked pizza sooner.

Of course,

Can You Cook Meat In An Ooni Pizza Oven?

Ooni pizza ovens work well for everything from fish to barbecue to lamb. You can cook nearly any type of meat in an Ooni pizza oven. The main thing you need to consider is whether you have the right tools, because the wooden peel you use for pizzas may be insufficient.

All you have to do is take one glance at the list of recipes on Ooni's website, and you will see how versatile an Ooni pizza oven really is. The idea of a more expensive oven, or especially a purpose-built outdoor oven might seem appealing as part of your backyard makeover dreams, but it isn't necessary for firing up all kinds of delicious recipes designed for the open fire.

Our favorite meat recipes include sizzling steak fajitas, cast-iron pigs-in-a-blanket, roast turkey, and cast-iron honey garlic salmon. If you're not sure where to start, simply head on over to Ooni's list of recipes.

Can you use cast iron in Ooni?

Part of what makes an Ooni pizza oven so versatile is that you can cook with a cast-iron skillet. Cooking directly on the pizza stone works well if you want to fire up a delicious pizza, but the cast iron skillet provides a little more control over certain dishes. If you do plan on cooking with a cast-iron skillet, then we recommend investing in the largest oven Ooni has to offer, simply because the larger size will make it much easier (and safer) to maneuver the skillet.

By the way, Ooni actually offers multiple cast iron products on their website, including a cast iron skillet pan and a cast iron grizzler pan.

Can you Cook Frozen Pizza In Ooni?

Sure, you can cook a frozen pizza in an Ooni oven, but that definitely kills some of the authenticity. You might also struggle to get an even bake. Since the frozen pizza is, well, frozen, the outside of the pizza will cook much faster than the inside of the pizza. This is a little more manageable when you are working with a traditional oven. The fierce heat coming from an Ooni starts to cook the outside of your pizza very quickly.

For best results, make your own dough using an Ooni recipe (it is very specific and requires a 00 type of flour), and follow Ooni's instructions. That's the best way to get great-tasting pizza, but if you want to experiment with adding a smoky flavor to frozen pizza, be our guest.

You Can Make Bread & Desserts Too

Don't forget about the dessert pizzas and delicious loaves of bread! Once Halloween rolls around, you have to try out the chocolate and marshmallow spider web pizza for a fun evening with the family. The adults can always try a caramel-drizzled salted chocolate pizza cookie instead.

And if you want to cook a full three-course meal, you could always start out with garlic knots, honey rolls, soft pretzels, or sourdough ciabatta, all of which can be cooked with your Ooni oven.

What Else Can I Cook In My Ooni Pizza Oven?

Basically, your imagination is the only limit to what you can cook with an Ooni pizza oven, so whether you are looking to cook roasted vegetables or chicken wings, there is a way to get the job done, and using a cast iron grill pan only makes an

Grab some fresh mozzarella and warm up your pizza peel. Once you've mastered homemade pizza, get a little adventurous and try something new! An Ooni oven is perfect for all types of meat and barbecue, and some loaves of bread and desserts too!

Be sure to take care of your Ooni so that you can enjoy it for years to come.