Give the bottom crust a head start
- For refrigerated slices, preheat an empty, foil-lined baking sheet at 450°F, then carefully add the pizza.
- Heat for about 10 minutes, until the cheese begins bubbling. Check the center and substantial toppings with a food thermometer; leftovers should reach 165°F.
- Let a slice cool enough to handle, or use oven mitts, before checking whether the crust holds up.
Melted cheese is welcome, but a floppy bottom can leave your leftover slice disappointing. We'd start with a preheated baking sheet because the hot surface helps crisp the base while the toppings warm. Then we'd check the temperature and crust separately, since bubbling cheese only tells you what you can see on top.
Adjust the check to your slices
Look at the crust, toppings and starting temperature before you begin. These differences change when to check the pizza and what to check next.
| Your pizza | What to do |
|---|---|
| Thin crust or fewer toppings | Check before the roughly 10-minute mark. These slices may reheat sooner. |
| Thick or deep-dish crust | Start checking when the cheese bubbles, then allow longer if the middle has not reached 165°F. |
| Thin crust with heavy toppings | Watch the base early because the toppings may warm more slowly. If the base is drying while the top catches up, use the separate 350°F method below for the next batch. |
| Previously cooked pizza, frozen | Reheat it in the oven without thawing. Allow more time than for refrigerated slices and use a food thermometer to check for 165°F. |
| Several slices | Arrange them in one layer on a sheet that fits them. Check the center and toppings of the slices rather than stopping at a timer. |
Heat the empty tray first
The hot-sheet method starts with refrigerated pizza and an empty tray. Keep the pizza out until the oven finishes preheating so its bottom meets a hot surface.
- Choose a baking sheet that fits your slices, line it with foil for easier cleanup, and place it on a rack in the cold oven.
- Set the oven to 450°F and let the empty sheet preheat with it. Wait until the oven has fully reached the set temperature before loading the pizza.
- Carefully remove the hot sheet, arrange the slices in one layer, and return it to the oven. The slices should sit on the heated surface without being stacked.
- Heat until the cheese begins bubbling, about 10 minutes. Then check the middle and substantial toppings with a food thermometer. If either is below 165°F, return the pizza to the oven and check again.
If you're unsure about your oven's ready signal, check what the preheat signal means before loading the tray. Wait until the oven has fully reached 450°F before you take the sheet out.
If your oven isn't heating up, address that problem before continuing with the pizza. This method depends on a preheated oven and a hot baking sheet.
Check that the middle is hot
Bubbling cheese is your cue to check the pizza, not the final temperature check. Use a food thermometer in the middle and in substantial toppings. The safe temperature for leftovers (opens in a new tab) is 165°F (74°C).
If a thick or heavily topped slice is still below 165°F, keep heating and check it again. That check matters more than making every slice follow the same number of minutes.
Use the clock to know when to check
Count the oven's warm-up separately from the time your pizza spends inside. Oven reheating typically takes about 7–12 minutes after preheating, depending on the crust, toppings and temperature. For this 450°F hot-sheet method, begin checking when the cheese bubbles, at about 10 minutes.
Watch a thin base under heavy toppings
Heavy toppings will likely warm more slowly than a thin crust. Watch both parts as they reheat, because too much oven heat can leave the base dry or burnt while the toppings catch up.
We'd check this kind of slice before the estimated time runs out and use the food thermometer to judge the top. If the crust dries out before the toppings are hot, the separate 350°F microwave-to-oven method below gives the next batch a different route.
Check whether the slice holds up
Once the pizza reaches 165°F, check the bottom's firmness. Pick up a slice only after it has cooled enough to handle, or use oven mitts. See whether the crust supports the slice or lets it droop.
If the slice droops and the crust isn't stable, return the baking sheet to the oven for a few more minutes. Stop when the middle and toppings have reached 165°F and the crust has the firmness you want.
Use a separate 350°F method when you're short on time
Another option starts in the microwave and finishes in the oven. It uses a cold oven with the pizza already inside, so choose this approach before preheating an empty tray.
- Microwave the pizza for 30 seconds to begin heating it.
- Transfer the pizza to a tray and place it in a cold oven.
- Set the oven to 350°F, then check the center and substantial toppings when preheating finishes. Remove the pizza once they reach 165°F.
The microwave starts the heating, and the pizza stays in the oven while it warms up. If it needs more heat when preheating finishes, leave it in and check again. Remove the hot tray carefully.
Reheat previously cooked pizza from frozen
You can reheat frozen leftovers in the oven without thawing them first. Give previously cooked frozen pizza longer than a refrigerated slice, then check the middle and substantial toppings with a food thermometer until they reach 165°F.
If you're heating an uncooked frozen pizza instead, follow the time and temperature on its package. Those directions answer a different job from reheating leftovers.
A few details before you choose
Keep the tray setup and finishing checks with the method you choose. The hot-sheet method and the cold-oven method begin differently.
Does the pizza go in while the oven preheats?
For the 450°F method, only the empty, foil-lined baking sheet goes in during preheating. For the separate 350°F method, microwave the pizza for 30 seconds first, then put it on a tray in the cold oven.
What is the foil for?
The foil lining makes cleanup easier. It heats with the empty tray before you add the pizza.
What if the cheese bubbles but the bottom still droops?
Check that the middle and toppings have reached 165°F, then return the sheet for a few more minutes if you want a firmer crust.
Will thick or deep-dish pizza take longer?
It may. Check the middle with a food thermometer and continue heating until it reaches 165°F.
Can I reheat cooked pizza from frozen?
Yes. Reheat it in the oven without thawing, allow more time, and check for 165°F in the middle and substantial toppings.
How should I reheat several slices?
Choose a sheet that fits them in one layer, then check the food in the middle and toppings instead of relying on the timer alone.
More in this category