Do you love pizza night as much as I do? The tomato sauce, golden brown gooey cheese, and dough come together to make a masterpiece.
Whether it’s making a homemade pie for a night at home or sharing one with a group of friends at your favorite pizza place, most can agree pizza is a delicious meal.
When I order pizza, I tend to order a lot of it. It’s hard to pass up the next biggest size for only a couple dollars more! Plus, I figure leftover pizza is great to have for a quick lunch the next day.
Of course, unless you prefer cold pizza (I won’t fault you – I enjoy a cold slice too), those leftover slices have to be reheated somehow.
There are a lot of different ways to reheat pizza and you will have widely differing results based on the method you use.
My personal favorite method is a toaster oven. It cannot reheat nearly as much pizza as a conventional oven because of its size, but I love the flavor and texture of pizza reheated in the toaster oven the most. It’s also a quick and easy method!
Let’s go through how to reheat your leftover pizza slices in a toaster oven so your pizza tastes as good as it did the first time!
What is a Toaster Oven?
A toaster oven is a compact countertop oven that is perfect for toasting bread and reheating small servings of food. Toaster ovens are ideal for small kitchens as they can be stored away and brought out only when needed. They are a versatile appliance that can replace a toaster and a microwave. Toaster ovens can also be used instead of a conventional oven to save time and energy.
The Benefits of Reheating Pizza in a Toaster Oven
Even heating:Toaster ovens use radiant heat to cook food, which ensures that the heat is distributed evenly throughout the pizza. This means well-cooked, evenly hot pizza.
Quick cook time: Because of their size, toaster ovens preheat quickly and can reheat your pizza in just a few minutes.
Better texture: If you’ve ever reheated pizza in the microwave, you probably know how easily it can become a rubbery or soggy mess. Reheated pizza in the toaster oven has a nice, crispy crust with beautifully heated toppings.
Energy efficiency: A toaster oven uses a lot less electricity to pre-heat and cook than a traditional oven does. If you are reheating just a few slices or even a single slice of pizza, using the toaster oven will save a lot of energy.
Easy method: Reheating pizza in the toaster oven is the easiest way to reheat pizza, besides the microwave method. Using a microwave oven to reheat pizza will always be the easiest, but you do sacrifice flavor and texture. The toaster oven is also quick but gives better results.
How to Reheat Pizza in a Toaster Oven
Reheating pizza in a toaster oven really is easy! In 10-20 minutes, you will have piping hot, crispy and delicious pizza. Here’s how to do it in a few simple steps:
- Preheat the toaster oven: Choose the bake or reheat function on your toaster oven and set the temperature to 350°F. Allow the oven to preheat for 5-10 minutes.
- Prepare your pizza: Right after you start preheating your toaster oven, remove your pizza from the refrigerator. Arrange it in a single layer on the toaster oven baking sheet and allow it to warm at room temperature until your toaster oven is ready to go.
- Place the pizza in the preheated oven: Slide the baking tray into your toaster oven, ensuring that the pizza is not too close to the heating element at the top of the oven. If you like extra crispy pizza, you can put the slices directly onto the wire rack of the toaster oven.
- Reheat the pizza: Set a timer for five minutes (or less if its a very thin slice) and sit back while your pizza reheats. This will take about 5-8 minutes total, though the time will vary based on the toaster oven.
- Check the pizza: After the initial five minutes are up, check your pizza in the center of a slice to see if its warm and melty. If it isn’t heated to your liking, continue to cook the pizza for another 3 minutes, checking every minute to ensure the pizza does not overcook.
- Enjoy your pizza : For best results, allow your pizza to cool for a few minutes after removing it from the toaster oven. Enjoy it just like you would fresh pizza!
Tips for Reheating Pizza in a Toaster Oven
- Watch your pizza closely. Toaster ovens warm food very quickly and you don’t want to burn your slices. This is especially important with thin crust pizza, which cooks faster than other types of pizza.
- An optional way to make your pizza even better is using a little water. Before you put your slice of pizza in the toaster oven, spray it with a spray bottle or sprinkle drops of water with your hand. The bit of moisture will improve the texture of your cheese and help it to melt.
- Use a sheet of aluminum foil on your baking tray or wire rack to prevent melted cheese from making a mess in your toaster oven.
- If you are short on time, you can put your pizza in the toaster oven on the toast function to speed things up. The texture and flavor won’t be as good as following the steps above, but your pizza will be warm and crispy in less time.
- If you find that your pizza is taking a long time to reheat, try turning it up to 400° or 425°. Similarly, turn the temperature down if your pizza is cooking too quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to reheat pizza?
Determining the best option for reheating your pizza depends on the type of pizza, amount of pizza, and your personal preferences. A toaster oven is a great option for reheating small amounts of pizza quickly and getting a crispy crust. Read about all of the alternative methods to reheat pizza in our article here.
How long do you reheat pizza in a toaster oven?
The time will vary based on your toaster oven, but reheating pizza usually takes about 5-8 minutes at 350° F in a toaster oven. If you find that it is taking far longer than that, you can adjust the temperature to 400° or 425°. If your pizza is cooking too quickly or burning, turn your temperature down to 325° or lower.
How do you reheat pizza so it isn’t soggy?
Nobody likes soggy pizza and it is quite a common occurrence when reheating pizza. If you are reheating pizza in the microwave, try a different method. A cast iron skillet, toaster oven, air fryer, and convection oven are all much better options for getting pizza that isn’t chewy or soggy.
Can you reheat frozen pizza in a toaster oven?
You can reheat frozen pizza in a toaster oven, but it’s best to thaw it first. Pizza that is straight from the freezer will take a very long time to reheat in the toaster oven and it will likely be soggy.
To thaw frozen pizza, let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating it or use the defrost function on your toaster oven or microwave. Once it is defrosted, cook according to the directions above.
What’s the best way to store leftover pizza?
Pizza should be kept in the fridge in airtight storage. This can be a leftover container, plastic wrap, or a plastic bag. If you are layering slices of pizza, it’s best to separate them with a sheet of parchment paper to prevent the slices from sticking together.
