How to Reheat Leftover Pizza So It Actually Tastes Good
The best way to reheat pizza is in a skillet on the stovetop. Cover it for a couple of minutes over medium-low heat and the bottom crisps while the cheese melts evenly. The microwave is the worst way, because it steams the crust soft. The oven works well but takes longer. The skillet gives you the best result in the least time.
- Skillet wins. A covered pan crisps the bottom and melts the top at the same time, which nothing else does as fast.
- Oven is the reliable runner-up. A hot oven and a few extra minutes gets you close to fresh, and it handles more slices at once.
- Skip the microwave. It heats fast but steams the crust into something soft and chewy in the wrong way.
- Thicker crust needs more patience. Original crust holds more heat and takes a little longer than Thin to warm all the way through.
Cold pizza has its defenders, and that is fine. But reheated pizza, done right, is better than the cold slice and nearly as good as the first night. The trick is understanding what each method does to the crust, because the crust is where reheating goes wrong.
The Tier List
Best: The Skillet
Put the slice in a dry nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. After a minute or two, when the bottom is warming, add a couple of drops of water to the pan away from the slice and cover it with a lid. The steam melts the cheese while the direct heat crisps the crust. A few minutes total and you have a slice with a crisp bottom and fully melted top. Nothing else does both jobs at once.
Great: The Oven
Heat the oven and place the slices directly on the rack or on a preheated sheet or stone. This gets you very close to fresh, and it is the right call when you are reheating for more than one person. It takes longer than the skillet and uses more energy to warm up, but the result is even and reliable. A preheated surface under the crust is the difference between good and great here.
Fine in a Pinch: The Air Fryer
An air fryer reheats a slice or two quickly and keeps the crust crisp, since it is essentially a small convection oven. Watch it closely, because the smaller space and strong airflow can push the edges past crisp and into hard faster than you expect.
Last Resort: The Microwave
The microwave is fast, and speed is its only virtue. It heats the moisture inside the crust and steams it soft, so you trade a crisp slice for a floppy one. If the microwave is genuinely your only option, set a glass of water inside next to the slice and heat in short bursts. It helps a little. It does not make the microwave good.
Crust Changes the Method
How you reheat depends on what you are reheating. Godfather’s Original crust is thick and chewy, so it holds more heat and takes longer to warm through, which makes the oven or a patient skillet the better call. Thin crust is light and crispy and comes back fast, so the skillet handles it in a couple of minutes. Golden crust, our buttery pan-style, crisps up beautifully in a skillet because the pan reintroduces exactly the kind of bottom heat that made it good in the first place.
No leftovers to reheat? Godfather’s Pizza on Highway 151 has you covered from the start. Order online or call ahead and skip the reheating question entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to reheat pizza?
A covered skillet over medium-low heat. It crisps the bottom crust and melts the cheese at the same time, in just a few minutes, which no other method does as well or as fast.
Why does microwaved pizza get soggy?
The microwave heats the water inside the crust and turns it to steam, which softens the crust from the inside. That is the opposite of what you want, which is why the microwave is the least good option.
Can you reheat pizza in an air fryer?
Yes. An air fryer works like a small convection oven and keeps the crust crisp. Just watch it closely, because the strong airflow can take the edges from crisp to hard quickly.
How do you reheat a lot of slices at once?
Use the oven. A preheated sheet pan or stone lets you warm several slices evenly at the same time, which a single skillet cannot do.
Is it safe to eat leftover pizza?
Pizza that has been refrigerated promptly and eaten within a few days is generally fine. Pizza left out at room temperature for many hours is not. When in doubt, refrigerate it soon after the meal and reheat it thoroughly.