How to Reheat Pizza: Skillet, Oven, Air Fryer and Microwave Compared

How to reheat leftover pizza so the base crisps and the cheese melts: a covered skillet, a low oven, an air fryer or the microwave, plus federal guidance on storing leftovers safely.

By Jay Arr Published Updated

Reheating pizza is two jobs at once: bringing back a crust that has gone stiff and dry, and heating the cheese and toppings through without drying them out or burning the base. The methods below balance those two differently, so the right one depends on how many slices you have and how much time.

Why leftover pizza goes stale

As a baked crust cools, its starch begins to recrystallize. Modernist Pizza calls this retrogradation, the technical term for staling, and it’s why a slice from the fridge is firm and dry. Heat reverses much of it: writing about cooked grains, the book notes that retrograded starch softens again when it’s reheated.

Some pizzas reheat better than others. Modernist Pizza observes that pizzas with a little oil in the dough reheat better than oil-free ones, which tend to taste drier, and that most pizzas sold by the slice contain some oil. A Neapolitan-style pizza, made without oil and meant to be eaten straight from the oven, has the most to lose.

Method 1: Covered skillet, for one or two slices

This is America’s Test Kitchen’s method:

  1. Put one slice in a nonstick skillet. Add ½ teaspoon of water to the pan, where it won’t touch the pizza.
  2. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until the water has evaporated, the toppings are hot and the cheese has melted.
  3. Uncover, add ½ teaspoon of oil and swirl it around the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the base is lightly crisp.

The steam heats the top while the pan heats the base, and the last uncovered minute or two crisps it. It takes 7 to 8 minutes in all.

Method 2: Low oven, for several slices

Also from America’s Test Kitchen:

  1. Put the cold slices on a rimmed sheet pan and cover it tightly with foil.
  2. Set the pan on the bottom rack of a cold oven, then set the oven to 275°F (135°C).
  3. Heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the base is crisp and the cheese has melted.

It’s slower, but it handles several slices at once.

Method 3: Air fryer

An air fryer circulates hot air around the slice. COSORI’s reheating guide gives thin-crust pizza 350°F (175°C) for 3 to 4 minutes, thick crust 320°F (160°C) for 3 to 5 minutes, and heavily topped pizza 325°F (165°C) for 5 minutes, and Philips lists leftover pizza among the foods its Airfryer can reheat. Treat those as starting points for your own appliance and slice, not a promise that the pizza is hot through: put the slices in a single layer without overlapping, follow your model’s manual, check early and use a food thermometer.

Method 4: Microwave

The microwave is the quickest way to heat a slice through. A microwave heats the food; a cover traps moisture and helps it heat evenly. Ordinary microwave reheating doesn’t normally brown or crisp the crust, so expect a soft base. USDA’s advice for reheating in a microwave: cover the food loosely, leaving a vent, rotate it for even heating, let it stand briefly, and check the temperature in several places, because microwaves heat unevenly.

Storing leftovers safely

Federal food-safety guidance from FoodSafety.gov and USDA, applied to pizza:

  • Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C), in a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Bacteria grow rapidly between 40 and 140°F (4 and 60°C). Pizza left out longer, including overnight on the counter, should be thrown away.
  • Cool it quickly and wrap it well. Cut it into smaller portions, then cover it, wrap it airtight or seal it in a container. That keeps out bacteria, holds in moisture and stops it picking up fridge smells.
  • Use refrigerated pizza within 3 to 4 days. That’s FoodSafety.gov’s storage chart for leftover pizza.
  • Freeze for longer. The same chart gives frozen pizza 1 to 2 months for best quality. Kept frozen continuously at 0°F (−18°C), it stays safe indefinitely but keeps losing quality, and freezing doesn’t make up for pizza that was mishandled before it went in.
  • Thaw it in the fridge, or reheat it straight from frozen, which is safe but takes longer.
  • Reheat to 165°F (74°C), measured with a food thermometer.

America’s Test Kitchen adds one more rule: don’t reheat slices with uncooked toppings such as pesto or raw vegetables. Eat those cold.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to reheat one slice of pizza?
A covered skillet. America's Test Kitchen puts the slice in a nonstick skillet with half a teaspoon of water beside it, covers it and cooks over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, then uncovers it, adds half a teaspoon of oil and crisps the base over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
How do I reheat pizza in the oven?
America's Test Kitchen covers the slices on a rimmed sheet pan with foil, puts the pan on the bottom rack of a cold oven, sets the oven to 275°F and heats them for 25 to 30 minutes, until the base is crisp and the cheese has melted. Federal food-safety guidance is to reheat leftovers to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer.
How long does leftover pizza last in the fridge?
FoodSafety.gov's storage chart gives leftover pizza 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, as long as it went into the fridge within 2 hours of baking, or within 1 hour if the room was above 90°F. For longer storage, freeze it: the same chart gives frozen pizza 1 to 2 months for best quality.
Is pizza left out overnight safe to eat?
Federal food-safety guidance is to throw away perishable food that has been at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour above 90°F. Bacteria grow rapidly between 40 and 140°F, and reheating isn't a fix for food that has been left out too long.
Can I reheat frozen pizza without thawing it?
Yes. USDA's leftovers guidance says it is safe to reheat frozen leftovers without thawing them first; it just takes longer. Reheat until the pizza reaches 165°F. If you'd rather thaw it first, do it in the refrigerator.

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