25 Foods To Cook In Your Pizza Oven (With Recipes)

Wondering what other food you can you cook in a pizza oven besides pizza? There are many things that a wood fire can take to the next level. A big addition to food is the wood smoke which can add flavor to many different dishes. You can also cook a variety of foods by varying the heat of the oven.

Here is a list of some of my favourite foods which work well cooked in a pizza oven. I’ve picked out the best recipes from across the web to accompany them, so you have some clear instructions to follow.

The clay or brick oven is one of the oldest cooking methods, so its no surprise to see some obvious classics in this list such as roast meat, bread and baked fruit. There are some more modern spins in here too, like the baked brie, and the dessert pizza – so enjoy getting some inspiration.

Also check out my other similar article 15 breads to cook in your pizza oven, to see the different breads you can bake and all the tips how to do it.

Guide To Cooking Temperatures

Here’s a quick guide to oven temperatures and cooking methods. If you want to try one of your favorite recipes in the wood fired oven, you can refer back to this table for guidance.

Fahrenheit	Celsius	Style Of Cooking	What To Cook
750°F +	400°C+	Pizza cooking	Pizza, garlic bread, naan bread
540 – 600°F	280 – 320°C	Grilling	Steak, sardines, shrimp
450 – 540°F	230 – 280°C	Roasting	Turkey, Roast potatoes, whole fish
400 – 450°F	200 – 230°C	Baking Bread	Sourdough, pizza rolls, foccacia
320 – 400°F	160 – 200°C	Baking Desserts	Carrot cake, cinnamon rolls, strawberry cobbler
210 – 250°F	100 – 120°C	Slow cooking	Pulled pork, BBQ ribs, stews

The only way you can really tell the temperature is with an infrared thermometer which are surprisingly cheap on Amazon these days (affiliate link). With this tool you can be accurate in your cooking temperatures, and can adjust the fire if you need to. Always add just one log at a time once there is food cooking in the oven.

It is important to heat the oven to the high temperatures before allowing it to cool back down to your required cooking temperature. This allows the bricks to heat properly so they can retain their heat and cook at a consistent temperature while you bake, roast or slow cook.

Another essential tool for cooking in the wood fired oven is the long handled pizza peel. I wrote an article on the best peels for wood fired ovens for all budgets, if you are considering one.

25 Foods To Cook In A Pizza Oven Besides Pizza:

Barbecued Sardines

Sardines are delicious when cooked against a fire. The heat will char and crisp the skin and the flavor will be fantastic. You can nail the sardines to wood blocks with a clean nail, and face them towards the flames to cook in the simplest of ways. Finish it with some lemon juice.

Get the recipe – Barbecued sardines

Beer Can Chicken

The chicken is lowered onto an upright beer can, so it cooks standing up. It cooks quickly and you can rotate the bird to cook on all sides. The steam from the beer keeps the meat juicy and from drying out in the heat. Remember to drink two thirds of the beer before starting.

Get the recipe – Beer Can Chicken.

Pulled Pork And Smoked Ribs

You can easily turn your pizza oven into a smoker by adding smoking wood or chips and closing the door. Making pulled pork is best “low and slow” to become tender, so you need to let your pizza oven cool down considerably. You can do ribs, brisket and any other of your favorite smokey meats for hours or overnight.

Get the recipe – Pizza Oven Pulled Pork

Steak

You can cook steaks in a cast iron pan, a rack, or straight on the oven floor. Face the fat on the steak towards the flames so that it renders and crisps up. Go for a cut that can stand up to the heat – something with a higher fat content like rib eye, rather than a lean tenderloin.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Ribeye Steak

Corn On The Cob

You can cook these whole, in the husks if you can get them. Soak them beforehand to stop them burning, and then grill on the floor of the oven, turning them often. Let the flesh char but don’t let them burn.

Get the recipe – Woodfired Corn on the Cob

Roast Turkey

Why not try your Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner in your wood fired oven? It’s the perfect option to cook the bird in there and keep your main oven free for the other things which need cooking. Remember that turkeys can get quite large, so check it doesn’t touch the roof of the oven if yours is small.

Get the recipe – Woodfired Christmas Turkey

Gratin Potatoes

This is an easy side dish that can be prepared beforehand and then be ready to be put in the oven to crunch up the cheese topping. The similar dish you can do is potato Dauphinoise which has no cheese, but cream and garlic.

Get the recipe – Gratin Potatoes.

Baked Camembert Or Brie

This is a great appetiser or end to a meal. You need a round cheese that has a rind (and preferably a wooden box) and that will melt well such as Camembert or Brie. It is baked until soft and you dip crusty bread and anything else you fancy into the top.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Camembert

Wood Fired Sourdough

How mouth-watering does that sound? Take your brunch to the next level by making sourdough loafs in your wood fired oven. You can make simpler, no knead bread if you don’t have the time to make a sour dough starter.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Sourdough Bread

Roast Rib Of Beef

Cook your prime cut of beef in the pizza oven for a delectable meal. Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan. You can use space in the roasting pan for other vegetables. Adjust your times for how well cooked you like your meat.

Get the recipe – Rib of Beef with Roasted New & Sweet Potatoes

Maple Plank Salmon

By cooking a fillet of fish on a plank of wood, it adds extra smokiness and keeps the fish moist. The flavors of smoke and salmon are a great combination. The wooden plank is soaked in water before cooking to stop burning. If you don’t have a plank then you can always roast it on vegetables.

Get the recipe – Maple Plank Wood Fired Salmon

Roasted Fish

Whole fish such as this snapper, roast well in a tray surrounded by vegetables, or wrapped up in a parcel of parchment paper. If you stand the fish up vertically, it can be cooked quickly on both sides by rotating the pan it is cooked in.

Get the recipe – Roasted Snapper

Grilled Shrimp

Another great appetiser which pairs great with the wood fired oven, and takes only minutes. The shrimps don’t need long cooking so keep it short so that you don’t over cook them. Finish with lots of lemon.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Basil Shrimp

Garlic Bread

This is fairly similar to your pizza recipes, but can be delicious side dish to another main dish, pizzas or as an appetizer on its own. You can use your regular pizza dough then add crushed garlic, butter, rosemary and olive oil for the winning combination.

Get the recipe – Garlic Bread with Rosemary

Focaccia

A classic Italian bread that is so easy to make with the residual heat of your oven. The dough is very similar to pizza dough so you should be familiar with it, or you can use some left over dough you have. Great dipped in olive oil, or sliced for sandwiches the next day.

Get the recipe – Focaccia Flatbread

Roasted Vegetables And Potatoes

You can use the high heat to roast potatoes and get them crispy, or you can wait until the heat has died down to slow roast mixed vegetables until soft. Potatoes can be baked in their skins. There are lots of things you can do – check the recipe for best recommendations of vegetables.

Get the recipe – Easily Roasted Vegetables in Wood Fired Oven

Roast Leg Of Lamb

Another fantastic roast for your pizza oven, this time it’s lamb with garlic, rosemary and thyme. A leg of lamb is leaner than a shoulder so can dry out if over cooked, but is less fatty. So take which one is your preference, or availability.

Get the recipe – Leg of Lamb or Lamb Shoulder

Pizza Rolls

A great crowd-pleaser if you are cooking for guests. These pizza rolls are covered in cheese and garlic butter and are sure to go down well. Standard pizza dough can be used and you can fill them with absolutely anything.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Pizza Rolls

Naan bread

This Indian flatbread is usually cooked in a hot tandoori oven. Your pizza oven can replicate this method, and get the breads to puff up nicely. Brush them with butter and enjoy with your favorite curries.

Get the recipe – Wood-fired Naan

S’mores

The perfect outdoor sweet treat. This version won’t have everyone burning themselves by reaching into the oven – the marshmallows are toasted in an iron skillet first. Then you bring it out and let everyone help themselves with crackers and fruit.

Get the recipe – Oohey Gooey S’mores

Cinnamon Rolls

You can use left over pizza dough for these rolls, and make a great post-pizza dessert. You can add other fillings too such as Nutella, banana, berries and syrup. Just roll out the dough thinly, and stuff with your favorite fillings before slicing up.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Cinnamon and Raisin Rolls

Wood fired apples

Take the tops off apples and stuff with raisins and cinnamon and sugar. Bake them in the left over heat of your oven and then serve with ice cream for a simple yet tasty dessert.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Cinnamon Apples

Strawberry And Rhubarb Cobbler

Using a cast iron skillet is a great way to cook in the pizza oven as you’ve probably noticed in a few of these recipes. This time filled with fruit and topped with a cobbler topping for a classic dessert. You can do different variations of fruit or pie toppings in your pizza oven.

Get the recipe – Strawberry And Rhubarb Cobbler

Dessert Pizza with Mascarpone and Fruit

A list wouldn’t be complete without adding a dessert pizza. You can top off your pizza party by ending on a sweet pizza. Use your dough and add marscarpone cheese and some fresh fruit for a light finish.

Get the recipe – Dessert Pizza with Mascarpone and FruitD

Carrot Cake

Baking cakes in the wood fired oven is straight forward. You get the oven hot so the bricks radiate heat, then you just need the oven to cool to the temperatures required for baking. This is my favorite cake, the cinnamon, nuts and topping are divine.

Get the recipe – Wood Fired Classic Carrot Cake

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many mouth watering recipes out there for your pizza oven, so don’t restrict yourself to just pizza! Some of the best resources for recipes can be found at The Stone Bake Oven Company and Forno Bravo so check them out if you want more ideas.

You hopefully have some more ideas of what you can cook in a pizza oven besides pizza. You can find more recipes online easily by searching for your dish followed by “wood fired”. Usually a recipe will come up which has been adapted in its times and methods for a wood fired oven.

Enjoy cooking other things in your pizza oven!