Hawaiian Style Barbecued Pizza

On Oahu’s North Coast, the weather service bases its forecast on how high the waves are going to be that day. You can get a good meal at the Grass Skirt Grill, but be advised that the owner won’t be around if the surf is high. Some things are more important than food, you know.  

Now if you want to bring this laidback feeling home, pizza on the grill is a great way to go. You’ll need a heavy gauge steel pizza pan that has half-inch holes all over the bottom to do the job right. The hot coals will do the rest, permeating your pizza with their smoky flavor. The tanginess of barbecue sauce only accentuates the flavors of this pizza that’s crispy on the bottom and chewy on the top. If you like your pizza a little darker, you can always pop it under the broiler for a good finale.

So go on, exotic up your grill with this fabby Hawaiian style pizza. Kowabunga!

Hawaiian Style Barbecued Pizza

For each 11” pizza

12 ounces pizza dough, your fave or click Here to see ours

½ cup BBQ pizza sauce (see below)

3 slices of Black Forest ham

4 rounds of Hawaiian pineapple, chunked and squeezed

4 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, well drained

Make a hot fire: Light a pile of 30 briquettes in a small kettle grill. When red through and through, spread them into a ring and add 10 fresh briquettes for staying power. Put the grill piece in place and center the perforated pizza pan on top of it. When the pan has heated for 5 minutes, you’re ready to rock and roll.

Make the sauce: For easy barbecue flavor, mix ½ cup of tomato sauce with ½ cup ketchup. Add a teaspoon of dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon each of black pepper and minced garlic, and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Heat the sauce over medium heat until steaming and then stir in ¼ cup of brown sugar. Double quantities if you’re making 4 pizzas.

Build the pizzas, one at a time: Sprinkle a 12” square piece of aluminum foil lightly with flour and set it aside. On a moderately floured counter stretch out 12 ounces of pizza dough into a circle roughly 11” in diameter. Put the dough blank onto the foil.

Top with barbecue pizza sauce, strips of ham, pineapple chunks with the juice squeezed out, and shreds of fresh mozzarella. Top with dried oregano, if desired.

Barbecue the pizzas: Carefully move the pizza on the foil to the barbecue grill and put it in place on the perforated pan. Grill for about 4 minutes, until the dough is puffy. Now put the top onto the kettle grill and bake for about 3 more minutes, until the cheese has melted. Finish under a broiler for another minute if you want the top browned.

When making multiple pizzas, add a handful of fresh briquettes and open the vents between pizzas. It means waiting 10 minutes between pizzas, but no worry. The surf is up and the sound of breaking waves makes a soothing background to an excellent evening treat.

Some tiki torches to add to the ambience? A piña colada or two? Now you’re talking!

Fresh Pineapples for sale at a stand on Oahu's North Coast

The Grass Skirt Grill on Oahu's North Coast. Try the fish special!