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

November 9, 2026
How to Reheat Pizza: Skillet, Oven, Air Fryer, Microwave

We're open until 3 AM, 365 days a year, so plenty of our pies get boxed up at midnight and eaten the next day. The best way to reheat pizza is in a covered skillet: a slice, a lid and medium-low heat for a few minutes. The oven wins for a crowd, and the air fryer is the quick pick for one or two slices. Here is how to do each one, with times, temperatures and the mistakes that turn a good crust into cardboard.

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TL;DR

  • Best for 1 to 3 slices: a covered skillet. Crisp bottom, melted cheese, about 2 to 10 minutes depending on the method you pick.
  • Best for a crowd: a hot oven with a stone or a foil-lined sheet pan, around 6 to 15 minutes.
  • Fastest crisp: the air fryer at a moderate temperature, roughly 2 to 6 minutes. Watch it closely.
  • Microwave: works in a pinch if you add a cup of water and heat in short bursts.
  • Safety: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat until hot and steaming.

Table of Contents

Why leftover pizza goes wrong

Fresh pizza is a balance. The crust is crisp outside and tender inside, the cheese is molten, and the toppings are hot. In the fridge, that balance breaks. The crust firms up and the cheese sets.

Part of this is staling. King Arthur Baking explains that reheating to at least 140°F temporarily reverses staling, because the crust starches break down and absorb water again. So the goal is simple: get the slice hot enough to relax the crust without drying it out.

That creates two competing jobs. The bottom needs direct, dry heat to crisp. The top needs gentle, moist heat to melt. America's Test Kitchen frames the skillet method as solving exactly that: a little water and a cover for steam up top, then oil after uncovering to crisp the base.

Every method below is a different answer to the same puzzle.

The quick comparison

MethodBest forTypical timeCrustCheese
Covered skillet1 to 3 slices2 to 10 minCrisp bottomMelty
Oven4+ slices6 to 15 minCrisp, evenBubbly
Air fryer1 to 2 slices2 to 6 minCrisp, edges brownMelty
MicrowaveOne slice, no time1 to 3 min in burstsSofterHot

Times come from the sources linked in each section. Your pizza's thickness, your pan and your appliance change the numbers, so check early.

How to reheat pizza in a skillet

This is the method most food writers and chefs land on. Allrecipes reports a chefs' consensus that a stovetop skillet is the best option. A nonstick or cast-iron pan works well.

There are a few good versions. Pick the one that fits your patience.

The cold-start covered skillet

This one is the easiest and the hardest to burn.

  1. Set one to three slices in a cold nonstick or cast-iron skillet.
  2. Put a lid on top.
  3. Turn the heat to medium-low.
  4. Cook until the cheese is bubbling.

King Arthur Baking says this takes 6 to 10 minutes. Serious Eats also starts with a cold pan and a tight-fitting lid, and keeps it to about 2 to 3 slices at a time. Its key idea is to heat below the boiling point of water, 212°F, so the slice loses as little moisture as possible.

If the lid is glass, you can watch the cheese. If not, lift it at 5 minutes.

The fast skillet with a splash of water

If you're hungry now, this one is quicker. Good Housekeeping cooks a slice in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until the crust is crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water around the edge of the pan, cover, drop the heat to low and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute. The steam melts the cheese.

The fast skillet with a splash of water

Food & Wine uses a similar idea. Heat a large nonstick skillet until water droplets dance, add the pizza with about 8 water droplets, cover and heat for about 2 minutes. The steam keeps the toppings from drying while the crust re-crisps.

Skillet tips that matter

  • Don't crowd the pan. A slice that touches its neighbor steams instead of crisps.
  • Use a lid that really fits. Loose lids let the steam out.
  • Medium-low is plenty. High heat browns the bottom before the top is warm.
  • For more slices than one pan holds, King Arthur suggests a griddle with an overturned metal baking pan on top.

How to reheat pizza in the oven

The oven is the right call when you have half a box. It heats every slice evenly and needs no babysitting.

The hot oven method

For multiple slices, Good Housekeeping uses a pizza stone or a foil-lined baking sheet in a 425°F oven. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, which takes 6 to 8 minutes.

The 350°F covered method

If you want the gentler route, Delish preheats the oven to 350°F. Arrange the pizza on a sheet pan, cover it with aluminum foil and put it on the lowest rack. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes and gives a hot slice with a crisp bottom and a melty top.

So, how long at 350°F? Plan on 10 to 15 minutes covered, and check at 10.

The cold oven trick

America's Test Kitchen starts with a cold oven. Its oven method heats the underside through direct contact with a hot surface. Foil prevents drying. The slow start gives moisture time to release so the hard crust softens before it crisps from the bottom up.

Oven tips

  • Put the pan on the lowest rack so the bottom gets the most heat.
  • Use foil for the first part, then uncover for a minute if you want more crunch.
  • Line the sheet pan if you don't want cheese welded to it.
  • Heating a pan or stone while the oven preheats gives you a head start on the crust.

How to reheat pizza in an air fryer

An air fryer is a small, fast convection oven. That speed is the appeal, and also the risk. Circulating air can dry out and overbrown a slice.

Here are the numbers from three sources:

The range is wide because air fryers vary. Start low and short, then add a minute at a time.

America's Test Kitchen adds moisture to balance the dry air: a slick of water and damp hands on the crust. It then uses a moderate 350°F so the cheese melts and the bottom recrisps just as the edges brown.

Air fryer tips

  • Single layer only. Stacked slices stay cold in the middle.
  • Cut a large slice in half if it won't lie flat.
  • Check at 2 minutes. Thin crust can go from crisp to burnt fast.
  • Lightweight toppings can blow around, so tuck loose pieces back onto the cheese.

How to reheat pizza in the microwave

The microwave heats water molecules, which is why a plain slice turns soft and chewy. You can fix a lot of that.

Maytag's guide recommends a microwavable plate, a cup of water and incremental heating for a crisper crust. The cup of water soaks up some of the energy, so the crust doesn't turn rubbery. Short bursts let you stop the moment the cheese melts.

It isn't the crispiest path. But it's the right one when you have a minute, a break room and one slice. If you have two more minutes, finish the slice in a dry skillet for the crust.

Which method should you pick?

Here is how we'd choose.

  • One or two slices, you want it great: covered skillet.
  • Half a box or more: oven on a sheet pan or stone.
  • One or two slices, you want it fast: air fryer, watched closely.
  • Office lunch, no stove: microwave with a cup of water.
  • Thin crust: go gentler. Skillet or a lower oven temperature keeps it from drying.
  • Thick crust or a loaded pie: give it more time at lower heat so the center warms through.

Crust style changes the game too. If you like to plan for it when you order, our guide to hand tossed vs thin crust has the exact phrases to ask for crunch or chew. And toppings matter: wet ones soften the crust in the fridge, so see our pizza topping combinations that keep crust crisp.

Common reheating mistakes

  1. Starting with a screaming-hot pan. The bottom burns while the top stays cold. Use medium-low and a lid.
  2. Skipping the cover. Without steam, cheese stays stiff and toppings dry out.
  3. Piling slices up. They steam each other. Give each one room.
  4. Walking away from the air fryer. A minute too long is the difference between crisp and scorched.
  5. Microwaving for one long stretch. Use bursts, and add water to the setup.
  6. Reheating from the box at room temperature, forgotten for hours. See the next section.

Reheating pizza safely

Good reheating starts before the heat goes on. The USDA's FoodSafety.gov says perishable food should be refrigerated within two hours, and within one hour if it has sat in temperatures above 90°F, like a hot car. After that, it sits in the "Danger Zone" between 40°F and 140°F where bacteria multiply quickly. Leftovers are best eaten within four days, or frozen for later.

When you reheat, go for hot all the way through. Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center says to reheat thoroughly to 165°F or until hot and steaming. A cheese pull that stretches and a center you can't touch for a second are good signs. A thermometer in the thickest part removes the guesswork.

If you're hosting and want pizza to stay hot in the first place, we wrote a guide on how to keep pizza hot and safe at 140°F. If anyone at the table has a food allergy, our breakdown of where the major allergens hide on pizza is worth a look.

Reheating pizza safely

What about reheating other leftovers?

Wings follow the same logic as pizza: dry, direct heat for the skin, no soggy steam. Our post on how to reheat chicken wings gives you times and a method that works.

If pasta is in the box, add a splash of water and warm it gently in a covered pan or in short microwave bursts. Pair leftover slices with something fresh, and our pizza salad pairings will give you ideas.

Our take on leftover pizza

We make our dough fresh in-house every day, and we build every pizza to order. We think that's a big reason our slices hold up well the next day: you start with a real, hand-crafted crust, so there is something worth crisping back up.

Our late-night crowd knows the move. Order a little extra at midnight, and you have lunch sorted for tomorrow. We're open until 3 AM, 365 days a year, holidays included, and our whole menu is pork-free, with beef pepperoni, turkey ham and beef bacon. Zabiha halal is available upon request.

Our favorite reheat at home is the covered skillet. It takes a few minutes, it gets the bottom crunchy, and it brings the cheese back to life. For a full box after a party, we reach for the oven and a sheet pan.

Zio Al's Team

Order fresh, reheat later

Good reheating starts with a good pie. Zio Al's is a family-owned pizzeria with neighborhood locations across Dallas-Fort Worth and in Katy, Texas. We hand-craft pizza, pasta, wings, subs and salads, and we also cater offices and parties.

Zio Al's Pizza & Pasta

Order direct at zioals.com or in the Zio Al's app. The app takes 15% off your first order, and ordering direct means you skip third-party delivery app markups. Pick up or have it delivered, then save a slice for tomorrow.

FAQ

What is the best way to warm up leftover pizza?

For one to three slices, a covered skillet over medium-low heat is the best all-around method. It crisps the bottom while steam melts the cheese. For more slices, use the oven on a stone or foil-lined sheet pan.

How long do you reheat pizza in the oven at 350°F?

Plan on about 10 to 15 minutes. Put the slices on a sheet pan, cover with foil and use the lowest rack, as Delish describes. Check at 10 minutes. If you'd rather use a hotter oven, 425°F takes about 6 to 8 minutes.

Can you reheat pizza in an air fryer?

Yes. Sources range from 350°F for 2 to 4 minutes to 385°F for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the machine and the slice. Start at the low end, keep slices in a single layer and check often.

Is it better to reheat pizza in the oven or the microwave?

The oven gives a crisper crust and more even heat, especially for several slices. The microwave is faster but softer. If you use it, add a cup of water and heat in short bursts.

How do you know reheated pizza is hot enough?

It should be hot and steaming all the way through. Clemson's extension service gives 165°F as the target, so a quick check with a food thermometer in the thickest part is the surest way.

Sources