How to Set Up Your Big Green Egg for Pizza
Learn how to set up your Big Green Egg for perfect homemade pizza with the right heat, stone placement, and airflow for a crisp, evenly cooked crust. It’s one of our favorite things to grill, and you’re going to love every bite!
Reasons the Big Green Egg makes great pizza:
- The Egg reaches those high, wood‑fired temperatures that give pizza its blistered edges and perfectly crisp bottom.
- Its ceramic design holds heat beautifully, so your pizza cooks evenly without hot spots or burnt patches.
- Lump charcoal adds that subtle smoky flavor you just can’t get from a regular oven.
- The preheated stone holds steady heat, so your crust cooks fast and evenly every single time.
What You’ll Need:
- Big Green Egg
- lump charcoal
- electric starter
- ConvEGGtor/plate setter
- pizza stone
- heat-resistant gloves
- pizza peel
How to Prep the Big Green Egg:
NOTE: Before grilling pizza, it’s always a good idea to clean out the ashes in your Big Green Egg. A clear firebox helps the charcoal burn hotter and more evenly, which is exactly what you want for that crisp, blistered pizza crust.
Step 1
Add charcoal. Fill the Big Green Egg with fresh lump charcoal.
Step 2
Light grill. Use an electric starter to light the egg and heat up. Open the top of the Egg and open vents (both the daisy wheel and the lower vent).
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Step 3
Set up heat zones. Add the ConvEGGtor for indirect heat. Position it legs-down and place the pizza stone on top so that it reaches high heat gradually.
Step 4
Let the grill heat up. Let the grill heat up to desired temperatures for making pizza – usually between 550-650 degrees F. Let it stabilize by adjusting vents as needed.
Step 5
Add wood chips (optional). Add a few wood chips to the fire for some extra smokiness right before you put the pizza on, if desired.
What you need for homemade pizza:
- pizza dough or flatbread – we love using our quick pizza dough, sourdough discard pizza, or flatbread pizza
- pizza sauce – we rotate between Pizza Sauce From Scratch, Vodka Pizza Sauce Recipe, White Sauce Pizza Recipe, Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce, or store-bought sauce (like taco sauce for copycat Godfather’s taco pizza)
- meats, cheese, other toppings
- cornmeal
For all of our pizza-making ideas, check out Best Pizza Toppings round-up post!
How do you stabilize the Big Green Egg for high heat:
- Start with plenty of charcoal. High heat burns coal quickly so you’ll want plenty to start with.
- Light the coal in 2-3 spots. More ignition points = faster, more even heat.
- Open the vents wide at first. Open the daisy wheel all the way and fully open the bottom vent to start with. This gets the Egg roaring and helps it climb quickly.
- Add your ConvEGGtor and pizza stone early. Let everything heat up together as the egg gets hot.
- Let the heat go a little higher at first. Let the egg heat over the desired temperature.
- Dial the vents back slowly. Once you’re at your heat target, slowly start to adjust vents so the heat level stays consistent. You’ll want the daisy wheel to be mostly open and the bottom vent about 1-2 inches open.
- Let the BGE settle. Let the Egg sit for 10–15 minutes at your target temp so the ceramic, stone, and air inside all equalize. That’s what creates that steady, wood‑fired pizza environment.
How to make pizza on the Big Green Egg:
- Add some cornmeal to a large sheet of parchment paper.
- Roll out pizza dough and add it to the parchment.
- Add toppings.
- Place pizza (with high-heat parchment paper) on the pizza stone and close lid.
- Let pizza cook to your liking, about 6-7 minutes depending on your heat level.
- Remove and enjoy.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Aim for 550–650°F. That range gives you a crisp bottom, bubbly cheese, and quick cook time. Let the Egg settle at your target temp for 10–15 minutes before launching the pizza.
Yes. The ConvEGGtor creates indirect heat so the bottom of the pizza doesn’t burn.
At least 20–30 minutes. The stone needs to be fully heated to give the dough that instant sizzle and prevent a pale or soggy crust.
Start with plenty of lump charcoal, open the vents wide to get the fire going, then slowly dial them back as you approach your target temp. Give the Egg time to settle so the ceramic and stone equalize.
Usually 6–10 minutes depending on temperature, dough thickness, and toppings. Keep an eye on the crust and rotate once if needed.
Yes. The stone stays hot, and the Egg holds heat well. Just give the dome a minute or two between pizzas to recover temperature.
Let’s eat pizza!!