Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza
Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza – It’s easy to make classic thick-crust pan pizza at home with a cast iron skillet. Use homemade or store-bought dough, load it up with your favorite toppings, bake, and enjoy!
Why We Love This Deep Dish Pizza
Our classic crock pot version (you read that right) of this recipe has long been a reader favorite. It’s pretty great because the slow steaming makes the pizza crust super soft and fluffy on the inside and crisp around the edges. However, this Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza recipe is faster to make, and just as tasty. Cooking the pizza pie in a cast iron skillet also creates ultra-crisp edges with a crunchy golden bottom.
We’re big fans of traditional Chicago pizza, traditionally loaded with cheese and sausage on the bottom and a thick tomato sauce on top. However, you can add any toppings you like to this cast iron pizza! Feel free to include a variety of cooked meats to taste (like pepperoni and ham), or make as a vegetarian pizza recipe with lots of chopped veggies. Or do a combo of both! Even an all-cheese pizza is terrific if you prefer.
With readymade dough (homemade or store-bought), the Chicago deep-dish pizza recipe takes only about an hour to prepare and bake. So, any night of the week is great for a family pizza party!
Ingredients You Need
- Olive oil – or preferred neutral-tasting oil
- Cornmeal – to keep the crust from sticking to the pan
- Pizza dough – homemade or store-bought
- Butter – unsalted melted butter
- Onion – chopped
- Garlic – minced
- Crushed tomatoes – unsalted
- Italian seasoning – use homemade which includes a combination of oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram or store-bought
- Granulated sugar – to balance the savory and salty flavors
- Salt
- Italian sausage – cooked
- Italian cheese blend – or mozzarella
- Parmesan cheese – grated
- Fresh parsley – chopped
This recipe includes an easy homemade tomato sauce. However, for faster prep, you can use a chunky store-bought pizza sauce.
How to Make Chicago Pizza in a Cast Iron Pan
- Prepare a large 12 – 14-inch deep cast iron skillet by brushing it with olive oil and sprinkling a layer of cornmeal on the bottom. Lightly flour a clean work surface, then roll out the pizza dough into a circle that’s 2 inches wider than the skillet’s base. For a 12-inch skillet, this means rolling the dough into a 14-inch circle.
- Transfer the dough to the skillet, pressing it up along the sides. Set it aside to rest while you prepare the sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and position one rack at the lowest level.
- Place a separate skillet over medium heat and add the sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it browns. Once fully cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
- To make the pizza sauce, place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the butter, chopped onion, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar, and salt, then let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Next, evenly spread the shredded cheese across the bottom of the pizza crust.
- Layer the cooked sausage over the cheese. Carefully lift the edges of the pizza crust to form a rim around the fillings.
- Spread the chunky tomato sauce evenly over the sausage.
Get the Complete (Printable) Cast Iron Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
- Bake on the lowest rack for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown.
- Once out of the oven, sprinkle the top evenly with parmesan cheese and parsley.
- Slice and serve warm.
Suggestions for Fillings and Toppings
Our favorite filling for the pizza is browned sausage, but you can also use or add pepperoni, chopped ham, pieces of Canadian bacon, crispy crumbled bacon, cooked sliced chicken… Or just about any cooked protein you prefer!
If you want to include veggies like mushrooms, olives, spinach, plum tomatoes, or green peppers, I suggest you cook them in the skillet along with your meat (if using) before adding to the pizza. If you add them raw they will release moisture into the filling and make the crust soggy.
These cooked vegetables can also be added to the top of the cast iron pizza after it bakes!
Serving Suggestions
Deep dish pairs well with salads like Caesar Salad to balance the hearty, savory flavors of the pizza. If you want a more indulgent meal, consider serving it alongside garlic bread or breadsticks to complement the warm, comforting nature of the dish.
For additional sides, roasted vegetables or even a fruit salad add a light and flavorful touch that pairs well with the rich ingredients of the deep dish pizza.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Skip the original recipe with sausage and instead saute your favorite chopped vegetables before adding to the Chicago-style pizza filling.
Simply use your favorite store-bought or homemade GF-friendly pizza dough!
Leftover cast iron pizza will keep well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Let the leftovers cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or wrapping in plastic wrap or cling wrap. Pieces can be microwaved, but I highly suggest that you reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or so.
Yes, you can divide this recipe into two 9-inch cake pans. However, baking time must be reduced to 15-20 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges of the crust before lifting the pies out of the pans.
Looking For More Scrumptious Cast Iron Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
- Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Skillet
- Roman Chicken with Peppers and Onions
- Perfect Tamale Pie Recipe
- Cottage Pie Recipe (Best Shepherds Pie)
Get the Complete (Printable) Cast Iron Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Cast Iron Deep Dish Recipe (Chicago-Style!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 1 pound pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning homemade or store-bought
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound Italian pork sausage cooked
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Set out a large 12-14 inch deep-dish cast iron skillet. Brush the skillet with olive oil, then sprinkle the bottom with cornmeal. Flour a clean work surface and roll the pizza dough out into a circle, 2 inches wider than the bottom of the skillet. (So a 14-inch circle for a 12 inch skillet.) Move the crust to the skillet and press the dough around the sides of the skillet. Let it rest while you make the sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Move one rack to the lowest position.
- Set a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and break it apart with a wooden spoon as it browns. Once cooked, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Set a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped onion, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes to soften. Then add in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Spread the shredded cheese in an even layer over the bottom of the pizza crust. Cover the cheese with the cooked sausage. Gently pull the edges of the pizza crust up the create a rim around the fillings. Then spread the chunky tomato sauce over the sausage.
- Bake on the lowest rack for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown.
- Once out of the oven, sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and parsley. Cut and serve.
I tried making a chicago style deep dish in my lodge cast iron and it was only ok. After looking up some recipes and settling on this one, I realized cornmeal is a common ingredient that I left out. Not only does it help it from sticking, but it provides that texture on the bottom that’s commonly found at a lot of the restaurants. Thanks a lot for sharing this!
I love this recipe! I have made it once before and it is at least as good as my favorite (famous) Chicago pizza! I am making it to share with visiting family this evening. How many hours in advance can I make this up before baking?
Hi Stephanie!
You can make it early in the day, then cover and refrigerate to slow the dough from rising too much around the sides. You should be ok, up to 8 hours before baking if it’s well chilled. :)
Hi, Sommer The recipe of Classic Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza seems easy to make. I will try it definitely this wekend for my family and going to surprise them.:)
This deep dish pizza is the literal best! I love it so much – thank you!
I don’t think I can make regular pizza again! Thick & tasty, my family loves it!
I always love finding delicious recipes for my cast iron. This pizza turned out great and is my go to when I am missing Chicago and want some deep dish pizza!
LOVE real Chicago style pizza! The deep dish is FANTASTIC! My late mother-in-law always like to save the crust of her deep dish pizzas to enjoy later with soup. :)