Nothing out of the ordinary happens when frozen pizza is thawed. The pizza slowly defrosts, gets warmer, and may even reach room temperature during thawing, which of course, is often the intention with thawing.
However, it is not advisable to refreeze pizza if it has thawed outside the fridge or at room temperature for over two hours. If you melt pizza in the microwave or cold water, you should cook and eat it immediately after because it’ll begin to spoil if you don’t. If you thawed the pizza in the refrigerator, it could last for about 3 to 4 days before it deteriorates.
What happens if frozen pizza is thawed?
When one thaws frozen pizza, it melts, increases its temperature, and may even reach room temperature, depending on how you thaw it.
A quick tip on thawing frozen pizza under room temperature or in the microwave is that you should not let the pizza sit for more than two hours before cooking and eating it. Exposing it for over two hours puts it at risk of bacteria growth.
When pizza is left to thaw in the fridge, it can only last for 3 or 4 days.
What happens if you cook thawed frozen pizza?
Cooking thawed frozen pizza results in minor changes like crispier or softer crusts and a faster cook time because the pizza has already melted or reached room temperature.
If your thawed pizza has been exposed to room temperature for more than two hours, you should not cook or eat it, as there is a possibility of bacteria growth already.
In the cased of fridge-thawed pizzas, they should not stay melting in the refrigerator for more than three or four days.
Is pizza safe to eat after sitting out?
That depends on how long and where you left the pizza to sit out.
In the fridge
Pizza left to sit out in the fridge at temperatures below 40-degrees Fahrenheit can stay fresh for three or four days before its quality deteriorates. If you eat pizza that remained in the refrigerator past this 4-day window, you’re at risk of a food-borne illness.
At room temperature
Like fridge-thawed pizza, there’s a risk of getting a food-borne illness with pizza thawed at room temperature. The only difference is that here, sit-out time is one to two hours; anything more can lead to bacterial growth and, ultimately, food-borne illness.
How to make frozen pizza better
A little bit of extra effort can take your frozen pizza from just okay to wow!
Here are some tips we recommend to add a little razzle-dazzle to your frozen pizza.
- Always make use of quality frozen pizza. Stick to cheesy pizzas rather than veggie or protein-loaded pizzas. Two excellent options are Amy’s cheese pizza and Screamin’ Sicilian Pizza Co. Bessie’s Revenge Cheese.
- Add some fresh ingredients before baking to boost the flavor. Fresh vegetables like tomatoes and basil are great options.
- If the pizza crust is thick, bake it with a pizza stone instead of a baking sheet.
- Ensure your oven is hot enough. Preheat the oven to around 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit for crisper crusts.
- Sprinkle some homemade garlic butter on the crusts before or after cooking for an exotic taste.
- Drizzle some olive oil on the pizza right after baking.
- You can top your pizza with fresh fruit like apples, pineapple, pears, and peaches.
- Add some hot honey to your cooked pizza for a diverse sweet and spicy flavor.
Read also: Can You Refrigerate Pizza Dough After It Rises?
How to make frozen pizza crispy
The key to getting a crispy pizza is to brush the sides and bottom of the pizza with some olive oil before cooking.
Additionally, set your oven’s temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit; this will result in a short cook time and crispy crusts.
Best ways to cook a frozen pizza
Here are two excellent ways to cook frozen pizza:
1# Oven method
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the pizza on a baking sheet or place your pizza stone in the preheating oven before placing your pizza.
- Place your pizza on the center rack and let it cook for about 15-25 minutes. (Check on it occasionally to prevent burning).
- Take out your pizza and let it cool for about 3-5 minutes before slicing and serving.
2# Microwave method
- Place your pizza on a microwave-friendly plate and let it cook for about 3-5 minutes on high heat.
- Pay close attention to it, so it doesn’t overcook and burn.
- Let it cool for about three minutes before eating it.
How to cook Elio’s pizza in an air fryer
- Put the pizza in the air fryer
- Let it cook for about seven minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- When it is cooked, let it sit for some minutes to cool before serving
You can refreeze frozen pizza that has been defrosted. It would be best to store the pizza in single slices wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil in a freezer bag. You shouldn’t store pizza in the freezer for longer than three months.
Pizza can last for up to four days in the fridge, given that it was stored at temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
About 18-21 minutes.
You can, but uncooked frozen pizza should not be stored for more than four days in the fridge. After four days in the fridge, the quality of the pizza begins to deteriorate.
