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Outdoor pizzaovens have officially graduated from niche backyard gadgets to one of the hottest summer cooking appliances around. What started as a way to recreate restaurant-style pizza at home has quickly evolved into something much bigger, with home cooks using outdoor ovens to make things very outside the (pizza) box.
Part of the appeal is how quickly these ovens heat up compared to traditional ovens or grills. Many outdoor ovens can reach incredibly high temperatures in under 20 minutes, making them ideal for fast summer cooking without heating up the kitchen. They also create the kind of crispy, charred, bubbling finishes that are hard to replicate indoors.
But the biggest surprise for many people? Pizza is only scratching the surface of what these ovens can do. Once you realize you can slide cast-iron skillets, sheet pans and small baking dishes inside, outdoor ovens suddenly become one of the most versatile entertaining tools of the summer.
I’ve personally been playing around with my Current Model P+ Electric Pizza Oven for a few weeks now, and I’m loving creatively cooking outside in it while watching the kids play. From appetizers to desserts, my outdoor oven is becoming the centerpiece for casual backyard entertaining, way beyond pizza. Not to mention, my house is cool as a cucumber because I’m using my outdoor oven all summer long. Saving on AC bills while also having elevated meals with surprisingly little effort…now this is summer goals.
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What Can You Cook in an Outdoor Oven?
Outdoor ovens work especially well for foods that benefit from high heat, crispy edges or bubbling cheese. Think cast-iron skillet dishes, roasted vegetables, appetizers and anything that tastes better with a little char.
Because they cook so quickly, they’re also incredibly useful for entertaining. You can make restaurant-style appetizers, snacks and side dishes outdoors while keeping the mess and heat outside during the summer months.
Many people are also surprised by how versatile electric outdoor ovens have become. Some models offer more temperature control and consistency than traditional wood-fired ovens, making them approachable for everyday cooking beyond pizza night.
Related: 41 Scrumptious Summer Appetizers That Are Perfect for Parties, Cookouts and Picnics
1. Crispy Chicken Wings
Chicken wings might be one of the most underrated outdoor oven foods. The high heat helps render the fat quickly, giving the wings crispy skin while keeping the inside juicy.
They also cook surprisingly fast, which makes them ideal for game nights, casual parties or backyard hangs where people want snackable food instead of a full sit-down dinner. My lemon pepper wings cooked in under 12 minutes at 700 degrees, way faster and hotter than they could be done inside. They were so crispy, we’ll be craving them all summer long.
2. Steak
Outdoor ovens create an impressive crust on steak because of how hot they get. Cooking steak in a cast-iron skillet inside the oven gives you that sizzling steakhouse-style sear without smoking up the kitchen.
This is especially useful during the summer when nobody wants to set off smoke alarms indoors. I used the broil function on my outdoor oven and this steak was perfectly medium in under six minutes.
3. Baked Brie
Baked brie is one of the easiest entertaining tricks in general, but it happens extra fast in an outdoor oven. The intense heat melts the cheese quickly and you can hit it with some hot honey once it’s out.
Serve it with toasted bread or crackers and it instantly feels like the kind of appetizer people hover around at a summer party. It’s also one of those dishes that looks much more impressive than the effort required.
4. Quesadillas
Quesadillas are a main food group in my house, and I cannot believe how incredibly crispy they came out in no time. The tortillas blister and crisp up beautifully while the cheese melts quickly inside.
They’re also endlessly customizable for family dinners or entertaining because you can make everything from classic cheese quesadillas to versions stuffed with barbecue chicken, roasted vegetables or leftover steak. I especially love how quickly they cook compared to making them individually on the stovetop.
Related: The Clever Quesadilla Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner
5. Desserts Like Cookies or Fruit Crisp
Desserts in an outdoor oven feel unexpectedly fun. Turns out your oven that gets to almost 900 degrees also can be set to 350 and bake everything—from giant skillet cookies and fruit crisps to mouth-watering brownie skillets—super evenly. Fresh cookies paired with some cold ice cream is going to be my go-to backyard summer dessert move.
Related: Best Summer Desserts
6. Cast-Iron Skillet Dips
Outdoor ovens are perfect for hot dips because they create bubbling, golden tops incredibly quickly. Buffalo chicken dip, baked spinach artichoke dip and whipped feta dips all work especially well.
This is one of my favorite entertaining uses because you can keep the cooking mess outside while still serving something warm and crowd-pleasing. Pair the dips with grilled bread or tortilla chips and you have an instant party appetizer.
Related: 31 Types of Cheese To Add to Your Next Charcuterie Board
7. Roasted Vegetables
Roasted vegetables develop incredible char and caramelization in outdoor ovens. Broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms and asparagus all cook beautifully at high heat.
The quick cooking time also keeps vegetables from getting soggy. Instead, they stay crisp-tender with those slightly smoky edges people love from restaurant-style roasted vegetables.
Related: 60 Summer Salads for Backyard Barbecues
8. Sheet Pan Nachos
Sheet pan nachos might be the ultimate low-effort outdoor oven food. The high heat melts the cheese quickly while crisping the edges of the chips underneath.
They’re ideal for feeding a group because everyone can snack directly from the tray outside. Add jalapeños, shredded chicken, beans or hot honey and suddenly they feel way more elevated than standard game-day nachos.
Expert Tips for Cooking With an Outdoor Oven
Culinary content creator Tessa Sinatro says that one of the biggest advantages of outdoor cooking appliances is how they make entertaining feel more interactive and relaxed. “It becomes the centerpiece of the party,” she tells Parade. “Everyone naturally gathers around it.” She also notes that outdoor ovens work best when you lean into simple foods with bold flavors rather than overly complicated recipes. High heat naturally creates crispy textures and caramelization, so even simple ingredients tend to feel more elevated.
Another helpful tip is to fully preheat the oven before cooking. Outdoor ovens rely heavily on consistent heat, and giving them enough time to properly preheat helps foods cook evenly and develop better textures.
Using cast-iron skillets or smaller sheet pans can also make outdoor ovens much more versatile because they allow you to cook foods that wouldn’t work directly on a pizza stone.
Related: 100 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas
Should You Clean Between Cooking Different Dishes?
You don’t necessarily need to fully clean the oven between every dish, but brushing away crumbs, excess flour or grease between recipes is usually a good idea.
It’s also smart to let the oven cool slightly before cleaning anything thoroughly. Most outdoor ovens stay extremely hot long after cooking ends, so rushing cleanup can be both difficult and unsafe.
Outdoor ovens may have earned their popularity thanks to pizza, but they’re proving to be one of the most versatile cooking tools for summer entertaining. Whether you’re crisping up chicken wings, melting a wheel of brie or baking a skillet cookie for dessert, these appliances make it easy to create impressive meals without heating up the kitchen. The next time you fire up your outdoor oven, consider skipping the pizza dough—you might discover a new favorite way to use it.
Related: TikTok’s Favorite Home Cook Tessa Sinatro Swears These 2 Backyard Additions Changed Everything About Hosting
