Crispy Cast-Iron Pepperoni Pizza: Detroit-Inspired Homemade and Delicious!

Grab your cast-iron skillet for this amazing pepperoni pizza that’s super fluffy, loaded with cheese, so, so tasty!

Cast-Iron Pepperoni PizzaPhoto byReal Simple Magazine

This weeknight pizza is a nod to Detroit-style, known for its thick crust, crispy edges, and sauce layered on top. Instead of the usual rectangular pan, it is made with a cast-iron skillet, which heats up nicely and helps the store-bought dough bake to perfection, giving you that awesome crispy crust. Everyone will love those crunchy cheese edges and the pepperoni in this recipe. It’s perfect for the whole family!

Ingredients You Will Need

• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lb. fresh pizza dough, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup pepperoni slices (about 2 oz.), divided
• 6 oz. low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 tsp. dried basil, divided (optional)
• 3/4 cup marinara sauce
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 4 cups spring mix salad greens (from a 5-oz. container)
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (from a 1-pt. container)
• Kosher salt

How to Make this Detroit Inspired Pepperoni Pizza

Get your oven ready: Set your oven to 500°F and make sure the rack is in the lower third.

Put together the pizza: Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, coating the bottom and sides. Spread the dough evenly in the skillet. Add half of the pepperoni on top of the dough, then cover it with cheese all the way to the edges. Layer the rest of the pepperoni on top, and if you want, sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon of basil. Add some marinara sauce over the pepperoni.

Bake the pizza: Bake it until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and crispy around the edges, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Slice and serve: Use a small offset spatula and gently run it around the edge of the skillet to loosen the pizza. Then, slice it up into 8 pieces.

This recipe was created by Melissa Gray for Real Simple Magazine.