Many people invest in a wood-fired pizza oven and assume that they are limited to only ever cooking pizza, but these outdoor pizza ovens are a lot more diverse than people give them credit for. So, next time you hold a pizza party, you might consider making some side dished or another recipe that doesn’t involve pizza.
You can cook meat, vegetables and even get baking bread in your wood-fired oven.
In this article, we are going to be looking at 12 delicious recipes that you can cook in your brick oven allowing you to get more out of this outdoor cooking equipment.
What Temperature Should My Wood-Fired Oven Be?
To cook pizza, you will have fired your outdoor pizza oven to extreme temperatures, and as a general rule, when you cook pizza in these ovens, you need to get it to between 400-500ºc. However, when you use a wood-burning oven for another dish, you will likely need to adjust the temperature.
- For slow cooking things like pulled pork or ribs, you will need to have your outdoor pizza oven at around 120ºc
- When baking desserts, wood-fired ovens need to be between 160-200ºc.
- For baking bread, set your wood-fired oven to around 220ºc.
- When you want to do something like roasted vegetables or roasted meat, your wood-fired oven needs to be around 250ºc.
- To grill foods like steak or shrimp, you will need to make sure the outdoor pizza oven is at 300ºc.
What Else Can I Cook In A Wood Fired Pizza Oven?
If you are excited to start using your outdoor pizza oven to make other foods, then there are a lot of options. One of the main benefits of wood-fired ovens is that they are incredibly versatile and once you have the hang of adjusting the fire and the temperature, you can make a wealth of recipes.
1. BBQ Sardines
You can cook all types of fish in your wood-fired oven and when you make fish this way, you get a flavor that is unlike any other. This is because the intense heat of wood-fired ovens will give the skin a charred flavor. The easiest way to do this recipe is by nailing the food to a wood block and face it towards the fire.
2. Pulled Pork
Pulled pork has become one of the most popular meals in the world in the last few years and it is not surprising when you think about the incredible flavors of this simple dish. You can pair it with a range of other foods so it is very versatile and cooking it in your outdoor pizza oven couldn’t be easier.
You will need to use some smoking wood and keep the oven at a low heat. Place the meat inside and cook slowly for the best results.
3. Steak
There aren’t many people that don’t enjoy a nice juicy piece of steak and when you cook it in an outdoor pizza oven, the flavor and texture are amazing.
It is better to use rib-eye steak in a pizza oven and keep the fat towards the fire. You can put the food into a cast iron griddle pan and place it directly onto the oven floor.
4. Roasted Vegetables
If you fancy a vegetarian meal or want to create side dishes for your meaty main then some roasted veggies are a great recipe. Whether you want to do some roast potatoes for your roast dinner or a selection of colourful vegetables like carrots and swede the possibilities are endless.
To get your vegetables just right, you will need to choose whether you want the veggies soft of crispy. If it is the latter, oven cooking must be done at a high heat. Alternatively, if you want softer food, you can allow the heat to lower and slow cook the veggies.
5. Roast Leg Of Lamb
A tender and juicy roast lamb leg is one of lives greatest pleasures and it is entirely possible to cook one in a wood-fired oven. To do this, you will need to roast the meat at around 200 degrees or just a little more and cook the lamb for around 90 minutes.
To make this dish super tasty, you can add garlic and rosemary to some olive oil and marinate the lamb in the fridge overnight before exposing it to the heat.
6. Pizza Rolls
If you don’t want to start too far away from making pizza but fancy something a little different, why not give pizza rolls a go? These ones are great to make as a snack or as part of a larger meal.
They are great for parties and can be made using your normal pizza dough recipe and then filled with anything you can think of.
7. Smores
Once your main meal is over, you might want something a little more sweet and the good news is that a wood-fired oven is ideal for cooking desserts as well as savory recipes.
Smores are easy and quick to cook in your outdoor pizza oven and can be roasted in a cast iron pan before bringing them out and letting everyone tuck in.
8. Dessert Pizza
Staying with the sweet theme, you might decide to get creative and try a dessert pizza which can be topped with anything you like including fruit. We suggest adding a helping of mascarpone cheese and layers of fruits for a delicious end to your meal.
9. Beer Chicken
Chicken can dry out very quickly if it is not cooked properly or at too high heat. However, when cooking it in a wood-fired oven, there is a clever technique to prevent this. You will need the oven to be around 250 degrees for roasting and set the whole chicken onto an open can of beer that contains around a third of beer.
Now stand the chicken up inside the outdoor pizza oven and cook for around 90 minutes. The beer will stop the chicken from becoming too dry and will add a unique flavor.
10. Bread
One of the huge benefits of owning a wood-fired oven is that you have the opportunity to make a massive selection of bread types. One of the most common is sourdough bread which can be cooked when the oven has gone cooler and will last throughout the week, giving you a great accompaniment to other dishes.
Alternatively, you might decide to make a helping of garlic bread as a complement to your pizza. This is easy as you can use leftover pizza dough and infuse it with garlic and herbs.
11. Grilled Shrimp
Fish is great to have in a pizza oven thanks to the intense flavors you will get. Shrimp can be grilled in just a few minutes so is ideal as a starter or at lunch time when you want to make something quickly.
To give it even more of a bite, you could cook it in lemon juice and a selection of herbs.
12. Beef Ribs
To get a truly gourmet experience, you can try cooking beef rib in the outdoor pizza oven. You would do this in a similar way to the roast leg of lamb by roasting at 250ºc. Put the food on a rack into an iron tray and cook until the meat is cooked to your liking.
In addition to the beef, you might also cook some vegetables as these make ideal side dishes for this type of dish.
Conclusion
A wood-fired pizza oven is not only good for cooking pizza, but you can make a vast number of other dishes in these outdoor pizza ovens. Whether you want some delicious fried chicken, healthy vegetables or a warm and tasty bread, you can do it all in your wood-fired oven.
Just be sure to adjust the temperature depending on the type of food that you are cooking as unlike pizza, other foods do not need to be cooked in such a high heat.