How to Reheat Pizza: Oven, Skillet, Air Fryer, Microwave

The best way to reheat pizza is in a 375°F oven on a preheated sheet pan for about 8 to 10 minutes. For one or two slices, a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 4 to 6 minutes is even better: it crisps the base while trapped steam melts the top. An air fryer at 350°F does a single slice in 3 to 4 minutes. The microwave is fastest and softest, so use it only when you do not care about the crust. Whatever the method, leftover pizza should have gone into the fridge within two hours and be eaten within 3 to 4 days.

The times in this post are typical starting points for refrigerated, standard 14-inch slices, not lab figures. Your oven and your pizza will vary, so treat the first time as a test and check the bottom.

Reheating chart: method, time and result

Method	Heat	Time (fridge-cold slice)	Crust	Cheese	Best for
Oven, preheated pan	375°F	8–10 min	Crisp	Melted, slightly dry edges	3+ slices, whole leftover pie
Skillet with a lid	Medium-low	4–6 min	Crispest	Fully melted	1–2 slices
Air fryer	350°F	3–4 min	Crisp	Melted, can brown fast	1–2 slices, thin crust
Microwave	50% power	45–90 sec	Soft	Melted, can go rubbery	Speed over texture

How to reheat pizza in the oven

This is the method for a batch, or for anyone who wants to set a timer and walk away.

Put a rimmed sheet pan in the oven and heat it to 375°F. Preheating the pan is the trick. A cold pan warms the slice from the top down and the base never gets a chance to crisp.
Lay the slices straight onto the hot pan with a little room between them.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the underside is firm when you lift a corner with a spatula.

Foil laid loosely over the top for the first half helps a slice loaded with toppings heat through before the edges dry out. Take it off for the last few minutes.

Skillet: the crispest base for one or two slices

A heavy skillet beats the oven for a couple of slices, and it is our first choice for lunch.

Set a dry cast-iron skillet or a heavy stainless pan over medium-low heat for a minute.
Add the slices and leave them uncovered for about 2 minutes to crisp the bottom.
Add a couple of drops of water to the empty side of the pan, not on the pizza, and put the lid on straight away.
Cook 2 to 4 minutes more, until the cheese melts.

The water flashes into steam under the lid and melts the top while the base stays against the hot metal. If the bottom is browning before the cheese has softened, turn the heat down rather than up.

How to reheat pizza in an air fryer

Heat the basket to 350°F, then lay one or two slices flat in a single layer. Thin crust takes about 3 minutes and a regular slice about 4. Check at 3, because the fan browns cheese and pepperoni fast. A thick or deep-dish slice is better with a sheet of foil over the top for the first couple of minutes, so the middle can warm before the top scorches.

Microwave, if it is all you have

The microwave heats the water in the dough, so the crust softens. You can limit the damage. Set the slice on a plate, heat at 50% power in 30-second bursts until the cheese melts, and eat it straight away. Microwaved crust firms up as it cools and turns chewy rather than crisp. A slice microwaved for 30 seconds and finished in a hot skillet for a minute is a good middle ground when you are in a hurry.

Adjusting by crust

Crust	What changes	Best method
Thin or tavern-style	Heats through fast, burns fast	Skillet or air fryer, shortest time
Regular hand-tossed	The baseline in the chart	Any
Deep-dish or pan	Thick middle, slow to heat	Oven at 350°F, 15–20 min, foil on for the first 10
Stuffed crust	The cheese in the rim heats last	Oven, add 2–3 min
New York style, folded or big slices	Wide, thin, floppy	Skillet, one slice at a time
From the freezer	Ice in the dough steams it	Oven, from frozen, add 5–8 min

The food-safety part

Pizza is a cooked dish with cheese and usually meat on it, so it follows the same rules as any other leftover:

Into the fridge within two hours. Illinois Extension says leftovers should be refrigerated or frozen within two hours of serving. NC State’s Safe Plates program shortens that to one hour when it is above 90°F, and its quick guide says plainly: don’t “leave leftovers out overnight.” That covers the box left on the counter after a party.
Eat it within 3 to 4 days. That is Illinois Extension’s window for refrigerated leftovers. It gives 3 to 4 months for frozen ones.
Reheat to 165°F. Illinois Extension sets the minimum for reheated leftovers at 165°F. A slice that is bubbling across the whole top and hot in the middle is usually there. To check, push an instant-read thermometer sideways into the thickest part of the topping.
Reheat once. NC State’s Safe Plates program advises reheating leftovers only once. Warm what you will eat now and leave the rest in the fridge.

Storing it so it reheats well

How you put pizza away decides how well it comes back. Move the slices out of the delivery box, which lets them dry out, and into a covered container or a stack wrapped tightly, with a square of parchment between layers so the cheese does not weld the slices together. Stored that way they keep their moisture, and the crust crisps up again cleanly on a hot pan.

If you are buying for a crowd, our pizza-per-person chart is built to leave a sensible amount of leftovers rather than a mountain. For everything else in the fridge, the reheating chart for meal prep covers soup, rice, pasta, chicken and casseroles by method.

FAQ

What is the best way to reheat pizza?

For one or two slices, a covered skillet over medium-low: about 2 minutes uncovered to crisp the base, then a few drops of water in the pan and the lid on for 2 to 4 minutes. For more slices, a preheated sheet pan in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

How long do you reheat pizza in the oven?

About 8 to 10 minutes at 375°F on a pan that went into the oven while it preheated. Deep-dish slices need longer, around 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F with foil over them for the first half.

How long do you put pizza in the air fryer to reheat?

About 3 to 4 minutes at 350°F for a regular slice, a little less for thin crust. Check at 3 minutes, because the fan browns cheese quickly.

Is pizza left out overnight safe to eat?

No. Leftovers belong in the fridge within two hours of serving, and NC State’s Safe Plates program lists leaving leftovers out overnight as a don’t. A pizza that sat on the counter all night should go in the trash, however good it looks.

How long is leftover pizza good in the fridge?

Three to 4 days in a covered container, by Illinois Extension’s rule for refrigerated leftovers. Freeze it if you will not get to it by then.