Grilled Portobello BLT Pizzas are nothing short of amazing. We love grilling pizza, including our amazing Grilled Pulled Pork Pizza! The flavor that the grill imparts to the pizza is amazing. But, for this recipe, we decided to shake things up a bit, and forgo your standard pizza crust, and instead, use the large caps of a portobello mushroom.
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🍄 The Ingredients
The fresh ingredients in these “pizzas” combine to create a flavor-packed dish like no other, with the easy pesto sauce adding an irresistible, mouthwatering finish. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🧀 Substitutions and Variations
- Crust – There is just something melt-in-your-mouth delicious about the grilled portobello caps. However, this combination of flavors is wonderful with an easy pizza dough, too. Check out our BLT Pizza with Pesto for step-by-step instructions.
- Sauce – The pesto sauce adds a fresh flavor that complements the portobello and cheese wonderfully. However, traditional sauce, as used in our Thin Crust Pizza with Mushrooms and Sausage, works great, too.
- Cheese – Mozzarella is traditional, but grated Fontina, smoked gouda, or Swiss (aka Emmental) are all excellent choices. Of them all, Fontina is our favorite. Chop it up in your food processor.
- Pork – Cubed pancetta is crispy, salty, and a great complement to the peppery arugula and pesto sauce. However, crispy bacon is wonderful too. Another option is to place a layer of prosciutto over the top of the pizzas after they are cooked.
- Lettuce – Arugula is wonderful, but any type of lettuce will work. Go sparingly.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Expert Tip
For the best texture and flavor, we recommend scraping out some of the gills on the underside of the portobello caps. All you need is a spoon to just scrape them right out. Be careful in doing so, though, you don’t want to tear through the cap. Also, it’s perfectly okay to leave some of them intact. They impart an ‘Earthy’ taste to the mushrooms. If you prefer that, then leave them intact!
👩🏼🍳 How to Make Grilled Portobello BLT Pizzas
- Step 1: Remove the gills from the mushroom caps and brush with oil, and sprinkle with salt
- Step 2: Place the cap side down on a grill rack (or skillet) and place over direct heat on the grill.
- Step 3: After a few minutes of cooking, remove the pan from the grill. Flip the caps over.
- Step 4: Spread on the pesto, then top with cheese, cooked pancetta, and sliced cherry tomatoes.
- Step 5: Return to the grill, cover, and cook until cheese is bubbly.
- Step 6: Remove from the grill and top with arugula and Parmesan cheese
🔥 How To Serve
- These portobello pizzas are best served piping hot. Soon after being removed from the grill.
- Use a pizza cutter or a large knife to cut them into quarters.
- We love to serve these as an appetizer at parties, cookouts, or while watching the big game. For a full spread, we serve them with Restaurant-Style Fried Calamari and Easy Fried Mozzarella with Marinara Sauce.
- Make it a complete meal with Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vineagrette, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Italian Ricotta Cheesecake.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, crispy bacon works perfectly as a substitute for pancetta and adds a similar smoky, savory flavor.
Absolutely! You can grill the portobello mushrooms in advance and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, then assemble and cook the pizzas when ready.
You can make the pesto sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and drizzle a little olive oil on top to keep it fresh.
To make the pizzas vegetarian, simply omit the pancetta and add extra veggies like roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, or sun-dried tomatoes for added flavor and texture.
Ready to impress? Go for it!
And when you make these babies, be sure to take a picture and post it on Instagram and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and #HowToFeedaLoon
Grilled Portobello BLT “Pizzas”
Video
Equipment
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Grill rack or large cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup pesto sauce homemade or store-bought
- 4 large portobello mushrooms if desired, scrape most of the gills from the cap.
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- 1 cup pancetta cubed and cooked until crisp
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes Or grape tomatoes, sliced in half, lengthwise
- 1 cup fresh baby arugula
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Do Ahead
- Prepare the easy pesto sauce up to 5 days in advance. (See link in Ingredients).1 cup pesto sauce
Make the Portobello Pizzas
- Turn your grill to medium-high.
- Brush the oil all over the prepared mushroom caps and then sprinkle salt all over.4 large portobello mushrooms, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Place the mushrooms, cap side down, onto a large grill rack or cast iron skillet.
- Place the mushrooms (on the rack or skillet) directly over the heat and cover the grill. Let cook for 6 minutes. Carefully remove the rack or skillet from the grill.
- Using a spatula, carefully turn the mushroom cap over, so the underside is facing up, still on the rack or skillet.
- Spread each cap with ¼ cup of the pesto sauce. Next, to each mushroom cap, add a layer of cheese, then a small handful of cooked pancetta, topped with the sliced tomatoes.2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup pancetta, 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- Place back on the grill and cover. Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes, until cheese has melted and is bubbly
- Remove from the rack or skillet onto a plate and top with a small handful of arugula. Top with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan, if desired. Serve at once!1 cup fresh baby arugula, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Boomer says
I just bought portabella caps…what a fantastic recipe!! Since it can be made on the grill it will be perfect hurricane food!! Thanks
Kris Longwell says
You are gonna love ’em Boomer!!! Let us know how they turn out and what you think!! Kris & Wesley
Dave Folsom says
This looks great guys! Looking forward to giving it a try!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Dave! We wouldn’t post a recipe if we didn’t think it was really good, but we gotta say, these are about as good as they come!! Give ’em a try! Hope all is well. Still loving the house and Texas!