What Makes Pizza Greasy? Come Find Out!

Pizza is all about the crisp base, vibrant garnish, and alluring flavor of cheese, meat, and toppings. However, you don’t always bake that perfect pizza; often, it gets greasy.

But the question is – what makes pizza greasy?

Pizza can be greasy for several reasons – too much oil, wrong cheese, insufficient kneading, wet dough, oily topping, or incorrect baking. But, you can avoid it all with some tricks. Use low moisture cheese, minimum oil, and less-greasy toppings; knead and bake right; and pick the proper pots.

If you’re looking for a quick way to cut down on the amount of oil that ends up on your pizza, there are a few things you can do at a glance.

• First, use a non-stick surface when cooking your pizza. 
• Second, try using a non-oily crust and spread your toppings evenly over the pizza rather than piling them high in the center.
• Blot your pizza! It will save you from gaining 2 pounds a year. 

Now, to understand why your pizza turns greasy and ways you can control the grease, keep on reading!

What Makes Pizza Greasy?

Whether a seasoned chef or a novice, pizza grease may become a huge issue for you. So what makes Pizza greasy, and how to prevent it? The most common culprit is over-greasy toppings. However, greasy toppings aren’t the only culprit. 

Aside from too much oil, improper baking techniques can also cause a pizza to become greasy. To avoid this, follow these simple tips.

• First, always try to use as little oil as possible. Too much oil on the dough makes the cheese slide off the Pizza. For best results, use nonstick pizza dough, and flour the bottom of your pan. This will prevent any sticky strands of cheese from sticking to the Pizza.
• Second, place the Pizza at the bottom of the oven, avoiding the hottest part of the oven. This will help reduce the grease and make a crispy crust. 
• After removing the excess oil, you can blot the Pizza with a piece of bread to remove any leftover flavours or spices.
• Use healthy toppings. Pepperoni is the worst culprit of grease. Its fat content makes it greasy, while meats like pepperoni and sausage release oil as they cook. You can reduce their grease by using chilli flakes and other spices. 
• Lower the use of fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella contains lots of water, which makes it absorb moisture during cooking. Dried mozzarella, on the other hand, does not contain as much moisture and, therefore, does not add any moisture to the Pizza.

When making Pizza, you should always remain aware of how your guests may be health-conscious. A greasy pizza is good for no one and doesn’t taste impressive. If you’re looking for healthy pizza options, try vegetarian stuffed chicken parm. It’s low in grease and fat.

How to Prevent Greasy Pizza

A good way to reduce calories while eating greasy Pizza is to blot it before you eat it. Simply wiping off the orange grease can help you cut back on calories. And blotting your Pizza is much easier than you think!

The best way to avoid greasy Pizza is to blot it with a paper towel after it comes out of the oven. Doing this will absorb excess grease and improve its appearance and flavor. When blotting the Pizza, try to concentrate on the oily areas. 

However, is that the only option? Read more on how to prevent greasy Pizza below!

1. Use Thin Crust Pizza Recipes

To start, choose a thin crust. This is better than the deep dish variety. 

While a basic crust is not a problem in grease, adding a lot of toppings will cause the Pizza to be greasy.

Check our recommendations table below to avoid having a homemade pizza full of grease. 

2. Avoid Watery Cheese

If you must use cheese, choose low-moisture cheese. It is available in both part-skim and whole cheese. ‘

Be aware, however, that reduced-fat cheese doesn’t usually have a low-moisture content. Cheese grease is primarily caused by butterfat. Using less fat in cheese makes it greasy but also changes its flavor and melting properties. 

To minimize the grease, use mozzarella or feta.

3. Use Fresh Pizza Stone Or Pans

When serving the Pizza, always remove the pan from the surface and clean the grease thoroughly before serving another one. 

Size Your Pan Accordingly

Does bigger really mean better? Not in this case! A wrongly-sized pan can cause your Pizza to turn out greasy. 

An extra-large pizza pan leaves extra space around the edge, meaning there is not enough contact between the bottom of the Pizza and the pan. The sauce evaporates, resulting in a dry, greasy pizza. 

Also, ensure to use a nonstick pan. It will help prevent the Pizza from turning out greasy. 

4 Avoid Excess Topping Grease

When adding pepperoni, you can always prepare the toppings in advance. You can cook the pepperoni and sausages in a skillet over medium heat and then blot away the excess grease. 

Or, you can just order a pizza without pepperoni and use precooked pepperoni. It may also be easier to prepare pepperoni and sausages beforehand instead of waiting until they are cooked. Then, use a paper towel to absorb the extra grease.

What Cheese Makes Pizza Greasy?

If you’ve ever wondered what cheese makes Pizza greasy, you’re not alone. A large pepperoni pizza can have more calories than a salad! But the question “What cheese makes pizza greasy?” isn’t as simple as you might think. 

When you heat cheese, the water molecules in it start to boil. This trapped steam reaches the cheese surface, causing it to become greasy.

High-moisture cheese can be easily brown, while low-moisture cheeses will burn. If they don’t brown, they’ll remain greasy. And when you use low-moisture cheeses, you’ll likely end up with greasy Pizza.

Some types of cheese are naturally fattier than others, especially those made with whole milk. Adding cheese to the crust also increases the fat content, making the Pizza greasy. 

Low-moisture cheese, whole or part-skim cheese, may be a better choice for reducing pizza grease. Cheese grease is typically caused by butterfat, so reducing butterfat in your Pizza will help you avoid greasy Pizza.

Lower-fat cheeses like mozzarella can make Pizza healthier. Some cheeses are also lower-fat, such as part-skim.

Here is our favorite pick for you.

Why Does Cheese Not Melt On Pizza But Is Greasy?

If you’re using cheese on top of your Pizza that’s not melting, your cheese may not have the proper moisture content for melting on top of your Pizza.

Hence, it’s always essential to use the correct cheese for your cheese pizza.

Where Does the Grease Come From On a Pizza?

Most grease comes from the trapped oil in the toppings, cheese, and sauce. However, you can prevent it with the ways mentioned above. 

But over-oiling the dough or using excessive amounts of butter or oil may also be the culprit. In this case, a thin crust will stop your Pizza from turning greasy. 

But if you don’t have a thin crust, you may still want to try other types of toppings and avoid Pizza with excessive grease.

If you follow a pizza dough recipe with excessive oil, you’ll end up with a soggy thick crust pizza. So, be careful when considering the best pizza recipe for yourself. 

Why Is Pepperoni So Oily?

Pepperoni is mainly oily because of its production process. Fat is added to pork, beef, or chicken pepperoni during manufacturing. 

When you bake pepperoni, the hidden fat steams outside and makes the Pizza greasy. To avoid this issue, use minimal pizza grease and blot the pepperoni right after it comes out of the oven. 

You can opt for using smoked pepperoni to avoid making them a greasy pizza topping.

Best Tools To Stop Your Pizza Grease

Using proper pots and pans and other essentials are crucial while making pizza. But what to use?

Don’t worry; here is a list of tools you can employ to get rid of greasy pizza.

Final Word

Pizza is everyone’s favorite, and baking pizza is a work of art. However, not all pizzas come out perfectly; some appear with greasy glam. And that’s when you ask the question – what makes pizza greasy?

Well, greasy pizza ensues from several factors, including the use of processed cheese and oils and the amount of grease used on the crust. To avoid this type of pizza, try using fresh ingredients and a lower grease level on the crust.