Microwaving Pizza Rolls – How to Do It Right
Pizza rolls have been a big part of many peoples’ childhood and continue to be a great and convenient way to enjoy a delicious snack within minutes. But how does one heat them if you don’t have access to an oven?
Microwaving pizza rolls, how to do it? Lay out the pizza rolls on a microwave-safe plate and then heat them using the highest setting for 1-2 minutes on each side. You can also add a bit of moisture to the pizza rolls before filliping them to keep them from drying.
Read below to learn more about how to reheat pizza rolls and some great tips on how to get the most out of their texture.
What are Pizza Rolls?
Pizza rolls are available in many varieties and sold by numerous brands.
Totino’s is perhaps one of the biggest names when it comes to frozen pizza rolls – and it’s no surprise since the brand has been serving these delicious treats for decades!
Frozen pizza rolls are made from diced cheese, meat, and sauce. These ingredients are wrapped in a light dough that takes on a crispy texture when baked.
The signature quality of a properly heated pizza roll is the iconic cheese pull that you see when you tear the roll apart.
Even though heating pizza rolls is generally easy, it is quite common to mess it up.
Cold spots, for example, are a very common occurrence in frozen pizza rolls and unevenly heating a pizza roll can also negatively affect its texture.
Before we get into the heating methods for pizza rolls, let’s first discuss the types of pizza rolls and how they are made!
Pizza vs Pizza Rolls
Pizza used to have a very specific meaning back in the day, but now with so many iterations of this iconic dish, there are several types of pizzas ranging from calzones to thick/thin crust, and of course, pizza rolls.
In essence, pizza rolls are made by simply assembling the pizza ingredients over a flat sheet of dough and then rolling the dough into a pizza roll – or in the case of many commercial products, it can also be made by enclosing the pizza ingredients in a dough wrapping, as you see with Totino’s Pizza Rolls.
Both types of pizza rolls require the same types of ingredients but they differ in appearance and how they are prepared.
Totino’s pizza rolls have pizza filling made using meat, veggies, sauce, and cubed cheese that stretches when you tear a hot pizza roll apart.
These ingredients are wrapped in an almost wonton-like dough that is designed to have a crispy consistency when baked.
Most commercial pizza rolls have the shape of a pillow and are usually bite-sized which makes them a convenient snacking option for children and hungry adults!
Preferred Methods for Preparing Pizza Rolls
There are two preferred preparation methods for pizza rolls:
- Oven Method
- Toaster Oven Method.
Oven Method
The oven method is best for pizza rolls as it heats these cheese “pockets” of pizza from the outside and within. This results in a gooey and delicious center with a crispy outside, just like in a regular pizza!
To heat pizza rolls in an oven, you will need to first preheat the oven to 425F. Once, preheated, follow these steps:
Step 1) Put about 10-20 pizza rolls on a baking sheet and then place the baking tray in the middle rack of your oven.
Step 2) Let the pizza rolls heat for about 10-12 minutes. You can also optionally flip the pizza rolls at the 8-minute mark.
Step 3) Let the heated pizza rolls sit at room temperature for at least 3-4 minutes before serving!
Toaster Method
The toaster oven method is also a quick and easy way to heat pizza rolls. However, a drawback of this method is that you might have to heat them in batches because of the typically small size of most toaster ovens.
We recommend heating not more than 15 pizza rolls when using the toaster oven method (unless you have a large industrial-level toaster).
Here is how to use the Toaster Method:
Step 1) Preheat the toaster oven to 425F.
Step 2) Evenly place the pizza rolls over the preheated baking tray.
Step 3) Put the baking tray back in the toaster in the middle section and heat the pizza rolls for about 13-15 minutes.
Step 4) After the pizza rolls are heated, place them out at room temperature for about 2-3 minutes before serving.
Please keep in mind that this method assumes that you are heating not more than 10-15 pizza rolls at a time. If you have a larger oven, then you will have to increase the cooking time based on the number of pizza rolls that you add.
We recommend adding 3-4 minutes per 5-8 pizza rolls – also, do not overcrowd the baking tray or the pizza rolls may not heat properly.
Alternative Methods for Heating Pizza Rolls
If you don’t have access to an oven or a toaster oven, then there are two additional and convenient methods for heating pizza rolls:
- Microwave Method
- Air Fryer Method
Microwaving Pizza Rolls
Microwaving may not seem like the best way to reheat food made with dough, since it can turn soggy or even become soft and limp but there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to efficiently heat pizza rolls in a microwave.
Microwaves have a unique way of heating food.
Instead of heating food in a conventional manner where the heat penetrates the outer surface of the food before making its way inside, microwave energy travels within the food and heats it from the inside out.
As the microwave energy gets absorbed by the moisture-rich sauce and fat-laden cheese, it will start to create steam and heat the inside of the pizza rolls while puffing up and heating the surface as well!
This is also why you need to be careful when using this method as overheating pizza rolls in a microwave can cause them to leak out and create a big mess that can be very hard to clean, especially because of the cheese.
Here is the proper way to heat pizza rolls in a microwave:
Step 1) Place a few pizza rolls on a microwave-safe plate. We recommend going with batches of either 6 or 12 pizza rolls.
Make sure that you don’t overcrowd the plate or the pizza rolls may come out with cold spots.
Step 2) Set the microwave to its highest setting and heat the pizza rolls for 1 minute for 6 pizza rolls or 2 minutes for 12 pizza rolls.
Step 3) Check the pizza rolls to see if they have been heated properly. If you notice a few cold spots then you can continue heating them for an additional 30-45 seconds.
Step 4) Let the heated pizza rolls rest at room temperature for 2-3 minutes and serve!
Pro Tip) You can also flip the pizza roll around the halfway mark and then continue heating them until finished for an even better texture.
At the halfway mark, if you notice that the pizza rolls are too dry then you can spray water on them to rehydrate them and then continue reheating them as usual.
Another great tip is to preheat the microwave!
Although this isn’t commonly done, it is a great way to get evenly heated pizza rolls. Simply place a microwave-safe glass of water and heat it for about 2-3 minutes. Then carefully remove the glass and follow the above steps as usual.
Air Fryer Method
Air fryers are like miniature ovens, except that they use a fan to blow over hot air around the cooking chamber to cook food, just like in convection ovens. This feature makes them a fantastic appliance to prepare pizza rolls.
Here is how to heat pizza rolls in an air fryer:
Step 1) Put 10-15 pizza rolls in the air fryer basket or fit as many as you can comfortably fit in the basket.
Step 2) Set the temperature to 390F and heat the pizza rolls for about 4 minutes.
Step 3) After 4 minutes take out the basket and flip the pizza rolls or give them a gentle shake to move them around. Put the basket back in the air fryer and finish heating for an additional 4 minutes.
Step 4) Let the pizza rolls sit out at room temperature for 2-3 minutes and serve hot.
Related Questions
Microwaving pizza rolls may seem complicated but if you follow our simple guide then you will be able to prepare evenly heated pizza rolls every time!
Can you store prepared pizza rolls?
Pizza rolls can be stored in the fridge at 40F for about 2-3 days. If you want, you can also refreeze cooked pizza rolls.
Although this will alter their flavor and texture, they will be able to last longer. Simply thaw in the fridge and reheat using any of the methods discussed above.
Should you defrost pizza rolls before cooking them?
No, most pizza rolls are meant to be heated directly using any of the above heating methods.
We do not recommend that you thaw uncooked pizza rolls before cooking them as this may alter their texture and may even compromise their quality.
