Grilled Flatbread: A Bold Mediterranean Inspired Meal

When Bold Ingredients Meet a Blistered Crust, Magic Happens

What do you get when you combine a smoky romesco sauce, melty cheese, spicy chorizo, and buttery Castelvetrano olives—all layered on a perfectly charred, chewy flatbread? You get a meal that’s halfway between pizza and poetry. And the best part? You can make it right at home on your grill.

This is not your average weeknight dinner. This is a flavor-packed, craveable creation that will have everyone at your table asking, “When are we making this again?” Whether you’re feeding guests or just elevating your Tuesday night, grilled flatbread is the answer.

This Flatbread Brings the Heat and History

Before there were pizza ovens, cast iron skillets, or baking sheets, there was fire. And flatbread. The idea of mixing flour and water into a dough, then flattening it and cooking it over open flame or hot stone is one of the oldest culinary techniques in human history.

Flatbreads show up in nearly every culture:

• Naan and roti from South Asia, often cooked in a blazing hot tandoor.
• Pita from the Middle East, puffed and blistered in traditional clay ovens.
• Lavash in Armenia and taboon bread in the Levant, both grilled on hot domes or clay walls.
• Even pizza in its earliest Neapolitan form was cooked in a wood-fired oven over embers.

These breads weren’t just food—they were vessels, utensils, and centerpieces of the meal. Grilled flatbread was born from necessity, but it stuck around because it’s endlessly adaptable and undeniably delicious.

Today’s grilled flatbread keeps that spirit alive. Whether you’re firing up a backyard pizza oven, charcoal grill, or cooking dough on a gas grill, you’re tapping into a method of cooking that’s thousands of years old. It’s rustic, it’s real, and it brings big flavor with very little fuss.

Why Grilled Flatbread Belongs in Your Recipe Rotation

Grilled flatbread is pizza’s cooler, more easygoing cousin. It doesn’t care if your crust isn’t perfectly round or if your toppings are a little rebellious.

No pizza stone? No problem. Just fire up the grill, stretch or roll your dough into an oval shape, and let the flames do their thing. With this recipe, you’ll get crispy edges, a chewy middle, and a smoky flavor bomb.

In fact, shaping grilled flatbread dough into an oval as opposed to a circle is advantageous for a couple of reasons.

• It fits across the grates more efficiently on a grill. You get more surface area in contact with the heat, which means a better char, better bubbles, and faster cooking.
• Stretching dough into an oval is more more forgiving than trying to nail a perfect circle. No stressing over symmetry, just shape and grill.
• That hand-shaped, imperfect look says, “This is homemade, fresh off the grill, and absolutely delicious.”

Why it wins every time:

• No special gear required. Your grill is all the oven you need.
• Flavor dialed all the way up. That charred crust? Irresistible.
• Dinner in minutes. Once the dough hits the grill, it’s game on.

The Flatbread Dough: Chewy and Grill-Ready

This flatbread dough is inspired by the legendary New Haven-style pizza—thin, chewy, with just enough bite to stand up to bold toppings and high heat. It’s a high-hydration dough (around 84%), which makes it ideal for the grill. Stretch it thin, brush it with olive oil, and toss it straight onto the hot grates. You’ll get those gorgeous bubbles and smoky grill marks in no time.

Pro Tip: If you’ve got the freezer space, double the dough batch and freeze half. The dough freezes beautifully, so next time you want grilled flatbread, you’re already halfway there.

The Sauce: Romesco, The Unsung Hero

Move over, marinara. There’s a new red sauce in town.

Romesco sauce is a bold, smoky, slightly nutty blend of roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, olive oil, and a splash of red vinegar. It hails from Catalonia, Spain, and it’s traditionally served with grilled fish or vegetables—but it absolutely shines as a pizza-style base.

It’s thicker than tomato sauce, so it won’t sog out your flatbread. And the flavor? Let’s just say it plays extremely well with melty cheese and spicy sausage.

Pro Tip: Make your romesco ahead of time and keep it in the fridge—it actually gets better after a day or two.

The Cheeses: Mozzarella Meets Manchego

Creamy mozzarella brings the gooey melt, while nutty Manchego adds salty richness and a hit of aged complexity. The combination is subtle, balanced, and seriously addictive.

Manchego is a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese that is firm, nutty, and slightly tangy with just enough salt to make your taste buds sit up and pay attention. It melts beautifully in thin shavings, adding rich savory depth that perfectly complements the smoky romesco sauce and spicy chorizo. It’s the kind of cheese that doesn’t steal the show in this recipe, but absolutely makes the show better.

The Toppings: Spanish Chorizo and Castelvetrano Olives

Sliced Spanish chorizo brings the heat—not just spice, but deep, smoky paprika flavor that ties the whole dish together. If you can’t find Spanish-style cured chorizo, you can substitute thin slices of pepperoni, but the real thing is worth hunting down.

Castelvetrano olives are mild, buttery, and bright green—a perfect complement to the richness of the chorizo and cheese.

Pro Tip: Add the chorizo and olives after par-grilling the dough and spreading the romesco sauce. Then return the flatbread to the grill using indirect heat to finish melting the cheese and warming the toppings without burning the crust.

Grilling Tips for Flatbread Success

Here’s how to grill this fabulous flatbread like a pro:

• Preheat your grill to medium-high (between 500˚F–600°F). You want it hot enough to quickly cook the dough and char the bottom without burning it. And, remember you’ll lose about 50 degrees of heat when you pop the lid open.
• Clean and oil your grates after heating before placing the dough on the grill.
• Par-grill the dough first. Cook the bottom side of the dough for 1–2 minutes before adding the toppings. This helps prevent sogginess and ensures your crust stays crisp.
• Use indirect heat for finishing. Once you’ve added toppings, move the flatbread away from direct flame. Close the lid to let the cheese melt and toppings warm without scorching the bottom.
• Don’t walk away! Flatbread cooks fast. Stay close, keep your tongs handy, and check frequently.

Finishing Touches Make It Sing

When your flatbread is melty and golden, pull it off the grill and add a few fresh elements to finish, if desired. If not, it is perfectly craveable as is.

• A scattering of fresh basil, thyme or oregano for a pop of herby flavor
• Grated lemon zest to add brightness and a touch of elegance
• Microgreens or arugula for a peppery flavor
• Smoked sea salt flakes that wakes everything up
• A drizzle of balsamic glaze
• Anything else your heart desires

Why You’ll Want to Make Grilled Flatbread Again and Again

Grilled flatbread is one of those meals that delivers far more than the sum of its parts. The crispy-chewy crust, the bold romesco, the balance of creamy cheese, spicy chorizo, and buttery olives—it’s everything you want in a summer meal, without the fuss.

It’s rustic. It’s flavorful, and it’s highly customizable. And once you’ve done it once, you’ll realize: this is totally doable on a weeknight.

So fire up the grill, stretch that dough, and let romesco sauce become your new go-to. Flatbread this good isn’t just dinner—it’s a delicious little escape to the Mediterranean, one bite at a time.

Grilled Flatbread: A Bold Mediterranean Inspired Meal

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Make grilled flatbread with smoky romesco, melty cheese, and spicy chorizo. It’s a fast flavor-packed meal straight from the grill.

• Author: Chef Sandra Lewis
• Prep Time: 24 hours
• Cook Time: 7 minutes
• Total Time: 24 hours 7 minutes
• Yield: 2 flatbreads 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 3/4 cup AP flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water (100-110˚F)
• 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Toppings

• Romesco sauce
• Mozzarella
• Castelvetrano olives, halved
• Chorizo slices
• Shaved Manchego cheese
• Sliced red onion
• Fresh herbs

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the warm water, and active dry yeast. Stir gently to dissolve, then let it sit 5-10 minutes until the surface is foamy and bubbly. This confirms the yeast is alive and ready to work.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the olive oil and pour in the activated yeast mixture.
3. Using your hands, stir together the dough until a shaggy mixture forms. Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky, but not sticky. As you knead, add a sprinkle of flour if the dough becomes sticky.
4. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat it with oil. Cover and refrigerate overnight or let it rise for 1-1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
5. Once risen, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough in half. Gently stretch or roll each piece into an oval about 12-15 inches long by 6-8 inches wide. 
6. Brush one side lightly with olive oil. 
7. Put the oiled side down on a hot, clean grill. Grill for 1-2 minutes, until bubbles form and the bottom has grill marks. 
8. Remove from the heat and add your toppings.
9. Return to the heat and finish on indirect heat with the lid closed.