How to Reheat a Calzone: The Top 5 Methods to Keep It Crisp

Calzone is a delicious, crispy Italian dish that was created in the 1700s in Naples, Italy. But, its gooey goodness reached the hearts of many Americans in no time. It’s a pizza variation with cheese, meats, veggies, etc., inside and a crispy, golden crust on the outside.

We want to confess something. Calzone is so big; we cannot finish it all at the same time. Then we have to wrap it up and keep it in the fridge. But the problem is the reheating part.

To not waste such a cheesy, delicious meal, you need to learn how to reheat it properly so you don’t end up with a soggy calzone. In this article, you will find the five best reheating methods and learn how to reheat a calzone correctly.

5 Methods to Reheat Calzone

A calzone is like a grab-and-go pizza. If you want, you can also call them mini pizzas because they have the same ingredients as a pizza except for the sauce. Stromboli is another dish that is in the same category but with sauce.

Having leftover calzone is actually helpful when you have guests over, and you don’t have the time to make them from scratch. You can just reheat and serve; your guests will love it.

You need to know that the first part of reheating a leftover calzone is storing it properly. We will get to that later. Moreover, you will want to use the reheating methods that help retain the original taste and texture of the calzone. And that’s what we are for!

Let’s not keep you waiting anymore and move on to the top five reheating methods.

1. How to Reheat Calzone in An Oven

If you ask us, we think the oven is the best way to reheat calzone. An oven will make your calzone golden brown without worrying about burning it. It will help retain moisture, and the taste will be just as fresh as when you first made it.

Moreover, if you are reheating a big batch of calzone, the oven will be able to fit it. However, it will take some time to reheat the food properly. So, if you don’t mind waiting and really want the calzone to be crispy and fresh, an oven is your trusty appliance.

Here are the steps to reheat calzone in an oven:

Step 1: Take the calzone out of the fridge. Let it come to room temperature.
Step 2: Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the ideal temperature to reheat a calzone.
Step 3: Place a baking sheet or parchment paper on a baking tray.
Step 4: Drizzle some olive oil or melted butter on top of the calzone to get that crispy texture. You can also wrap the calzone in aluminum foil to get a soft crust.
Step 5: Reheat the calzone for 20 to 25 minutes. Frozen calzone will take a little more time, about 30 minutes or so.
Step 6: You can cut the calzone in half or poke it with a knife or a fork to check if it has been appropriately reheated.
Step 7: If it needs to warm up a little more, put it back into the oven for extra 5 minutes.
Step 8: Take it out and enjoy it with your favorite dip.

2. How to Heat up Calzone in a Microwave

A microwave is the most accessible and convenient kitchen appliance to warm up food. It is quite fast, and honestly, it does heat the food pretty well. Although when it comes to some food that includes dough, a microwave doesn’t really work well.

The same is true for a calzone. If you reheat a calzone in the microwave, it may turn mushy and soggy. This may also affect the flavor and taste of the dish, resulting in an unappetizing calzone meal. It is also definitely not a suitable method for reheating frozen calzone.

So, we don’t recommend the microwave method. But, if you don’t mind a softer crust and are in a hurry, you can use the microwave. 

Here are the steps to reheat a calzone in the microwave:

Step 1: Thaw your calzone.
Step 2: Place the calzone in a microwave-safe dish or plate.
Step 3: Reheat it for 2 to 3 minutes on full power or high settings.
Step 4: Take it out and serve it hot.

3. How to Reheat Calzone on the Stove 

Even if you don’t own any kitchen appliances, you have the stovetop to help you reheat food. The stove method is not as great as the oven, but it is a hundred times better than the microwave method.

If you warm a calzone in a skillet, you will be able to control the heat and keep an eye on it. Moreover, it will give you a nice charred crust that adds extra flavor to the dish. However, you must not burn your calzone while reheating it because the skillet can get hot really fast.

To heat up a calzone on a stove, you will need a skillet or a non-stick frying pan, some butter, and water. Let’s not waste any more time and move to the reheating steps.

Step 1: Butter the skillet or the pan and preheat it on medium heat.
Step 2: Place the calzone on the skillet.
Step 3: Reheat it for about 2 minutes, giving it one minute on each side.
Step 4: If the calzone is drying, sprinkle a few drops of water on it.
Step 5: Cover the skillet or pan with a lid and let it steam for 2 minutes.
Step 6: Flip the calzone after 2 minutes and close the lid again.
Step 7: To get a crispy crust, let the calzone fry on each side without the lid for a minute.
Step 8: Poke with a fork to see if it has reheated throughout.
Step 9: Take it off the stove and eat it warm.

4. How to Warm up A Calzone in the Toaster Oven

Don’t have an oven? No problem, a toaster oven will work as great as a standard oven to reheat a calzone. It will heat your food properly in less time and make the crust crispy. A toaster oven is a great kitchen appliance when you need to reheat a small portion of a calzone or if you don’t feel like using the oven.

Moreover, an oven can get really hot, which raises the kitchen temperature, but the toaster oven has no such issues and is ideal for summer. The only downside is you can’t reheat big portions of calzone in it.

Now, let’s get to reheating. Here are the steps to warm up a calzone in a toaster oven:

Step 1: Preheat the toaster oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Place baking paper on the toaster oven pan.
Step 3: Put the calzone on the pan.
Step 4: Reheat the calzone for 10 minutes until crispy.
Step 5: Take it out and enjoy it with a sauce.

You may also like: How to Reheat Stromboli

5. How to Reheat Calzone in an Air Fryer

Air fryers have made our lives easier and tastier. It can quickly reheat or cook food without losing any moisture or the original texture. Some people might be skeptical about reheating calzone in an air fryer, but we think it is very convenient.

An air fryer circulates hot air from all sides and heats the calzone properly, so you don’t have to worry about any cold spots. It also maintains moisture while crisping up the crust nicely. But, the sad part is that you can only heat a half or one calzone in the air fryer basket. However, it still functions excellently and gives excellent results in a few minutes.

Here are the steps for reheating a calzone in the air fryer.

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Place a baking sheet in the air fryer basket to avoid cleaning a huge mess.
Step 3: Place the calzone in the basket and reheat for 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 4: When the crust starts looking crispy, take it out.
Step 5: Serve it with your favorite sauce.

How to Store a Calzone Correctly

When we have leftover calzone, we often store it incorrectly. We just put it on a plate and keep it in the fridge. This is the wrong way to store a calzone, and it can grow bacteria quickly. Moreover, when you keep calzone in the refrigerator without any layers, it absorbs the smell of other foods, thus losing its own delicious flavor.

As we mentioned earlier, the first important part of reheating a calzone is storing it correctly. Otherwise, you will end up with a spoiled and mushy calzone. That can’t be healthy in any way. So, here we explain two ways to store your calzone.

In the Fridge

A calzone can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days if you store it properly. You can easily store the calzone by cutting it into pieces or whole. All you need is plastic wrap and airtight containers.

1. Let your calzone come to reach temperature before you do anything else.
2. Wrap the calzone whole or in pieces with plastic wrap. Make sure there is no air inside.
3. Get your airtight container and put them in it.
4. Keep it at the back of the fridge, where the temperature remains stable even when you open the door frequently.
5. Enjoy it by reheating it for five days.

In the Freezer 

If you have made extra calzone for future purposes or to snack on for months, freezing them is a great option. It will keep the calzone fresh for over three months. Here are some ways to store it in the freezer.

1. Let the calzone reach room temperature.
2. Wrap the calzone tightly so that there is no air left.
3. Put them in a ziplock freezer bag for more efficiency. You can also use airtight containers instead of freezer bags.
4. Place them in the freezer and enjoy them for a couple of months.

Some Additional Freezer Techniques

Usually, freezing food can result in freezer burns. If you want to avoid it, you can wrap the calzone with aluminum foil.

You can also try flash-freezing your calzone to avoid wrapping it up with a plastic wrap. You just need to place them on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer. When they get rock hard, seal them in a ziplock freezer bag. This way, they won’t stick together and will remain fresh.

What Types of Calzones Can I Make?

Calzones are great for dinner parties, family gatherings, and even for midnight snacking. When there are so many options of calzone, sometimes, we don’t know which one everyone will like.

You don’t need to worry about such things because all types of calzone have their own specialty that people enjoy. Still, if you want some ideas on choosing the most flavorful and easy calzone recipe, we have got three different calzone ideas for you!

1. Pizza Calzone

Pizza calzone literally tastes like pizza but without sauce. You can easily make it with pizza dough and fill it with your favorite toppings. Then just flip the dough over the toppings and seal it like an empanada. The most exciting part is that you can use whatever toppings you like; it will always taste great.

2. Steak and Cheese Calzone

If you are craving steak but want to add a little twist to it, steak and cheese calzone is just the right recipe for you. It is also known as “Philly Cheesesteak Calzones.” This calzone is made with tender steak fried with bell peppers and onion and topped with cheese. Sounds yummy! You should definitely try it.

3. Cheese Calzone

If you are looking for an easier recipe for calzone but still want it to taste absolutely delicious, then you must try a three-cheese calzone or a two-cheese calzone. For this recipe, you will just need three or two types of cheese, such as ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella. Other than that, you can add scallions, onions, or other veggies to get more flavor out of it.

A Delicious Summary

Calzones are pockets of cheesy goodness that are a favorite dish in almost every household. It is easy to make, and now that you know how to reheat it properly, you will also find it easy to heat up. We bet you will also be making more of it often so that you can store and reheat it later.

Always choose the reheating method that is convenient for you and works for your food. So, try our top five ways and let us know which suits you. We would love to know! Have a great day ahead!