My Favorite Summer Dishes on the Ooni Oven
Between hitting the beach and bouncing from barbecue-to-barbecue, Memorial Day weekend will always feel like the official start of summer. For me, being able to embrace the weather provides the perfect opportunity to get outside and cook--something that has become a passion of mine since becoming a homeowner. One of my go-to tools for creating great summer inspired dishes is the Ooni pizza oven, a portable, wood-fired stove that’s taken Neapolitan pizza and put it right in your backyard.
I consider myself an early adopter.
Maybe I'm just a sucker for good Instagram advertising, but having had this oven for over four years, I’ve figured out the Ooni (previously called UUni) can cook way more than just pizza.
Here are some of my favorite dishes:
Wood-Fired Chicken Wings
My personal favorite dish to cook, the wings that come out of this oven are amazing. Paired with onions, the smoke flavor from the wood combined with cast iron create a dish most people only find at their favorite Italian restaurant.
I keep the seasoning simple. These aren’t breaded wings, I stick with salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder--that’s it. The oven and the onions do the rest.
Chicken Thighs with Brussel Spouts
Similar to the wings, any thin cuts of meat that can cook at high heat come out great. You can also experiment with veggies cooked on cast iron skillets. One of the best veggies is brussel sprouts. The Ooni does a great job of getting them tender while adding that perfect amount of crisp on top.
Roasted Peppers
A recipe pulled right off the Ooni website, this peppers & salsa dish hits the spot. I like to pair it with sweet sausage, but it works well with steaks or chicken as well.
Baked Apples
What would this list be without something sweet?
A relatively simple, but delicious recipe creates the perfect wood-fired dessert. You can add ice cream, opt for a cinnamon-sugar crumble or just eat it right out of the cast-iron skillet.
Pro tip - slow cook this on the grill if you can, then finish it in the oven for a great wood-fired finish.
Pizza
Don’t sleep on the pizza--that is still the Ooni’s bread (pun intended) & butter. Since the oven gets so hot, you can cook a personal pie in about 90 seconds. You haven't seen a party come alive until your guests gather to witness fresh pizzas made in minutes. Plain, pepperoni, Cacio E Pepe are some of my favorites.
As a home-body with a growing passion for cooking, these dishes are simple and don’t take long to cook. The high heat of the Ooni oven as well as the conversation it creates makes it perfect for hosting your friends and family throughout the summer barbecue season. At some point, I’ll upgrade to a new model--maybe the larger pro version to take my pizza game to the next level.
