Easy Calzones make for a fun lunch or dinner. A calzone is like a stuffed pizza pocket, filled with all the classic toppings – meat, cheese, and your choice of sauce wrapped in Pizza Dough.

Prep a handful of these to have on hand throughout the week. They reheat really well and are perfect for packing work or school lunch.

Calzones with sauce on the side

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Hi there! My name is Natalya and I run the blog Momsdish. If you already follow me, you know I can’t get enough of easy meals that require simple ingredients. This recipe is no different. Trust me, you’re going to love this homemade calzone recipe.

What is a Calzone?

Calzones are Italian turnovers that are stuffed with an array of ingredients. Pretty much anything that goes on a pizza can go into a calzone.

The fillings are placed on one half of the circular shaped pizza dough. The dough is then folded over, pinched and sealed, coated with an egg wash or olive oil, and baked in the oven until golden brown.

A Calzone cut open with sauce for dipping

What is the Difference Between Calzones and Stromboli?

If you love calzones, you have probably tried its close cousin, stromboli. Stromboli vs Calzone – what sets them apart? Although both have similar ingredients, the way they are sealed is different. Calzones are pinched and sealed like empanadas and are handheld, while a stromboli is rolled up and sliced.

Calzone Dough

If you’re in a pinch, grab any store-bought pizza dough to make your calzone. If you want to elevate your home cooking game, make your own pizza dough.

As you’re rolling your dough out, pay special attention to the thickness. You want to make sure that the dough is thick enough to hold all the toppings and be folded over without breaking. ¼-inch thickness is the sweet spot.

Pizza dough cut into 8 pieces and rolled up into a ball

Calzone Filling

Here are some different variations for you. Mix-and-match your ingredients to make the perfect calzone for your tastebuds:

  • Cheese – Mozzarella, parmesan, sharp cheddar, feta and goat cheese.
  • Meats – Salami, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, ham, bacon, chicken, Italian sausage, steak strips or meatballs.
  • Veggies – Mushrooms, bell peppers, pepperoncini, marinated artichokes, spinach and red onions.
  • Sauce – Use a red pizza sauce or white sauce.
  • Dip – Each your calzone plain or dip your calzone in a little homemade marinara or ranch.

Ingredients for the calzone

How to Make Calzones

Calzones at home are super easy. The best part about calzones is everyone can customize their own. Gather a ton of ingredients, lay them out and let your friends and family go at it! Follow these simple instructions to nail it every time:

  1. Divide pre-made pizza dough into equal portions and roll into a circle.
  2. On one half of the dough, spread all of your selected ingredients.
  3. Fold over and tightly crimp the edges.
  4. Cut air vents, brush with oil and sprinkle on parmesan. Bake at 475F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Step by step of making Calzone

For Larger or Smaller Calzones: Baking time may need to be adjusted based on the size of your Calzone.

Calzone on a baking sheet ready for baking

Storing Calzones

To Freeze: Once you have prepared your calzones, you can freeze them while they are raw or cooked. Either way, place them on a baking sheet and allow them to completely freeze in a single layer. Then, store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bag.

To Reheat: Thaw frozen calzones in the refrigerator for 3 hours, or add more cooking time if heating from frozen. Bake raw calzones according to recipe instructions. Bake cooked calzones for half the time or until they are heated through.

A few calzones, one cut open next to marinara sauce

Other Quick Lunch Recipes

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Easy Calzone Recipe

5 from 196 votes
Author: Natalya Drozhzhin
Baked Calzones served with marinara sauce
Easy calzones make for a fun lunch or dinner. These stuffed pizza pockets are filled with all the classic toppings - meat, cheese and your choice of sauce.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 servings
  • 2 lb pizza dough
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 cup pepperoni
  • 1/2 cup salami
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 475 °F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with oil.
  • Divide the dough into 8 equally sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 1/4" thick circle.
  • Place the filling on half of each circle (pizza sauce, ricotta, pepperoni, salami and shredded mozzarella). Make sure to leave the edges clean to allow for sealing the calzone. Fold the side over the filling and crimp the edges.
  • Place calzones on a baking sheet, leaving space apart. Cut a small vent on the top of each calzone. Brush the tops with oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Per Serving

578kcal Calories58g Carbs26g Protein28g Fat12g Saturated Fat62mg Cholesterol1690mg Sodium227mg Potassium2g Fiber9g Sugar508IU Vitamin A2mg Vitamin C286mg Calcium4mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Easy Calzone Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
578
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
28
g
43
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Cholesterol
 
62
mg
21
%
Sodium
 
1690
mg
73
%
Potassium
 
227
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
58
g
19
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
9
g
10
%
Protein
 
26
g
52
%
Vitamin A
 
508
IU
10
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
286
mg
29
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: calzone recipe, calzones
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 578

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya is a food blogger who founded Momsdish.com to make cooking easier. Growing up on a farm in Ukraine, Natalya was inspired by the amazing dishes that were prepared using simple ingredients. Natalya is most notably known for making cooking approachable for any person.

Read more posts by Natalya

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Peter
    February 24, 2024

    Hi Natasha,
    great recipe, easy to follow. Works very well and I love calzone. But there is one thing I should mention:
    To my knowledge America and it’s outer states are the only ones who are still using Fahrenheit, lbs, inches etc. However, there is a big online crowd out there in the rest of the world who have no idea what Fahrenheit etc means, because we are talking Celcius, meter, grams etc.
    Can I suggest to write both 450 F/230 C e.g. ? Thank you 🙂

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 26, 2024

      Hi Peter, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.

      Reply

  • David
    February 9, 2024

    Does your pizza dough recipe make enough dough for 8 calzones in this recipe? It was clear especially when looking at the amount of dough it made before proofing.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 9, 2024

      Hi David, yes, one recipe of the pizza dough makes 2 lbs and the perfect amount for this calzone recipe. I hope that helps.

      Reply

      • David
        February 10, 2024

        thanks so much. I hope over-proofing won’t be too much of a problem, it sat for more like 16 hours!

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          February 10, 2024

          I hope it all works out and you love it!

          Reply

  • Steve
    January 28, 2024

    Hi Natalya.

    I love your pizza recipe and we use it all the time. Thanks so much for posting it.

    Q: Have you or would you try baking the calzones on a pizza stone?
    Thanks.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 29, 2024

      Hi Steve! Thank you. I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe. Yes- you could make them on a pizza stone.

      Reply

  • Teri
    January 22, 2024

    My husband loved it and we will be making again❤️ God Bless you with His Peace and Love ❤️

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 22, 2024

      That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing, Teri.

      Reply

  • Brett
    October 11, 2023

    I was reading the comments before making. I see some folks mentioning that the parchment burned or the bottom was a bit soggy. I just took a bakers cooling rack and used that after spraying with oil, placed them on that in the pan. Turned out great. Thanks for the recipe. Was wondering if these would work in an air fryer as well?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 11, 2023

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me, Brett! I haven’t tested that but I did read online that calzones can be baked in an air fryer at 325˚F for 12 minutes, turning after 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Let me know how it goes if you test that out.

      Reply

  • Bobby
    September 24, 2023

    Match this great Calzone with pizza sauce made easy.
    3 oz tomato paste.
    15 oz tomato sauce.
    1 Tablespoons dried oregano to taste.
    2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning.
    ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
    ½ teaspoon onion powder.
    ½ Tablespoon garlic salt.
    ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
    1 teaspoon sugar.
    Mix it all together an hr beforehand to let the spices incorporate.

    Reply

  • Renee
    September 13, 2023

    I would love to see a video on this! 😃 I’m not great with dough and I had a hard time making them. I’m sure they will be delicious though.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 13, 2023

      Hi Renee! Thank you for the suggestion. Maybe we can film a video for it in the future.

      Reply

  • Angela
    August 22, 2023

    Hi Natasha!! Love this recipe. Baked on parchment paper. No burning. The only problem I had was a soggy bottom!! Next time I may leave the sauce out. Love your videos too!❤️
    Angela

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 22, 2023

      Thanks for sharing, Angela. We’re glad that you love our Easy Calzone Recipe!

      Reply

    • Gerry
      December 5, 2023

      A pizza stone is a must if you don’t want a soggy bottom. My calzone always turn out crispy on both side. No parchment needed with the stone.

      Reply

  • yussy
    August 15, 2023

    THIS WAS SO GOOD OMG 5STARS THE WAY THE CHEESE MELTED WAS SOOO GOOD I DEF WOULD DO AGAIN 5 STARS FOR U

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 15, 2023

      I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.

      Reply

  • Rica
    July 21, 2023

    Such an easy recipe. This is my third time using this recipe. Halved the dough and made 4 calzones and a pizza. Definitely a keeper.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 21, 2023

      Hi Rica! Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you enjoy this recipe!

      Reply

  • Amanda
    June 21, 2023

    Would these be able to freeze? Like making homemade hotpockets?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 22, 2023

      HI Amanda, you sure can, we have a section in this recipe sharing exactly how to store Calzone, freeze and reheat. See the “Storing Calzones” Section. I hope this helps!

      Reply

  • Tia Adaline
    June 10, 2023

    Tried these today and they came out perfect, with a golden crust. Having some undercooked insides were a worry I had, but they were cooked to the core. Much appreciated.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 10, 2023

      That’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad it was enjoyed.

      Reply

  • Marty
    June 4, 2023

    I am truly a novice cook, so when
    I saw “easy” in the title I knew it was a good one for me.
    I followed the recipe with one exception, i did not use ricotta cheese at all. The rolling of the dough was the hardest part.
    These turned out PERFECT.
    Nice and crispy outside, soft doughy inside. I use internet
    Recipes alot, and this one is truly
    One of the best. No question I’ll
    Be making these again. Thanks for a simple and really delicious recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 4, 2023

      That made my day brighter! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, we appreciate it!

      Reply

  • Jackie
    May 17, 2023

    How many times do I need to make the pizza dough recipe for 2lbs of.pizza dough for these?

    I have made the calzones with already made dough and they were a hit. Now I want to make the dough from scratch? Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 17, 2023

      Hi Jackie! You just need to make the pizza dough one time as written and that will be enough to make these calzones. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Jennifer
    March 27, 2023

    I make this All The Time. It’s the #1 meal at our house. (I make plain cheese, just ricotta and mozzarella, but others sometimes grill up onions or peppers to use in the filling, and I heat up some marinara sauce for my husband to dunk his in.)

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 27, 2023

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jennifer!

      Reply

  • Marisa Gillen
    March 20, 2023

    If you add pizza sauce and cheese inside and fry them you have a panzarotti, a South Jersey treat.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 20, 2023

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Diane
    February 14, 2023

    I made these with ground turkey meat, tomato basil sauce and and cheese, so goood. Boys rated 10/10

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 14, 2023

      Hi Diane! That sounds yummy! I’m so glad it was a hit.

      Reply

  • elaine Sahady
    February 9, 2023

    I halved the dough and made a large calzone. Family said it was delicious and asked me to make another one tomorrow.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 9, 2023

      That’s wonderful Elaine! I’m so glad it was a hit!

      Reply

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