An oven appliance, as provided herein, may include a plurality of chamber walls, a bottom heating element, a base panel, and a cooking plate. The plurality of chamber walls may define an oven chamber. The plurality of chamber walls may include a back wall, a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a bottom wall. The bottom heating element may be mounted above the bottom wall to heat a cooking surface within the oven chamber. The base panel may be disposed over the bottom heating element. The base panel may define an oven vent and a receiving zone spaced apart from the oven vent. The base panel may further define an enclosed region with the bottom wall about the bottom heating element. The cooking plate may be disposed on the base panel within the receiving zone. The cooking plate may define the cooking surface.