When the hot days of summer turn into cool fall evenings, it sometimes feels like the grilling season is coming to a close. If you have a Kamado Joe in the backyard to use, it’s possible to keep the fun going all year long.
One of the best benefits of the Kamado Joe grill is that you can use it to make numerous dishes. Outside of the burgers, brats, and hot dogs that are part of a traditional grilling experience, you’ll find that making a pizza is a lot of fun!
When making a pizza with your Kamado Joe grill, you can get the crispness and flavor of a wood-fired oven. It only takes a few accessories and a little practice with the dough to get everything right.
What Do I Need to Make a Kamado Joe Pizza?
Before you can make a pizza, you’ll need the ingredients that you want for your meal. A standard pizza crust is only flour, yeast, and water, but you can find premade items at most stores if you’re going to skip that step.
Don’t forget about the cheese and your favorite toppings!
Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, it is time to double-check that you have the right equipment to turn your Kamado Joe into a pizza oven.
| Equipment Needed | Why You Need This Equipment for Kamado Joe Pizza |
| Pizza Stone | Using a pizza stone in your Kamado Joe is the best option because it supports the crust while surrounding it with appropriate heat. If you prefer, a wooden peel is available for sliding the dough right onto the grill. |
| Ash Tool | Although your fuel won’t produce much ash in a Kamado Joe, the dough and other ingredients can create charred spots that fall into the unit. You’ll want a way to collect that material to prevent the flavor from getting infused into the pizza. |
| Pizza Cutter | You could use a big knife to cut your pizza once it is finished, but it’s a lot more fun to have a pizza cutter to simplify the process. Just remember to take the food out of the grill before slicing it to prevent damage to your Kamado Joe. |
| Grill Size | It helps to have an 18-inch cooking surface for your pizza to produce a pie of a reasonable size. Although smaller Kamado Joe grills are available and create tasty dishes, you’ll end up putting more work into the process to feed everyone. |
| Grill Cover | Your Kamado Joe is a significant investment in grilling bliss. Having a cover that keeps it protected from the elements ensures that you’ll get to keep making pizza for a long time. |
How to Make Pizza on Your Kamado Joe
Once you have everything gathered, it is time to get to work on your pizza. After getting the Kamado Joe to the right temperature, you’ll want to roll out the dough to get the shape and thickness you prefer.
After the dough has a nice, round shape, place the pizza stone on the grill so that it can start heating up to the right temperature. You want the Kamado Joe to be around 500°F (260°C) to give you the best experience.
You might consider adding a grill thermometer to your setup if you’re unsure of where your Kamado Joe is with its cooking surface.
After placing the cooking stone into the grill, you can work with the toppings you want for the pizza. When you place the sauce layer, put your favorite herbs on top of it before adding anything else to get a beautiful infusion of flavor. You can add more herbs and spices on top of your final toppings layer for extra support.
Most Popular Toppings for a Kamado Joe Pizza
When you make a pizza with your grill, you’ll need to think about the temperature and environment when selecting toppings.
The higher temperatures may not be suitable for pizza recipes that place watery ingredients on top of the final cheese layer. If you like a saucy pie with mushrooms or olives, you may find the cooking process dehydrates your toppings to the point that it isn’t as enjoyable.
You can prevent this outcome by structuring your pizza to have some cheese on top of your favorite ingredients to avoid dehydration.
If you love a great pepperoni pizza, you’ll find that the cooking process in the Kamado Joe reduces the grease levels that sit on top.
Although you can try almost anything as a pizza topping with your Kamado Joe, it is important to think about pie thickness. If you have a thick pizza, your dough will need more time to cook.
The average pizza needs between seven to 12 minutes to cook inside the Kamado Joe. If you like a thin-crust recipe, the time could be as little as three to five minutes. You’ll know it is done when the crust is a beautiful golden brown color with some bubbly cheese.
After taking the pizza out of the grill, you can carefully transfer the food to your preferred serving plate. It will need to cool down for approximately three minutes before you cut into it so that the dough has time to set, the cheese congeals just a little, and you won’t have your fingers burned.
Once you reach this point, you can slice and serve your pie – and maybe start baking another one on your Kamado Joe grill!