Wood Fired Pizza: Kamado Grill Recipe + Tips
Get the taste of brick oven pizza at home. The ultimate guide to Wood Fired Pizza on a Kamado Grill! Kamado grill comparison to make the best brick oven pizza. You can find more great recipes on my recipes favorites page.
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Grilling pizza is our favorite way to eat pizza these days. You get the crispy crust of a restaurant-style brick oven and the fresh taste of homemade by making it yourself (when you are the chef) at home and cooking it lightning fast on a kamado-style grill.
The Best Kamodo Grill Options
We bought an Acorn Kamado Grill a few years ago to try out the ceramic charcoal/wood grill trend. It quickly wore out with the amount of use we gave it. Now we have a Kamado Joe 2 Classic Grill and it is awesome!
If you do not have a dome-type grill you can always make this pizza on a pizza stone in your home oven.
Acorn Brand VS. Kamado Joe
We figured going with the Acorn grill was a less expensive way to try these grills out without breaking the bank. This way if these types of grills were not for us then we didn’t lose a ton of money.
Acorn:
- Less expensive
- Made out of metal not ceramic
- Does not last long
We ended up having to replace parts sooner than we thought. So instead of replacing a bunch of parts, we upgraded to the Kamado Joe Grill.
Kamado Joe:
- Better quality
- Full ceramic no metal
- Better heat retention
- A lot of accessories
Best Pizza Stone for Kamado Grill
Let’s talk pizza! When you make wood-fired pizza on the Kamodo grill you need to add a Char-Griller Smoking Stone under the grates. This turns your grill into a convection oven by distributing heat evenly around the stone.
Then you add a pizza stone on top of the grates. If you only add the top pizza stone, the crust will burn and blacken really quickly. Some brands have their own accessories like the Kamado Joe Pizza Stone.
What temperature do you Cook a Pizza on a Kamado Grill?
As for temperature, the grill must be at least 500 degrees or higher. My husband heats ours up to around 600-700 degrees.
It is best to use a large pizza peel to move the pizza from counter to grill, so you do not risk getting burned. You can use wood or charcoal to heat your kamado.
The Best Hard Wood Lump Charcoal
If you are using wood go for pecan or oak. If you choose hickory or mesquite the pizza will have a smokey taste. Unless that’s what you are going for!
My husband’s favorite charcoal is the Royal Oak brand. Experiment and see what is best for you.
How to make Pizza on Kamado Grill
If you do not own a kamado grill you can easily make this same pizza in the oven. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees and add the pizza stone while heating. Cook anywhere from 5-10 minutes.
Keep your eye on it so it will not burn. For the pizza crust, we have tried several ways to make these pizzas.
What type of dough to use for Wood Fired Pizza
What dough makes the perfect crust? We like the premade dough that is rolled and flattened out, that you just remove from the package and unroll on the counter.
In this wood fired pizza recipe, we used Wewalka Bistro Thin Crust (Walmart, Harris Teeter) but we love the grocery store deli premade dough you buy in a ball and roll out.
You can use any type of dough you are comfortable with.
Toppings to use on Wood Fired Pizza:
- Veggies: green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, arugula, artichokes, spinach, onions, olives, jalapenos
- Meats: sausage, hamburger, bacon, prosciutto, chicken, salami, meatballs, beef
- Fruit: pineapple,
- Cheese: mozzarella, asiago, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan
- Sauces: tomato pizza sauce, white cream sauce, balsamic glaze, olive oil, alfredo, BBQ, Ranch, Buffalo
Wood Fired Pizza Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 pkgs pizza dough, Wewalka Bistro Pizza Round & Thin
- 1 16oz pizza sauce, Cucina Antica Pizza Sauce
- Flour
- Cornmeal (see notes)
- Any topping combination you desire:
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese
- Frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
- Sliced fresh mushrooms
Instructions:
- Wash and sanitize your counter.
- Sprinkle flour on the counter surface.
- Roll out your dough and smooth it out with your fingers.
- Spoon a thin layer of pizza sauce over the dough.
- Add a layer of mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce. Sprinkle the veggies over the cheese.
- Preheat your kamado grill up to at least 500 degrees.
- Add pizza stone to the grill grate while preheating.
- Use a large pizza peel and gently scoop up the pizza and place it on the pizza stone. Leave the dome open.
- Pizza will cook very quickly, usually anywhere from 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
NOTE: As per a reader: If you are having trouble getting the dough onto the pizza peel. It is suggested to sprinkle cornmeal onto the peel and then put the rolled-out dough onto it and then add the ingredients.
More recipes like this you may like:
- Chicago Style Pan Pizza
- Oven Baked Ravioli
- Lightened Up Chicken Broccoli Braid
- Deep Dish Skillet Pizza by Domestically Creative
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Grilled Veggie Wood Fired Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 pkgs pizza dough, Wewalka Bistro Pizza Round & Thin
- 1 16 oz pizza sauce, Cucina Antica Pizza Sauce
- flour
Any topping combination you desire:
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese
- frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
- mushrooms
Instructions
- Wash and sanitize your counter. Sprinkle flour on the counter surface.
- Roll out your dough and smooth it out with your fingers.
- Spoon a thin layer of pizza sauce over dough.
- Add a layer of mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce.
- Sprinkle the veggies over the cheese.
- Preheat your kamado grill up to at least 500 degrees. Add pizza stone to the grill grate while preheating.
- Use a large pizza peel and gently scoop up the pizza and place it on the pizza stone.
- Pizza will cook very quickly, usually anywhere from 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Cooking Pizza in an Oven:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees and add the pizza stone while heating. Place dough on pizza stone and bake for 5-10 minutes
NOTES
- Place parchment paper under the dough when you are preparing the pizza. Place the paper and pizza on the grill to cook.
- Use precooked pizza dough. It stays together pretty well when moved from counter to grill.
- NOTE: As per a reader: If you are having trouble getting the dough onto the pizza peel. It is suggested to sprinkle cornmeal onto the peel and then put the rolled-out dough onto it and then add the ingredients.
- Cook the dough for 1-2 minutes before adding cheese and toppings.
Nutrition
The nutrition info provided is only an estimate. See my nutrition disclaimer for more info on how the data is collected for recipes.
Did you make this recipe?
MAKE AHEAD: Place single servings in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
FREEZER: Place leftover portions in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in a microwave or in the refrigerator overnight. Bake on 350 for 25 minutes or microwave for 2-3 minutes on high until done.
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I am an avid at home pizza maker, and I have found the best way to use a pizza peel is to make the pizza right on the peel. Liberally spread coarse corn meal on the peel, and gently lay your dough on top. Top your pizza, and pick up the whole thing and take it to the oven. The cornmeal acts like little ball bearings, and with a little bit of a shimmy you can slide the pizza right off onto your stone/steel. You might need to practice once or twice to get the shimmy-shimmy-slide action downpat, but once you do, it’s a piece of cake. It will totally change your pizza game.