Kamado
intro
Tender miso-glazed chicken and seasonal vegetables cooked low and slow on a ceramic kamado grill, packed with umami and subtle wood-smoke flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Make miso marinade
In a medium glass mixing bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons white miso paste, 60ml mirin, 60ml cooking sake, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 15g grated fresh ginger, 10g minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil until completely smooth with no lumps. Pat 900g skin-on chicken thighs fully dry with paper towels, coat evenly in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to absorb flavor.
Preheat kamado grill
Fill the kamado grill’s lower firebox with 2kg natural lump charcoal, light the coals with a chimney starter, and adjust the top and bottom air vents to reach and hold a steady temperature of 175°C (350°F). Once temperature stabilizes, add 2 small cherry wood chunks directly to the hot coals, insert the ceramic heat deflector plate for indirect cooking, close the lid, and wait 10 minutes for thin, blue smoke to develop.
Arrange food on grate
Remove marinated chicken from the refrigerator, wipe off excess marinade with a paper towel to prevent burning, then season all sides lightly with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Place chicken skin-side up on the indirect heat zone of the grill grate, then arrange 300g zucchini rounds, 200g red bell pepper chunks, and 150g stemmed shiitake mushrooms around the chicken in a single, uncrowded layer.
Smoke cook indirectly
Close the kamado lid fully, adjust vents as needed to maintain a steady 175°C (350°F), and cook undisturbed for 35 minutes. Avoid opening the lid during this time to prevent temperature drops; the chicken will reach an internal temperature of 70°C (160°F) and vegetables will be fork-tender with light char edges when ready.
Sear for crispy skin
Put on heat-resistant grill gloves, carefully remove the heat deflector plate to expose direct heat from the coals. Move chicken and vegetables directly over the hot coals, and sear for 2 minutes per side, until chicken skin is deep amber and crispy, vegetables have distinct dark grill marks, and chicken reaches a final safe internal temperature of 75°C (165°F).
Rest and serve
Transfer all cooked chicken and vegetables to a large ceramic serving platter, tent loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute evenly through the chicken before serving.
Tips
2.Resist frequent lid checks during the indirect cooking phase: every time you open the kamado lid, the internal temperature drops by 10–15°C, adding 5–10 minutes of extra cook time and letting precious smoke escape.
3.If cherry wood chunks are unavailable, substitute mild apple or hickory wood, but avoid strong, pungent woods like mesquite, which will overpower the delicate, savory umami of the miso marinade.
OMG this miso chicken is a game changer for my weekend kamado cooks! The caramelization on the chicken thighs was insane, even my picky brother-in-law who swears he hates ‘fancy Asian food’ went back for thirds. Threw in some extra baby bell peppers with the veg mix and it slapped. Will be making this for our next neighborhood potluck for sure.
Made this for family dinner last night and my kids loved it! I was worried the miso glaze would be too salty for them but it was perfectly balanced, sweet and umami. The veggies came out tender-crisp exactly how we like them, no mushy zucchini which is always a win. Only change I made was using boneless skinless thighs because that’s what I had in the fridge.
Super excited to try this, but quick question — I just got my first kamado last month and I’m still getting the hang of temperature control. Is there a big difference if I run it 25 degrees higher or lower than the recipe says? I always seem to overshoot when I’m lighting it.
SO good! I made a big batch of this on Sunday for my weekly meal prep and it held up perfectly all week in the fridge. The glaze didn’t get soggy, the veggies still had a nice crunch even after reheating, and my coworkers kept asking what I was eating because it smelled so good in the break room.
Wait, this miso glaze is insane. I’ve tried like three other kamado miso chicken recipes and none of them hit the way this one does. The little hit of ginger and mirin? *Chef’s kiss* I even used the leftover glaze on salmon last night and it was incredible.
Taste was 10/10 but I totally burned the first batch of glaze because I got distracted talking to my neighbor while it was simmering. Oops! Second batch came out perfect though, the chicken was so juicy off the kamado. Will definitely not walk away from the stove next time, ha.
Brought this to my office potluck last week and the entire platter was gone in 10 minutes. People were scraping the last bits of glaze off the foil! I used a mix of broccoli, sweet potato wedges, and red onion for the veggies and it was the perfect combo. Already got three people asking for the recipe link.
This looks amazing! I need to make this gluten free for my wife who has celiac — I know white miso is usually GF but do you have a swap for the mirin? I can never find GF mirin at my local grocery store.
Loved the chicken, but I felt like the broccoli got a little too charred for my taste when I followed the cook time exactly. Next time I’ll add the veggies a little later in the cook so they don’t get as crispy. Still ate every bite though, the flavor is unbeatable.
I was worried a kamado recipe would take forever on a weeknight but 1 hour 25 minutes total was totally doable even after getting home from work. I prepped the glaze and chopped the veggies the night before so it came together in no time. 10/10 will be in our regular rotation.
This recipe looks so good but I don’t have a kamado grill yet (saving up for one!). Would this work on a regular charcoal grill or even in the oven? I’m dying to try that miso glaze.
I’ve been cooking on my kamado for 6 years and this is easily one of the top 5 recipes I’ve ever made on it. The depth of flavor from the miso paired with that little smokiness from the lump charcoal? Unreal. I used bone-in skin-on thighs like the recipe says and the skin was perfectly crispy, not rubbery at all.
I know the recipe says thighs but I used chicken breasts because that’s what my family prefers and it still came out great! I pounded them to an even thickness so they cooked evenly, and basted them with extra glaze every 10 minutes so they didn’t dry out. Even my dark meat purist husband said it was good.
I’m still pretty new to grilling and I was intimidated by the medium difficulty rating, but this was way easier to follow than I expected! The step-by-step instructions were super clear, I didn’t mess up a single step, and my roommate said it was restaurant quality. So proud of myself!
This was amazing! I added a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce to the glaze to give it a little heat kick and it was chef’s kiss. Paired it with some sesame rice on the side and my whole family devoured it. Will definitely be making this again, probably with even more chili sauce next time.
The smoky flavor from the kamado combined with that miso glaze is next level. I used a mix of hickory and cherry wood chunks for a little extra smoke and it didn’t overpower the miso at all, just added that perfect subtle smoky note. Served it at our last game night and everyone raved.
How long do the leftovers keep in the fridge? I want to make this for my Sunday meal prep but I don’t want it to go bad before I finish all the portions. Also, does it reheat well in the microwave or is the air fryer better?
Took me a little closer to an hour and 45 minutes total because I had to run to the store last minute for miso, but man was it worth it. The flavor is so much better than takeout miso chicken, I can’t believe I made this at home. Even my teen who only eats fast food said it was ‘bussin’ so that’s the highest possible praise.
I swapped the veggies in the recipe for what I had in my CSA box this week — turnips, carrots, and bok choy — and it worked perfectly! The glaze coated all the veggies so well, even the turnips which I usually don’t love were amazing. So versatile, I love when recipes let you use what you have on hand.
Made this for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner last weekend and she said it’s the best meal I’ve ever cooked for her. I set the kamado up out on the patio, strung up some little lights, and served it with a side of edamame and cold sake. Total home run, I’m getting major partner points for this one.