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Recipe · Indirect · Easy

Garlic-stuffed portobello mushrooms grilled in the kamado

Portobello caps filled with a paste of garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs and good olive oil, gratinated over indirect heat until juicy inside and golden on top. A vegetarian starter loaded with umami.

Quick answer

Cook the stuffed portobellos in the kamado over indirect heat at 190 °C with the deflector for 18-22 minutes. Fill them with a paste of garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs and olive oil and finish with grated aged cheese. They come out juicy inside, golden on top and full of garlic flavour.

Champiñones Portobello rellenos al ajillo con pan rallado y perejil, recién gratinados y dorados sobre una plancha de hierro fundido junto a un kamado de cerámica.Save to Pinterest
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Prep
20 min
Cook
22 min
Servings
4 servings
Temperature
190 °C

Ingredients

  • large portobello mushrooms8 ud
  • garlic cloves6 ud
  • breadcrumbs (panko works best)80 g
  • chopped fresh parsley1 puñado
  • extra-virgin olive oil60 ml
  • grated aged cheese (Manchego or Parmesan)50 g
  • dried chilli (cayenne), crumbled1 ud
  • flaky salt and black pepper1 pizca

Method

  1. 01

    Prep the caps

    Wipe the portobellos clean with a damp cloth, without soaking them. Twist out the stems and set them aside. For a drier stuffing, scrape out the dark gills with a teaspoon. Finely chop the stems.

  2. 02

    Set up indirect

    Light the kamado, fit the heat deflector and stabilise the dome at around 190 °C with the vents slightly open. Let the ceramic settle for about 10 minutes before cooking.

  3. 03

    Garlic paste

    Finely chop the garlic and mix it in a bowl with the parsley, breadcrumbs, chopped stems, chilli and most of the olive oil. Work it into a moist paste that holds together when pressed. Season lightly.

  4. 04

    Stuff the caps

    Brush the outside of each portobello with a little olive oil. Pack the cavity with the paste, pressing lightly without overfilling, and scatter the grated cheese on top.

  5. 05

    Gratinate in the kamado

    Set the caps face-up on a cast-iron griddle or skillet and into the kamado, indirect. Cook with the lid closed at 190 °C for 18-22 minutes, until the mushroom is tender and the stuffing is golden.

  6. 06

    Rest and serve

    Lift out the caps and rest for 3-4 minutes: the juices reabsorb and the stuffing sets. Finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil, flaky salt and fresh parsley. Serve at once.

About this recipe

A portobello is simply a mature white mushroom: bigger, firmer and far more savoury. Its natural cavity makes it the perfect vessel for a garlic stuffing, and the kamado's indirect heat concentrates it without drying it out. It is one of those vegetarian starters that win over even the most committed meat eaters.

The secret of the garlic stuffing

The base is a paste of finely chopped raw garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs and extra-virgin olive oil, worked until moist rather than dry. The breadcrumbs soak up the juices the caps release and return them as a golden crust; the garlic, cooked inside the mushroom instead of fried in a pan, keeps the fresh, punchy bite that defines *al ajillo*. A pinch of chilli and a little grated aged cheese round off the umami.

Indirect heat, no excess water

The portobello's worst enemy is the water it sheds as it heats. That is why it cooks indirect, with the deflector, at 190 °C, cap-side up so the juices pool inside the cavity instead of drowning the crust. Salting only at the end and scraping out the dark gills reduces the moisture even further. The closed kamado dome works like a convection oven and browns the top with no need for a broiler.

Served straight off the grill with a drizzle of raw olive oil and a few flakes of salt, they work as a starter, as a side for a larger cook, or as a light main alongside a salad.

In 30 seconds

Portobellos stuffed with garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs and olive oil, cooked in the kamado indirect at 190 °C for 18-22 minutes with the deflector. Juicy inside, golden on top. A vegetarian starter packed with umami.

Editor's tips

  • Pick portobellos of even size so they cook together; very large ones may need 3-4 minutes more.
  • A cast-iron skillet or griddle catches the juices and concentrates them into a garlicky sauce for dipping bread.
  • For a vegan version, swap the cheese for nutritional yeast and a handful of chopped toasted almonds.

Gear for this recipe

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FAQ

  • What temperature should I cook stuffed portobellos in a kamado?

    Indirect, with the deflector, at 190 °C for 18-22 minutes with the lid closed. At that temperature the cap turns tender and the stuffing browns without burning.

  • Should I remove the dark gills from the portobello?

    It is optional, but scraping out the gills with a teaspoon cuts the water released and stops the stuffing from getting soggy or too dark.

  • How do I keep portobellos from releasing too much water?

    Cook them indirect and cap-side up, uncovered, salt only at the end and use breadcrumbs in the stuffing to soak up the juice. A cast-iron griddle helps concentrate it.

  • Can I make them as a vegan starter?

    Yes. Drop the cheese and add umami with nutritional yeast, chopped sun-dried tomato or toasted almonds. The garlic, parsley, breadcrumb and olive-oil paste is already plant-based.

  • Do I need to smoke the portobellos?

    Not necessary: the garlic is the star here. For a hint of smoke, add a few olive or oak chips for a very mild touch that won't bury the garlic and parsley.

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