In this work, recessed gate AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs) with double AlGaN barrier designs are fabricated and investigated. Two different recessed depths are designed, leading to a 5 nm and a 3 nm remaining bottom AlGaN barrier under the gate region, and two different Al% (15% and 20%) in the bottom AlGaN barriers are designed. First of all, a double hump trans-conductance (g_m)–gate voltage (V_G) characteristic is observed in a recessed gate AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMT with a 5 nm remaining bottom Al_0.2Ga_0.8N barrier under the gate region. Secondly, a physical model is proposed to explain this double channel characteristic by means of a formation of a top channel below the gate dielectric under a positive V_G. Finally, the impacts of Al% content (15% and 20%) in the bottom AlGaN barrier and 5 nm/3 nm remaining bottom AlGaN barriers under the gate region are studied in detail, indicating that lowering Al% content in the bottom can increase the threshold voltage (V_TH) toward an enhancement-mode characteristic.