If you’re a backyard master chef, like to hang out on grilling forums, or if you enjoy browsing in the BBQ section of your local hardware store, you’ve likely noticed a surge of interest in griddles for your grill.
The BBQ griddle trend isn’t just a passing fad. Often thought of as equipment you’d see in a mom and pop diner or a hibachi restaurant, griddles have become one of the hottest selling accessories in outdoor cooking. These flat, heavy metal cooking surfaces that sit on or replace your grills cooking grate are a natural response to the growing desire for more creativity, versatility and control in outdoor cooking.
Whether you’re cooking with gas, charcoal or pellets, keep reading and find out why griddles are transforming the backyard cooking experience.
GRIDDLES EXPAND WHAT YOU CAN COOK OUTDOORS
Traditional grates are just the ticket for burgers, hotdogs, chicken and ribs. But who hasn’t lost food that has fallen the open spaces on the grate. By inserting a griddle, that is no longer a concern. On your griddle, now you can look forward to enjoying:
- Breakfast foods like bacon, eggs, pancakes and hash browns.
- Smash burgers with absolutely perfect crusts.
- Delicate fish that would normally break apart or stick to the grate.
- Sizzling small veggies with shrimp and scallops that would always slip through the grates.
- Fried rice or maybe noodles.
- How about chopped cheesesteaks?
We could keep going, but you get the idea. A griddle will turn your grill into a diner kitchen. Whatever you can cook in a pan, you can cook on a griddle. However, you’ll have more room to cook and you’ll be enjoying that outdoor flavor that everyone loves!
EXPERT SEARING AND CRUST DEVELOPMENT
Have you ever asked yourself why burgers or steaks in your favorite restaurant have a more intense sear that what you can get at home? The answer to that question is often in the cooking surface.
Griddles have:
- Very even heat distribution, particularly with cast iron or thick carbon steel.
- Full surface contact between the food and the metal.
- High sustained heat capacity, meaning it can absorb a large amount of heat energy.
This combination creates what many professionals refer to as the Holy Grail of cooking effects, a chemical response called the “Maillard reaction”. This is actually a chemical reaction that’s responsible for the rich browning and the deep flavor of food.
Without a griddle, these juices would drip through the grates and simply burn away. But, when cooking on a griddle, all the juices stay on the cooking surface, simmering and caramelizing around your food, enhancing its flavor. This results in:
- Better color on seared vegetables or smash potatoes.Yum!
- Thicker crust on burgers.Double Yum!
- Superior browning on chicken.Triple Yum!
- Perfectly crispy fried rice or hash browns.Yahoo!
If you’re looking for a killer crust and want to ratchet it up a bit, the griddle is going to be your BFF!
COOKING ZONES AND BETTER TEMPERATURE CONTROL
Even on the most expensive grills, heat distribution can be uneven. A griddle is the answer to that dilemma. Griddles absorb and redistribute heat much more evenly thanks to their thermal mass. With a griddle, now you can easily:
- Create different temperature zones for different foods.
- Maintain consistent heat across the entire cooking surface.
- Prevent flare-ups caused by grease dripping on the burner.
- Cook foods that require a moderate but steady temperature.
- Sustain better temperature control, especially for foods where more precise control matter.
NO MORE WORRIES ABOUT FLARE-UPS AND LOST JUICES
Flare-ups can be frustrating as well as dangerous. This is especially true when grilling fatty foods like burgers or chicken wings. A griddle inserted on to your grate will essentially eliminate these issues because the grease is not able to drip onto the flames.
Some advantages of keeping those juices on the surface are:
- Less risk of burning.
- More consistent results.
- More flavorful food.
- A cleaner grill bottom.
These advantages alone, are the reasons many backyard BBQers are adding a griddle to their grill.
ONE ACCESSORY: SEVERAL COOKING STYLES
The addition of a griddle to your grill opens up a variety of techniques that just will not work with the traditional cooking grates. Have you tried:
- Stir-frying
- Searing
- Toasting breads
- Sautéing
- Steaming (with a dome cover)
- Shallow frying
Versatile? You bet! A griddle is sort of like the Swiss Army Knife of outdoor cooking! There’s something for every situation or meal that comes up!
AN EASIER AND QUICKER WAY TO FEED A CROWD
Have you ever attempted to make a dozen smash burgers and a mountain of veggies on a regular cooking grate? Not fun. On a griddle, batch cooking becomes much more efficient and a terrific way to feed more people, quicker.
With so much more uninterrupted space, now you’re able to:
- Prep and cook meals for larger gatherings.
- Slide and rearrange food more easily.
- Prepare complete meals by cooking meat, veggies, and starches together on a single surface.
- Keep certain foods warm on unused areas while the rest of the meal is cooking.
You can envision how helpful this will be while entertaining. Serve everything nice and hot! Your grill could be a short-order outdoor kitchen!
SIMPLE CLEANUP AND MAINTENANCE
A seasoned griddle is surprisingly low-maintenance. Unlike the nasty job of removing and scrubbing individual grates, cleaning a griddle is quick and easy. Typically all it involves is:
- Scraping off the residue.
- Rinsing with water to deglaze it.
- Wiping with a paper towel.
- Adding a thin coat of vegetable oil.
Basically, that’s all there is to it. Over time, your griddle will develop that classic black patina, like a cast-iron skillet, and will become almost non-stick.
Here’s a quick fun fact. Spend just a bit more on a griddle with an enamel cooking surface. They are much easier to clean and easier to cook on. Choose the one with leveling legs so the juices stay right where you want them while cooking.
GET CREATIVE AND EXPAND THE VARIETY OF MEALS
One of the main reasons people purchase a griddle for their BBQ grill is simply to have more fun while preparing meals. Cooking on a flat-top invites fun and encourages experimentation. In the past, your outdoor menu might have been, dogs, burgers and chicken. Not any longer! How about:
- Hibachi nights
- Taco Tuesdays
- Breakfast-for-dinner
- Stir-fry feasts
- Gourmet burger experiments
- Tailgate or camping-style breakfasts
A griddle on your grill naturally stirs more creativity. And more creativity will lead to more smiles around the grill and more memories with family and friends.
GRIDDLES WILL WORK ON NEARLY ALL GRILLS
Modern griddle plates are compatible with +95% of all gas, wood or pellet grills. When you’re shopping, you’ll be able to find:
- Reversible griddle/grill combo plates.
- Stainless steel or carbon-steel griddle inserts.
- Modular systems that sit over a burner.
- Cast-iron options for charcoal grills.
- Full-size flat-top conversions for gas grills.
It doesn’t matter what’s on your deck or patio; a gas, charcoal or pellet grill, there are affordable griddle options that will instantly upgrade it.
One other point worth mentioning that’s quite practical; choose a griddle that allows you to cook with the lid down. This means the griddle surface will heat up quicker. Then, as you’re winding down the cooking, it will allow you to keep the food nice and hot until serving.
WHAT’S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT?
The excitement about griddles for your grill isn’t just a marketing gimmick. It’s a dramatic example of how they will expand the versatility of your grill. If you’re looking for more variety, better control of temperatures and having more fun at the grill, a griddle might just be the best accessory you’ll ever add to your backyard cooking experience. Might make an awesome gift idea too!
