We love to cook outside on our smoker, so it wasn’t long before we knew we would have to get ourselves an outdoor flat top griddle. It was our best purchase last year.
There are quite a few different brands out there and different sizes and even ones with air fryers built in. We went with a 36 inch Blackstone Griddle with a lid (that’s a key so your flat top doesn’t get ruined with the elements!) and love it! There are tons of accessories you can purchase no matter the brand and its fun to feel like a hibachi cook.
The key to getting started is following the instructions to season your griddle to have a nonstick surface. There are some great Facebook groups out there to help with seasoning tips, cleaning tips and recipes. I do recommend the Blackstone ones you find because they have more members and therefore more tips and ideas. Once you have it seasoned, clean-up is so simple. There are some who just wipe it down with a paper towel and then add some oil. That’s what I tend to do most of the time unless I have cooked something messy or sticky then I just squirt some water on while it is hot and scrape off the gunk then add a little oil and rub it in with a paper towel. Cleaning up is so easy and I love that it is just one surface rather than multiple.
One of our favorite things to make is breakfast. It’s so easy just to clean one cooking surface. I can cook all the pancakes, eggs, bacon and hash browns at the same time. You heard me. At the same time. One the same pan. No bouncing around from pan to pan to griddle. I usually always keep my far-right burner off and it serves as my warming area for items that are done before others. Breakfast sandwiches are a hit as well as French toast. A fun way to elevate your pancakes is to make them per usual and then when serving add fruit, chocolate chips and whipped cream then drizzle with syrup and eat like tacos! Our kids love pancake tacos.
A must make is smashed cinnamon rolls. You’ll be shocked at how easy it is! Simply heat your flat top, open the tube of cinnamon rolls, and place them on your flat top. You’ll need something heavy like a grill press and a piece of parchment paper. Lay the parchment on top of the cinnamon roll and using the grill press, press down to flatten the roll. Remove press and parchment and do the same to all rolls. Then flip and cook until the other side is cooked and brown. Once done, drizzle the tops with the icing from the pack. Super-fast and easy and the kiddos love them.
Other must-make items are smash burgers, cheesesteaks, chicken fried rice and tacos. There are tons of variations you can make and really customize to what your family likes. One of my favorite meals is customizable but here is my recipe.
Griddle Tortellini
- Meat of choice – Our preference is sausage links chopped into discs. Chicken is also good!
- Half a yellow onion
- 1 family size bag of fresh tortellini. Find it in your refrigerated section of the grocery store. Use any kind you like. Our fav is the spinach and cheese.
- Cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 jar of roasted red peppers with the juice
- A few handfuls of spinach
- Pesto
- Italian dressing
- Parmesan cheese
Heat the flat top on medium heat. Add some oil and sauté the onion and heat the sausage through. Once those are cooked, add the tortellini and stir often. After a few minutes, add the halved cherry tomatoes and the roasted red peppers that have been chopped. You can chop them before had or use your spatula to cut them on the flat top. Don’t forget to add the juice from the red peppers. Once those have been combined, add the spinach and cook until wilted down. Add in a few tablespoons of pesto and a good drizzle of Italian dressing. We like our stuff saucy, so we add quite a bit. Remove and top with parmesan cheese when serving.
If you ever need a delicious side dish, make this corn on your flat top! Once again, it’s an easy recipe and delicious.
Street Corn
- 1 lb bacon chopped
- 2 12oz bags of frozen corn
- Tequila Lime seasoning or any Mexican seasoning of choice
- 2-3 cloves of garlic. I really love the tube of garlic for cooking on the flat top.
- Cilantro
Toppings: Queso fresco or cotija cheese, crema or sour cream, limes, and Cheetos!
Heat your flat top on medium heat. Start by sauteing the bacon. The key is to make sure the bacon is almost fully cooked before you add the corn. The bacon won’t cook and crisp up if you add the corn too soon. So once the bacon is 90% cooked through, add the bags of frozen corn. You’ll want to stir often to make sure pieces don’t burn and pop off the flat top. Once its almost done to your liking, add a generous amount of tequila lime seasoning and the garlic. Stir until the garlic is cooked through. Turn off your burners and add the cilantro. Remove the corn and place into individual bowls. Our fav toppings are crumbled queso fresco, crema, a good squeeze of lime and crushed Cheetos. It’s so mouthwatering and the perfect side for steaks and tacos.
I hope you found some great recipes to use and feel free to reach out if you have any questions on flat top griddles! I really love cooking on it and sharing fun recipes!
