Want great tailgate food? Here are 7 outdoor griddle tips that will make your life easier.
Have you ever wondered why your neighborhood BBQ joint doesn’t actually use a BBQ? You might have noticed that they typically use flat-top griddles to grill your steaks and other goodies. That’s because a griddle allows for a more evenly cooked dish and also helps the flavors of the dish to soak in.
So, don’t you want your very own griddle to make some of the best foods your family craves?
In this article, we’re going to walk you through how to use your best outdoor griddle, well, the best! Keep reading to learn more.
Outdoor Griddle Tips
1. Use the Right Equipment
The most important part of cooking with a griddle is actually not the griddle itself but using the right equipment. You probably want a good pair of tongs and a soft bristle brush to clean the griddle when you’re done. Here are some other essentials to pick up with your purchase.
Extra Large Spatula
Tongs come in handy when grilling with a traditional grill, but with a griddle, you’ll also want to have an extra-large spatula on hand. A good spatula will allow you to move food around on the griddle and it’s especially great for flipping burgers and steaks. Besides that, it helps you cook quicker and more efficiently.
We recommend stainless steel which can also be used as a scraper to loosen caked-on grease. Not to mention that stainless steel helps to eliminate cross-contaminating your meals.
Blocking the Wind
Even though you won’t be cooking on an open flame, you’ll still need to block the wind. Wind will not only cool your food as you cook but also cool the griddle itself. You’ll want to keep your griddle at the optimum temperature to ensure that your food cooks thoroughly so you can enjoy all those delicious tastes to their fullest!
Propane
Of course, you can’t have a griddle without propane. There is no such thing as a charcoal griddle. That is unless you make your own griddle at home but this type of griddle can’t really be transported for tailgating events and other parties.
Make sure you have the proper propane hose to link your tank to your griddle when you’re on the go.
Don’t Forget to Cover Your Griddle
Aside from cooking, you’ll also need the proper equipment to maintain your griddle when you’re not using it. A good cover should be polyester and plastic to ensure that the elements don’t affect your griddle when it’s not in use. Rain, snow, and even too much heat can damage your griddle and leave the cooking surface rusted or warped.
2. Use Water
When you’re cooking with a griddle, you’ll want to have at least a water bottle sized container filled with water as one of the essential accessories you cook. This will allow you to cook with steam which adds flavor to your food and makes it taste all that much better. A squeeze bottle is a perfect accessory, but if you’re in a pinch, a plain old plastic water bottle leftover from your last use will do just fine.
3. The Best Oil for an Outdoor Griddle
You’re going to need oil to cook on a griddle or else everything is going to stick and make a huge mess.
You can use canola oil but the best oil for griddle cooking is Avocado oil. It doesn’t burn at high heat and adds flavor to your foods. Not to mention that it’s a healthy oil.
4. Seasonings Are Key
The best outdoor griddle recipes are those that you make your own. You can use any seasonings you prefer. The important thing is to use plenty of them. The more seasonings you use, the better chance the griddle has to make a satisfying meal.
The thing about griddle cooking is that the seasonings don’t have a chance to escape so it’s also important not to use too much of any seasoning, especially salt. Remember, too, that your oil will help the seasoning soak in so while you’ll want to season your meats and vegetable plenty, learn how much is enough.
5. Prepare Your Food First
Another thing to be mindful of as you cook with a griddle is that your food will cook much faster than with a traditional grill. You’ll want to make sure you have enough time ahead of time to prepare your foods and get all your ingredients in order so you can just cook and monitor the foods on the griddle without distraction.
6. Get Creative
The best part about cooking with a griddle is the opportunity to try new things. Have you ever tried to cook vegetables on a traditional grill? You likely tried using aluminum foil which just falls apart and skillets don’t really get hot enough.
With a griddle, you have more opportunities to be creative and cook more and more foods that you wouldn’t usually cook outside.
7. Cleaning Your Griddle
Finally, don’t spare when it comes to cleaning your griddle. And, clean it immediately after use. You can scrape it and wipe it down while it’s still hot and give it a good cleaning as soon as it cools to eliminate any waste from sticking once you store it away for the next use.
Finding the Best Outdoor Griddle
Finding the best outdoor griddle is just the first step. The most important is actually doing the cooking. Or should we say grilling? Lest we should actually say griddling!
Once you have your new griddle set up, we invite you to check out our blog for all the tips and tricks you can get your hands on to make the best meals at the tailgating party and at home on a random weekday night. We’ve made it easy for you to filter your search and we hope you’ll find ways to make the best meals for your friends and family.
