Have you ever dreamed of making perfectly crispy bacon without the usual kitchen mess and lingering grease smell? Your dream is about to become a reality! Cooking bacon on a Blackstone Griddle is not only incredibly easy, but it delivers deliciously crackling bacon in minutes, transforming your breakfast routine forever. Once you try this method, you’ll wonder why you ever made bacon any other way.
For years, I experimented with every known method of cooking bacon – from the traditional stovetop frying and oven baking to modern air fryer techniques. Each had its merits, but none truly captured the ideal balance of crispiness, flavor, and convenience without creating a significant clean-up challenge or a pervasive aroma in the kitchen. That all changed the moment I discovered the magic of making bacon on a Blackstone Griddle. This method isn’t just a slight improvement; it’s a game-changer that has completely redefined how I approach cooking this breakfast staple.
Imagine a world where your entire breakfast, from savory bacon to fluffy pancakes and perfectly cooked eggs, can be prepared simultaneously on a single, expansive cooking surface. With a large flat-top griddle like a Blackstone, this culinary fantasy becomes your everyday reality. You’ll not only achieve a delicious, restaurant-quality feast ready in record time but also bid farewell to the lingering scent of bacon grease that typically pervades your home for hours after cooking. This innovative approach moves the mess and the aromas outdoors, keeping your kitchen fresh and clean.
Beyond the unparalleled convenience, this cooking method offers additional benefits. The high, consistent heat of a griddle ensures that your bacon cooks evenly, rendering the fat beautifully and resulting in that coveted, shatteringly crispy texture. As a delightful bonus, all that rendered bacon fat, combined with the high cooking temperature, provides an excellent opportunity to further season and condition your outdoor griddle’s surface. It’s truly a win-win situation, enhancing both your meal and your cooking equipment.
Why You’ll Love Making Bacon on Your Blackstone Griddle
- Superior Even Cooking: The expansive, consistent heat of the flat-top surface cooks every strip of bacon perfectly and uniformly, leading to consistent crispiness and minimal grease splatter.
- Effortless Cleanup & Griddle Conditioning: Cleanup is incredibly easy, as grease is channeled into a drip pan. Plus, the rendered bacon fat naturally helps to season and maintain your griddle’s cooking surface, making it better with every use!
- Master the Full Breakfast: Maximize your griddle’s potential by cooking your entire breakfast – bacon, eggs, pancakes, and home fries – all at the same time, serving up a complete meal quickly and efficiently.
- No More Greasy Kitchen: Keep cooking odors and grease outside where they belong, ensuring your kitchen stays fresh and clean.
- Perfectly Customizable Crispiness: Achieve your ideal bacon texture, from slightly chewy to extra-crispy, with precise temperature control.
What You’ll Need for Griddle Bacon
- Quality Bacon: While any store-bought bacon works wonderfully, consider elevating your breakfast with Homemade Bacon for an unparalleled flavor and texture experience. Choose your preferred thickness – regular or thick-cut – knowing that a griddle handles both beautifully.
- Flat-Top Griddle: A Blackstone Griddle is highly recommended for its robust performance and expansive cooking surface, but any brand of outdoor flat-top griddle will deliver excellent results. Ensure it’s clean and properly seasoned for the best cooking experience.
- Heat-Resistant Tongs: Essential for safely flipping and maneuvering bacon slices without piercing them. Rubber-tipped tongs are ideal as they protect both the bacon and your griddle’s seasoned surface from scratches. Avoid metal tongs that can damage the griddle.
- Metal Spatula(s): While tongs are great for flipping, a sturdy metal spatula (or two) can be invaluable for scraping the griddle surface clean, moving large batches, and pressing down bacon if needed.
- Bacon Press (Optional but Recommended): For those who prefer perfectly flat bacon, a cast iron bacon press can prevent curling and ensure even contact with the griddle surface, leading to uniform crispiness.
- Drip Tray/Grease Cup: Crucial for collecting rendered bacon fat and maintaining a clean cooking environment. Ensure it’s properly positioned before you start cooking.
- Paper Towels or a Wire Rack: For draining excess grease from the cooked bacon, ensuring it stays delightfully crispy.
How to Make Perfectly Crispy Bacon on a Blackstone Griddle: A Step-by-Step Guide
Achieving griddle perfection for your bacon is simpler than you think. Follow these straightforward steps to cook bacon that’s consistently crispy, full of flavor, and ready to enjoy.
- Preheat Your Griddle: Begin by preheating your Blackstone or other outdoor flat-top griddle to a medium-high setting. Refer to your manufacturer’s instructions for specific temperature guidelines, but generally aim for a surface temperature between 350°F to 400°F (175°C to 200°C). This ensures even cooking and prevents the bacon from steaming instead of crisping.
- Position the Drip Tray: Before placing any food on the griddle, double-check that your griddle’s drip tray or grease management system is securely in place. This is vital for collecting the significant amount of fat that bacon will render, preventing messy flare-ups and simplifying cleanup.
- Lay the Bacon Evenly: Carefully lay individual strips of bacon onto the preheated griddle surface. Crucially, ensure that the strips do not overlap. Adequate spacing allows each piece to cook evenly and achieve maximum crispiness. Overlapping bacon can lead to steaming, resulting in chewy rather than crispy results.
- Cook Until Crispy and Flip: Allow the bacon to cook undisturbed for approximately 2-4 minutes, depending on its thickness and your griddle’s heat distribution. Watch for the edges to begin browning and curling, and for the bacon to release its fat. Once the bottom side appears golden brown and starts to crisp, use your heat-resistant tongs to flip each strip.
- Continue Cooking to Desired Crispiness: After flipping, continue to cook the bacon for another 2-4 minutes, or until it reaches your preferred level of crispiness. Some prefer it just done, while others crave a brittle, shatter-in-your-mouth texture. Keep a close eye on it, as bacon can go from perfectly crispy to burnt very quickly. Use a bacon press if strips are curling excessively to ensure even contact with the griddle.
- Drain and Serve: Once the bacon has reached your desired crispiness, remove it from the griddle and immediately transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels. This step helps to absorb any excess rendered fat, ensuring the bacon remains deliciously crisp. Serve hot and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Expert Tips for Griddle Bacon Mastery
- Combat Curling with a Press: If your bacon strips tend to curl up during cooking, making full contact with the griddle difficult, employ a hamburger or bacon press. Gently pressing the bacon down ensures even cooking and maximum crispiness across the entire strip.
- Thick-Cut Bacon Considerations: Thick-cut bacon is a fantastic option for the griddle, offering a meatier bite. However, be aware that it will require a slightly longer cooking time compared to thinner cuts to achieve doneness and may not always reach the same level of brittle crispiness, though it will still be delightfully firm and flavorful.
- Optimal Draining for Crispiness: Always drain your cooked bacon on several layers of paper towels immediately after removing it from the griddle. This crucial step wicks away residual grease, preventing the bacon from becoming soggy as it cools. Alternatively, for immediate serving, transfer it directly from the griddle to your plate.
- Flavor Infusion: Don’t let that rendered bacon fat go to waste! It’s liquid gold for cooking other breakfast items. Immediately after removing your bacon, crack eggs, cook hash browns, or even sauté some onions directly in the remaining bacon fat for an incredible depth of flavor that elevates your entire meal.
- Mind the Spacing: For consistent results, always ensure there is ample space between each strip of bacon on the griddle. Overcrowding lowers the griddle’s surface temperature and can cause the bacon to steam rather than fry, leading to uneven cooking and a less desirable texture. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Temperature Control is Key: While medium-high heat is a good starting point, pay attention to how your bacon is cooking. If it’s browning too quickly, lower the heat slightly. If it’s taking too long to crisp, increase it. Every griddle is different, and adjusting the heat ensures perfect results.
- Fat Management is Crucial: As the bacon cooks, a significant amount of fat will render. While some fat is good for seasoning, too much can lead to smoking or uneven cooking. Periodically use a spatula to push excess rendered fat towards your griddle’s grease trap. This keeps the cooking surface optimal and makes cleanup easier.
- Preheat Properly: Don’t rush the preheating process. A uniformly hot griddle ensures that when the bacon hits the surface, it immediately begins to crisp rather than just warm up and become limp. A good preheat prevents sticking and promotes beautiful browning.
Explore More Griddle Favorites
Make It a Complete Griddle Meal
The beauty of cooking on a Blackstone Griddle extends far beyond just bacon; it’s a canvas for creating entire meals with incredible efficiency and flavor. Here are some fantastic ideas to turn your crispy griddle bacon into a memorable feast:
- Classic Breakfast Feast: For a simple yet always satisfying breakfast, immediately after removing your bacon, crack a few eggs directly onto the hot griddle in the leftover bacon fat. The eggs will absorb that rich, savory flavor. Alongside, you can easily prepare fluffy pancakes or golden-brown hash browns.
- Sweet & Savory Pancakes: Elevate your breakfast game by whipping up a batch of delectable Buttermilk Blackstone Pancakes right on the griddle. Serve them with a vibrant Blueberry Sauce for a delightful sweet and savory contrast. The griddle’s large surface allows you to cook pancakes and bacon simultaneously without flavor crossover.
- Hearty Fried Potatoes: Keep your meal savory and substantial with these Quick & Easy Blackstone Fried Potatoes. You can cook them in the rendered bacon fat for an extra layer of richness and a perfectly crispy exterior. They pair wonderfully with eggs and bacon.
- Bacon-Enhanced Salads: If you happen to have any leftover crispy bacon – though it’s rare! – chop it up and add it to fresh salads. It adds a delightful crunch and smoky depth. Consider adding it to this refreshing Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Almonds, and Oranges for a flavorful twist.
- Breakfast Burritos or Tacos: Use your griddle to cook breakfast sausage, sauté peppers and onions, and warm tortillas alongside your bacon and eggs. Wrap everything together for a customizable and delicious breakfast burrito or taco.
- Griddle Sandwiches: Make incredible breakfast sandwiches by toasting English muffins or bread on the griddle, then layering with your griddle-cooked bacon, eggs, and cheese.
In-Depth Tips for Achieving the Best Bacon on a Blackstone Griddle
Mastering the art of griddle bacon involves a few key principles that will elevate your results from good to absolutely fantastic. Paying attention to these details will ensure every strip is a crispy masterpiece.
Perfect Spacing is Paramount: The single most crucial tip for evenly cooked, perfectly crispy bacon is to ensure that every strip is laid out flat on the griddle surface without any overlap. This allows for direct and consistent heat transfer to each piece. Flat-top griddles excel at dispersing heat uniformly, but overcrowding negates this advantage, leading to steamed, chewy bacon rather than crispy. If you have a large batch, cook in several smaller batches to maintain optimal spacing and temperature.
Choose the Right Tools for the Job: While sturdy metal spatulas are indispensable for griddle work, I wholeheartedly recommend using rubber-tipped or silicone-tipped tongs when handling bacon. Metal tongs can inadvertently scrape the delicate seasoned surface of your griddle, and they might also pierce the bacon, causing its shape to deform and juices to escape. Gentle handling with the right tools preserves both your bacon and your investment.
Understanding Bacon Thickness: The thickness of your bacon significantly impacts cooking time and final texture. Thin-cut bacon will cook much faster and generally achieve a crisper, more brittle texture. Thick-cut bacon, on the other hand, will require a longer cooking duration and tends to result in a chewier, meatier consistency, even when cooked thoroughly. While it might not reach the same extreme crispiness as thin-cut, it will still be incredibly delicious. Always cook to your desired level of crispiness, ensuring it’s cooked all the way through for food safety.
Maximize Your Griddle Space: One of the greatest advantages of a Blackstone Griddle is its expansive cooking area. If your griddle is large enough, don’t hesitate to cook other breakfast components, such as eggs, hash browns, or pancakes, right alongside your bacon. This not only makes meal prep incredibly efficient but also infuses other items with delicious bacon flavor. Just remember to maintain sufficient space between the bacon strips and other foods to ensure everything cooks evenly and without flavor interference.
Temperature Management: Start with medium-high heat, but be prepared to adjust. Bacon renders fat, which can increase the cooking temperature of the griddle. If you see it browning too quickly, lower the heat slightly. If it’s taking too long to crisp, slightly increase it. Consistent, controlled heat is key to preventing burning and achieving even crisping.
Fat Management is Crucial: As the bacon cooks, a significant amount of fat will render. While some fat is good for seasoning, too much can lead to smoking or uneven cooking. Periodically use a spatula to push excess rendered fat towards your griddle’s grease trap. This keeps the cooking surface optimal and makes cleanup easier.
Preheat Properly: Don’t rush the preheating process. A uniformly hot griddle ensures that when the bacon hits the surface, it immediately begins to crisp rather than just warm up and become limp. A good preheat prevents sticking and promotes beautiful browning.
Visual Step-by-Step Process for Blackstone Bacon
Sometimes, seeing is believing! These images will guide you through the process of cooking perfect bacon on your griddle, from heating up to serving.
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How To Make Bacon on a Blackstone Griddle
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, blackstone griddle
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 1017kcal
Author Chef Jenn
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
Instructions
- Preheat your Blackstone griddle, or other outdoor griddle, to medium-high.
- When the surface reaches about 550-600F, add slices of bacon to the griddle so that they’re not touching and are laid out flat.
- Cook the bacon for 2-3 minutes or until it is brownish on the bottom, then flip it over with tongs and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes or until it is crispy.
- Place the bacon onto paper towels to drain and enjoy!
Video
For a visual guide, watch Chef Jenn demonstrate the perfect way to cook bacon on a Blackstone Griddle. (Video content was removed as it was JS embedded; this is a textual placeholder.)
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- If your bacon is curling up, use a hamburger or bacon press to keep it flat.
- Thick-cut bacon also cooks nicely on an outdoor griddle, but it’ll take a bit longer and may not get quite as crispy.
- Drain the cooked bacon on paper towels or go right from the griddle to your plate.
- Cook your eggs and hashbrowns right in the bacon fat for extra yumminess!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
Want More Delicious and Easy Griddle Recipes?
If you’ve enjoyed the simplicity and delicious results of cooking bacon on your Blackstone Griddle, you’ll be thrilled to discover the versatility it offers for a wide array of other dishes. Expand your griddle horizons with these fantastic and easy recipes, perfect for any meal or occasion:
- Smoked Asparagus: A delightful side dish that’s surprisingly easy to make and bursting with smoky flavor.
- Over the Top Chili: Experience chili like never before, cooked to perfection on your outdoor griddle.
- Smoked Cream Cheese: A surprisingly simple yet incredibly addictive appetizer for your next gathering.
- Lobster Chowder: Indulge in a rich and creamy chowder, showcasing seafood cooked to perfection.
- Smoked Shotgun Shells: A unique and flavorful appetizer that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Conclusion: Embrace Griddle Bacon Perfection
Cooking bacon on your Blackstone Griddle is more than just a method; it’s a superior culinary experience that delivers perfectly crispy results every time, all while keeping your kitchen clean and your outdoor space vibrant. By following these simple steps and incorporating Chef Jenn’s expert tips, you’re well on your way to mastering griddle bacon and forever changing your breakfast routine. Say goodbye to unevenly cooked, soggy bacon and hello to the consistent, crackling perfection that only a flat-top griddle can provide. Get ready to impress your family and friends with the best bacon they’ve ever tasted, cooked effortlessly outdoors.