6 Times You Should Actually Use The Griddle Attachment On Your Grill

For about 6 years, I worked as a chef at a Japanese yakitori restaurant in Southern California called Oak And Coal. In the kitchen, we had this massive charcoal grill imported from Japan with built-in grate attachments specifically for our yakitori skewers. Over time, my team and I kept questioning how we could maximize this grill instead of limiting it to just yakitori, considering it was roughly 10 feet long and dominated half our kitchen line. That's when one of the line cooks pitched the idea of adding a small griddle attachment so we could sear steaks, cook fish fillets, and grill milk bread for sandwiches. Just like that, we had a whole new menu section.

Prior to that, I wasn't too familiar with griddle attachments. However, once it was installed, the ideas kept flooding in. We started experimenting with everything from crispy-edged wagyu beef smash burgers to seared salmon filets to miso butter scallops that would have easily fallen through the grates, and suddenly realized we'd been underutilizing our grill space for years. Learn from my mistakes and fire up that griddle attachment on your grill! If you're having trouble deciding what to cook on it, try using one of these six creative ideas.

When you're hosting a weekend breakfast or brunch, your griddle attachment on your grill will be your new partner in crime. The large, flat cooking surface helps you simultaneously prepare an array of breakfast items, making it perfect for feeding a crowd of hungry kids or neighbors who stumbled over for a morning cup of coffee.

Nothing is better than waking up on a Sunday morning with the smell of sizzling breakfast sausage and freshly made pancakes lingering through the house. Use your griddle attachment to make crispy bacon, eggs, hash browns, or these fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes. If you've got a large griddle attachment, you can make just about everything at once for the family without heating your house or juggling multiple pans.

The beauty of cooking breakfast with your griddle attachment lies in the timing. Everything will be done cooking around the same time, so everyone around the table can enjoy hot food, rather than waiting their turn for a serving of pancakes. Plus, cleaning is remarkably simple. A non-stick griddle cooking surface can often be wiped easily, and cooking outdoors means that the smell of food won't linger throughout your house.

If you're a burger fanatic, then you should definitely fire up that griddle attachment on your grill. The griddle's even heat distribution allows for consistent and thorough cooking across the entire burger patty. Say goodbye to those frustrating hot and cold spots that can leave parts of your burger undercooked or even worse, dry as a hockey puck. Unlike grill grates, where meat can develop uneven searing and fall through the grates, the griddle creates a perfect crust through complete surface contact.

Out of all of the burgers out there, smash burgers are best made on a griddle. Once you smash the thin patties on the piping hot surface, they develop a crispy, caramelized exterior crust that is nearly impossible to achieve on regular grill grates. On one side of the griddle, you can caramelize onions, sauté mushrooms, and toast buns for the ultimate burger topping station. If beef burgers aren't your thing, don't fret! You can easily cook turkey or vegetarian burgers, and even delicate fish patties on the griddle. No matter what protein you're featuring, the griddle attachment is the perfect way to make burgers.

Tired of your fish falling through the grates? Try cooking on the griddle attachment, where you can still get that beautiful sear and smoky flavor from outdoor cooking without losing your dinner to the pit of your grill.

Cooking fish fillets can be quite a nerve-wracking experience, but with the griddles' even heat distribution, you'll be able to achieve restaurant-quality results with confidence. Fish require a gentle and consistent temperature in order to maintain their tender, flaky texture, and the griddle's flat surface provides the perfect environment for it — so let all your worries of undercooked fish filets swim away!  The last thing you want is a guest cutting into an undercooked fish fillet and having to send it back to the grill, where it risks becoming overcooked and rubbery in your attempt to finish it properly.

Another reason to cook fish filets on the griddle is its trusty non-stick coating. You can easily slide a spatula underneath the entire filet without breaking off chunks. The non-stick surface ensures a clean release every time and a beautifully seared fish with crispy skin. The griddle surface also allows you to add some complementary ingredients that might be difficult to incorporate on regular grill grates. You can cook some caramelized lemon slices to serve on the side, or just before removing, you can add a dollop of compound butter to season the filet.

While it might seem a bit intimidating, the griddle attachment is actually a great way to cook dumplings. You can easily steam and crisp dumplings, potstickers, and bao buns all with the best attachment your grill has to offer, your griddle.

If you want to whip up some pan-fried dumplings, especially potstickers the griddle attachment is amazing at creating a golden brown crust. Start by heating up your griddle to a medium heat, and add a drizzle of oil. Once your griddle is heated, place your dumpling seam side up and let them sear for about 2-4 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Then add a small amount of water, quickly cover with a lid, and let them steam to finish cooking the interior and tops of the dumplings.

The griddle's large flat top will allow you to accommodate different dumpling varieties at once. Try making both homemade pork and chive dumplings and vegetarian ones side by side. If you're feeling a bit lazy, you can even use store-bought frozen dumplings, too!

Probably one of the most obvious ways to use your griddle attachment is to use it to make a delicious stir-fry! Its flat and extensive surface is perfect for delivering that breath of wok flavor and texture without having to cook indoors. You can easily turn your griddle attachment into a high-heat wok station for vegetables, pan-fried noodles, fried rice, and proteins that need constant movement and high temperature.

The key advantage is the griddle's ability to maintain a consistently high temperature across its entire surface. Unlike a wok, where the heat is concentrated on the bottom of the pan, the griddle will allow you to spread across its surface to various temperature zones. Just like the chefs at hibachi restaurants, you can keep your proteins searing on the hottest areas of the griddle and veggies lightly sautéing in a cooler area. This will help you have complete control over the timing, temperature, and doneness of your food.

Set up your station with marinated proteins, sliced veggies, various sauces, and seasonings arranged around the griddle. Show off your cooking skills by letting your guests gather around the griddle to watch the dramatic sizzle and tossing around various ingredients.

Another reason you should be using your griddle attachment on your grill is to make grilled cheeses and paninis. If you want to get even browning and perfect compression on sandwiches while adding subtle smoky, charred notes, then ditch your panini press and use your griddle attachment instead. Once again, the flat surface distributes heat evenly, allowing the bread to get perfectly golden brown and crispy across the entire sandwich. Often with stovetop pans and panini presses, sandwiches are prone to uneven browning and cold spots, but the griddle attachment eliminates those concerns.

If you want to get an evenly compressed surface on your grilled cheese or panini, try pressing it down with either a heavy cast-iron pan or with a meat press. It will help you create that characteristic compressed look and a gorgeous golden brown exterior. Next time you're hosting a crowd of people over for lunch, you can set up a sandwich bar station with various breads, cheeses, and fillings arranged around the griddle. Guests can customize their sandwiches while you handle the cooking! This would be perfect for summer lunches spent outside in the backyard or when the kids bring over a few friends for dinner.