Get my best tips for cooking bacon on the griddle so you can whip up a fantastic big breakfast complete with the best griddle bacon on the Blackstone!
Big breakfasts with pancakes, crispy hash browns, eggs, and bacon have got to be one of the top 5 things to cook on a griddle. Probably because the large cooking area of residential outdoor griddles makes it easy to prepare a full breakfast buffet in a short amount of time without dirtying up every skillet in your kitchen.
And griddle breakfasts are really easy to cook also.
We’ve already talked about making the best griddle eggs, and I’ve shared my kids’ favorite muffin mix pancake recipe, so let’s move on to everyone’s favorite griddle breakfast food – bacon!
Here are my best tips and everything you need to know about how to cook bacon on the griddle:
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What do I need to cook bacon on the Blackstone griddle?
To cook griddle bacon on the Blackstone, you only need two things:
- bacon – You can use whatever type of bacon that you like – thick cut, center cut, turkey bacon, or even homemade bacon!
- a griddle spatula – You’ll need one griddle spatula to flip your bacon, but I really recommend that griddle owners have two spatulas for cooking other griddle recipes (or you can even use two spatulas to apply pressure to smash burgers). Check out my full guide on selecting the best griddle spatulas here! — I tried 15 different griddle spatulas to help you pick the best one!
To clean the griddle after cooking bacon on the Blackstone, you will need these common griddle accessories:
- bench scraper – Or some griddle users just refer to it as a “scraper”.
- paper towels – Bacon grease can actually help to season your griddle, so as long as you have a good base layer of seasoning, then you can just wipe the excess grease with a paper towel after you’re done cooking.
*You can see all of my recommended griddle accessories for your flat top grill here!
Do I need a bacon press for griddle bacon?
Nope! In fact, I’ve only used a press once when cooking bacon on the griddle. The press helps to prevent your bacon from curling up while it’s cooking, but I find that my bacon stays pretty flat without a weighted press.
If you do notice that your strips of bacon are starting to curl up, then you can use the long flat part of your spatula to apply some pressure to those areas for a few seconds. That usually does the trick, and it saves you from washing another dish.
If you want to purchase a griddle press anyway to use for other things like pressed sandwiches or smashing burgers, then I use and recommend this 9″ long weighted press.
How to Cook Bacon on the Griddle
Bacon is really one of the easiest foods to cook on the Blackstone griddle, because there is only one ingredient and the clean-up is pretty easy, especially if you have a great Blackstone griddle seasoning. And, it’s really hard to mess up cooking bacon!
Here are the basic steps to cooking bacon on the griddle:
Step 1: Preheat your griddle.
The first step is to turn your griddle on and let it heat up to about 375-425 degrees F.
Depending on what outdoor griddle you own, you may find that there is a 75-100 degree difference between the right and left sides of your flat top grill, even when all of your knobs are turned to the same heat setting. That’s why it’s so hard to tell you exactly what setting (low, medium low, etc) to use.
And if you’re familiar with griddle temperatures, then you know that it’s difficult to maintain a precise temp as well, unless you have one of the new Weber griddles or the Traeger Flatrock griddle.
Instead, just aim for a griddle temp in the mid to high 300’s to low 400’s for cooking bacon. And if your flat top temperature varies a bit outside of that range, then it’s really not a big deal.
Step 2: Make sure your grease cup is in place.
Before you start laying the strips of bacon down on the flat top grill, be sure that your grease cup is cleaned out and securely in place.
For the older model Blackstone grills, this can be a little tricky because you may think that the grease trap is installed correctly, but in reality there is actually a very small space where the grease can leak out on to your deck… ask me how I know!
And since the Blackstone grease trap is in the back of the griddle, it’s out of sight and more difficult to check.
The newer Blackstone griddles with the Omnivore top (the Blackstone Culinary series) have two rubber stoppers attached to the back of the griddle where the grease cup sits. These stoppers keep the cup flush and straight so you don’t have to worry about the grease leaking down the back of the grease trap.
Also, before you start cooking, check to make sure that the grease trap is cleaned out. Bacon is very fatty so it produces a lot of grease, and you don’t want your cup to overfill while you’re cooking.
Step 3: Lay the bacon down on the griddle.
Next, simply lay your bacon strips down on the griddle like this:
It doesn’t matter which way you choose to lay the bacon on the flat top grill, horizontally or vertically. But you may want to consider how you’re most comfortable using the spatula to flip it. If you prefer to move your spatula right and left across the griddle instead of up and down, then you’ll want to lay it down horizontally across the top.
Allow enough space in between slices to be able to flip each piece and for the bacon to cook evenly.
Step 4: Cook until about halfway done, and then flip.
When your griddle bacon looks to be about halfway done to your liking, it’s time to flip it to the second side. Depending on how crispy you like yours, this will probably take between 4-6 minutes.
When you’re cooking bacon on the Blackstone, there’s no need to flip it multiple times. It’s so thin that the heat will penetrate through fairly well. But if you want to flip it more than once, go for it! It’s really hard to mess up bacon!
To flip the bacon, I find it easiest to slide the tip of my spatula under the middle-right of two pieces at a time (see photo above). Then in one motion, lift the two pieces and place them down on the griddle on the second side. It may take a few practice times to figure out what flipping technique is most comfortable for you.
And be careful as you’re flipping the bacon! There will be a LOT of hot grease on your griddle, and you don’t want it to sling up and get you!
Step 5: Cook bacon on the griddle until done, then transfer to a paper towel.
After you’ve flipped it, continue to cook the bacon strips until they’re done to your liking. Then, transfer them to a paper towel for the excess grease to drain off before serving.
And try not to eat it all before the rest of your breakfast is done cooking!
Notice how perfectly straight my bacon turned out? No weighted bacon press needed!
How to Clean Up After Cooking Griddle Bacon
Bacon grease is a good fat to help with maintaining your Blackstone griddle seasoning, so there’s really no need to use soap or water on the flat top grill after cooking bacon. Instead, just follow these simple steps:
- Use your bench scraper to scrape all of the excess grease and small bits of bacon into the grease trap. Be sure that your grease cup is installed correctly and it can accommodate all of the grease first!
- Wipe excess grease off the griddle top with a wad of paper towels.
- That’s it! Your griddle is ready to use next time!
*IMPORTANT NOTE: Only use this cleaning method if you’re going to be using your griddle again in the next few days. I definitely wouldn’t suggest leaving bacon grease on the griddle as your long-term storage oil because it could go rancid. Don’t leave bacon grease on your griddle and then store it for the winter or go out of town for 3 weeks.
If you’re not planning on using your griddle for a few months after you cook bacon, then you should do a good griddle cleaning and apply a fresh coat of seasoning with your favorite seasoning oil, like avocado oil.
FAQ’s about Cooking Bacon on a Griddle
Even though bacon is one of the easiest things to cook on the flat top grill, most griddle beginners still get nervous because they’re not used to the large cooking surface and the extreme heat. Here are some questions that you may have before you start on your griddle bacon:
What griddle temp for bacon?
Bacon is very forgiving and easy to cook, so you don’t really have to worry about getting the perfect griddle temperature. However, a flat top grill temperature range of about 375 – 425 degrees F is ideal.
How long to cook bacon on the griddle?
The amount of time needed to cook griddle bacon really depends on how crispy or chewy you like your bacon.
My wife likes her bacon cooked to a crisp – If you’ve watched any of my breakfast YouTube videos, you know she actually calls it “bacon dust” because if you drop it on the plate it shatters to a million pieces. Obviously, her super crispy bacon takes longer to cook.
But in general, it takes about 8-10 minutes to cook bacon on the griddle.
Do you need oil to cook bacon?
No, there’s no need to add any oil or butter to the griddle top before laying down your bacon. Bacon has plenty of fat, so no additional fats are needed.
What about cooking chopped bacon?
If you’re making a griddle recipe that calls for chopped bacon as a topping, like these awesome bacon cheese potato wedges on the griddle, then you can chop your bacon into bite-sized pieces before adding it to the griddle. Then, just cook the bacon to your desired crispiness, stirring it occasionally.
What if I have leftover bacon?
When I’m making bacon on the griddle, I like to go ahead and make extra for my kids to have for breakfast during the school week. To store leftover bacon, allow it to cool down completely and then place it in a Ziploc bag or airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat it in the microwave or toaster oven.
What to Serve with Griddle Bacon
If you’re going to make bacon on the Blackstone griddle, then you’ll probably want some awesome griddle breakfast recipes to go with it! Here are some other breakfast recipes and how-to’s for the Blackstone griddle:
How to Cook the Perfect Griddle Scrambled Eggs – I’ve cooked hundreds of thousands of eggs on the griddle… literally! (I used to be a cook in the US Navy, so I would cook breakfast for 3,000 sailors each day.) Get all of my best tips for cooking eggs on the griddle here!
Hashbrown Casserole Griddle Cakes – This awesome griddle breakfast recipe combines all of the flavors of your favorite hash brown casserole (like the one from Cracker Barrel) with the crispiness of fried griddle hash browns. Definitely a favorite!
