how to cook bacon on a blackstone griddle

How to Cook Perfect Bacon on a Blackstone Griddle

Firing up the Blackstone griddle on a weekend morning and cooking up a platter of sizzling bacon is pretty much heaven The trademark Blackstone ridges sear the bacon beautifully for crispy, flavorful results. But cooking bacon on this flat top grill does require some technique. Follow this complete guide to learn pro tips for cooking bacon to crispy, fatty perfection on your Blackstone

Choosing the Right Bacon

With so many bacon options on the market, which is best for the Blackstone? Here are some tips:

• Go thick – Choose a thick cut bacon, at least 1/4 inch slices. Thinner bacon tends to shrivel up and overcook.

• Get meaty – Look for bacon with a higher meat to fat ratio. This results in better texture after griddling.

• Avoid extra smoky – While smoke flavor is nice, heavily smoked bacon can get bitter and overpowering with long cook times.

• Buy in bulk – Select big packs of bacon when prepping for a crowd. You’ll go through a lot!

Popular favorites like center cut, applewood smoked, or peppered bacon are all excellent griddled choices.

Setting the Right Temperature

Cooking bacon requires medium high heat between 375°F to 400°F. This allows rendered fat to slowly cook the bacon without scorching it.

Use an infrared thermometer gun or test griddle heat by sprinkling water. It should sizzle and evaporate within 2-3 seconds when up to temp.

Preheating and Other Prep

Before cooking, make sure to:

• Preheat griddle for 10-15 minutes to fully heat cast iron.

• Allow bacon to come up to room temp so it cooks more evenly.

• Prepare a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a paper towel-lined plate for cooked bacon.

• Have tongs and spatula ready to flip and remove bacon.

• Give the griddle a quick scrape to smooth out any debris or stuck on bits.

Proper prep helps ensure crispy, grease-free bacon every time.

How to Cook Bacon on a Blackstone Griddle

Once preheated, follow these simple steps:

1. Place bacon strips on the hot griddle, leaving space between each. Avoid overlap.

2. Let cook untouched for 2-3 minutes until underside is browned. Listen for steady sizzling.

3. Carefully flip each slice with tongs. Be gentle to avoid crumbling.

4. Cook 2-4 minutes more, depending on doneness desired.

5. Remove bacon with spatula once it’s golden brown with some crisped edges.

6. Drain on prepared paper towels. Blot to soak up excess grease.

It’s that easy! Just be sure to watch closely and adjust heat or time as needed based on your preferred level of crispness.

Tips for Perfectly Cooked Bacon

To take your griddled bacon over the top, keep these handy tips in mind:

• Start with room temp or slightly chilled bacon. Ice cold bacon cooks unevenly.

• Add slices to a cold griddle, then turn on heat. This prevents initial curling up.

• Use a bacon press to flatten slices and ensure even contact with the griddle.

• Cook thicker sliced bacon over indirect heat, moving to direct heat just to finish.

• Pour off excess bacon grease as it accumulates to prevent smoking, flaming up.

• Preheat and re-oil the griddle between batches for consistent results.

With some practice, you’ll be a pro at cooking picture-perfect bacon on the Blackstone every time.

Common Bacon Mistakes to Avoid

It happens to all of us, but learn from these common bacon cooking mistakes on the griddle:

• Cooking over high heat that scorches the bacon before rendering fat

• Overcrowding slices so they steam rather than brown

• Undercooking resulting in limp, fatty bacon

• Overhandling with tongs or spatula leading to torn slices

• Reusing old bacon grease that smokes and burns

• Not draining on paper towels so bacon stays greasy

• Letting cooked bacon sit in accumulated grease getting soggy

With a few basic precautions, it’s easy to sidestep these pitfalls for irresistible Blackstone bacon every time.

Special Types of Bacon to Griddle

Once you master basic bacon, try griddling these fun varieties:

Candied Bacon – Coat slices in brown sugar and maple syrup before cooking.

Cracked Pepper Bacon – The pepper flavor really pops when griddled.

Turkey Bacon – Needs less time to cook through. Great lean option.

Prosciutto – Quick cooking and gets ultra crispy.

Pancetta – Rich flavor ideal for soups, pasta, pizza.

The Blackstone opens up possibilities for cooking all kinds of artisanal and flavored bacons.

Serving Suggestions

Now that you’ve mastered cooking crispy bacon on the Blackstone, here are some tasty ways to serve it:

• BLT sandwiches with griddled tomatoes and lettuce

• Eggs Benedict topped with Blackstone bacon

• Peppered bacon wrapped grilled shrimp

• Bacon cheeseburger with all the fixings

• Dice into soups like potato, clam chowder or bean

• Crumble over salads or baked potatoes

• Toss with roasted Brussels sprouts and pecans

• Make loaded Bacon Bomb Potatoes

The possibilities are endless when it comes to enjoying Blackstone bacon deliciousness!

Storing Leftover Bacon

Have leftover bacon? Here are some storage tips:

• Allow cooked bacon to fully cool first before storing.

• Place strips in a zip top bag with a paper towel to absorb grease.

• Refrigerate for up to 5 days – the longer it’s stored, the drier it will get.

• For longer storage, wrap well in plastic and place in freezer bags.

• Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw in fridge before using.

With proper storage, leftover Blackstone bacon keeps well for quick weekday breakfasts and more.

Cleaning Your Griddle After Bacon

A good cleaning is key after cooking greasy bacon:

• Allow griddle to fully cool if needed before cleaning.

• Use a flat edge scraper to remove built up bacon bits.

• Pour off excess bacon grease into a heat safe container for disposal.

• Scrub with a non-metal br