How to Use a Griddle for Outdoor and Campfire Cooking

A griddle is one of the most underrated outdoor cooking tools you can carry. Unlike a pan with high sides, a griddle is a flat cooking surface that heats fast, spreads heat evenly, and excels at foods that need space to brown, crisp, or sit flat.

Grim Workshop’s griddle tool is a compact metal plate small enough for EDC or a cook kit, yet wide enough to cook real meals on a fire, alcohol stove, or portable flame source. It’s ideal for survival kits, ultralight camping, or minimalist cooking setups.

This guide covers how to season, heat, cook with, maintain, and improvise a griddle over any fire.

→ All Items with a Griddle

What a Griddle Is

A griddle is:

• A flat metal cooking plate

• Usually steel, iron, or another heat-safe alloy

• Designed for direct fire cooking

• Perfect for frying, searing, browning, and heating

• Lightweight in compact EDC form

• Easy to clean and maintain

Unlike pans, griddles let heat spread across the entire surface with fewer hot spots. They also let you cook multiple foods at once.

What You Can Cook on a Griddle

A surprising amount of meals work well on a small bushcraft griddle.

Breakfast Foods

• Eggs

• Bacon strips

• Sausage patties

• Pancakes

• Bannock bread

• Tortillas

Protein and Meats

• Fish fillets

• Small game pieces

• Thin-cut steak bites

• Chicken strips

• Burgers (small patties)

Pairs with:

→ All Stove Tools

→ How to use an outdoor Pocket stove
→ How to make a soda can alcohol stove

→ How to make a soup can twig stove

→ How to Use a Cook Pot

→ How to Use a Ferro Rod Fire Starter

Vegetables

• Peppers

• Onions

• Squash

• Potatoes (thin-sliced)

• Mushrooms

Bread and Dough

• Bannock

• Flatbread

• Fry bread

• Pita

General Heating

• Melting snow

• Warming mugs or small cans

• Heating pre-cooked meals

How to Set Up a Griddle for Cooking

Building a Stable Cooking Platform

Over Coals

Best method.

1. Build a small fire

2. Burn to glowing coals

3. Lay the griddle on stones, green sticks, or directly over coals

Coals = steady, even heat.

Over a Small Stove

Small alcohol, Esbit, or solid-fuel stoves work perfectly.

Make sure griddle is balanced and stable.

Suspended Between Rocks

Lay edges of tool on two flat stones on either side of the fire.
Great for steady cooking.

On a Grill or Metal Rods

Excellent for controlled cooking when gear is available.

How to Season a Griddle

Seasoning prevents sticking and rust.

Step-by-Step

1. Heat griddle over low flame

2. Add a few drops of oil, fat, or grease

3. Wipe thinly across the surface

4. Heat until it smokes lightly

5. Cool

6. Repeat 2–3 times

This creates a carbonized, nonstick layer.

How to Cook on a Griddle

Temperature Control

Test the Heat

Drip a few water drops:

• Skittering water = hot

• Slow bubbling = medium

• No action = still warming

Move Food Around

Griddles often have subtle heat zones.
Slide food to hotter or cooler spots as needed.

Use Fats

Add a touch of:

• Butter

• Oil

• Animal fat

• Cooking grease

Prevents sticking and helps browning.

Food Techniques

Searing

Cook meat quickly on hotter side of griddle.

Browning

Ideal for tortillas, bannock, potatoes.

Frying

Use a small amount of fat to crisp edges.

Pressing

Use a flat utensil or clean stick to gently press food for faster browning.

Cleaning a Griddle After Cooking

Quick Field Cleaning

1. Let griddle cool slightly

2. Scrape food off with a stick or scraper

3. Wipe with grass or leaves

4. Heat briefly to sanitize

Deep Cleaning

Use:

• Water

• Ash mixed with water (primitive soap)

• Sand as abrasive

• Cloth strip

Dry and lightly oil afterward to prevent rust.

Using a Griddle for Small Game and Fish

Cook small animals directly:

1. Clean and butterfly

2. Oil the griddle

3. Cook skin-side down

4. Flip once

5. Cook until edges crisp

Works extremely well compared to trying to balance fish in a pan.

Additional Griddle Uses (Non-Cooking)

A griddle also works for:

• Heating water containers

• Melting snow

• Drying wet tinder

• Pressing glue or pitch

• Flattening leather

• Softening cordage

• Heating arrow shafts for straightening

How to Improvise a Griddle in the Field

1. Flat Rock

Find a smooth, dense, non-layered rock.
Heat slowly to avoid cracking.

2. Bark Slab

Good for brief cooking; burns out after a meal.

3. Scrap Metal

Any flat steel plate works in a pinch.

4. Large Leaf Pan

Heat indirect only — works for steaming foods.

5. Clay Slab

Form clay into a plate, dry, and heat gradually.

None are as durable or safe as a metal griddle, but all can cook a meal.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Cooking over flames instead of coals

• Not using fat → sticking issues

• Overheating and burning food

• Removing seasoning layer with harsh cleaning

• Setting griddle on unstable supports

• Not preheating long enough

• Using a knife directly on the griddle surface

Expert Tips

• Coals give the best, most controllable heat

• Always preheat a few minutes before cooking

• Add oil only after preheating to prevent sticking

• Let food release naturally — don’t pry too early

• For eggs, double-season your griddle

• Cook multiple foods at different heat zones

• Rest food on a warm stone after cooking

• Perfect for those small “one-person camp meals”

FAQ

Q: Do I need to season a small EDC griddle?
A: Yes — seasoning helps prevent rust and makes cooking easier.

Q: Can I use it over open flame?
A: Yes, but coals provide better temperature control.

Q: Will food stick to the metal?
A: Only if you skip oil or preheating. A seasoned griddle is extremely nonstick.

Q: Can a griddle replace a pan?
A: In many situations, yes — especially for frying, browning, and flat foods.

Q: Is this safe for direct fire contact?
A: Absolutely. Grim Workshop’s griddle is designed for direct flame and coal use.

Related Skill Series Posts

• → All Stove Tools

   

• → How to use an outdoor Pocket stove
  

• → How to make a soda can alcohol stove

   

• → How to make a soup can twig stove

   

• → How to Use a Cook Pot

   

• → How to Use a Ferro Rod Fire Starter

(© 2025 Grim Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Grim Workshop, Survival Cards, and all related marks are registered trademarks of Grim Workshop. This article is part of the Grim Workshop Skill Series educational archive. No content may be reproduced, republished, stored, or adapted without written permission. For outdoor griddles, compact cook tools, and survival-ready EDC kits, visit www.grimworkshop.com.)