Best Outdoor Griddles of 2024 for Perfect Pancakes and Smashburgers

The best portable grills make it so fly-fishing trips and car camping excursions retain the creature comfort of a hot meal. But they can be outshined by the best outdoor griddle any day of the week. While the best pizza ovens, charcoal grills, pellet grills, gas grills, and smokers have specialties they excel in; their uses are somewhat limited. That’s not the case with the best outdoor griddles, which can serve up breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you prefer a smashburger over a grilled one, then you know the power of griddling. If you need proof griddles are poised for takeoff, note both Weber and Traeger each released a version recently. 

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The best outdoor griddle overall is Camp Chef Gridiron 36. It has a seasoned top, clever grease management, notches on the cooktop sides to hold tools, and a hinged cover to trap heat and protect the griddle. Read on for nine more of the best of the best across a range of categories, brands, and price points.

Read more of the greatest hits from our 2024 Grilling Awards, including the best grill tools, plus pro tips on how to clean a grill, how to grill a steak, and where to find the best mail-order steaks.

Best Outdoor Griddle Overall: Camp Chef Gridiron 36 The Camp Chef Gridiron is a new contender, but the undisputed best outdoor griddle of 2024.

Sal Vaglica

The new Camp Chef Gridiron 36 commands as much presence on the patio as a high-end gas grill. The mostly matte black steel chassis has a few dashes of red trim around the knobs and handle, which looks handsome. Its hood is a standout feature. It not only helps with trapping heat to create a steaming or convection effect, but it also protects the griddle surface. I’ve had other griddles over the years that leak water through the cover, leading to a rusty mess. And while griddles can be brought back to life from a little rust, it’s the kind of chore I’d rather avoid.

Camp Chef Gridiron 36 Overall Impressions 

The Gridiron’s four burners make it easy to carve the griddle into two heat zones. The burners ignite using pressure, not a battery, so you don’t have to worry about changing that out. But to really get the most use out of this grill, you’ll have to spring for the magnetic accessories, which range from $13 to $60. The squeeze bottle holder is almost mandatory considering how important fat is to whatever you’re cooking. While the side tables are generous, once you start crowding them with a roll of paper towels, a squeeze bottle of oil, salt ping, tongs, and a spatula, there isn’t much room to load on ingredients or take off cooked food.

Searing steak is a cinch with a hot griddle on the Camp Chef Gridiron, out pick for best overall outdoor griddle.

Sal Vaglica

Pros

• Reliable ignition that doesn’t need batteries
• Griddle arrives seasoned from the factory
• Nice styling that looks hefty
• Consistent heating across the griddle

Cons

• Does not come with any magnetic accessories
• The right shelf does not fold down because of the gas tank

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Final Verdict

With the folding shelves providing ample countertop space and a griddle surface capable of hosting about 40 standard burgers, Camp Chef Gridiron 36 is a good fit for a large family, or anyone who entertains. While I’m not giving up on my charcoal grill anytime soon, the gas-powered Gridiron is a great accompaniment for weeknight meals.

How I Tested Camp Chef Gridiron 36 To check the Camp Chef Gridiron’s even-heating chops, we arranged slices of bread across the cooking surface.

Sal Vaglica

The four burners under the cold rolled steel top put out 48,000 BTUs total, which is standard for Camp Chef. But max power doesn’t mean much if it’s not evenly distributed. To map the hot and cold spots I blanketed the 36 x 21-inch griddle with 40 slices of bread, and cranked the burners to high. The Gridiron’s temperature fluctuation was consistent: turning the toast dark within the three rows stretching across the very middle of the griddle. As expected, the top row, farthest away from me, and the one closest, was significantly lighter in color. In practice, this area can help act as a warm zone to hold cooked food like stacks of pancakes, strips of bacon, or fajita fixings.

When I took temperature readings of the surface with an infrared gun, I found highs of about 505 degrees and lows of 465 degrees, when the burners were on high heat for about 15 minutes. Cooking on Camp Chef was as intuitive as standing in front of the range in my kitchen.

Searing the fat on the edge of a steak on the Camp Chef Gridiron is a quick way to build up some grease.

Sal Vaglica

Cleanup is a big issue with griddles since the entire surface of the steel gets gunky and you need a plan to catch grease. The Camp Chef helps here with two details. The first is a pair of chunky, hex-head bolts on the underside of the Gridiron. Adjustable even while you’re cooking, with the included wrench, you have about 1 inch of vertical height to help level off the grill or, ideally, pitch it slightly so the grease rambles to the front. 

The second is a cutout in the front of the griddle that leads to a chute, which directs the gunk to a grease bucket. That makes disposal a breeze and the bucket holds enough that you can clean the grill and squeeze the water into it and dump it all in one shot. 

But that’s not the only detail the griddle offers that makes life easier. On each corner, the steel is notched to accommodate a resting spatula or tongs that stay put even when the lid is closed.  

The Camp Chef Gridiron has notches cut into the griddle sides to allow grilling tools to rest while the lid is closed.

Sal Vaglica

A pair of 16 x 21-inch folding shelves are each dimpled with nine circles. Those recesses are designed to hold onto a series of magnetic accessories Camp Chef offers, including a paper towel holder, hooks to hang tools, and a two-squeeze bottle caddy. This can keep essentials close at hand—once you’ve experienced the ease of having squeeze bottles of oil, dressings, or hot sauce nearby there is no going back. My only knock here is the right shelf, situated above the propane tank, can’t fold down completely.

The caster wheels below make this 150-pound griddle easy to move around a patio and the bracing between the legs keeps the chassis quite stiff. The lid, which is a newer design element on griddles, can help with basics like melting cheese on a bunch of burgers or cheesesteaks, but it can also help keep the griddle surface clean between uses. While it will never replace the char charcoal brings, a griddle might just become your go-to for meals during the week while you work towards that big, weekend cookout. — Sal Vaglica

• Cooking area: 700 square inches
• Size: 31 x 69 x 40 inches
• BTUs: 48,000
• Fuel: Propane
• Warranty: 1 year

Best Budget Outdoor Griddle: Blackstone 17″ On the Go Cart Griddle with Hood Blackstone 17″ On the Go Cart Outdoor Griddle with Hood

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The Blackstone On the Go Griddle is a compact grill-height flat top grill that’s an affordable addition to your outdoor kitchen and which doesn’t require you to dedicate as much permanent space as larger grill-sized griddles. The telescoping legs keep it at grill height when in use, but allow you to shrink it and get back your deck space, if desired. The smaller cooking surface isn’t a replacement for a full-size family grill, but is great for smaller households and spaces or as an auxiliary griddle in combination with a full-size grill.

There are plenty of small, tabletop griddles for less, but you’ll need a counter or table to effectively use them. It has an integrated, hinged hood, so you can leave it outside protected from the elements and debris. And because it’s relatively light and is collapsible, it also can double as a camp kitchen appliance. The rolled steel griddle top doesn’t come pre-seasoned, so keep in mind you’ll need to follow instructions for seasoning the steel before cooking in order to create a non-stick surface.

• Cooking area: 267 square inches
• Size: 24 x 22 x 22 inches
• BTUs: 12,500
• Fuel: Propane
• Warranty: 1 year limited

Best Outdoor Griddle for Camping: Camp Chef Pro 14 Camp Chef Pro 14 Outdoor Griddle

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Camp Chef’s Pro 14 two-burner stove forms the base of a versatile camp cooking system on which you can swap in not only a one-burner or two-burner griddle, but a variety of other accessories such as a grill top or pizza oven. You can also use pots, cast-iron skillets, and other cookware directly on the burners. With standalone griddles, you’re stuck cooking on the griddle only unless you bring other appliances. With the PRO60X, you can cook almost anything, providing maximum versatility at your camp spot.

If you know you just want a rock-solid camp griddle solution, the portable Camp Chef Flat Top 600 is a great choice as well, but you keep your options open with the Pro 14. Because it collapses for transport and storage, the Pro 14 also works just as well at home and adds a lot of capability placed next to your grill or smoker for cooking veggies, breakfasts, and other items that aren’t easy to manage on a traditional grill grate.

• Cooking area: 448 square inches
• Size: 15 x 10.5 x 39.4 inches (folded: 35.2 x 9.1 x 14.2 inches)
• BTUs: 60,000
• Fuel: Propane
• Warranty: 1 year

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Best Portable Outdoor Griddle: Blackstone 17” Griddle Blackstone 17” OGriddle

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Whether camping or tailgating, your vehicle can fill up fast, especially when gear has to vie with people for space. Blackstone 17” Griddle offers the same 17-inch cooking griddle as our top budget option from Blackstone above, but in a lighter, smaller, tabletop package that eats up less space and weighs only 18 pounds. It’s also wildly affordable if you get the hood-free version which costs about $100 less. The hood is useful for retaining heat, especially on windy days, and the carry bag allows cleaner, more totable transport. 

• Cooking area: 267 square inches 
• Size: 22.25 x 22.25 x 12.25 inches
• BTUs: 12,500
• Fuel: Propane
• Warranty: 1 year limited

Best Outdoor Grill/Griddle Combo: Royal Gourmet Gas Grill and Griddle Combo Royal Gourmet Gas Grill and Griddle Combo

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While a griddle offers more cooking versatility than a grill, many people want the best of both worlds: searing, sautéing, and stir-frying on a griddle and the ability to flame-broil (with grill marks) for burgers, sausages, and other meats. While you can pair a griddle with a gas grill, the combination eats up outdoor space quickly and requires multiple propane tanks. The