Should you ever use a griddle attachment on a grill? Chefs advise on a cookout controversy

A griddle attachment for a grill seems like a no-brainer. It makes it easier to cook breakfast ingredients like eggs and bacon.

However, if you think about it some more, it appears to be a waste of money. The obvious thought is that it cooks food in almost exactly the same way as a grill, so letting grill marketing manipulate you into buying yet another grill attachment seems like a bad move.

Yet after speaking to chefs, I think there's a place for griddle attachments. They much it much easier to cook a wider range of food on a grill – just make sure you don't pay too much.

What are the benefits to a griddle attachment

There are a lot of benefits to a griddle top attachment for a grill. Chef Dennis Littley explains that 'The benefits of a griddle attachment are all about versatility. It essentially turns your grill into a flat-top cooking surface, which opens up so many new possibilities.

'Think pancakes, eggs, and bacon for breakfast or sautéed vegetables, smash burgers, and delicate seafood that might fall apart on a traditional grill grate.'

Chef Matt Moore agrees that a griddle attachment is particularly great for cooking fish. 'When I'm frying fish, I don't want that smell to permeate the whole house, so it's an easy way to fry outside. Because the griddle creates a barrier between the flame, there's less stress of creating an oil fire than say on a regular grill.'

Dennis Littley

Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with 50+ years of experience in the kitchen, who shares his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

Matt Moore

Matt Moore specializes in updated Southern cuisine with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. He's also a cast-iron and wild game enthusiast with extensive expertise working over live fires. An author of five books, his latest, Butcher on the Block, has been featured on CBS, TODAY, ABC, and more.

It doesn't just have to be fish, either. It's much easier to cook on a griddle because food won't fall through onto the fire, and it means less marinade and sauce slipping through onto the fire. Chef Dennis says 'Because it’s a flat surface, you don’t have to worry about food slipping through the grates, and it also captures juices, oils, and sauces, which adds flavor and reduces flare-ups.'

It also lets you cook with grain products like bread and tortillas. Chef Dennis says 'Griddles are excellent for achieving even browning on foods like sandwiches or quesadillas.'

On top of that, a griddle attachment on one side of a grill is a great sidekick for your main grilling tasks. Chef Dennis points out that 'If you’re hosting a big cookout, the griddle attachment lets you multitask: you can grill steaks on one side and sauté onions and peppers on the griddle for toppings.'

Best of all, these attachments are relatively cheap. The big brands have their own griddle attachments, such as Weber's griddle attachment, but it's pretty expensive for what's essentially just a big piece of steel that gets hot. You can achieve exactly the same thing with a cheap universal grill attachment like this on Amazon for half the price.

What are the drawbacks to a griddle attachment?

However, griddle attachments have some issues. The first is that you lose out on the unmistakable grill flavor.

Chef Dennis says 'You’re sacrificing the direct flame and smoky flavor that grills are known for. A griddle attachment essentially blocks the open flames, so while you’ll still get heat, you won’t achieve the same char or grill marks.'

On top of that, griddles are much harder to clean. Chef Dennis says 'Clean-up can also be a bit of a hassle, griddles tend to hold onto grease and food particles, which can take some effort to scrape off, especially if you’ve been cooking fatty foods.'

Griddles can take up a lot of room, too, reducing the output over the rest of the grill. Chef Dennis adds that 'depending on the size of your grill, a griddle attachment might take up a lot of space, limiting the area available for traditional grilling.'

Should you buy a separate griddle?

With this in mind, it's tempting to consider buying a separate griddle, but the experts don't recommend it.

‘Personally, I think a griddle attachment is the best of both worlds,' says Chef Dennis. 'You don’t have to commit to one or the other: it’s like having a grill and a flat-top in one setup. If your grill already has an attachment or you can purchase one that fits your model, it’s a great way to expand your cooking repertoire without needing a whole new piece of equipment.'

Chef Dennis adds 'At the end of the day, it’s all about what you love to cook. If you’re the kind of person who wants to flip pancakes and burgers on the same appliance, a griddle attachment will make your outdoor cooking game unbeatable. But if you live for that smoky char on your steaks, a grill should be your go-to.'

If you think a griddle attachment won't quite cut it, it's worth weighing up grills vs griddles to help you decide which appliance you actually need. You should also think about the benefits of smokers vs gas grills. Burgers are all well and good, but you need a proper smoker for true barbecue brisket.