Griddles & Group Cooking

Why a Portable Griddle Changes Camp Cooking

A camp stove with one small pot works for two people. Feed eight to twelve and you need surface area. A portable tabletop griddle — the Blackstone 17" and 22" models are the camping-sized ones — gives you a flat-top cooking zone without filling the truck. One person can run proteins while another handles sides. Cleanup is one flat surface instead of four pots.

The 36" four-burner station is a different category. It cooks a crowd, but it is huge. Only take it if the pickup bed or van is mostly empty. Skip hooded listings that hide the price behind “See all buying options.”

Griddles shine for: smash burgers, breakfast spreads (eggs, bacon, pancakes), fajitas, fried rice, and grilled sandwiches.

See portable griddles, gas & charcoal   Blackstone 17" tabletop

Camp Chicken Fried Rice (Large Group)

This scales easily — one of the best "everyone's happy" camp dinners. Prep almost everything at home.

At Home (Day Before)

• Cook rice and spread on a sheet pan to cool (day-old rice fries better).
• Dice chicken thighs into bite-size pieces; season with garlic powder, salt, pepper.
• Pre-chop: onion, carrots, peas (frozen is fine), bell pepper, green onion.
• Mix sauce in a jar: soy sauce (look for simple ingredients / non-GMO if that matters to you), sesame oil, pinch of sugar or honey.
• Portion each ingredient into labeled ziplock bags — one bag per stir-fry round if cooking in batches.

At Camp (Griddle Method)

1. Heat griddle medium-high. Oil the surface.
2. Cook chicken in batches — don't crowd. Set aside in a foil-lined pan.
3. Scramble eggs, push aside.
4. Add oil, toss in hard veggies (carrot, onion). Then rice. Break up clumps.
5. Add chicken back, peas, sauce. Toss until everything's hot.
6. Top with green onion. Serve straight off the griddle.

Batch tip: For 10+ people, run two rounds on a 17–22" tabletop, or bring the 36" station only if you have the vehicle space. Keep the first batch warm in a covered foil pan.

Smash Burgers at Camp

Griddles make better burgers than most camp grills — even heat, crust on the meat, toasted buns on the same surface.

• Bring 80/20 ground beef formed into loose balls (not pre-patted — smash on the griddle).
• High heat, ball down, smash flat with a sturdy spatula, season, flip once.
• Toast buns on the griddle after burgers come off.
• Keep toppings simple: real cheddar, onion, lettuce, tomato, mustard. Less packaging, better food.

What to Pack (Minimal)

Only bring what this cooking style needs — see our camp kitchen checklist for the full list. Griddle-specific essentials:

• Portable griddle + propane (calculate BTU runtime for your group size)
• Two large spatulas (one for smash, one for scrape)
• Squirt bottles for oil and water (steam helps on a griddle)
• Foil pans for holding batches warm
• Heat-resistant gloves — griddles get hotter than they look
• One large cutting board (prep at home if possible)

General Group Food Tips

• One "anchor meal" per day — big dinner, simple breakfast and lunch.
• Assign a meal captain — one person runs the griddle, others handle drinks, plates, kids.
• Pre-portion proteins — nothing slows camp dinner like thawing mystery meat at 6 PM.
• Double your paper towel budget — you'll use them.

Clean Food Guide   Griddle Buying Guide