Learning how to cook bacon on a griddle is a non-negotiable skill for any BBQ pro. After all, there’s no such thing as too much bacon. Those crispy, smoky strips are downright irresistible—and if you happen to have leftovers, they’re perfect for leveling up BLTs, burgers, mac and cheese, pasta dishes, and more.
Our new Flatrock Flat Top Grill lets you cook up a lot of bacon all at once. And we mean a lot. To determine the utmost max capacity it, we crammed 48 slices (about 3 lb) onto the surface of the cooktop. Now, that might be a bit much for most folks, but it is doable with a little overlapping of slices on the 18x33-inch cooktop. Because we were doing it outside—as all the cooking on the Flatrock is done—there’s no worry about smoke and grease spattering on the stove and counter. Keep scrolling for all the info you need to cook up some crispy bacon.
How to Cook Bacon on a Griddle
Crispy bacon makes just about everything better, and cooking it on the Flat Top takes it to the next level. The best part? For a food this legendary, it’s surprisingly easy to cook on your griddle:
1. Season your griddle (if you haven't yet): To enhance flavor, prevent rust, and make your flat top non-stick, seasoning your griddle is an essential step. Learn how to season your griddle by reading our expert article.
2. Preheat: When you go to preheat your flat top, make sure the lid is open. Preheat the zone you're planning on cooking on to medium for best results.
3. Place your bacon on the griddle: Between seasoning and all the cooked-down fat on bacon, you don't need to oil up your flat rock; you just get right into cooking! Lay your bacon down vertically and/or horizontally on the surface with enough space in between to flip (with the Flatrock 3 Zone, you can fit up to 28 bacon strips).
4. Cook halfway and flip: Once your bacon is about halfway done to your doneness liking (between 4-6 minutes), it's time to flip. Because of the Flat Rock's epic cooking power, you don't need to flip more than once to get perfectly crispy bacon. For tools, make sure to invest in a good BBQ spatula or tongs.
5. Transfer: The best kind of bacon will have lots of grease. Once your bacon is done cooking to your preference, transfer all your bacon to a paper towel-lined plate so it can soak up all the drippings before it's served up.
How to Clean Your Griddle After Cooking Bacon
Luckily, grease is a good thing when it comes to flat top grills. Bacon grease only helps with seasoning your grill so you don't need soap and water to clean it off. However, you should give it a quick clean-up to prevent rust.
Use the scraper in the Flat Top Grills Essential Kit to scrape up all the excess grease and bacon bits into the EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg and wipe any excess grease off the griddle top with a wad of paper towels. Read our article for a more thorough guide on how to clean your Flat Top Grill.
Griddle Bacon FAQ's
How many slices of bacon can I cook at one time?
We recommend sticking to cooking 28 or so slices (about 1 1 /2 lb) at one time. This allows for some room in between the slices, which encourages more even cooking and makes the slices easy to flip.
Do I need to oil the surface of the cooktop?
No. Your cooktop, if properly seasoned, is practically nonstick. In addition, the bacon will almost immediately begin to release its own fat onto the cooktop, which means it should not stick. That said, adding a thin layer of additional oil will not hurt.
What temperature should I cook bacon at?
We have found that medium works well. At that temperature, the bacon cooks in 8 to 10 minutes, which allows the fat to render and the slices to crisp. If you go higher, you run a risk of burning your bacon.
How do I add the bacon to the flat top?
If you are cooking a lot of bacon, we strongly recommend separating the slices before putting them on the hot cooktop. If you take too long fumbling with them the first ones will be done before you've finished putting them all on. Leave a little room between each slice.
Do I need to flip my bacon? And how?
Yes, we recommend cooking on one side for 5 or so minutes, then flipping and finishing on the other side for a short amount of time, usually 1 to 2 minutes. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the bacon as well as how crisp you like it. If you are only cooking a few slices of bacon, go ahead and use tongs to flip. However, if you are cooking a lot of bacon, and certainly, if you’re attempting the max 48 slices, use the big spatula to flip a bunch of slices at once.
Do you recommend a bacon/grill press?
A bacon or grill press, like the one that comes in our Smashed Burger Kit, can speed up the cooking process a bit by ensuring the bacon is pressed against the hot cooktop on all points. It can also be handy if the bacon starts to curl. To use a press, place it directly on the bacon and let it sit there. What’s nice is that it’s a hands-free tool. That said, you can also use your hands (armed with a spatula) to press down on the bacon if needed.
Tips From The Pros
Let the bacon warm up a bit before cooking it. This will help the bacon cook more evenly with less chance of curling. Fifteen minutes at room temperature is usually enough.
Drain the bacon on paper towel. When the bacon is cooked to your liking, transfer it to a paper-towel lined plate to blot off any excess grease.
Cook other foods in the bacon grease. Bacon fat is delicious, so why waste it? If you are cooking bacon to top a pizza, cook the accompanying onions in the bacon fat for more flavor. Of course, frying eggs in bacon fat is also encouraged.
Make extra! Using up bacon is never a problem. You can cover it and refrigerate it for up to 2 days and can even freeze it airtight for up to a couple months. Reheat it in the microwave or on the flat top on medium-low heat.
Bacon Griddle Recipes
Once you have deliciously crisp bacon at the ready, there are tons of ways to use it. Of course, it's always good on its own, but here are a few other ways to use it:
- Smoked Turkey BLAT Sandwich
- Flat Top Bacon and Cheese Omelet
- Flat Top Pork Fried Rice (while bacon is not an included ingredient, but cooking fried rice in leftover bacon grease and then adding pieces to this dish will give it an epic dose of extra flavor)
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Grilled Romaine Salad
- Four Cheese Mac and Cheese (another great dish to add some homemade bacon bits too)
Crispy Griddle Bacon
by Traeger Kitchen
1 Reviews
Prep Time
1 Min
Cook Time
10 Min
Serves
4
Everything is better with bacon, and the Traeger Flatrock grill is the best at making it. This crispy griddle bacon recipe calls for a demure 8 slices of bacon, but you can fit a lot more on the flat top, so go ahead and make bacon for a crowd by doubling and even tripling the amount of bacon called for.
Ingredients
main
| 8 Strips | bacon |
| Traeger Breakfast Rub (optional) |
1
Preheat the flat top on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. If cooking just 8 slices, heat only one zone. If making more, heat two or all three. Line a plate with paper towel.
2
Add the bacon to the hot cooktop. If you like, sprinkle it lightly with Traeger Breakfast Rub. Cook, scraping grease away as needed, until the bacon is crisp on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until crisp on the other side. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the bacon as well as how crisp you like it. Transfer to the paper-towel lined plate and serve immediately. Enjoy!
