Eggs on a griddle is a delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal. The wide, non-stick surface of a flat-top grill allows you to make multiple eggs at a go in different styles.
Eggs are a good source of proteins, vital vitamins, and minerals. Moreover, you only need a few inexpensive ingredients. Here is all you need to know about eggs on a griddle.
Eggs on a Griddle
You can cook sunny-side-up eggs, scrambled eggs, omelets, and eggs over easy, medium, and hard on your griddle.
What Makes Griddle Eggs Excellent?
Cooking eggs in a frying pan is the norm in many households. Although pans offer convenience, cooking on a griddle is matchless.
Below are key reasons why a griddle is ideal for cooking eggs compared to a frying pan.
A Natural Non-Stick Cooking Surface
Most frying pans have a Teflon coat which gives them a non-stick finish. Teflon is delicate, thus limiting you to using silicone or wooden tools to avoid scratching it.
Even worse, Teflon releases harmful components to the food you cook when heated on high.
Investing in a griddle will save you the headache and health compromises that come with coated frying pans.
Blackstone griddles have a naturally non-stick surface resulting from seasoning. It does not release a metallic or funky taste to your eggs or any other food you are cooking.
The non-stick surface is ideal for an egg’s delicate texture as it can stick, tear or break when cooked on a rough surface.
You can comfortably use metal utensils on your flat-top grill because it does not have a Teflon finish.
Large Cooking Surface
The huge griddle cooking surface allows you to cook multiple eggs simultaneously. You can cook up to 48 eggs on a 36-inch griddle and 12 eggs on a 17-inch flat-top.
A grill comes in handy when cooking eggs for a large family or a group of friends. You will have everything ready at the same time.
A frying pan is small and can only accommodate one egg at a time. So, you will take a lot of time if you have many eggs to prepare.
The large, flat-top grill surface also makes it easy to flip eggs.
Precise Heat Control
A griddle gives you complete control over the heat you are using. You can adjust the burner to the temperature levels of your liking.
Cast iron grills have independent heat zones. When cooking eggs, it is preferable to use the cooler areas to ensure consistency, even cooking, and avoid burning.
Pans have no heat controls, and it’s challenging to determine when the sunny-side-up egg is ready. You are also likely to find one side cooked more than the other.
Infused Flavors
Most people cook eggs on their own, perhaps with some salt and pepper seasoning.
Cooking eggs on a griddle gives you room to spice things up. Cover the cooktop with your preferred seasoning like paprika, oregano, thyme, and cumin. Then, cook your eggs on the seasoned surface. The flavors will infuse the eggs and make them super delicious.
Griddle Temperature for Cooking Eggs
Eggs are delicate and can quickly burn or change form when subjected to high heat. There is a very thin line between an undercooked and an overcooked egg.
If you don’t watch your temperatures, you can easily turn your eggs from over-easy to eggs over-hard in a few seconds.
The optimal temperature for cooking eggs on a grill is 250 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, be sure to set your griddle over low-medium heat.
How to Cook Eggs on a Griddle: 5 Ways
Here are a few ways to may perfect griddle eggs:
1. Sunny-Side Up
Sunny-side up is the simplest way to cook eggs on a griddle.
It would be best to have a griddle cover or lid to ensure that the white is thoroughly cooked without burning.
Recipe:
- Get a clean bowl and crack your eggs into it.
Doing so allows you to remove any bits of shells that might have dropped in the egg before cooking. Do not crack your eggs directly onto the hot griddle.
- Sprinkle some oil on the cooktop and heat your griddle to medium or low.
- Pour your egg onto the hot surface and avoid breaking the yolk. Season the egg with some salt and pepper.
- Add a teaspoon of water or a bit more, depending on the number of eggs you are cooking.
Cover your eggs with a lid as soon as it begins to bubble. The water creates steam which cooks the egg top perfectly.
- Uncover the eggs after a few minutes and continue cooking for 30 more seconds. Ensure that the egg white is ready.
- Remove the eggs from the flat-top grill with a spatula, being careful not to break the yolk.
2. Eggs Over Easy
Cooking eggs over easy is ideal if you don’t have a griddle cover or lid.
Although this method is easy and common, turning the eggs without breaking the yolk is an art. You can only master it through practice.
Follow the sunny-side-up method to cook eggs over-easy, but do not cover the eggs.
After cooking the egg in water and oil for about a minute, slide half of the spatula underneath. The real skill comes to play at this point.
Please do not lift the egg one bit and then drop it upside-down on the grill. If you do so, the yolk will break.
Instead, roll your wrist gently to turn the egg over with minimal force.
After flipping the egg, cook for 15 seconds to achieve a perfect, runny yolk.
Slide a spatula under the egg and remove it from the griddle plate.
3. Scrambled Eggs
Making scrambled eggs on a griddle is pretty straightforward. Here is our favorite recipe:
- Crack your eggs in a bowl and remove any bits of shell.
- Add a little milk, preferably a tablespoon of milk per egg, for the best results. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly.
- Preheat your flat-top grill to medium-low and drizzle some oil. You can also use butter instead.
- Pour your eggs gently on the cooktop, ensuring that they are concentrated in a small area. Scoop any run-off egg into the middle. Leave the eggs to cook for 20 seconds.
- Now stir the eggs as they continue cooking. Be sure to scrape them from the griddle surface to prevent burning.
- Keep stirring until the mixture appears a bit dry and the eggs get more solid.
- Your scrambled eggs are now ready to eat.
How Do You Make Your Scrambled Eggs Creamy?
You can make your eggs creamy by:
- Cooking with butter instead of your regular cooking oil.
- Substitute milk for cream
- Cook your eggs on lower heat
- Try to swirl your eggs gently instead of stirring them
Note: If you are lactose intolerant or don’t like dairy, you don’t need to add milk to your scrambled eggs. You can use water, cream, or butter instead.
The Best Tools for Cooking Eggs on a Griddle
A cast iron griddle is a king for perfectly griddled eggs. You will need to use it alongside:
- A large stainless steel spatula
- A stainless steel whisk
- A small to a medium-sized bowl
- An egg ring – It is ideal for making uniformly-cooked, round eggs
Consider a silicone spatula if you are using an electric griddle with a non-stick surface.
The Best Oils to Cook Eggs on a Griddle
The following are the best vegetable oils for use:
Avocado oil: This healthy oil adds a fruity taste to your eggs.
Flaxseed oil: It has a neutral taste and is ideal when you want to feel the natural flavor of your food.
Sesame oil: It makes your eggs taste like Korean food!
Coconut oil: This oil has tons of healthy fatty acids besides its delicious taste.
Butter: Adds a rich, creamy flavor to your eggs.
Walnut oil: Has a nutty taste and is perfect for eggs served with salads.
Extra-virgin olive oil: It gives your eggs a Mediterranean flavor with a grassy tinge.
Checking for Egg Freshness
How do you know that your eggs are not rotten before cooking? Here are two tests you can do to check eggs for freshness:
- Shake the egg. If it does not produce any noise, it is fresh. But if it rattles, it is rotten.
- Fill a jar, glass, or bowl with fresh water. Then, dip the egg in the water. If your egg sinks, it is very fresh. If it stands upright, it is a bit old but pretty fine. However, if the egg sinks, it is rotten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook eggs on a griddle?
Yes, you can cook eggs on a griddle over low to medium heat. The ideal griddle temperature should be between 250 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why do eggs stick to the griddle?
Eggs stick if the griddle is too hot, it is not well-seasoned, or there is not enough oil on the cooktop.
Do I need oil to cook eggs on a griddle?
Oil is essential when cooking on a griddle as it adds flavor to food and prevents food from sticking to the surface.
Can you scramble eggs on a Blackstone griddle?
Yes, scrambled eggs on a griddle are super-delicious. Ensure that you pour the eggs into one spot and keep stirring to get a creamy texture.
Wrapping it Up
When you have a quality griddle, the possibilities of cooking perfect eggs are endless. You can make different types of eggs like scrambled, omelets, sunny-side up, eggs over easy, medium, and hard.