You must have heard or experienced a Blackstone griddle’s smooth, flawless, non-stick cooking surface. Its cooktop is made of cold-rolled steel, the smoothest steel in the market, with no bruises, dents, or holes. Therefore, you can be sure to make perfect burgers, pancakes, or eggs without leaving bits of food behind.
But this may not be the case every time. If you find food sticking to your Blackstone griddle even after proper seasoning, there could be an underlying problem that needs immediate attention.
Why is Food Sticking to My Blackstone Griddle?
The two main reasons food sticks to your griddle surface are that the grill is not adequately cleaned or too much oil on the cooktop. These reasons account for 95% of stickiness problems, but the best thing is that they are fixable.
The Griddle is Not Properly Cleaned.
Many people, including me sometimes, prefer cleaning their griddles by just wiping them off with a paper towel after use. After wiping mine, I season it with a bit of oil, and boom! It’s ready for storage until subsequent use.
With time, I discovered that food was starting to stick on my griddle surface. I decided to do some research, and I was shocked to find out that seasoning a dirty griddle causes it to become sticky.
Wiping off the cooktop with a clean paper towel after use is recommended most of the time. However, if you fail to scrape off the food remains first before adding oil, you are doing the griddle more harm than good.
It is recommendable to clean your grill with water from time to time. First, scrape off the leftover food with a metal scraper, pour warm water on the flat-top grill, and gently scrub with a griddle scouring pad. Dry the surface with a paper towel and allow it to dry entirely before seasoning.
If routine cleaning does not help improve or eliminate the stickiness, you can try deep cleaning. Use a mild soap and warm water to remove the stubborn food particles and re-season the griddle like you would if it was new.
Too Much Oil on the Griddle Surface
Is there a standard amount of oil to use on the griddle cooktop? Certainly not! However, the amount of cooking oil you put on your griddle surface will have immediate and long-term effects.
When seasoning your griddle for the first time or re-seasoning it after cleaning, ensure that you apply a light layer of oil. Just enough to evenly cover the entire cooking surface without dripping off.
When the oil burns to its smoke point, it bonds well to the steel, creating a non-stick surface. This way, you will achieve effective results without making a smoke show.
Too much oil leaves a sticky residue and does not bond well with the griddle surface.
A quarter-sized amount of oil is enough for a standard griddle and two-quarter-sized amounts for the bigger griddles, like the 36-inch one.
How to Remove the Excess Oil
The best way to get rid of the excessive oil buildup on the cooktop is by deep-cleaning the griddle. Pour water on the griddle surface and allow it to heat up or boil to release the oils.
You can use soap to strip off the oil layers from the cooktop effectively. Then, re-season the surface with thin layers of oil two to four times, like when doing an initial seasoning. And there, you have a restored, perfect, shiny, and non-stick griddle cooktop.
Before applying the seasoning layer, it is good to heat the grill at high temperatures for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and rub a little oil, spreading it across the surface.
Then, using a metal scraper, scrape down the cooking surface to remove the excess seasoning. Finally, wipe the surface with paper towels, and your grill is all set.
Use of Seasonings and Sauces that Contain Sugar
Although sugar enhances food flavor, when it burns, it turns to carbon and adheres to the griddle plate.
The sugar caramelizes when it comes in contact with high heat. If you cover your meat with sugary sauce before cooking it on the grill, it will burn. Such spices include barbecue sauce, teriyaki-based sauces, and fruit glazes.
Only apply sauces in the last few minutes of grilling to avoid this terrible mistake. Better still, marinate your meat before cooking it on the griddle to get a deep flavor that permeates the entire meat.
How to Stop Food from Sticking to the Griddle
Oil the Meat Instead of Oiling the Griddle
The griddle surface appears super-smooth to the naked eye. But you will be surprised when you look at it under a microscope. Some surfaces could have pores and rough pits, which could be the primary cause of persistent food sticking.
Oiling the meat before placing it on the griddle is an excellent way to beat stickiness. Before oiling, ensure that you dry the meat thoroughly with paper towels.
When the meat comes into contact with the metal surface, the oil will fill the rough areas and holes on the griddle. As a result, the surface becomes smoother and minimizes or eliminates the chance of food sticking.
Note: You can also brush a little oil on a warm cooktop, allow it to cool down completely, and then place your oiled pieces of meat. Doing so will give you a better non-stick surface.
Always Pre-Heat the Griddle
If you don’t want your burger patties or meat to stick to the cooktop, ensure that you pre-heat the griddle. The protein in beef often creates a chemical bond with metal Griddle plates. For this reason, meat always sticks from when you place it on the grill until it develops a good sear.
When you place the meat on a pre-heated Griddle, it produces a sizzling sound. The steam sizzle creates enough moisture in the air to prevent proteins from sticking to the metal surface. The humidity caused by the steam also prevents the meat from gluing to the Griddle surface.
Use a High-Smoking Point Oil
When you use an oil with a low smoking point, it evaporates quickly, causing the food you are cooking to stick on the griddle.
Therefore, using cooking oil with a smoke point of 400 Fahrenheit and above is recommended, such as canola oil. Such oils allow your food, especially meat, to cook better and longer, thus achieving a golden brown even finish.
Be sure not to use a lot of oil because the excess will turn into carbon, creating an unnecessary mess.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove stuck food from a Blackstone Griddle?
To effectively remove stuck food, pour a little water on the griddle plate while it is still warm. The water will soften the food residues, making them easier to come off.
Rub the surface gently with a Blackstone scouring pad with no soap. Rinse it off with clean water and dry with paper towels.
How do I keep my griddle from sticking?
To achieve a non-stick griddle surface, always ensure that the cooktop is spotlessly clean before use. After every use, scrape the griddle plate with a metal scraper to remove food residues before wiping off with paper towels or rinsing with water.
Deep-clean the griddle often to remove excess oil and use oils with a high smoking point. Also, pre-heat and oil the cooktop before placing food on it.
Why is my chicken sticking to the grill?
It could be because the surface is not hot enough, or there is no seasoning oil on the meat or the griddle plate. The plate could also be dirty.
Wrapping it Up
Food sticking to your griddle does not mean that the equipment has compromised quality or it’s old enough to throw away. This common problem is easy to resolve. If one method does not work for you, try another one. But, don’t give up on your griddle yet!
Food easily sticks when your griddle is dirty or has accumulated too much oil. To prevent sticking, always clean your flat-top grill after every use and deep-clean it from time to time. Ensure that you oil your meat or the cooktop before cooking and pre-heat the griddle before cooking.
Also, if you must use sugary sauces and seasoning, do it during the last stage of cooking and not before.