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Griddle Pancakes and Bacon for a Camp Crowd

Fluffy pancakes and crisp bacon on a carbon steel griddle over charcoal, with a shaker-bottle batter.

Pancakes at camp are a tradition worth keeping. With a carbon steel griddle over a small charcoal fire, they cook evenly and brown beautifully.

Gear

A flat griddle plate makes pancakes easy. The Slot Grill Griddle (Plancha) add-on is built from the same thick carbon steel as the grills and comes in half or full griddle configurations. A half griddle leaves room for bacon on the grate next to it.

Shaker-bottle batter

Measure your favorite dry pancake mix or homemade dry blend into a large shaker bottle at home. At camp, add water (or milk and an egg) and shake. No bowl to wash.

Camp griddle

Pancakes, eggs and smash burgers at camp

The Slot Grill Griddle (Plancha) add-on is built from the same thick carbon steel, comes in half or full griddle configurations, and flat-stacks with your Slot Grill. Grill not included.

See the griddle add-on

Bacon first

1. Light a medium fire.
2. Lay bacon on the griddle and cook until crisp, flipping occasionally.
3. Move bacon to a plate and leave a thin film of fat on the griddle.

Pancakes

1. Test heat with a few drops of water; they should dance and evaporate.
2. Pour batter into small rounds.
3. Flip when bubbles appear and edges look set.
4. Cook another minute or two.

Heat control

Small fires are easier. If pancakes brown too fast, spread coals out or move the griddle off the hottest spot.

Toppings

Syrup, butter, berries, chocolate chips, peanut butter or bananas.

Flat-pack grill

Packs flat. Cooks like it means it.

Tab-and-slot steel plates, no hinges, no loose hardware to lose in the leaves. The Full Size packs to about 1.25" and the Compact to about 1". Both are strong enough for cast iron.

See the Full Size · $149.97

Cleanup

Scrape the griddle while warm, wipe with a paper towel, and re-oil lightly.

Homemade dry pancake mix

Make a big jar at home and you are set for several trips.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk (optional, so you only need water at camp)

At camp, combine about 1 cup of mix with 3/4 to 1 cup of liquid and one egg, if you have eggs, in a shaker bottle. Shake until just combined; a few lumps are fine.

Getting griddle temperature right

Pancakes are all about steady medium heat. Over charcoal:

1. Spread a moderate, even bed of coals rather than a big pile.
2. Preheat the griddle for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Do the water test: a drop should sizzle and skate.
4. Make one test pancake. If it browns before bubbles form on top, the heat is too high.

Charcoal heat drops over time, so the last pancakes may need a little longer. If it gets too cool, add a few lit coals from a chimney.

Bacon timing

Bacon renders fat that makes pancakes crisp at the edges. Cook bacon first over medium heat, flipping often. Drain on paper towels. Leave a thin film of fat on the griddle and pour off the rest into a can to pack out.

Feeding a crowd

• Keep finished pancakes warm on a plate covered with foil on the cooler edge of the grill.
• Cook bacon for everyone first, then pancakes in rounds.
• A full griddle on the Full Size Slot Grill gives more surface for bigger batches.

Pancake variations

• Blueberry: drop berries on the wet side before flipping.
• Chocolate chip: same method with chips.
• Banana: sliced bananas pressed into the batter.
• Savory: add shredded cheese and chopped green onions to the batter.
• Cornmeal: substitute part of the flour with cornmeal for texture.

Beyond pancakes

The same griddle setup handles French toast, fried eggs, hash browns, grilled cheese sandwiches and quesadillas. A half griddle on one side and the open grate on the other lets you cook sausages over flame while eggs fry on the flat.

Troubleshooting

• Pale pancakes: griddle too cool or not preheated.
• Burnt outside, raw inside: too hot; spread coals.
• Sticking: griddle not seasoned well enough; add a little more fat.
• Flat pancakes: baking powder too old; buy fresh.

Seasoning the griddle

A carbon steel griddle improves with use. After cooking, scrape it clean while warm, wipe, and apply a very thin layer of oil or Seasoning Balm. Over time it builds a smooth, darker, more non-stick surface.

Planning a griddle breakfast for a group

Breakfast for a group runs smoothly when one person cooks and another handles coffee and plates.

1. Start charcoal at first light.
2. Heat water for coffee on the edge of the grill.
3. Cook bacon in batches, keeping it warm under foil.
4. Wipe the griddle, leaving a thin film of fat.
5. Cook pancakes in rounds.
6. Serve as each batch comes off.

Griddle breakfast menu ideas

• Classic: pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, coffee.
• Southern: biscuits warmed on the griddle, sausage patties, fried eggs.
• Tex-Mex: breakfast tacos with eggs, chorizo and potatoes.
• Sweet: French toast with berries and syrup.
• Light: fried eggs and toast with fruit.

French toast at camp

1. Whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla in a container.
2. Dip thick bread slices.
3. Cook on a buttered griddle over medium heat until golden.
4. Serve with syrup or fruit.

Hash browns

Shredded potatoes need to be dry. Squeeze them in a towel, spread thinly on a hot, oiled griddle, and leave them alone until crisp before flipping.

Eggs every way

• Scrambled: whisk in a bottle, pour on a buttered griddle, stir gently.
• Fried: crack directly onto the griddle; use a metal ring to keep shape if you like.
• Over easy: flip carefully and cook briefly.

Kids helping at the griddle

Older kids can pour batter and flip with supervision. Teach them to keep sleeves back, use a long spatula, and never touch the griddle edge.

Griddle care

• Preheat gradually.
• Scrape while warm.
• Wipe and apply a thin coat of oil.
• Store dry.

Common questions

Can I use the griddle every day?

Yes. Carbon steel improves with frequent use as the seasoning builds.

Why does the seasoning look patchy?

New carbon steel often looks uneven at first. It evens out with use and re-seasoning.

Should I cook acidic foods on the griddle?

Brief contact with tomatoes or citrus is fine on well-seasoned steel, but long simmering of acidic sauces can wear seasoning. Use a pot or cast iron for those.

Pancake batter that travels

Mix the dry ingredients at home in a wide-mouth bottle or a sturdy zip bag: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and a little powdered milk if you like. At camp, add water, an egg and a spoon of oil, shake or squeeze until mostly smooth, and let it rest five minutes. A few lumps are fine; overmixing makes pancakes tough. Snip a corner of the bag and you have a no-mess pouring tool.

Reading the griddle

The first pancake is a test, and every camp cook knows it. Watch for these signs:

• Too hot: dark outside and gooey inside within a minute. Spread the coals thinner or move toward the edge.
• Too cool: pale, flat pancakes that take forever to bubble. Push the coals together or add a few lit ones.
• Just right: bubbles form across the top in two to three minutes, the edges look set, and the underside is golden when you flip.

Bacon on carbon steel

Start bacon on a griddle that is warm but not screaming hot, so the fat renders before the meat burns. Lay strips side by side, turn them every couple of minutes, and pull them when they're a shade lighter than you want; they keep crisping on the plate. Tip the extra grease into a can with a lid as you go, leaving just a thin film for the pancakes. That bacon fat is the best pancake oil you can bring.

Mix-ins and toppings

• Blueberries dropped onto the batter after pouring
• Chocolate chips for the kids
• Sliced banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon
• Peanut butter warmed on the griddle edge
• Maple syrup warmed in its bottle beside the coals

Cleanup in five minutes

Scrape the griddle while it's still warm, wipe it with a paper towel, and leave a thin sheen of fat on the steel. Seal grease in the lidded can and pack it out with trash. Never pour grease on the ground or in a fire ring, where it draws animals.

Big-batch pancakes for a crowd

For a big group, mix two batches of batter in separate bottles and keep cooked pancakes warm in a foil tent on the cool side of the grill. Using both a griddle and a skillet doubles your output.

A final note

Warm plates on the grill edge too.

Questions campers ask

How do I make pancakes at camp?

Use a shaker bottle for batter and a preheated griddle over medium heat.

What kind of griddle works on a Slot Grill?

The Slot Grill Griddle (Plancha) add-on, made from the same carbon steel and designed for the Slot Grill system.

How do I clean a carbon steel griddle?

Scrape while warm, wipe and re-oil lightly.

Portable fire pit

Love campfires? Bring your own clean one.

The Slot Grill Compact burns charcoal or cooking wood in a raised steel box with a 2⅞" air gap underneath, so where fires are allowed it doubles as a tidy personal fire pit after supper. Set up by hand in 30 to 60 seconds, no tools.

See the Compact · $89.97

Compact · $89.97 $99.97
About 14 lb, 146 sq in, 1 to 3 people, packs about 1" thick.Full Size · $149.97 $159.97
About 27.6 lb, 231 sq in, family-size, packs about 1.25" thick.