These easy griddle recipes make classic barbecue dishes using a ridged griddle pan or a grill with grooved griddle plate, such as grilled skewers and barbecued ribs, and vegetable sides and salads made with charred corn. The griddle ridges create mouthwatering score marks, smoky flavours from charring, and healthier grilled food as the fat runs into the grooves.
I’ve compiled these easy griddle recipes, which can be cooked in a grooved griddle pan on a kitchen stove, for those of you who might not have an outdoor grill or barbecue or might not be allowed to cook over wood or charcoal, which are best for achieving smoky flavours.
Here in Cambodia, Terence would typically grill on a traditional clay brazier, as most Cambodians do, both at home and cooking on the streets. However, we’re not allowed to cook on the balcony of the current apartment we rent, so I’ve been using a ridged griddle pan on our gas stove, to make barbecue favourites, such as the beef kofta, above.
A clarification and a couple of tips before you scroll down to our easy griddle recipes. In Australia and the UK and many other countries, a griddle pan is a pan with ridges and a griddle plate is also a grooved barbecue plate, whereas in the USA a grill plate and a griddle plate can be flat, hence my use of grooved griddle plate, above, so there’s no confusion.
A few quick tips for your griddling: meat cooks faster in a griddle pan or on a grooved griddle plate so do use a digital meat thermometer to make sure your meat is done to your liking and not over-cooked. Some long tongs are handy, even if you’re not grilling over an open fire or coals, as things can still get very hot. When you’re finished griddling, soak your griddle pan in water for easier cleaning later.
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Now, let me share our best easy griddle recipes.
Griddle Recipes for Barbecue Favourites Cooked on a Griddle Pan
Our easy griddle recipes call for a grooved griddle pan or ridged griddle plate.
Beef Kofta Recipe for Grilled Spiced Kebabs
This beef kofta recipe tops my list of easy griddle recipes. It makes traditional Lebanese kafta – grilled, spiced, ground meat kebabs that are made throughout the Middle East. Cooked at home, served at restaurants, and barbecued in parks at family gatherings, these Arabic minced meat kebabs are one of the most beloved dishes in a region that loves its grilled meats.
Our easy beef kofta recipe will make you the mouthwatering Lebanese kafta or spiced minced beef kebabs of the kind that we used to eat when we lived in the Middle East. Tuck into them with traditional sides such as hummus, baba ganoush and fatoush or try this balela salad spread on soupy chickpeas, this Antalya version of a Turkish white bean salad or my roasted cauliflower on hummus or baby corn on creamy white beans.
Beef Kofta Recipe for Lebanese Kafta – Grilled Spiced Ground Meat Kebabs
Cambodian Grilled Pork Ribs Recipe
This Cambodian grilled pork ribs recipe makes a favourite dish that locals here in Cambodia love to tuck into by the plateful at boisterous local barbecue joints, where they’re washed down with Anchor beers. Super easy, they’re made with a simple marinade, and are a cinch to make in a griddle pan, but of course you can also do them on a barbecue, grill or a clay brazier.
Cambodian Grilled Pork Ribs Recipe for Easy Smoky Barbecue Pork Ribs
Cambodian Beef Skewers Recipe with Lemongrass Recipe
This Cambodian beef skewers recipe makes another of our best griddle recipes. Called sach ko ang in Khmer, they are typically eaten with pickled vegetables and are a classic late afternoon or early evening snack in Cambodia. Some locals slide the meat off the skewer into the buttered baguette to make a meal out of them.
Cambodian Beef Skewers Recipe with Lemongrass – How To Make Sach Ko Ang
Mexican Grilled Chicken Tacos Recipe
This easy Mexican grilled chicken tacos recipe for tacos de pollo asado makes corn tortillas filled with incredibly delicious chicken that’s moist and flavourful thanks to a marinade of chipotle and spices such as cumin and paprika.
Delightfully smoky courtesy of the griddle pan, you could also cook the chicken on a barbecue or grill. Some long tongs will come in handy, even if you’re not grilling over an open fire or coals, things can still get hot. Whatever you do, make sure to wash all that food down with margaritas or micheladas.
Mexican Grilled Chicken Tacos Recipe for Tacos de Pollo Asado for an Easy Mid-Week Meal
Mexican Chicken Tinga Taco Recipe
Our chicken tinga taco recipe makes warm soft flour tortillas with delicious chicken tinga or tinga de pollo with grilled corn charred on a griddle pan, zingy pickled purple shallots and pickled purple cabbage, sprinkled with crumbly Mexican cotija and aromatic coriander.
Try to source soft corn tortillas for more authentic Mexican tacos although wheat flour tortillas work if you can’t.. For a taco feast, serve with sides of guacamole, spicy red tomato salsa, Mexican corn salsa, homemade pickled jalapeños, pickled purple shallots, pickled purple cabbage, and Mexican pickled vegetables. If you have leftovers, you could make some quesadillas.
Mexican Chicken Tinga Taco Recipe with Grilled Corn, Pickled Shallots and Purple Cabbage
Thai Nam Prik Num Recipe
This Thai nam prik num recipe makes a smoky green chilli dip that’s one of the best known Northern Thai specialties – so much so that it’s often called Chiang Mai chilli relish. Made from local chillies, it’s traditionally grilled on a barbecue or grill with garlic and shallots, but we often use a griddle pan. Serve with crunchy pork crackling and sticky rice for one of the best dip recipes to make if you have spice loving friends.
Thai Nam Prik Num Recipe for Smoky Green Chilli Dip from Northern Thailand
Mexican Grilled Corn Recipe
This Mexican grilled corn recipe makes Mexico’s corn on the cob street food snack called elotes, which we became addicted to on our first trip to Mexico many years ago. Super easy, it makes use of summer corn and is fantastic on its own or can be served as a barbecue side. I do these corn cobs on a griddle pan, but of course you can also do them on a barbecue or grill over an open flame or coals.
Mexican Grilled Corn Recipe – How to Make Mexico’s Street Food Corn Called Elotes
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime Butter and Lemongrass Mayo Recipe
This grilled corn with lime butter and lemongrass mayonnaise recipe is my favourite grilled corn on the cob recipe, inspired by the traditional Cambodian grilled corn, poat dot, a Cambodian street food snack of barbecued corn on the cob with mayonnaise, lime and chilli, and the Mexican grilled corn on the cob street food dish. It makes a fantastic side to barbecue ribs and skewers or fried chicken.
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime Butter and Lemongrass Mayonnaise Recipe
Thai Corn Salad Recipe
Our Thai corn salad recipe makes a simple tossed corn salad that’s inspired by the popular som tam style salad above that’s pounded in a mortar and pestle. While we do love a good classic Thai som tam, it can often be very wet. This salad works best as a tossed salad and it’s easily another of the best griddle recipes. For those nice char marks and smoky aroma, we do the corn cobs on a griddle pan, naturally.
Thai Corn Salad Recipe for a Filling Summer Lunch or a Perfect Side for Thai Style Fried Chicken
Mexican Grilled Corn Salad Recipe
While this Mexican grilled corn salad recipe makes a terrific salad for spring picnics or summer barbecues, it’s a fantastic year-round salad and is easily another of our easy griddle recipes. You can serve it as a traditional tossed salad in a big bowl or you can serve it individually.
Mexican Grilled Corn Salad Recipe for a Taste of Mexico at Home
Mexican Street Corn in a Cup Recipe
Our Mexican street corn in a cup recipe for Mexico’s esquites or elote en vaso, which means ‘corn in a cup’, makes a Mexican street food snack or antojitos, meaning ‘little cravings’, that we became addicted to on our first trip to Mexico many years ago. We do the corn on the cobs on the griddle pan.
Mexican Street Corn in a Cup Recipe – How to Make Esquites or Elote en Vaso
Grilled Corn Salad With Lime, Chilli, and Lemongrass Mayo Recipe
If you enjoyed the Mexican grilled corn salad, you will love my grilled corn salad with lime, chilli, lemongrass mayonnaise, and sourdough croutons, which is one of my all-time favourite salads and definitely another of our best griddle recipes. Terence makes the croutons with the crunchy end of near-stale sourdough.
Grilled Corn Salad Recipe With Lime, Chilli, Lemongrass Mayo and Sourdough Croutons
Please do let us know if you make any of our easy griddle recipes, as we’d love to know how they turn out for you.
