The Grill Accessory Robert Irvine Loves

Using an outdoor grill produces food that tastes unique to every other method of cooking, making it one of the best appliances you can own. Generally speaking, grilling is easier than you may think, too. However, the grill itself can prove difficult to use for certain foods and ingredients due to the spaces in between the rungs of its grate. That's precisely why beloved celebrity chef Robert Irvine swears by the use of a cast iron griddle that can go directly on your grill, as the special accessory can completely revolutionize your summertime cookouts.

The reason why using a cast iron griddle — like the Blackstone griddle that people on TikTok are obsessed with – works so well is that it allows you to use the grill almost like a stove top without sacrificing the many flavorful benefits of cooking on a grill. Irvine revealed this method in an interview with Tasting Table, where he shared some of the best tips for cooking on a gas grill. "Get a square cast iron griddle so you can saute onions or any other side you don't want slipping through the grate," he explained.

The use of a small cast iron griddle on your grill makes cooking entire meals at once much easier; you can cook your steak or burgers on the grates at the same time as you cook up your sides and toppings like mushrooms, vegetables, or even bacon on the griddle. Plus, while some value the natural grill marks that grates leave on their food, the cast iron griddle can give your meats a great all-over sear that's arguably even better than the standard grill does.

Furthermore, one of the best uses of a cast iron griddle is cooking up less solid foods that typically can't be made on a grill. The most obvious of these are eggs, but other, more unique options are also on the table for your next cookout and can completely change the way you perceive certain dishes. 

"Simple food like grilled cheeses and even pancakes get a unique smoky flavor when you cook them on here, too," Robert Irvine advised. With this in mind, a griddle on top of your grill is the perfect place to cook okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake popularized in Osaka, the food capital of Japan. Foods like okinomiyaki have a taste that goes perfectly with the smoky flavor a grill provides, but can only be achieved with the use of a cast iron griddle attachment due to its wet batter base.

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table and The Takeout.