Project Griddle: The Versatile Art of Grilling on a Flattop

by Steven Raichlen

From America's bestselling grilling authority, an essential guide to griddles, including delicious recipes and the dos and don'ts of grilling. Named one of Amazon’s Best Cookbooks of the Year

Prized for their accessibility and versatility—and because they’re so much fun to use—griddles (also known as planchas and flat-tops) are soaring in popularity. Project Griddle features the trademark Raichlen approach, with plenty of practical cooking techniques and nearly 80 hunger-inducing recipes. It traces the history and geography of griddling, from the teppan of Japan to the plancha of Spain to champa grilling in South America. A gear chapter showcases the various types of stand-up and portable flattops and planchas, plus the requisite accessories, how to season and maintain a griddle, how to oil and cook on it, with chefs’ shortcuts, and some pitfalls to watch out for. 

And then there are the recipes—each one as outrageously delicious and foolproof as the last, for classics like the crispiest smash burgers and tapas bar shrimp to an entire suite of heretofore un-grillable foods—egg-and-bacon breakfast feasts, potato latkes, crepes, French toast, and smoky fried rice. It's Project Smoke for griddles—and don’t think of buying one without its guidance.  

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

Steven Raichlen is a multi-award winning writer, television host, and novelist. His books include the international blockbusters The Barbecue Bible, How To Grill, Project Smoke, and the New York Times bestselling Planet Barbecue. His novel, The Hermit of Chappaquiddick, tells a story of love, loss, redemption and really good food set on Martha's Vineyard. Translated into 17 languages, Raichlen's books have won 5 James Beard Awards and 3 IACP-Julia Child Awards and have sold more than 5 million copies. Raichlen also hosts the popular TV shows, Project Smoke and Project Fire on PBS; Steven Raichlen Grills Italy in Italy; and Le Maitre du Grill in Quebec. He lives and writes in Coconut Grove, Florida, and on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. His websites are stevenraichlen.com and barbecuebible.com

Reviews

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

From grills to smokers, Steven Raichlen has been the face of barbecue and outdoor cooking on public television for decades and now he brings his expertise to a flattop. Those already familiar with his prior books or shows, should find his recognizable style in this book. This isn't exactly a griddle 101 in that there are no step-by-step illustrations, just some photos of the finished foods. The book begins, like many cookbooks with an intro section, in this case covering different kinds of griddles, the tools frequently used, cleaning the griddle and even some anecdotes and advantages of griddles over other cooking surfaces (i.e. shrimp don't fall thru grates). The sections that the recipes are broken down to are: breakfast, tapas, sandwiches, burgers and sausages, flatbreads and tortilla dishes, meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, rice and tofu, and desserts. In addition to the standard recipe format of ingredients and instructions, most recipes are followed by tips in "what else" and "what's more" entries. And for ideas to combine the recipes, there are feast menus in most chapters that include a breakdown of prep (night before, pre-griddling prep, and an order to optimally cook the dishes) for a multi-dish meal featuring the recipes of that chapter. I do hope there will be a tv series that accompanies this book so that I can watch him make these dishes, but I enjoyed the book on its own and can't wait to try several of these recipes myself.
I received advanced access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Workman Publishing Company) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Workmam Publishing Company for the digital copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

We got tired of our grills rusting out even with a winter cover for the outdoor appliance, so last year, we invested in an outdoor griddle.. It was bought at the end of the season, so we never got a chance to use it. That's why I was very much looking forward to this book about making the best use of an indoor or outdoor griddle.

However, I was pretty disappointed in the book. First, there are at least three additional items the author suggests using to get the best results. Almost every recipe uses a griddle dome or griddle press, with no suggestions of alternatives. Almost every recipe calls for says "preferably organic" for certain items; a simple note prior to all the recipes could have mentioned this instead of wasting ink on Every. Single. Recipe. Lastly, this book was clearly written for intermediate cooks; it definitely is not for beginners. While I consider myself an intermediate cook, I have zero experience with outdoor griddles and this book did nothing to make me feel confident in tackling the new apparatus in our backyard.

Some of the recipes are intriguing if you're an intermediate cook, so I'm glad that I got a chance to read this book. However, I would not recommend it to my readers and won't be blogging about it. I'll only be posting this review on Goodreads and The Storygraph.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Prized for their accessibility and versatility—and because they’re so much fun to use—griddles (also known as planchas and flat-tops) are soaring in popularity. Project Griddle features the trademark Raichlen approach that embraces history, geography, and anthropology, with plenty of practical cooking techniques and nearly 80 hunger-inducing recipes."

Oooh this was a fun one. I love a good cookbook, and this one hit all the right notes: history and cultural importance of griddles, diverse and interesting recipes, and a thorough explanation of the tools that will help the home chef elevate their griddling experience. I wish there were more photos though- the ones inside were good, but there could definitely have been more included.

I'm looking forward to trying some of these techniques and recipes!

I received a free audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Reading Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a weakness for outstanding cookbooks, and this is top of the list. This book is packed with everything that anyone wanting to cook on a griddle can need. The author gives us a wonderful history of using a griddle. He tells
us tools we need and how to prepare our griddles to use. The recipes are outstanding and a wide variety. They include everything from breakfast to desserts and everything in between. Each recipe is detailed and so easy to follow, even for beginners like me. You will find recipes for things you wouldn't expect on the griddle like fried rice & french toast. We found some family favorites like chicken Fingers and Tapas Bar Shrimp. You're sure to find your own favorite as you want to try every yummy recipe. You're going to love this amazing book.

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I was disappointed in this cookbook. It seemed to be made for a more serious griddle chef then a home cook. There weren't enough pictures to get an idea of what was being made in the book. A better book for someone with an established griddle in their life.

[Fred Goldenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Raichlen master class

Like all other books by Steven Raichlen I find his attention to detail and technique excellent. Couple that with very doable recipes and you have a winner.