Breakfast Recipe, Flat Top Griddles, grilling, Lunch, Seafood
What to Cook on a Flat Top Griddle: 25 Ideas for Your Daytona
What to Cook on a Flat Top Griddle: 25 Ideas for Your Daytona
A flat top griddle can cook almost anything: pancakes, eggs, bacon, smash burgers, steaks, shrimp, stir fries, vegetables, quesadillas, and more. The Nexgrill Daytona griddle's even heat and large flat surface make it ideal for cooking multiple items at once. This guide covers the best foods to cook on your Daytona, with temperatures, timings, and tips for every meal.
If you just bought a Nexgrill Daytona and you're staring at that beautiful flat surface wondering where to start, you're in the right place. The Daytona is one of the most versatile pieces of outdoor cooking equipment you can own. It's not just a grill. It's a diner, a teppanyaki restaurant, and a breakfast spot, all in your backyard.
Here are 25 ideas for what to cook on your Daytona flat top griddle, organized by meal, with temperatures, tips, and honest advice on getting the best from every cook.
Not sure how to prepare your Daytona for its first cook? Read our complete Daytona seasoning guide before you start.
Breakfast on the Daytona
Breakfast is where flat top griddles shine brightest. The wide, even surface lets you cook every component of a full spread simultaneously — bacon, eggs, pancakes, and toast all at once, without juggling multiple pans. On a grill with grates, eggs fall through and bacon grease flares up. On the Daytona, everything has a place.
1. Pancakes
Set your Daytona to medium heat (around 350°F) and let it preheat for 5 minutes. Apply a thin coat of butter just before pouring the batter. Pour rounds about 4 inches across. The Daytona's flat surface means every pancake cooks perfectly evenly from edge to centre. Flip when bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set.
Tip: Don't press down on the pancake after flipping. Let it rise naturally for the best texture.
2. Bacon
Lay strips directly on a medium-heat surface (350°F). The Daytona's Fast Vac™ grease management system collects the fat as it renders — no flare-ups, no mess. Flip once after 3 to 4 minutes when the underside is starting to crisp. Total cook time: 6 to 8 minutes depending on thickness.
3. Eggs – any style
Drop the heat to low-medium (around 300°F) for eggs. A small knob of butter in the cooking zone prevents sticking. The precise temperature control on the Daytona makes it significantly easier to cook eggs to your preferred doneness compared to open-flame cooking. Scrambled eggs take 2 to 3 minutes; fried eggs with a set white take 3 to 4.
4. French toast
Medium heat (325°F), butter, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The wide surface means you can cook a full batch in one go with no waiting. Use thick-cut brioche for the best result. The flat surface gives you better caramelisation on the egg custard exterior than any pan.
5. Hash browns
High heat (400°F), oil, and patience. The key to crispy hash browns on a griddle is not moving them for the first 4 to 5 minutes. Let the crust form before you flip. The Daytona's large surface area means you can press them out thin for maximum crispy surface contact.
6. Chorizo breakfast quesadillas
One of Nexgrill's most popular griddle recipes. Cook chorizo directly on the surface, scramble eggs alongside, then build your quesadilla and press it flat on the griddle for a crispy exterior. Medium heat throughout, around 2 minutes per side. The flat surface is ideal for pressing quesadillas, giving you the crunch you never quite achieve in a pan.
Nexgrill Daytona 28" 2-Burner Propane Gas Griddle
"Easy to maintain. Fast to preheat. Very easy to control temperature when cooking. Good reliable griddle."
Shop now → Nexgrill Daytona 2-Burner Griddle
Looking for more breakfast ideas? Browse all Nexgrill griddle recipes for daily inspiration.
Smash Burgers, Lunch and More
The flat top griddle was practically invented for smash burgers. Unlike a grill, where a burger sits above the flame, a griddle puts the entire patty in direct contact with a hot surface, creating the Maillard reaction crust across every millimetre of the meat. The result is a richer, deeper flavor with a texture you simply cannot replicate over open flame.
7. Smash burgers
This is the Daytona's signature dish. Set to high heat (400 to 425°F) and let it preheat fully. Roll 80/20 ground beef into loose 3 oz balls. Place the ball on the hot surface and immediately press flat with a heavy spatula or burger press. Hold pressure for 10 seconds. The sizzle should be aggressive.
Leave it alone for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges start to look dark and crispy. Flip once. Add cheese immediately after flipping. The second side needs only 60 seconds. The result: a crust-heavy, juicy patty with a texture that rivals any burger joint.
Tip: Do not press after flipping. All the pressing happens on the first side.
8. Grilled cheese
Medium-low heat (300 to 325°F), butter on both sides of the bread. 2 to 3 minutes per side. The even heat across the Daytona surface means both sides of every sandwich brown uniformly. Cook four at once and they all finish at the same time.
9. Quesadillas
Medium heat, minimal oil. A quesadilla only needs a lightly greased surface. 2 minutes per side, pressing lightly with a spatula. The key is not rushing: let the cheese melt fully before flipping. The Daytona gives you consistent heat across the whole tortilla surface.
10. Hot dogs and brats
Medium-high heat (375°F). Place directly on the surface and roll occasionally for even browning on all sides. 5 to 7 minutes total. The direct contact caramelizes the casing in a way that a grill grate doesn't, giving you color all over, not just grill marks.
11. Philly cheesesteak
High heat (425°F), thin-sliced ribeye, onions and peppers cooked separately then combined. This is teppanyaki-style cooking, with multiple ingredients on the surface simultaneously and everything building flavor. 3 to 4 minutes total for the beef once the vegetables are softened. Add provolone directly to the meat pile, cover briefly with a domed lid to melt.
Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner Stainless Steel Flat Top Griddle
"So far, so good. Breakfast with peameal bacon and eggs were wonderful. It gets really hot."
Shop now → Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner Griddle
Dinner: Steak, Seafood, and Stir Fry
The Daytona's high BTU output and flat surface make it every bit as capable as a cast iron pan for dinner, with the advantage of cooking for a crowd at once. Here is where the multi-burner heat zone system becomes particularly useful: sear at high heat on one zone, finish at medium on another.
12. Steak
Get the Daytona to high heat (450 to 500°F) and let it fully preheat for at least 10 minutes. Pat the steak completely dry before it goes on. No oil needed at this temperature; the steak has enough fat. Place and do not move it for 3 to 4 minutes (for a 1-inch steak) until a deep brown crust forms. Flip once. Finish to your desired internal temperature.
Tip: Rest the steak for 5 minutes after cooking. The flat surface gives you an even sear across the entire face of the steak, better than most grill grates.
For exact internal temperatures and cook times for every cut, see the Nexgrill complete grill temperature guide.
13. Shrimp
High heat (400 to 425°F), small amount of butter or oil, 1.5 to 2 minutes per side. Shrimp cook fast — watch them carefully. The flat surface prevents them from falling through grates and lets you cook a large batch evenly. Season before they go on, not after.
14. Salmon fillet
Medium-high heat (375°F), skin side down, 4 to 5 minutes without moving. Flip carefully and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the flesh side. The flat surface gives you an even sear on the skin that you struggle to achieve on a grill. No worrying about delicate flesh falling apart through grates.
15. Chicken thighs
Medium heat (375 to 400°F), 6 to 7 minutes per side for bone-in thighs, 4 to 5 minutes for boneless. Chicken benefits from the Daytona's even heat — no hot spots that char the outside before the inside is done. Flip once. Internal temperature target: 165°F minimum, 175°F for best texture on thighs.
16. Stir fry vegetables
High heat (425°F), a good splash of oil, and constant movement. The wide surface area is genuinely transformative for stir fry — you can spread everything out rather than stacking it, which means better moisture evaporation and proper caramelisation. Bell peppers, broccolini, mushrooms, courgette: 4 to 6 minutes total, moving constantly.
17. Fajita strips
High heat, thin-sliced beef or chicken cooked alongside sliced peppers and onions. This is where the Daytona earns the teppanyaki comparison — everything on the surface at once, building layers of flavor as the juices combine. 3 to 4 minutes for the meat, 5 to 6 minutes for the vegetables.
18. Pork tenderloin medallions
Medium-high heat (400°F), slice the tenderloin into 1-inch rounds. 3 to 4 minutes per side. The flat surface gives even contact across each medallion with no unevenness from curved grate bars. Internal temperature target: 145°F. Rest for 3 minutes.
For low-and-slow pork ribs at 225 to 250°F, the Nexgrill Oakford Pellet Grill is the right tool for that cook — the Daytona is best for direct-heat proteins.
Daytona Griddle Temperature Reference
The Daytona heats quickly — most cooking temperatures are reached within 5 to 10 minutes of ignition. Here is a quick reference for the most common foods:
Foods That Don't Work Well on a Flat Top Griddle
In the interest of honest advice: there are a handful of things that are genuinely better on a traditional grill than a flat top. Knowing this makes you a better cook, not a worse one.
- Whole fish or large bone-in cuts — the flat surface struggles to cook through thick, uneven proteins without burning the exterior. These are better on indirect heat over grates.
- Heavily marinated proteins with a lot of sugar — the direct contact surface burns sugary marinades before the meat cooks through. Pat dry before griddle cooking, or reduce sugar-heavy marinades to a finishing glaze.
- Foods that need smoking — the Daytona has no chamber for smoke circulation. For smoked brisket, pulled pork, or ribs, you want a pellet grill.
- Large whole chicken — the Daytona is not the right tool for whole-bird cooking. Break it down into pieces or use indirect heat on a conventional grill.
Seasoning Your Daytona
Before you cook any of the above, your Daytona needs a seasoned surface. A properly seasoned griddle is non-stick, rust-resistant, and adds a layer of flavor to everything you cook on it. It takes about 30 minutes the first time and becomes second nature after that.
See our step-by-step Daytona seasoning guide for the complete process, including which oil to use and how many layers to apply.
Keeping Your Daytona in Shape
A well-maintained Daytona will last for years. The cleaning process is straightforward. It's the consistency that matters, not the effort.
- While the surface is still warm after cooking, use a metal scraper to push residue toward the grease trap.
- Wipe the surface with a cloth or paper towels. Do not use soap — it strips the seasoning.
- Apply a thin coat of cooking oil before the surface cools fully. This protects it until the next cook.
- Store with the lid closed and use a protective cover when not in use, especially outdoors.
More detail on maintenance, rust prevention, and restoration in our guide to keeping your griddle in top condition.
Nexgrill Grill Tools and Accessories
"The right tools make every cookout better."
Shop now → Nexgrill grill accessories — scrapers, covers, spatulas
BURNING QUESTIONS?
Find Answers Here
What can you cook on a flat top griddle?
You can cook almost anything on a flat top griddle: pancakes, eggs, bacon, smash burgers, steaks, shrimp, stir-fry vegetables, quesadillas, and more. The even flat surface is ideal for foods that need consistent direct heat across a wide cooking area. The Nexgrill Daytona griddle is designed for exactly this kind of versatile, all-day cooking.
Is a griddle better than a grill?
A griddle and a grill serve different purposes. Griddles are better for breakfast foods, smash burgers, eggs, and anything you would cook in a pan, while grills are better for food that benefits from open flame and grill marks. Many outdoor cooks own both. If you cook a lot of breakfast or batch meals, a flat top griddle is the more versatile choice.
How do you season a Daytona griddle?
To season your Daytona griddle, heat it to medium-high, apply a thin layer of high smoke-point oil such as flaxseed or vegetable oil, and let it smoke off completely. Repeat 3 to 4 times before first use to build a non-stick surface. See our complete Daytona seasoning guide for step-by-step instructions.
What temperature should a griddle be for burgers?
For smash burgers, heat your Daytona griddle to 400 to 425 degrees F° before cooking. This temperature creates a good sear crust without burning the outside before the inside is done. Use a griddle thermometer to check surface temperature before placing patties down.
How do you clean a flat top griddle after cooking?
While the griddle is still warm, use a metal scraper to push food residue toward the grease trap. Wipe the surface with a cloth or paper towel, then apply a light coat of oil before the griddle cools. Never use soap or soak the surface in water, as this strips the seasoning.
Can you cook eggs on a Daytona griddle?
Yes — eggs are one of the best things to cook on a flat top griddle. The even heat prevents hot spots that cause uneven cooking. Set your Daytona to low to medium heat (around 300 degrees F) for scrambled eggs, or medium heat for a fried egg with a set white and runny yolk.
Why is food sticking to my griddle?
Food sticking usually means the griddle is either not seasoned enough or not hot enough before food is added. Preheat for 5 to 10 minutes, add a small amount of oil, and let it shimmer before placing food on the surface. Re-seasoning the griddle surface regularly also prevents long-term sticking.
How do I stop my griddle from rusting?
After each cook, scrape the surface clean while warm, wipe it down, and apply a thin layer of oil before it cools. Store your Daytona with a protective cover to keep moisture away from the surface. If rust appears, use a griddle scraper to remove it, then re-season the affected area.
