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How to use a Blackstone deep fryer
The name Blackstone is synonymous with outdoor griddles. While you may picture smash burgers and veggies sizzling away on the flat top, Blackstone has branched out.
What is the best side dish for a smash burger? French fries or onion rings. If you are going to have french fries or onion rings, you want them deep-fried.
So Blackstone has added the ability to deep fry on some of their griddles and even an air fryer to another model.
But what if you already have a Blackstone? Is there a way for you to deep fry on it?
Does Blackstone have accessories for deep frying? If you do take the plunge on the air fryer model, how long is it going to take before you can use it?
Should you even be contemplating ways to try to deep fry on your regular Blackstone?
Can you deep fry on a Blackstone griddle?
While the idea of deep frying on a griddle surface seems odd and nearly impossible, you can deep fry on your Blackstone.
The most logical way is by using a cast-iron skillet, which Blackstone says is okay to use on the griddle top. Cast iron conducts heat well, which helps heat your oil to proper temperatures.
Cast iron can also take the heat that a griddle creates without any worries. One benefit of deep-frying on your Blackstone is that oil splatters, which inevitably will happen, will simply hit the griddle surface rather than on a heating element or fire, thereby reducing the risk of a grease fire.
A cast-iron skillet is not the only way to deep fry on your Blackstone, however. Remember those disposable foil pans you may have used to help roast turkey?
Aluminum is another great conductor of heat, and you can use one of those foil pans as your vessel for oil.
The pans can handle temperatures up to 500 degrees, so there is no concern about their ability to handle oil temperatures between 350 and 375 degrees, perfect for deep frying.
You can also get the Blackstone model that comes with the ability to deep-fry built-in.
What deep-frying accessories does a Blackstone have?
Blackstone came out with a Rangetop Combo that added two open side burners and a fry station that can lock into place over the burners that includes a fry basket, lid, and a thermometer to track the oil temperature.
The frying station locks in during use so you do not have to worry about sending 350-degree oil splattering everywhere, but it can be stored underneath the griddle when not in use.
The combo with the built-in air fryer has baskets that can be removed, the handles taken off, and washed in a dishwasher.
How long does it take to preheat a Blackstone air fryer?
You do not have to wait long for the air fryer baskets to be ready to cook, only about five minutes.
Blackstone did a good job making sure you did not have to sit around for an extended period of time while the air fryer warmed up.
You can expect to have perfectly crispy fries ready to go when you pull your burgers off the griddle.
Or you could pull fried chicken tenders out in time to assemble a burrito on your griddle. Whatever you want to fry, the Blackstone air fryer will not slow you down.
Should you deep fry with a Blackstone?
If you have a regular Blackstone with no additional attachments such as the range top or air fryer combo, you can still deep fry on your griddle.
The key to deep-frying on your Blackstone is safety. Can you keep the oil from splattering everywhere or somehow finding its way under the cooking surface and into the burners?
The risk of that occurring is low, but you still want to make sure you are not over-filling your skillet or pan.
Too much oil can still be a problem, and no one wants a grease fire. If you can do it safely, adding deep frying to the versatility of your Blackstone only enhances the value of your griddle.
Final Thoughts
Blackstone griddles moved the concept of cooking on a flattop outside. Now you can add frying foods, beyond that big turkey fryer you have seen someone nearly burn down their entire backyard, to the outdoor cooking world.
Whether you use a cast-iron skillet or a disposable aluminum foil pan, you have options for deep-frying on your griddle. If you are considering upgrading, Blackstone has options for deep frying with their range top combo.
If you are looking for air fryers, they have options for you with their Air Fryer combos, and the process for getting ready to air fry is quick and easy and so is cleanup. As long as you practice safe frying, you can deep fry on your Blackstone.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.