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Camp Breakfast on a Compact Grill: Bacon, Eggs and Potatoes

Breakfast is where a griddle on a small charcoal grill really earns its spot in the camp box. One modest fire under a Slot Grill griddle (plancha) cooks bacon, crisps potatoes in the bacon fat, and fries eggs, all on one flat sheet of thick carbon steel. Owners use the Compact for exactly this: one RV owner set it up first thing to roast marshmallows for a "sweet breakfast," and others recommend adding the griddle for the extra capability.

"I used it on a recent camping trip, and the food was excellent. I would recommend adding the griddle for additional capability."Verified Compact owner

Serves: 2 · Total time: About 35 minutes · Grill: Slot Grill Compact

Why this works on the Compact

• The griddle gives a large flat surface for small foods that would fall through grates.
• Carbon steel holds heat and evens it out across the plate.
• You can put more coals under one end for searing bacon and potatoes and fewer under the other for eggs.

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 large potato, diced and par-cooked at home (boiled or microwaved until just tender), or leftover potatoes
• ½ onion and ½ bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 4 eggs
• Salt, pepper, hot sauce
• 4 small tortillas and shredded cheese (optional, for tacos)
• Butter or oil

Gear

• Slot Grill Compact, seasoned (how)
• Chimney starter, charcoal or cooking wood, newspaper or natural fire starters, a lighter
• Long tongs and a sturdy spatula
• Heat-safe gloves
• Instant-read thermometer
• Metal can with a lid for cold ash
• Sheet pan or foil pan for raw-to-grill and a clean one for cooked food

Fire setup on the Compact

The Compact's cooking area is 16.25" × 9" (146 sq in). That is plenty for one to three people, but it means coal placement does most of the work a dial does on other cookers. Use a two-zone fire: lit coals banked across about two-thirds of the length, the last third thin or empty. The hot side sears; the cool side finishes, holds and rescues food from flare-ups. Light with a chimney or one of the no-lighter-fluid methods.

Step by step

1. Light a modest fire. A half chimney is usually plenty. Spread coals mostly under the griddle, with a thinner area at one end for gentle cooking.
2. Preheat the griddle until a drop of water sizzles.
3. Cook the bacon on the hotter area, turning until crisp, 6–10 minutes. Move it to the cooler end or a plate.
4. Crisp the potatoes in the bacon fat on the hot side with onions and peppers. Spread in one layer and leave them to brown before turning, 8–10 minutes.
5. Push the potatoes toward the cooler end to hold.
6. Fry the eggs on a medium area with a little butter. For firm yolks, flip or cover with a small pan lid for a minute. Cook eggs until whites and yolks are firm for the safest result.
7. Warm tortillas on the grate or the griddle edge for tacos.
8. Serve with hot sauce. Scrape the griddle while warm, then oil it lightly once cool.

Variations

• Breakfast tacos: scramble eggs with the potatoes, bacon and cheese; serve in warm tortillas.
• Pancakes: premix dry ingredients at home in a bag; add milk and egg at camp. Cook on a medium, well-oiled griddle.
• Sausage patties instead of bacon; cook to 160°F.
• Steak and eggs: leftover ribeye sliced and warmed on the griddle.
• French toast: thick bread, egg, milk and cinnamon, cooked on a buttered medium griddle.

Troubleshooting

Serving, leftovers and cleanup

Coffee: a small kettle or percolator can sit on the grate over the hot side while you cook. Dispose of bacon grease in a heat-safe can once cooled, never on the coals or the ground at camp.

Safe internal temperatures

Guessing is how small-grill cooks go wrong, because everything happens fast over a close fire. Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone. USDA minimum internal temperatures:

Taking this recipe on the road

The Compact packs about 1" thick and weighs about 14 lb, so this recipe travels to a campsite, tailgate, river bank or job site as easily as it cooks on the patio. A few habits make it safer and easier away from a kitchen:

• Prep at home. Trim, season or marinate meat, chop vegetables and mix sauces in the kitchen. Pack each in a sealed bag or container labeled by cook order.
• Keep raw meat cold and separate. Pack it at the bottom of the cooler, sealed, below ready-to-eat food. Keep the cooler at 40°F or below with plenty of ice, and keep it in the shade.
• Two sets of tongs and platters: one for raw, one for cooked. Never put cooked food back on the tray that held raw meat.
• Bring water and soap for hands and tools, plus paper towels and a trash bag.
• Pack the thermometer. It matters more outdoors, where wind and cold change cook times.
• Plan for ash. Bring a metal can with a lid and follow the venue's disposal rules.

For more, see the camping, tailgate and river trip guides.

Quick-start checklist

• Grill seasoned and dry; old ash emptied
• Stable, level, non-combustible spot with clearance
• Charcoal lit in a chimney, ashed over
• Two-zone fire built, grates preheated and oiled
• Thermometer, tongs, spatula and gloves within reach
• Clean tray ready for cooked food

Common small-grill mistakes (and the fix)

1. Cooking before the coals are ready. Black-topped coals give smoky, weak heat and sticking. Wait until they glow under a light coat of gray ash.
2. Wall-to-wall coals. With no cool zone, every flare-up becomes a burn. Leave at least a third of the firebox thin or empty.
3. Crowding the grate. 146 sq in fills fast. Leave space between pieces so you can move them, and cook in waves.
4. Moving food too early. Let it sear and release on its own; it sticks until a crust forms.
5. Cold, dirty grates. Preheat for a few minutes, scrape, and wipe with an oiled paper towel held in tongs.
6. Wet food. Pat meat and vegetables dry before oiling and seasoning. Moisture steams instead of searing.
7. Judging doneness by time or color. Small fires vary. Use a thermometer.
8. Leaving ash in the firebox. Old ash chokes airflow. Empty it once cold before the next cook.
9. Putting the grill away wet. Raw carbon steel needs to be dried and lightly oiled. See rust prevention.

After the cook: burn-down and pack-down

1. Let the remaining coals burn down. Don't leave a fire unattended.
2. When ash and steel are completely cold, dump the ash into a metal container with a lid, or dispose of it where the venue or campground allows.
3. Scrape the grates, then wipe the cooking surfaces with a light coat of oil or Slot Grill Seasoning Balm.
4. Lift off the grates, slide out the V side panels, pull the end pieces and stack. The Compact packs to about 1" thick.
5. Store it dry. A bag or old box keeps soot off the rest of your gear.

Safety basics (every cook)

• Outdoors only. Never use a charcoal grill indoors, in a garage, tent, camper, boat cabin or vehicle. Burning charcoal makes carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell.
• Stable, level, non-combustible surface. Bare soil, gravel, sand, concrete, pavers or a fire-safe pad. The Compact's 2⅞" air gap between the table and the bottom of the coal bed helps minimize radiant heat to the surface below, but it is still a live fire.
• Clearance. Keep it away from tents, vehicles, siding, overhangs, dry grass and anything that can burn. Keep kids and pets back.
• Follow local rules. Burn bans, campground, park, venue and HOA rules come first.
• Water or a fire extinguisher nearby, plus heat-safe gloves for handling grates and panels.
• Ash stays hot for a long time. Put it in a metal container with a lid and never pack hot steel or ash into a vehicle.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cook breakfast on a charcoal grill?

Yes. A griddle plate over a modest charcoal fire cooks bacon, potatoes, eggs and pancakes. Slot Grill makes a griddle (plancha) designed for its grills.

How much charcoal do I need for breakfast?

Usually about a half chimney on the Slot Grill Compact, spread mostly under the griddle.

How do I keep eggs from sticking on a griddle?

Keep the griddle seasoned, use a little butter or oil, and cook eggs over medium heat rather than the hottest coals.

Do I need to par-cook potatoes?

It helps. Par-cooking at home means they only need to crisp on the griddle at camp.

Slot Grill Compact

12-gauge carbon steel · about 14 lb · 16.25" × 9" cooking area · packs about 1" thick · made in Texas · ★★★★★ 4.92 (77 reviews)

$89.97$99.97

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All specs and prices are from SlotGrill.com. Always grill outdoors on a stable, non-combustible surface and follow local fire rules.