I LOVE cooking with my cast iron skillet, and I have all of the secrets to doing it right! Here is a step by step tutorial for Seasoning Cast Iron, plus cooking and cleaning. Did you know that you can cook everything from pizza, to cornbread, to desserts like brownies in a cast iron skillet? Oh yes, you can!
Cooking in cast iron rocks!
I could gush about the depth of flavor. I could go on and on about the perfect sear that it gives vegetables and meats.
And I’d love to show you how easy it is to clean up when we’re done cooking. But first thing’s first – seasoning your cast iron skillet is a must before you cook anything!
Why season cast iron?
We’re not talking about salt and pepper here. The “Seasoning” process of cast iron is really the fancy way of getting your skillet to do amazing things every time you cook (sear, flavor, easy to clean, etc.). And we make the magic happen with fat.
Seasoning Cast Iron Step-By-Step
Step 1. Wash your skillet
If you are using a brand-new OR a new-to-you cast iron skillet, gently scrub your cast iron skillet clean with warm soapy water. You don’t need to do this if you’ve owned your skillet for a while, and there’s even a good chance you’ll never use dish soap again.
Psst – If you’re just bringing your skillet out from the depths of the pots and pans drawer, you can skip this step.
Step 2. Dry your skillet very well
- Your skillet needs to be 200% dry (<–not a typo) every time it gets wet, including this first time because you want to avoid long term moisture.
- I like to put mine on top of my stove and turn the heat on medium low heat until I can no longer visibly see water on the surface. Turn the heat off and let it cool before handling.
- Some people might use the oven, but I like the stove top because it’s quick and easy. Plus, having it in plain sight means I won’t forget about it later.
Step 3. Grease your cast iron skillet
- While your skillet is still warm from drying on the stove, take one tablespoon of coconut oil, lard, tallow, or pure flaxseed oil (not linseed) and thoroughly coat the entire cooking surface – bottom, sides, even the lip.
- Use a paper towel or an old rag and REALLY rub it in there. It’s important to not cheat here and do a half-way job, otherwise your cast iron skillet won’t maintain the seasoning and you’ll have to start over.
- Once it’s nice and shiny and coated, take another paper towel (or fold the old rag) and wipe off the excess oil. Yep, wipe it off! You’ll be leaving a thin layer of fat on the skillet and it should look dull at this point.
Step 3. Bake your skillet
- Preheat the oven as high as you can (but at least 400F).
- Then put the pan in upside down on a rack.
- Set the timer for an hour and let the fat become one with the cast iron skillet.
- When the timer goes off, turn off the oven but leave the door closed with the pan still inside.
Note: If the pan starts to smoke, do not call the fire department. That is the old gunk coming off (factory sealant and/or old food that someone else left behind!) and possibly the fat cooking. This is normal, but open windows and/or turn on fans as needed. The smoke will lessen with each subsequent bake and will eventually stop.
Wait… we’re not done yet?
4. Bake the skillet again…and again
Repeat steps 3 & 4 five more times, for a total of SIX rounds of greasing and baking. Think I’m crazy? I assure you I’m not and I have a very nicely seasoned cast iron skillet to prove it!
Why should I bake the skillet for six rounds?
The pores in cast iron are really, really small. Even the best greasers will miss some and only a thoroughly seasoned pan will create an awesome cooking surface.
How to cook with cast iron
It’s probably just me, but I prefer to add cooking oil or butter to my skillets before cooking. My cast iron is non-stick at this point, but the flavor of butter or bacon grease enhances whatever I’m cooking. I always add it before I cook anything anyway.
Whether you add butter or oil before you cook is up to you, but if you’ve followed the steps above, you should have a nicely seasoned cast iron skillet on your hands!
Cleaning cast iron
- It’s best to clean the pan as soon as it’s cool enough to handle (cool, not cold). Then you can easily remove whatever is left in the pan.
- To clean a cast iron skillet, simply wipe it out with a cloth or paper towel. That’s it!
- If you have any stubborn pieces of food left, you can scrub those out with a bit of warm water (no soap). If you do this, be sure you thoroughly dry the skillet on the stove top as mentioned in step 2 above.
- Now, if you cooked something extra greasy, you might need a drop or two of dish soap. Some people say not to use dish soap, but I’m not one of them. Granted, you don’t want to use it EVERY time, but using it on occasion when the level of grease seems to be out of control is fine.
This last bit is entirely optional, but I like to add a wee bit of fat (½ tsp) to the pan as it dries on the stove top. I’ll smear it over the bottom as soon as the pan is cool and let it absorb. Totally optional of course, but I always do this if I have to use the dish soap. It’s a trick I learned from my step-mom (who never steered me wrong in the kitchen).
Put the pan away when it’s completely cool and you’re done!
FAQs
You’re about to season your cast iron skillet with fat, and if you recall from science class, fat and water don’t mix. If your pan isn’t dry, it won’t absorb the fat and won’t create that awesome non-stick layer of seasoning we’re aiming for. Kapeesh?
Coconut oil, lard, tallow, or pure flax seed oil (not linseed) are your best options.
Some people use spray vegetable oil, but you want to be sure that you use pure oil without any chemicals or additives in it.
When you fill the pores of cast iron with fat, a non-stick sealant-type layer is created when the pan is put over heat.
It’s this layer that turns a normal cast iron skillet into a non-stick cooking phenomenon!
Plus you don’t want the pan to rust. (It IS iron, remember?)
Preheat the oven as high as you can (but at least 400F).
Then put the pan in upside down on a rack.
Set the timer for an hour and let the fat become one with the cast iron skillet.
When the timer goes off, turn off the oven but leave the door closed with the pan still inside.
Recipes for the Cast Iron Skillet
- Cast Iron Skillet Brownie
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
- Easy Pan Roasted Broccoli
- Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
I realize that this is an old post, but some of these comments amaze me. The best thing ever to cook with is cast iron. It can be used on induction, electric, gas, coal (if you have one), or even an open fire. People who have trouble with cast iron have not seasoned their pans correctly. Your instructions are perfect! I always-always use pure pork fat. (NOT Crisco-although Crisco is great for candles.) It is natural, it is affordable, and it withstands high temps. I made a major score at the local thrift store yesterday. I got a Lodge chicken fryer; yes that HUGE skillet- for $13. It has been abused but I have no doubt I can return this to its pristine glory. If you truly don’t want to spend the time to take care of cast iron then pass it on to someone who loves them!
Thanks for sharing Stealth Spaniel! They are great when well taken care of. 🙂
I was taught to heat the skillet, after using, then run under cold water {wiping with a scrubber}, then rinsing and heating till dry over med heat. I’ve been doing this almost 60 years.
You shouldn’t ever take a cast iron pan from hot to cold so maybe you meant let cool or not really heating too high? Drastic temperature changes that quick can crack cast iron.
I’ve been using cast iron since I began cooking. Love this hack with the little bit of extra info – while baking something else! Thanks.
The best way I found to use a new cast iron skillet is to season it 3 times to start. Then start cooking with it. If you get stuck on food just boil a cup or so of water in the skillet and wipe the skillet down with a sponge. The sponge being held by a spatula because the boiling water is to hot to hold on to the sponge directly. That is the easiest way to clean a new skillet that sticks. Then rinse and dry on the stove top. Once cool season it again place in over at 400 to 450° for 1 hour. You’ll do this a total of 3 times. So now you.have a skillet that has been seasoned 6 times and cooked in 3 times. After this you shouldn’t have food sticking and should be able to just rinse clean you skillet
Thanks for sharing your method, Ryan!
Do you do the six bakings in a row, or can they be done on consecutive days?
They can be done on consecutive days. You can even skip a couple if you forget, but don’t use the skillet until you’re completely done!
Thanks very mucu.
Thank you so much. I will clean it really good and season again. Have a great day!!!!
The reason your pan is sticky and gummy is because you applied to much oil when you put it in the oven. After you apply the oil to your pan you want to make sure you wipe all the excess off. So when you apply the oil wipe it totally down like you are wiping all the oil you just put on totally off. You only want a microscopic amount left on when you put it in the oven
I have a new cast iron skillet and did the seasoning process as above and now the sides of the skillet are sticky and gummy. What did I do wrong and how doe I clean it off?
Hi Cindy! Your skillet shouldn’t be sticky and gummy… I’m not sure why that would be the case, but I’d wipe off any excess oil really well, put it in the oven per the article and let it thoroughly dry. If it’s still sticky and gummy, then I’d suggest cleaning it with a gritty sponge.
I was using oil like you said then a friend said she used Crisco Shortening so then I started using that. Do you think that may have caused the sticky stuff? I can scrape it with my finger nail.
Possibly – Crisco is pure hydrogenated oils and I would never recommend cooking with that. If I were you, I’d scrub the pan well (on the areas you used Crisco) using dish soap and a gritty sponge and use the method I wrote above. 🙂
I’ve tried seasoning my plans this way but it takes a loooong time and I never get it do win one day. When you season it, does it normally take two days? Do you do one coat a day until it’s finished?
Hi Heather – I typically do this process over the course of 2-4 days because it’s easier to leave it in the oven overnight. So I’ll season + bake when I’m cooking dinner, then let it stay in there to cool off. Repeat, repeat, repeat. And more repeat if you can! Essentially, I give myself 5-10 days of still using other pans before using a cast iron skillet. It’s better to do it right the first time, then go through the hassle of stuck-on foods and re-doing the process later. 🙂
I have a 16″ large cast iron skillet and a 11″ x 14″ baking dish I got for $40 of a couple on a swap page. I really want to make perfect hashbrowns and according to my research that’s the only way to get them is in a cast iron or non stick skillet. I decided that I don’t want the toxins from the non stick and all my cook ware is stainless steel… 🙁 . I haven’t seasoned my skillet yet but really want those perfect hashbrowns . Thank you for posting this !! Its super easy ! In my head it was more complicated for some odd reason.
I bought a lodge cast iron frying pan last week.
My husband seasoned it and used the pan for the first and I can’t get the baked on sauce off the pan.
I have tried cleaning it with salt , also tried rehearing the pan with water , also tried soap and it won’t come off .
Any sujggestions on cleaning this ?
A ball of steel wool can do it Dawn. 🙂
Nothing wrong with my stove top if you google heat conduction you will see for yoreself that stainless steal WILL conduct heat far more evenling than iron !!!!!!!
If you want to use iron in the oven or a small item on the stove top that will fit within the rings the this is great but if you want to make wraps, tortillas,pancakes etc FORGET IT CAST IRON WILL NOT HEAT EVENLING AND YOU WILL BURN THE CENTER ! This is NOT because you have a “cheep stove” as some fanatics who can not bare to hear a bad word said against their beloved cast iron IT IS FACT GOOGLE THE FACTS YOURSELF !!!!!!!!
I got a cast iron skillet for Christmas this year. It said it was pre seasoned so I washed it with warm soapy water, dried it and then using a paper towel to coat it with some veggie oil-its what the package said. I used my skillet to make pulled pork tacos and there is some sticking. I am not sure how to get it off. I know i am not supposed to scour the pan so what else can i do?
Hi Jillian – clean the pan as best as you can (using soap and scrubbing if you need to) and then season it using the directions in this post. Pre-seasoning usually doesn’t do the trick, but this method does!
Can you use mineral oil after you clean your pan?
I wouldn’t put anything on my pan that I don’t eat, and I don’t eat mineral oil Elizabeth 😉 I’d recommend coconut oil b/c it’s good for higher temps and you can eat it. Palm oil would be another good one.
I use nothing but Crisco after I wash my skillet with very hot water and dry it. Then I set it on a stove burner, turn it up to high and as soon as the grease starts melting I turn the heat off and let it return back to room temperature.
I see so many recipes for more than just meats….pies, brownies, veggies…Do you just cook/bake these items in the same pan that meats were cooked in? Is there no flavor carryover to the desserts or any food for that matter? I’m just thinking that if you cook, for example, bacon and eggs, wipe clean and then bake a pie, won’t your pie taste like bacon?
Thanks!
Very nice easy to follow post. I am glad you have discovered cast iron and did not give up after that first time. I have been cooking on cast iron for over a decade now and I have a slight addiction to it. I don’t own anything else actually. I have 15 skillets of different shapes, sizes, and weights that I use fairly regularly and am always looking to add more. I love to “rescue” my cast iron from those who neglect them and sell them at garage sales and flea markets, the more beat up the better, I love the challenge of bringing them back to life.
Dish soap you say???? Gasp, cringe, argh…how dare you. Just kidding, I have heard that some people do this and it is just fine in moderating and just a drop will go a long way. Personally though, I never ever ever ever ever ever wash my cast iron with soap, because that is what my grandpa told me not to do and well I never was one to not listen to grandpa. Some boiling water always does the trick and a nice light coating of Crisco is my greasy coating of choice, unless I am going to be using it again that same day I like to then use some bacon grease, it just seems to add a little extra something to the magic of it all.
Well thank you for the great post, I have pinned it and saved it to Facebook.
The Broke Dad
When you rescue rusty pans how do you get the rust off?
Hi Jenny, Use a 50/50 vinegar water solution and then a lot of scrubbing and elbow grease with a steel wool to get it off and then immediately season it. Best of luck!