These Cast Iron Skillet Recipes Will Give You New Respect for Your Pan (2024)

FAQs

What is the first thing I should cook in my cast iron skillet? ›

We recommend starting with vegetables as they are more forgiving than most proteins - they taste delicious and won't stick to your pan! Keep in mind that using a little bit of oil is necessary to help to keep food from sticking.

Cast iron is slower to heat, but holds heat better than many other surfaces. When a recipe calls for cast iron, but you use another material, you may have to bake it longer or raise the temperature by about 25 degrees to get the same outcome.

For one, cast iron pans aren't perfectly smooth and foods like eggs may get stuck. For the best results, make sure to keep your cast iron pan seasoned, and preheat the skillet for a few minutes before you add any food to it. This allows the pan to heat evenly and prevents most food from sticking. Add fat as needed.

Eggs fall into the category of sticky foods that are not ideal for cast iron skillets that haven't built up their seasoning yet. While cast iron can become non-stick with sufficient use over time, a newer skillet will almost certainly cause your eggs to stick to its porous surface.

You let your skillet soak.

Soaking your cast iron skillet in your sink is a recipe for rust, as is washing it in the dishwasher. Instead, clean it ASAP, even using simple soap and water if you must.

Since olive oil is such a pantry staple, many people naturally wonder if they can use olive oil to season cast iron. You can use olive oil to season cast iron, but you need to choose a high quality extra virgin olive oil, which should have a smoke point close to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

What oils can I use to season cast iron? All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.

When it comes to new and used skillets — a little soap and water is a good thing. This first wash removes factory residue or rust bits. Make sure you rinse and dry the pan well after this first washing. You'll likely only need to wash your skillet with soap once or twice a year if you take good care of it.

Is There Anything You Shouldn't Cook in Your Cast-Iron Skillet? Experts Weigh In. While there's nothing that's technically off limits, the pros say you should be careful with acidic foods, like tomato or wine sauce, which can corrode the seasoning if left in the pan for too long.

I've taught so many people the Ten Ten Ten method of steak cooking. Cast iron pans not only make the absolute best steak, but they are perfect for searing and braising chicken, pork chops, fish or tofu.

Do chefs use cast iron skillets? ›

A cast iron skillet is an affordable kitchen workhorse that lasts, and many cooks have owned their cast iron skillets for years. James Beard Award-winning Southern cookbook author and chef Virginia Willis inherited her grandmother's skillet, which she estimates is 100 years old.

The method to cooking with cast iron on the stovetop is HEAT, do not add the cooking oil until the pan feels hot, because the oil will be the benchmark of the pan's readiness. If the butter sizzles, pan's ready. Oil slides across the pan with easy, pan's ready.

Anyone who's ever eaten a tomato or cooked with tomatoes can verify that this fruit is quite acidic. As it happens, the tomato's acidity is precisely why doesn't work well with cast-iron cookware, especially for long cooking stretches. "Cast-iron skillets can handle a small amount of acidic fruit at a time.

Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of coarse kosher salt into your cast iron skillet. (If you have a smaller pan, one tablespoon will do just fine.) It's important that you use a coarse grained salt—this will provide the traction you need to remove food particles.

Cast iron pans are popular, especially for searing, and are generally safe to use. But they can leach iron, which is a strong pro-oxidant. Those genetically at risk for iron overload should learn more about cast iron safety. For well over a thousand years, cast iron has been used as a reliable cooking surface.

And it's not just for steak: You can sauté, roast, sear, bake, braise, and more in these multi-functional pans, but they're also extremely durable and affordable to meet all of your cooking needs. Their ability to get—and then stay—really hot makes them ideal for cooking meats and stir-fries.

Cast iron works best for browning, sautéing, baking, and frying but should be avoiding when boiling and simmering. Meats, vegetables, and baked goods work really well in cast iron but acidic foods like tomatoes should be limited.