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.

That's because we believe in the advantages of using cast iron as cookware. Cast iron can impart a great sear and crust on meats; it can withstand high temperatures on the stovetop as well as in the oven. And as I've shown, it can be used to create a variety of meals.

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 cooking in cast iron, you should add a little oil to the pan before adding your food. This helps ensure the food doesn't stick, and it helps build layers of seasoning. You can generally use whatever oil you prefer, as long as the cooking temperature is below the smoke point of the oil.

Yes, you can season the pans for frying, sautéing, or baking in cast iron cookware like pans, pots, or skillets with butter, but it's not the right choice to season it for the first time. Butter immediately starts to smoke when added to a heated pan because cast iron can withstand a lot of heat.

On the con side, cast iron is extremely heavy and not that easy to take care of (at least until it's older and well-seasoned). Carbon steel pans are similar in function, but around 25% lighter.

The type of iron that comes from cast iron cooking is nonheme iron and is safe to consume. It is the same type of iron as found in plant sources such as beans, spinach and tofu. Children one to three years old only need 7mg iron daily, so if it's best not to cook every meal for children this age in cast iron cookware.

Not only can you cook eggs many ways in cast iron, you should: the material's superior heat retention and (especially in baking) heat distribution means better eggs—softer scrambles, crispier fried edges, and fluffier frittatas and stratas—no matter how you cook them.

In short: No. You'd have to be mouse-sized to see quantifiable health benefits from mineral intake exclusively with cast iron. Because mineral transfer happens at such a small scale, it's safe to say that cast iron is not any healthier than other pans.

Do you heat or oil first on cast iron skillet? ›

Cast Iron Goes Both Ways

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.

What is the best way to season cast iron pans? place it in a hot(~450°F) oven upside down, so that oil will not pool in the bottom. I like to wipe it down several times while it is hot. Keep it hot for at least 30 minutes then let it cool in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the cast iron for about an hour, and let it cool entirely in the oven. If your skillet didn't come pre-seasoned, you may need to season it three or four times to get a good layer of seasoning before you start cooking with it.