What Not to Cook in Cast Iron, A Top Chef Winner Weighs In

A cast-iron skillet is a must in the kitchen of any serious cook. The versatile pan provides a nonstick cooking surface, holds heat well, can easily move from the stovetop to the oven and—if properly cared for—will last for generations.

But while a cast-iron skillet shines in loads of sweet and savory recipes alike, there are some occasions when you should reach for another pan instead. Many ingredients are prone to sticking to the surface of the pan, requiring a thorough scrubbing and running the risk that you’ll strip away the pan’s hard-earned seasoning.

Here, Sarah Brekke, M.S., Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen culinary specialist, and Kelsey Barnard Clark, chef, cookbook author and the season 16 winner of Top Chef, weigh in on what not to cook in cast iron.

But First, A Word on Seasoning

Before you pull your cast-iron skillet out for a recipe, regardless of its ingredients, it’s imperative to make sure the pan is properly seasoned.

“Seasoning is the most important thing,” Clark says. “How you treat your cast iron is more important than what you put in it, truly. It’s like anything else—the better you take care of it, the better it's gonna be.”

As Brekke notes, just about anything will stick to an unseasoned cast-iron pan, and the pan will also quickly rust after use. The more seasoned the pan is, the more nonstick it will be.

Foods to Avoid Cooking in Cast Iron

Here are the foods you should avoid cooking in cast iron.

Acidic Ingredients

In many cases, you should avoid cooking acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon juice, wine, and vinegar in your cast-iron skillet. Brekke says this is especially true when cooking in an improperly seasoned pan, which will react more with the acidic ingredients, leading to an undesirable metallic flavor in your final dish. This means you should also never marinate food in a cast-iron pan, as the acid in the marinade does not interact well with the iron.

“The acids in the recipe react with the iron, which will not only start to break down the lovely seasoning coating on your pan but also impart a metallic flavor to your final dish,” Brekke says.

That said, Brekke says acidic ingredients can be cooked in cast iron as long as they don’t spend too much time hanging out in the pan simmering. “Depending on the recipe, acidic ingredients can possibly be added later to avoid some of these undesirable reactions,” she says.

Clark agrees that time is of the essence when cooking with acidic ingredients in cast iron. A splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon likely won’t hurt, but for long-simmering tomato-based sauces or stews and wine-braised meats, you’ll want to opt for a nonstick or stainless steel pan instead.

Eggs

While cast iron is famed for its ability to hold heat, several ingredients are prone to sticking on its surface, resulting in a messy cleanup. Avoid sticky ingredients like eggs—at least until your cast iron is properly seasoned.

“These items have a reputation for sticking to cooking surfaces,” Brekke says. “You may be able to get away with cooking these items in a very well-seasoned pan, but it’s still a little risky and we typically recommend choosing a non-stick skillet for these recipes.”

Fish and Seafood

Many types of fish and seafood can also easily get stuck to a cast-iron pan. Clark avoids cooking delicate fish and seafood, like scallops or flaky white fish, in cast iron as they don’t stand up as well to the heat. Thicker cuts of fish like tuna, however, will do just fine.

“There’s just no reason to do something like scallops,” she says. “You’re not trying to impart flavor into scallops; you're just trying to get it crispy. You run the risk of delicate seafood getting stuck because that's the whole beauty of cast iron— it gives that grill-like effect that you wouldn't want to do with something like a scallop.”

Heavy Liquids

Clark also cautions against cooking any recipes with large amount of liquids—such as when braising meat—in cast iron. “The whole point of cast iron is you want it to stay dry as much as possible,” she says. “Save any recipes that require lots of liquid for your Dutch oven and keep your cast iron as dry as you can at all times.”

Desserts (Sometimes)

Cast iron’s ability to retain heat makes it well-suited for baking desserts like cinnamon rolls and cakes. That said, cast-iron pans have a tendency to retain flavors, so Brekke notes that there can be some carryover between recipes. Make sure to properly clean your cast-iron skillet after cooking savory dishes if you plan on making a dessert in the same pan, such as a skillet cookie or Dutch baby.

Other Tips to Follow When Cooking in Cast Iron

• Never store leftovers in cast-iron pans. Instead, transfer foods to a nonreactive storage container.
• If you love cooking with cast iron but often struggle with ingredients sticking to the pan, Brekke says to reach for an enamel-coated cast-iron pan or Dutch oven instead. “The enamel coating provides a layer of protection against the metallic surface of the pan,” she says. “You can cook with all of the great attributes of cast iron—such as high heat retention—without worrying about the issue of reactivity.”

Foods to Cook in Cast Iron

One of the major benefits of a cast-iron skillet is its heat retention—once it gets hot, it stays hot. With that in mind, Brekke says cast-iron pans are ideal for cooking ingredients that require high heat, including searing and cooking meat, frying, blistering vegetables, pizza or even baking cornbread. Clark says her favorite thing to cook in cast iron is protein, especially chicken and red meat, but loves the flavor it imparts to a wide range of dishes.

“Cast iron has a taste and that's the beauty of it,” she says. “That's why we love it.”