23 Family-Friendly Recipes You Can Make In A Single Cast-Iron Skillet (2024)

FAQs

What foods are best cooked in a cast iron skillet? ›

You can always count on your trusty cast-iron skillet for around-the-clock cooking. Use it to make everything from easy weeknight meals to juicy steak dinners, as well as fluffy pancakes and family-sized cookies. Here, we're sharing the cast-iron skillet recipes we whip up on the regular (and think you will, too).

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.

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. And that'll turn into one messy cleanup! But once your skillet is reliably non-stick, cast iron skillet eggs will become your new go-to for weekend brunches.

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.

From savory sides to quick-bake desserts, you can use your smallest cast iron skillet for more than just frying eggs.

Most cast iron skillets these days come pre-seasoned, meaning they're ready for cooking on as soon as you take them out of the box. However, over time, the seasoning erodes, and you'll need to re-apply it by brushing the skillet with a thin layer of neutral oil and heating it until the oil bonds to the metal.

Can I cook scrambled eggs in cast iron? ›

Step 1: Preheat a cast-iron pan

But while it's true that using a slick-surfaced nonstick skillet or egg pan is a great way to make sure your eggs don't stick, you can also prevent sticking in a cast-iron pan by using a well-seasoned pan and by using plenty of fat when you cook in it.

Cast iron works wonders for many foods, but there are a few cases where you might want to avoid cast iron cookware, such as when you're boiling water or letting something simmer. The reason is that your food may absorb more iron flavor than you'd like if it's cooked in cast iron for an extended period of time.

CLEAN CAST-IRON SKILLET AFTER EVERY USE

Wipe interior surface of still-warm skillet with paper towels to remove any excess food and oil. Rinse under hot running water, scrubbing with nonmetal brush or nonabrasive scrub pad to remove any traces of food.

Once your pan is pre-heated, add a little oil or fat. Then simply add your food! (Note: if you want to use butter, start with oil, and then add butter right before you add your food.)

The disadvantages of cast iron

Additionally, cast iron pans require regular maintenance, including seasoning and careful cleaning, to prevent rust and maintain their non-stick surface. Improper cleaning or using harsh cleaning agents can strip away the seasoning and damage the pan.

That consistent heat makes cast-iron pans ideal for searing proteins and achieving that coveted outer “crust” in dishes like Katie Lee's Cast-Iron Skillet Porterhouse Steak. It also helps with even browning in dishes like Cast-Iron Skillet Provencal Pork Chops and Potatoes (pictured up top).

Save the delicate fish for the non-stick pan, too. But salmon and other meaty fish that can stand the heat are fine. You should avoid cooking acidic sauces in cast-iron pans because the acid loosens trace amounts of molecules from the metal that can then leach into your foods, imparting a metallic flavor.

Cooking in cast iron can add a significant amount of iron to your diet. In studies, researchers found that spaghetti sauce cooked in cast iron skillets increased the iron content anywhere from 2mg to 5mg iron.