Looking to see how to oven season your griddle? We have you covered with this article, follow along griddle fans! Seasoning your Blackstone griddle is an important step.
Whether you’ve just brought it home from the store, or you’re re-seasoning it after a thorough clean, you have to make sure you season your griddle top. But did you know that it’s possible to season your griddle in the oven?
Sometimes this is even easier than the traditional method, and it means you don’t need to wait for pleasant weather to season your griddle, because you can do it all from the comfort of your own home. Just remember these few tips and you won’t go wrong!
First Things First: Size
It seems obvious, but we thought we’d get this out the way early so you didn’t get your hopes up about seasoning your Blackstone griddle in the oven.
Sometimes, they just won’t fit. Blackstone griddles are available in 17, 22, 28, and 36-inch models, so you’ll have to double-check the size of yours.
Next, you’ll need to check the size of your oven, If it doesn’t fit, then there’s nothing you can do about it, and you’ll simply have to wait for some sunshine so you can head outside and season your griddle in the traditional way.
If your griddle top fits in the oven though, then you’re in luck! The steps below ought to help you get it right.
Seasoning Your Griddle In The Oven
Obviously your first step is to take the griddle top off its stand so that you’re left with just the stainless steel top. Once you’ve made sure that your griddle actually fits in the oven, you’ll want to preheat the oven to around 200 degrees.
Once your oven is nice and hot, place your griddle inside for around 10 to 15 minutes to get the griddle up to temperature too. Remember, when seasoning your griddle heat is key, so the hotter you get the griddle the better it will be for you, and the better the results will be.
This first step is just an initial one, the temperature will be increased as we go, but for now, 200 degrees is about right. After your griddle top has been in the oven for ten minutes, take it out and get your oil and paper towels ready.
You’ll need an oil that doesn’t get too hot too quickly, so something like vegetable oil or grapeseed oil will do the trick.
This will stop your house from filling with smoke and causing an unnecessary commotion. Once your griddle top is out of the oven, turn up the temperature to 300 degrees, so that it is ready for you to put the griddle back in once you’ve applied the oil.
If you aren’t sure how hot it’s getting, we recommend grabbing a laser temperature gun, they are cheap and accurate.
While the oven is preheating, take your oil and paper towels and apply them to the surface of your griddle evenly, but sparingly. Putting too much oil on will result in streaking and it can potentially ruin your griddle for good, so be careful at this stage.
A little oil goes a long way, just make sure that everywhere is covered in a very thin layer and it will be OK. Another tip when applying the oil is to make sure you get it everywhere.
One of the major reasons for seasoning your griddle is to make sure that the surface is non-stick, making cooking on your griddle much easier. So don’t forget to make sure every inch of your griddle is covered, including the sides and the back too.
Although you won’t be cooking on the underside and back of the griddle, seasoning it will help prevent rust, so don’t forget this area. Once you’re sure everywhere is covered, place your griddle top back in the oven, which should now be preheated to 300 degrees.
Leave the griddle in the oven for a further ten minutes before taking it out. When you take it out, you should see some color already starting to show on your griddle top. This is a good thing, so make sure you don’t panic at this stage and stop.
The slightly darker color is exactly what we’re looking for. When you take your griddle top out, turn the heat up to 450. That’s pretty high, right? Well, we said heat was key when seasoning your griddle, and the same applies when you’re seasoning your griddle in the oven too.
Now you need to apply more oil. Another thin layer. Imagine the darker color as being a result of your griddle top drinking in all the oil from before. To keep it happy, you need to replenish it. Just cover everywhere again, with a very thin layer.
Once the oven is preheated to 450, and your griddle is thoroughly coated in oil, it’s time to put your griddle back in the oven again.
This time, though, you’ll need to leave it in for longer, around 2 hours. This might sound like a long time, but you need to give the oil a chance to really mesh with the stainless steel of the griddle top, and this long time at such a high heat will help with that.
When you take the griddle out of the oven after the two hours you should notice that it is much darker than before. This is excellent. It means that your griddle is properly seasoned and protected against rust, etc in the future.
The last thing to do is just to coat the cooking surface with another thin layer of oil. You won’t need to put it back in the oven again, but this thin layer of oil will just help protect the griddle until you use it again. Make sure you wipe off any excess, and then just leave the griddle to cool. You’re all done.
Take-Home Message
You might be wondering why you don’t need to repeat this process so many times like you would do if you were seasoning your griddle traditionally outdoors.
This is because you’re leaving it in the oven for such a long time on the last coating. You’re also coating it multiple times throughout the complete process too, so whilst it might seem like you’re cutting corners, it’s still a time-consuming process that will result in a well-seasoned griddle.
Just remember to get the oven nice and hot, and only apply thin layers of oil, and your griddle top will be ready for a long, rust-free, non-stick life!
Griddle Accessories You WILL ACTUALLY NEED
This is another big one. While your griddle does come ready to use….its missing some really BASIC items you will need.
The Flippin Awesome Backyard Griddle Cookbook: While instagram and facebook may share a few good recipes, this bok is full of some really tasty and unique treats to griddle up the next time your feeling ambitious. From the basics to the brilliant, this griddle cookbook has it all.
Griddle Spade and Spatula: These are the backbone of griddle chefs all over the world. Due to the flat-top design of a griddle, you will need to have metal surfaced griddle spatulas and spades. Something simple like this works great, see it here on Amazon.
Inferred Temperature Gun: See Step 4 above, these are really crucial to fully understand what your griddle can do and what areas are putting out the heat you need, and what areas can be used to just keep the food warm while working on others. This is a great option that won’t hurt your wallet, check it on Amazon.
Grease Tins: These are dirt cheap and save you an unnecessary headache when cleaning up. Simply drop them into the grease trap and toss them when you’re done! Check these here on Amazon.
Griddle Bottles: Another must-have, you really only need two. One for water, and one for your chosen cooking oil. If you’re not sure what I mean, check out our Guide to Griddle Bottles here. These on Amazon work great and are cheap, check them out here.
Griddle King Apron: I know what you’re thinking “I’m not wearing an apron” and yeah, I get it. But all that changed when I got a griddle and realized how much grease is popping off the griddle surface and landing on my clothes. A simple apron solves that and my signature “Griddle King” or “Griddle Queen” apron is a cheap easy fix for you, grab it here on Etsy.