7 Things You Should Never Cook In A Cast Iron Skillet (And 7 That Definitely Belong In It)

Cast iron skillets are kitchen powerhouses with a cult-like following among home cooks and chefs alike. These durable pans can last generations and develop a natural non-stick surface when properly seasoned.

But not everything belongs in your trusty cast iron! Understanding what works and what doesn’t will keep your skillet in prime condition and your meals tasting their best.

1. Acidic Foods Spell Trouble

Your tomato sauce might be delicious, but it’s a cast-iron enemy. Acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus, and vinegar-based recipes can strip away your pan’s seasoning and potentially leach metallic flavors into your food.

I once ruined my grandmother’s perfectly seasoned skillet by simmering tomato sauce for hours. The pan turned dull gray, and dinner tasted like I’d licked a penny.

Save acidic dishes for enameled cast iron or stainless steel instead.

2. Delicate Fish Can Fall Apart

Flaky white fish fillets tend to stick and shred when cooked in cast iron. Even with proper seasoning, delicate varieties like tilapia or sole rarely survive intact. The high heat retention makes precise temperature control challenging.

Try reserving your cast iron for heartier fish like salmon or swordfish. These sturdier options can withstand the heat and develop that gorgeous sear without disintegrating into an expensive, albeit tasty, fish scramble.

3. Sticky Desserts Create Cleanup Nightmares

Gooey caramels and sugar-heavy desserts might taste heavenly, but create hellish cleanup scenarios. Sugary mixtures can carbonize and bond to cast iron surfaces, requiring aggressive scrubbing that damages your seasoning.

Last Christmas, I attempted caramel apple upside-down cake in my favorite skillet. The sugar transformed into black cement! It took days of soaking and scrubbing to restore my pan.

For sticky sweets, reach for non-stick or lined baking pans instead.

4. Smelly Foods Leave Lasting Impressions

Cast iron’s porous surface absorbs odors from pungent ingredients. Fish, garlic, and strong spices can linger in your skillet, potentially affecting the flavor of future dishes, especially delicate ones. If you must cook aromatic foods, consider dedicating a separate cast-iron pan just for those ingredients.

Otherwise, your morning pancakes might carry subtle hints of last night’s curry or garlic-heavy meal, creating an unexpected flavor adventure at breakfast time.

5. Eggs Without Proper Seasoning Stick Like Glue

Eggs require a perfectly seasoned skillet, or they’ll create a frustrating mess. A new or poorly maintained cast iron pan will transform your breakfast into a scraping exercise rather than a cooking one. Wait until your skillet has developed several layers of seasoning before attempting eggs.

Even then, use plenty of fat and moderate heat. Your patience will eventually reward you with the satisfaction of eggs that slide around like they’re on an ice rink.

6. Wine-Based Sauces Damage Seasoning

Wine reductions and deglazing with alcohol might be culinary staples, but they spell trouble for cast iron. The acidity in wine, similar to tomatoes, strips away your carefully built-up seasoning and can impart metallic flavors. I learned this lesson making coq au vin in my favorite skillet.

My sauce tasted oddly metallic, and my once-black pan looked patchy and gray afterward. For wine-based recipes, stainless steel delivers better results without compromising your cookware.

7. Excessive Water Invites Rust

Boiling or simmering water-heavy dishes in cast iron is asking for trouble. Extended exposure to water can break down seasoning and create rust spots, especially if the pan isn’t dried thoroughly afterward. Avoid cooking soups, broths, or stews in your cast iron.

These are better suited for enameled cast iron or stainless steel pots. Your skillet will thank you by remaining rust-free and maintaining its naturally non-stick surface for dishes that truly benefit from it.

8. Steak: The Cast Iron Champion

Nothing beats the perfect crust on a steak from a screaming hot cast iron skillet. The exceptional heat retention creates restaurant-quality searing, impossible to achieve in regular pans.

Season your steak generously, let it reach room temperature, and heat your skillet until it’s smoking slightly. The resulting steak will have a caramelized exterior while maintaining a juicy interior.

My dinner guests always ask about my “secret” when I serve cast-iron steaks.

9. Cornbread Develops Unbeatable Crust

Southern-style cornbread achieves its signature crunchy edges when baked in preheated cast iron. The pan’s ability to maintain consistent heat creates that coveted crisp exterior while keeping the inside tender and moist.

Preheat your skillet with a tablespoon of oil or bacon fat before pouring in your batter. My grandma’s cornbread recipe has been exclusively made in cast iron for four generations, and there’s simply no substitute for that perfect golden crust it creates.

10. Frittatas Flourish With Even Heating

Frittatas benefit tremendously from cast iron’s consistent heat distribution. Start on the stovetop to cook your fillings and set the bottom, then transfer to the oven to finish cooking through. The versatility of moving from stovetop to oven makes cast iron ideal for egg dishes like this.

I’ve found my frittatas cook more evenly in cast iron than any other pan, with perfectly set edges and a tender center every time.

11. Roasted Vegetables Caramelize Beautifully

Cast iron’s heat retention creates perfectly caramelized vegetables with minimal effort. The wide surface area allows ingredients to spread out rather than steam, developing deep flavors through browning. Simply toss your veggies with oil, salt, and herbs, then roast at high heat.

I remember the first time I roasted Brussels sprouts this way – even my vegetable-averse nephew couldn’t resist their crispy, caramelized edges. For extra flavor, start with a bit of bacon fat instead of oil.

12. Dutch Baby Pancakes Rise to Perfection

The dramatic puff of a Dutch baby pancake relies on cast iron’s ability to get ripping hot in the oven before the batter goes in. This creates the immediate rise that makes these pancakes so impressive. Preheat your skillet for at least 10 minutes before adding butter and pouring in the batter.

The sizzle when the batter hits the hot surface is your guarantee of success. Your breakfast guests will be amazed as they watch it balloon up the sides of the pan.

13. Charred Peppers Develop Smoky Complexity

Bell peppers and chilies take on incredible depth when charred in cast iron. The intense, direct heat blisters the skin quickly while maintaining the pepper’s structure and juiciness.

My favorite weekend tacos improved tenfold when I started charring poblanos in my cast iron instead of over a gas flame. The smoky flavor permeates the flesh without turning the peppers to mush.

For best results, leave them undisturbed until blackened before flipping.

14. Bacon Cooks Evenly Without Burning

Cast iron’s steady heat distribution makes it the ultimate bacon-cooking vessel. Start with a cold skillet and heat gradually to render fat without burning, resulting in perfectly crisp strips every time. The bonus?

Each bacon-cooking session seasons your pan further. When I inherited my great-grandmother’s 80-year-old skillet, the first thing I cooked was bacon – continuing a tradition of building up that black patina.

The rendered fat becomes a flavor foundation for whatever you cook next.