Owning a griddle makes cooking so much easier. You can cook anything from bacon and eggs for breakfast to a juicy burger for dinner.

But you need to take good care of your griddle and season it to prevent the cooking surface from becoming rusty and sticky.

So, what are the best oils for seasoning griddles? The key property to look for in oil you can use to season your griddle is a high smoke point. The best oils for seasoning a griddle are avocado oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you should know about seasoning your griddle, from the right seasoning technique to oils that will provide the best non-stick coating.

What Does Seasoning Mean?

If you own steel or cast iron cookware, you absolutely need to know what seasoning is and how to do it properly. Seasoning is a simple maintenance technique that will help you keep your griddle in shape for years.

The process of seasoning a griddle is essentially baking oil onto its surface. As the griddle heats, the oils you brush onto it undergo a process called polymerization.

This is where the oil gets carbonized and transforms from a wet and runny liquid into a hardened coating on the griddle.

Once the polymerization process is over, the oil molecules are bonded to the griddle. For cast iron griddles that have a rough surface, seasoning is a highly effective maintenance technique as the oils adhere to it easily.

With time, oil also fills in the pores of the uneven surface of cast iron griddles and smooths it out.

How to Season a Griddle

Seasoning your griddle is not a complicated process. It requires only a few simple steps.

Here’s how to season a griddle:

1. Remove the food residue from the cooking surface using a scraper.
2. Preheat the griddle until it gets dark. Once the griddle gets dark, turn it off.
3. Apply a thin layer of high-heat oil to the surface of the griddle.
4. Spread the oil evenly on the cooking surface using a paper towel.
5. Turn on the griddle and wait until the surface is dark and smoky.
6. Turn your griddle back off and let it sit until it comes back to room temperature.

To maintain the non-stickiness of your griddle, it is recommended to clean and season it after each use.

First off, you need to scrape off any food residue that is left on the cooking surface. Once you have scraped off the food debris, wipe the cooking surface with a paper towel.

If you are having a hard time removing the food residue, pour hot water on it to soften it and remove it with a scraper or spatula that isn’t made of metal, as anything too abrasive can damage the coating.

When the griddle is all clean, turn it on to evaporate water that may be left on it after cleaning. As a final touch, apply a thin and even layer of oil on the cooking surface using a paper towel.

If your griddle is made of cast iron and keeps sticking after seasoning, we’ve got another article to help you solve that particular issue.

Why You Should Season Your Griddle

There are two reasons why you should season your griddle. First and foremost, it prevents the griddle from rusting. Secondly, seasoning the griddle creates a natural non-stick coating.

However, the benefits of seasoning your griddle are long-lasting only if you season it repeatedly.

Seasoning the griddle from time to time will restore the non-stick coating. Over time, your griddle will develop a black surface. The good thing is, the more you use it and take the time to maintain it, the more non-stick it will become!

Before You Season Your Griddle

You may be new to cooking on the griddle, but you can quickly learn how to season it properly to achieve an ultimate non-stick coating. Here are a few things you should know before you season your griddle.

1. Use High Heat Oil

When seasoning a griddle, it is essential to pick the right oil. Use oil with a high smoke point. Oil with a high smoke point won’t burn and will form a nice coating on the griddle, making it non-stick.

If you use oil with a low smoke point, not only will it burn and fail the seasoning process but also affect the taste of the food when you cook on the poorly seasoned griddle.

Aside from the high smoke point, consider the affordability and availability of the oil you purchase to season your griddle.

2. Griddles Need Airflow

To season your griddle, you need to let the oil get very hot. Whether you are seasoning an indoor or outdoor griddle, it can get very smoky. So, providing proper airflow is important.

3. First Time Seasoning May Take a Few Sessions

If it is the first time you’re seasoning your griddle, you may need a few sessions of applying oil and heating it until it forms a nice dark non-stick coating on the cooking surface.

You may need 2-3 seasoning rounds until your brand-new griddle gets dark.

7 Best Oils for Seasoning Griddles

Proper seasoning is the secret to a long-lasting and non-stick griddle. But to season your griddle, you need to not only use a good seasoning technique but also the right type of oil.

RankType of Oil Smoke Point 1.BetterBody Foods Avocado Oil500-520°F 2.Pompeian Grapeseed Oil420°F 3.Happy Belly Canola Oil430°F 4.BetterBody Foods Coconut Oil350-425°F 5.Planters Peanut Oil450°F 6.La Española Olive Oil395°F 7.Safya Sunflower Oil450°F

We have picked 7 oils you can use to season your griddle to perfection.

1. BetterBody Foods Avocado Oil

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This is one of the best options on the market. This refined avocado oil doesn’t contain any GMOs and is gluten-free.

It has a smoke point of 500°F, which makes it perfect for seasoning your griddle.

Avocado oil has become widely popular in recent years thanks to its many health benefits.

Naturally refined avocado oil has a very high smoke point – up to 520°F. Due to its high smoke point, you can avoid toxins even when cooking on high heat.

Containing a high amount of monounsaturated fats, avocado oil doesn’t oxidize.

Coming from the pulp of avocados, the flavor of avocado oil is not very pronounced. Especially with refined avocado oil, you don’t have to worry about it affecting the taste of your food.

Aside from using this avocado oil to season your griddle, you can use it to fry and sauté food, as well as bake with it and make salad dressings and marinades.

2. Pompeian Grapeseed Oil

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You may not think of grapeseed oil as a versatile oil. However, it has a light and subtle flavor and can be used for a range of cooking tasks.

Grapeseed oil is usually made from grapes that are discarded during the wine-making process. This oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E.

Pompeian’s grapeseed oil will do a great job at darkening your griddle and making its cooking surface non-stick.

With a smoke point of 470 -510°F, this pure 100% grapeseed oil also makes a fantastic cooking oil for the griddle.

This oil is ideal for high-heat cooking, including deep-frying. Thanks to its light flavor, you can use it as oil for salad dressings and marinades as well.

Pompeian grapeseed oil is non-allergenic, GMO-free, and doesn’t contain any trans fats.

3. Happy Belly Canola Oil

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If you don’t want any hard-to-find oils to season your griddle, you can go with the most widely available oil variety – canola oil.

The good thing about canola oil is readily available, has a neutral taste, and is suited for high-heat cooking.

Canola oil is also quite a healthy choice for high-heat cooking, as it is high in monounsaturated fats.

These fats, when exposed to high heat, are associated with a lower risk of such conditions and heart disease and strokes.

Happy Belly canola oil your best bet if you’re looking for a multi-purpose oil that will work both as a seasoning and cooking oil. Canola oil is neutral as far as the flavor is concerned, and you can use it to cook a variety of foods.

With a smoke point higher than 430°F, you can safely use this oil to season your griddle and achieve perfect polymerization.

4. BetterBody Foods Coconut Oil

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As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, it’s important to choose an oil with a high smoke point for seasoning your griddle.

Coconut oil, being one of the healthiest cooking oils you can use, is best in its refined form when it comes to dealing with high heat.

Refined coconut oil has a smoke point as high as 350-425°F. This makes it ideal for seasoning your griddle.

Use the BetterBody Foods coconut oil to season your griddle as well as cook on it. This coconut oil is naturally refined.

You won’t be getting much of the coconut flavor and aroma. This means you can use this oil in sweet and savory dishes and not worry about it affecting their taste.

BetterBody Foods coconut oil is good for high-heat cooking up to 425°F. It is also ideal for baking, as it is a healthier 1:1 substitute for butter.

A tub of this oil will come in handy not only for keeping your griddle rust-free and non-stick but also in a range of cooking tasks.

5. Planters Peanut Oil

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If you don’t mind a light nutty flavor in oil, then one of the best oil options for seasoning griddle is peanut oil.

Peanut oil has a very high smoke point—450-475°F depending on the brand. The high smoke point makes it perfect for such cooking tasks as deep-frying and grilling.

But aside from cooking, peanut oil is also great for seasoning griddle provided you use a proper seasoning technique.

Planters peanut oil doesn’t contain any trans fats and is high in monounsaturated fats. Refined peanut oil like this one is quite accessible.

The refined variety is also safer as it is not as allergenic as its unrefined counterparts.

6. La Española Olive Oil

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Olive oil is a staple in every kitchen. Extra virgin olive oil adds a distinct flavor and aroma to any dish. But did you know that you can use olive oil to season your griddle too?

Thanks to its high smoke point, extra virgin olive oil can be used for seasoning griddles and preventing them from becoming rusty.

The health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are another reason why you may want to purchase a bottle of this oil both for cooking and seasoning your griddle.

This oil is high in monounsaturated fats and contains a large amount of antioxidants.

La Española extra virgin olive oil is worth giving a try as it has a fruity flavor and aroma and a smoke point of 395°F.

This olive oil has the classic peppery notes of a quality cold-pressed olive oil and is perfect for all your seasoning and cooking needs.

7. Sunflower Oil

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Sunflower oil comes from the seeds of a sunflower. The flavor of this oil is unobtrusive, which makes it the favorite cooking oil for many dishes.

High-oleic sunflower oils are some of the best for high heat cooking and deep-frying. Thus, it is not surprising that refined sunflower oil is also good for seasoning griddles.

If you are on the hunt for a neutral-flavored oil that you can use for the maintenance of your griddle as well as cooking, Safya 100% pure sunflower oil is one of the best options.

This high-oleic oil contains vitamin E and is rich in polyunsaturated fats. It’s 100% pure sunflower oil with no additives or preservatives. It also has a smoke point of 450°F.

What Is the Best Oil for Blackstone Griddles?

Blackstone Chef Nathan Lippy recommends using flaxseed oil to season a Blackstone griddle.

While you can use other high-heat oils to season your griddle, flaxseed oil is perfect for the very first seasoning round of your griddle, as it creates a strong layer of polymerized oil.

You can use Barlean’s Fresh Flax Oil to season your Blackstone griddle. This flaxseed oil is pure and unrefined. It has a smoke point of around 225°F.

While this is lower than the smoke point of the abovementioned oil options, flaxseed oil works perfectly for seasoning griddles thanks to its oil-specific qualities.

It is not recommended to use animal fat for the initial seasoning layer on your Blackstone griddle, especially if you will not be using the griddle every single day.

Animal fats that contain salt, such as bacon fat, will create a brittle layer on the cooking surface of your griddle and start to chip.

Here’s a handy tutorial posted by Blackstone Griddles for a more comprehensive guide to seasoning your griddle.

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Top 5 what oil do you use on a blackstone griddle edited by Top Chef