If you’re new to griddle cooking, there’s one thing you’ll want to learn before making your first smash burger, breakfast hash, or stack of pancakes: how to season a Blackstone griddle. Properly seasoning your griddle helps create a durable cooking surface, improves performance, and helps prevent food from sticking. It also gives your griddle that beautiful, dark cooking surface that gets better with use. Whether you just bought your first Blackstone griddle or your cooking surface needs a little attention, this guide will walk you through the basics of how to season a Blackstone griddle.
What Does Seasoning a Griddle Mean?
Seasoning a griddle doesn’t mean adding spices to the cooking surface.
Instead, seasoning is the process of applying a very thin layer of cooking oil to the griddle surface and heating it until the oil bonds to the metal. Repeating this process creates a protective, seasoned cooking surface. Think of it as building a layer of protection between your food and the steel. A properly seasoned Blackstone griddle should have a dark, smooth-looking surface with a subtle sheen.
What Oil Should You Use to Season a Blackstone?
Choosing the right oil is important.
Look for a cooking oil with a relatively high smoke point. Common options include:
- Avocado oil
- Canola oil
- Vegetable oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Peanut oil
For more information about choosing the right cooking oil, check out our guide to the Best Oils to Use for Griddling.
The most important thing isn’t necessarily choosing one “perfect” oil. It’s using an appropriate oil consistently and applying it correctly.
How to Season a Blackstone Griddle
1. Start With a Clean Surface
If your griddle is brand new, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and preparing the cooking surface. If you’re reseasoning an existing griddle, remove any food debris, loose residue, or excess buildup first. Your cooking surface should be clean and dry before adding oil.
2. Turn on the Griddle
Turn your griddle on to high and allow the cooking surface to warm up. You want the surface hot enough to help the oil polymerize, but you don’t want to rush the process.
3. Apply a Very Thin Layer of Oil
This is where many beginners go wrong. You don’t need to pour a large amount of oil onto your Blackstone. Add a small amount of oil and spread it across the entire cooking surface using a clean paper towel or appropriate griddle tool.
Thin is the key.
If the oil looks wet or puddled, you’ve probably used too much.
4. Heat Until the Oil Burns Off
Allow the oil to heat until it begins to smoke and eventually stops smoking. This is the polymerization process that helps create the seasoned surface. Don’t be alarmed by some smoke during this step. That’s part of the process.
5. Repeat
Once the first layer has finished, apply another very thin layer of oil and repeat the process. Several thin layers are generally much more effective than one thick layer.
How Often Should You Season a Blackstone?
There’s no single schedule that works for everyone. The more frequently you cook, the more often you’ll naturally maintain your cooking surface. A good habit is to apply a very thin layer of oil after cleaning and drying your griddle. Over time, regular cooking and maintenance will continue to build your seasoning. If your surface develops rust, dull spots, or areas where food begins sticking more than usual, it may be time for a more thorough reseasoning.
How Do You Know If Your Griddle Is Properly Seasoned?
A well-seasoned griddle will typically have a dark cooking surface and should become increasingly nonstick as the seasoning develops. Don’t worry if your Blackstone doesn’t look perfect. Seasoning is a process, not a one-time event. The more you cook, clean, lightly oil, and maintain your griddle, the better your cooking surface can become.
Common Seasoning Mistakes
Avoid these common Blackstone seasoning mistakes:
Using too much oil: Thick layers can become sticky instead of creating a smooth cooking surface.
Not heating the oil enough: The oil needs heat to polymerize properly.
Skipping cleaning: Adding oil over food debris isn’t seasoning.
Expecting perfection immediately: A seasoned griddle gets better over time.
The Bottom Line
Learning how to season a Blackstone griddle is one of the most important skills for a new griddle owner. Keep the layers thin, maintain your cooking surface regularly, and don’t stress about creating a perfect surface overnight. Your Blackstone will develop character as you cook on it—and that’s part of the fun.
