How to Season a Blackstone Griddle

Bringing home a Blackstone griddle means having the ability to create all kinds of delicious meals for your whole family, your friends, or just yourself. However, before you start grilling up those cheesesteaks, stir-fries or pancakes, you must take care of a very important first step: seasoning the surface. Just like a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven, a griddle must be properly seasoned in order to create a non-stick surface and protect it from rust. We're here to give you the info you need, along with step-by-step instructions, on how to season a Blackstone grill to get it nice and ready for every culinary adventure!

What Type of Oil Should Be Used for Seasoning a Blackstone?

First things first: DO NOT USE ANIMAL FAT TO SEASON YOUR GRILL! Using an animal fat like bacon grease for the first layers of seasoning will eventually result in it getting brittle and dry, and the seasoning layer will end up flaking and chipping off. The best oil to season Blackstone griddles is their very own Blackstone Griddle Seasoning, which is specially formulated to bond firmly to the surface of your griddle and protect it for the long term. If you don't have this handy, you can use another non-animal-fat option like vegetable shortening, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Of course, once the surface is fully seasoned, it can come in contact with animal fat with no problem - it's just a bad idea to use it for the first layers of seasoning.

The whole process should take somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours, so be sure to set aside adequate time to complete every step. Also, make sure it's done in a well-ventilated area.

As long as you regularly perform routine maintenance on your griddle like cleaning and scraping, the multi-layer seasoning process you will see described in this article only needs to be done once on a brand-new grill.

• Bowl of soapy water
• Bowl of plain water
• Two soft cloths
• Blackstone Seasoning Oil
• Metal tongs
• Paper towels

1. The first step is to give the unheated griddle surface a good cleaning. Dip a cloth in the bowl of soapy water and wipe down the entire surface twice. Please note that this is the ONLY TIME your grill should EVER come in contact with soapy water! Once it's been wiped twice with soapy water, take your second cloth and dip it into the bowl of plain water. Use it to wipe off all the soap.
2. Turn on all of the burners, crank them up to high heat, and wait 15 minutes for the surface to heat up. You should see the griddle darken and discolor.
3. With the burners still on, add two to three tablespoons of Blackstone Seasoning Oil to the middle of the griddle. Tear off a paper towel, hold it with your tongs, and use it to spread the seasoning smoothly and evenly over the entire surface of the griddle. If you see smoke, you're doing it right - smoke is a sign of the seasoning bonding with the steel. Once you've applied a thin, even layer to every inch of the griddle, let the seasoning absorb for 15 minutes. Make sure the burners stay on the whole time.
4. After 15 minutes, and after all smoke has subsided, repeat step 3. Make sure each layer is as thin, smooth, and even as possible.
5. Repeat step 3 again. Spreading a layer of seasoning oil for a total of three to five times is recommended.
6. After a total of three to five layers are added, shut off the burners and let the griddle cool. You're now fully seasoned and ready to cook!

Now that your griddle is ready, you're free to experiment with creating all the delicious foods that a Blackstone grill makes possible. Have fun cooking, and enjoy every meal!