Why Is a Cast Iron Skillet Better for Cooking?

One-pan cooking is everywhere these days — from one-pan pasta to sheet-pan meals. We are all trying to avoid washing multiple pans after dinner each night. A large cast iron skillet has been my secret to one-pan cooking since long before the one-pan cooking craze. The reasons are simple and straightforward.

 Cast Iron Stew Pot

Cast Iron Skillets Heat Evenly

Cast iron is a very dense metal, making it nearly impervious to damage and the king of holding on to heat. Even heating means that meats brown better and vegetables cook faster without having to constantly manage the heat source or rotate pans in the oven. Cast iron is ideal for frying and baking because it holds and distributes heat so well. The same cannot be said of your favorite pasta pot or baking sheet.

Cast Iron Can Go from Stovetop to Oven

One-pan pasta relies solely on stovetop heat, while sheet-pan meals use only the oven, but one-pan cast iron cooking gives the best of both worlds. Brown chicken in the skillet on the stovetop, then add onions, potatoes, and carrots to the skillet and place the whole thing in a warm oven and you’ve got a complete meal from one pan. You can sear, roast, and even simmer in a cast iron skillet. Not all pans can claim that.

Cast Iron Is Naturally Nonstick

A well-seasoned cast iron skillet has a naturally nonstick surface. Few nonstick pans can go safely from the stovetop to the oven. Because cast iron is naturally nonstick, it is also easy to clean.  You can learn more by checking out a recent article we wrote: How to Clean a Cast Iron Frying Pan?

Next, the cast iron skillet supplier will teach you how to make delicious roast chicken using cast iron stew pot.

5 Steps to a Delicious Grilled Chicken

1. Make sure the chicken is dry.

We do not recommend rinsing the chicken before roasting. Washing can spread bacteria from the chicken to the sink and other food preparation surfaces, and we want the skin of the chicken to be as dry as possible so it will be crispy from roasting. Once you take the chicken out of the package, pat it completely dry inside and out with paper towels.

2. The amount of salt should be large.

A tablespoon of salt may seem like too much for a small chicken, but you want to be very generous with the salt in the skin and cavity to make sure some of the seasoning gets through the skin and into the chicken. Adding salt also keeps the chicken juicy. Rubbing oil or butter on the chicken before baking is optional.

3. Skewer the chicken.

Tying is the traditional method of tying chicken legs together. While techniques for larger poultry such as turkeys require tying the entire tail, for a simple roast chicken, simply use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. This really just keeps the legs from drying out as the breasts roast through and allows the whole chicken to roast more evenly.

4. Bake patiently.

Roasting a chicken is easy, but it's not fast. The chicken should bake for at least an hour, but you can leave it undisturbed to help the chicken grow. There is no need to baste or disturb or probe the chicken within an hour.

5. Rest before carving.

Allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This will allow the chicken to continue cooking, redistribute its juices, and allow it to cool enough for you to carve after resting.