How to Season Your Blackstone Griddle
updated 07/30/2026
Seasoning a Blackstone griddle creates a dark, stick-resistant cooking surface that helps protect the steel from rust. The process is simple: clean the new griddle, heat it, apply an extremely thin coat of cooking oil, and let that oil smoke off. Repeat the thin coats until the surface darkens, then keep it protected with basic cleaning and a light coat of oil between cooks.
What You'll Need
What Does Seasoning a Blackstone Griddle Do?
Griddle seasoning is not seasoning in the salt-and-pepper sense. It is a thin layer of cooking oil heated until it polymerizes and bonds to the steel cooking surface.
Helps Prevent Sticking
Repeated thin layers create a smoother, more stick-resistant cooking surface that improves as you cook on it.
Helps Protect Against Rust
The bonded oil helps separate the steel from moisture and oxygen, two things that would love to turn your griddle orange.
Builds With Use
Regular cooking and proper maintenance continue developing the seasoning after the initial process.
What seasoning does not do: It does not make the griddle plate distribute heat more evenly. Heat distribution comes from the griddle's steel, burners, preheating, and cooking zones. Seasoning protects the surface and improves its cooking performance.
What Is the Best Oil for Seasoning a Blackstone?
Blackstone's own seasoning conditioner is designed for the job, but several common cooking oils work well. The most important part is not finding a mythical perfect oil. It is applying each coat extremely thin and letting it finish smoking before adding the next one.
Canola Oil
Affordable, widely available, and easy to spread in thin layers.
Vegetable Oil
A dependable pantry option for both initial seasoning and maintenance.
Avocado Oil
A high-smoke-point option that works well when applied sparingly.
Flaxseed Oil
Blackstone includes flax oil among its recommended seasoning options.
Olive Oil
Blackstone lists olive oil as an option, though neutral oils such as canola or vegetable oil are often more economical for several coats.
Butter
Butter contains milk solids that burn. Save it for cooking, not for building the initial seasoning layer.
How to Season a Blackstone Griddle Step by Step
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Wash a brand-new griddle.
Before the first use, wash the cooking surface with hot water and a small amount of dish soap to remove dust and residue from manufacturing, shipping, and storage. Rinse thoroughly.
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Dry the griddle completely.
Wipe away the water with clean paper towels. Do not leave moisture sitting on bare steel because rust does not need a formal invitation.
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Preheat the griddle on high.
Turn all burners to high and heat the griddle for about 10–15 minutes. The steel will begin to discolor as it heats. Keep the griddle outdoors in a well-ventilated area and keep children and pets away.
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Turn off the heat and apply a very thin layer of oil.
Allow the surface to cool just enough to work safely while it remains hot. Add a small amount of oil and use folded paper towels held with tongs or heat-resistant gloves to wipe it across the entire cooking surface, including the edges and corners.
The griddle should look lightly coated, not wet. Wipe as if you are trying to remove the oil you just added. Thick oil creates sticky buildup and can contribute to peeling or flaking later.
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Heat the oil until the smoke stops.
Turn all burners back to high. The oil will smoke as it bonds to the steel. Let the griddle continue heating until the visible smoke largely stops, usually around 10–15 minutes depending on the griddle and oil.
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Repeat the thin coats.
Apply another extremely thin layer and heat it until the smoke stops. Repeat until you have completed about three coats and the cooking surface has developed a darker, more even finish.
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Cool and protect the surface.
Turn off the burners and let the griddle cool. Once it is safe to touch, wipe away any excess oil. A final whisper-thin protective coat can help guard the surface between uses.
The golden rule is thin coats. If the surface looks glossy, wet, or puddled, there is too much oil. Several thin layers build a stronger finish than one thick, sticky layer.
Common Blackstone Seasoning Mistakes
Using Too Much Oil
This is the most common mistake. Heavy coats can turn sticky, uneven, and prone to flaking. Wipe each layer nearly dry before heating.
Adding the Next Coat Too Soon
Let each layer smoke off before applying another. Otherwise, you are stacking wet oil instead of building bonded seasoning.
Missing the Edges and Corners
Spread oil across the entire cooking surface. Unprotected spots are more likely to develop rust.
Using Butter for Initial Seasoning
Butter's milk solids burn and leave residue. Use a recommended cooking oil for seasoning and bring out the butter when the food arrives.
Putting the Cover on While Hot or Damp
Let the griddle cool and make sure the surface is dry before covering it. Trapped moisture is a shortcut to rust.
Expecting Instant Perfection
The initial coats create the foundation. The surface will continue darkening and improving as you cook and maintain it.
How to Maintain a Seasoned Blackstone Griddle
You should not need to repeat the full initial-seasoning process after every meal. Routine cleaning and a protective coat between cooks will keep the surface in good shape.
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Scrape away food debris.
After cooking, let the griddle cool slightly, then use a griddle scraper to move food and grease toward the grease trap.
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Use water for stuck-on food.
While the griddle is still warm, add a small amount of water to stubborn spots and carefully scrape as the residue loosens. Avoid pouring large amounts of cold water onto extremely hot steel.
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Wipe the surface clean and dry.
Remove loosened residue and all remaining moisture with paper towels. A dry surface is essential for preventing rust.
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Apply a light protective coat.
Wipe a very thin layer of cooking oil across the clean griddle before storage. Remove any excess so the surface does not become sticky.
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Store it covered and dry.
Use a hard cover or weather-resistant griddle cover and keep the unit in a dry location whenever possible.
What about soap? Use dish soap for the first cleaning of a brand-new griddle. For normal cleanup after cooking, Blackstone recommends scraping, warm water for stubborn residue, drying, and a light coat of oil. Avoid harsh detergents, oven cleaners, and chemical cleaners on the cooking surface.
When Should You Re-Season a Blackstone?
Normal cooking should help maintain and improve the seasoning. A full re-seasoning is usually needed only when the protective layer has been damaged or removed.
Food Sticks More Than Usual
First clean the surface thoroughly. If sticking continues and the finish looks thin or patchy, add new seasoning layers.
The Surface Is Flaking
Loose buildup should be scraped or scrubbed away before fresh thin layers are applied.
Rust Appears
Remove the rust completely, clean and dry the steel, then rebuild the protective seasoning.
Color alone is not a perfect test. New griddles often season unevenly at first, especially near corners and edges. Focus on whether the surface is smooth, dry, protected, and performing well.
What to Do if Your Blackstone Griddle Rusts
Surface rust does not automatically mean the griddle is ruined. It means moisture reached the steel and the damaged area needs to be cleaned and protected again.
- Heat the griddle carefully to help loosen the rust, following the manufacturer's safety guidance.
- Scrape away loose corrosion with a metal scraper while wearing heat-resistant gloves.
- Let the griddle cool and wipe away the debris.
- Scrub the remaining rust with cooking oil and an appropriate griddle stone or restoration tool.
- Wipe, clean, and dry the surface until the rust residue is gone.
- Repeat the seasoning process with several very thin coats of oil.
Once restored, keep the griddle dry, lightly oiled, and covered. If the cooking surface has deep pitting, severe structural damage, or anything you are unsure about, contact Blackstone support before cooking on it.
Once the surface is ready, break it in with our complete guide to hibachi steak, chicken, shrimp, vegetables, and fried rice on the griddle.
Blackstone Griddle Seasoning FAQs
How many times should you season a new Blackstone griddle?
Apply about three extremely thin coats during the initial seasoning. Heat each coat on high until the visible smoke stops before applying the next one.
What is the best oil for seasoning a Blackstone?
Blackstone Griddle Seasoning and Cast Iron Conditioner is designed for the job. Canola, vegetable, flaxseed, avocado, and olive oil can also work. Thin application matters more than chasing one perfect oil.
How long does it take to season a Blackstone griddle?
Plan on roughly 45–60 minutes for the initial cleaning, preheating, and three seasoning coats, plus cooling time. Actual timing varies by griddle size, weather, and oil.
How do you know when each seasoning coat is finished?
Keep the griddle on high until the visible smoke from that thin oil layer largely stops. The steel will gradually darken as the coats build.
Can you use olive oil to season a Blackstone?
Yes. Blackstone includes olive oil among its seasoning options. Canola or vegetable oil may be more economical when applying several coats, but any oil should be wiped into an extremely thin layer.
Can you use butter to season a Blackstone griddle?
No. Butter contains milk solids that burn and leave residue. Use a recommended cooking oil for seasoning and save butter for cooking food.
Should you use soap on a Blackstone griddle?
Use a small amount of dish soap and hot water to clean a brand-new griddle before its first seasoning, then rinse and dry it thoroughly. For routine cleaning, scrape the surface, use warm water for stuck-on residue, dry it, and apply a light coat of oil.
Why is my Blackstone sticky after seasoning?
A sticky surface usually means too much oil was applied or a layer did not heat long enough. Remove the excess buildup as needed, then apply thinner coats and let each one finish smoking before continuing.
Do you need to season a Blackstone after every use?
No. You do not need to repeat the full initial process after every cook. Clean and dry the surface, then wipe on a very light protective coat of oil. Re-season fully if the surface becomes rusty, badly flaked, or loses its protective finish.
Final Thoughts on Seasoning Your Blackstone
Seasoning your Blackstone griddle is simple, but it rewards patience. Clean the new steel, use several whisper-thin coats of oil, let each coat finish smoking, and keep the surface dry and protected between cooks.
Do that, and the griddle will keep getting better every time you fire it up. Then comes the difficult part: deciding whether breakfast, smashburgers, hibachi, or cheesesteaks get the first invitation.
2 comments
Edwin Brooker
Great product, this is my second griddle one up North the other in Illinois
James A Hoke
That’s great to know
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