5 Best Cast Iron Skillet for Traeger in 2024

Are you tired of having the same flavored Traeger grill? We think it’s time to add some excitement to your grilled recipes. You don’t need to look so far away, as the Cast iron skillet is a worth-it option for many home cooks due to its versatility, ability to keep heat and durability. But what about using a cast iron skillet on a pellet grill (Traeger)?  

So why do people use the best-cast iron skillet for Traeger? Because it adds a unique flavor to your food. Yet the flavour will not enhance without a seasoned cast iron skillet. One thing is for sure; we must preheat the skillet before cooking so it heats evenly. 

Here is your inspiration, we have our own list of a cast iron skillet on pellet grill, and we compiled this list based on cast iron cookware reviews, comments and based on our practical knowledge we got using the cast iron skillet. So let’s see what exciting things we can offer you. 

Cast Iron skillet vs Non Stick: What Makes a Better Steak?

Here we are going to let you know about our experience on searing steaks on both cast iron skillet and non stick skillet. We will sear both the steak in Traeger.

So we selected one nonstick skillet and a cast iron skillet, both of which have been in operation for over 5 years. Also, we got two almost identical large pieces of meat. We pat dry and seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper. 

By this time, we preheated the Traeger grill 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit, and kept warming both cast iron and nonstick skillet. Then coated both pan with light oil and finally put the steaks on the pans. We flipped both steaks every 2 minutes and 4 times per side. 

Result: Traeger actually nailed it by searing the steaks on cast iron and nonstick. Both look delicious, but the cast iron one looks bright. Also, the cast iron seared steak has a crispy crust on it. That takes the taste to a different level. In contrast, the seared steak of nonstick tastes good, but not crusty and mouth salivating like the iron cast one. 

Our Top Cast iron Skillet List 

It’s where we let you know the best feature and specification or something unique about each cast iron skillet. Let’s see what we have got in hand. 

1. Best value for Price: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Skillet

Lodge cast iron skillets are already well known for their longevity and equal heat distribution. Still, people don’t think twice about having this skillet.

2. Best for Versatility: Utopia Kitchen 12 Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast iron Skillet

Utopia cast iron skillet is good for gas stoves, induction stoves, ovens and pellet grills. Also, the heat gets distributed evenly. 

3. Best for Ergonomic Size: Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with 2 Loop Handles

This seasoned Lodge cast iron skillet is suitable for almost a 7 member family. It holds 5 liter of capacity. 

4. Best for Enthusiastic Look: Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Iron Handle Skillet

This cast iron skillet has colored enameled over the cast iron surface, thus people who love to decorate the kitchen with colorful things love this skillet. 

5. Best as Tray Type Skillet: Traeger Induction Cast Iron Skillet

It belongs to a famous brand but is pretty different in design. This skillet is square and has 2 loop handles, unlike other traditional skillets.

Best Cast Iron Skillet for Traeger: Exquisite Review

This section will cover their specifications, features with the advantages and true limitations according to the user’s opinion and our practical experience. Let’s see what we’ve got here for you guys!

1. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Skillet

What is the best cast iron skillet for steaks? Definitely, the best one is Lodge pre-seasoned skillet. Furthermore, this skillet is a great tool for searing and baking in the Traeger. The lodge is one of the oldest cookware equipment in America; still, the classic easy look of it is yet to get beaten by modern cookware.

Specifications:

Features at a Glance:

• It uses 100% natural oil for seasoning the skillet. 
• It is great for induction cooktops, pellet grills, ovens, campfires etc. 
• It can fry up memorable steaks, chicken, eggs, and pancakes also good for desserts and casseroles. 
• The cast iron made helper handle helps to move, and the loop handle is for hanging. 
• 10.25 inches diameter inside at the top, but 8 inches at the bottom. 

Tester Review

The users find the Lodge skillet helpful because it can hold heat evenly. David, a verified user on Walmart, uses this skillet for cooking petite sirloins. He thinks it has a tremendous value for the price point.

2. Utopia Kitchen Pre-Seasoned Cast iron Skillet

The Utopia Kitchen cast-iron skillet comes pre-seasoned with 100% vegetable oil. So it definitely lessens the hassle of seasoning, and it is ready to cook after the first wash. But Utopia. recommends re-seasoning the skillet again for better performance. 

Specifications:

Features at a Glance:

• The 12 inches diameter cast iron skillet is ready to use for both indoor and outdoor use.
• The heat retention ability is superb, and the heat distribution is even. 
• It comes pre seasoned. Doesn’t get sticky on the first cook. 
• The Utopia pre-seasoned cast iron skillet can tolerate heat up to 450-degree Celsius.  
• One help handle and one loop handle for hanging; both are cast iron made. 
• Cooking Cuisine like sizzle, grill, and saute get the extra flavor in Traeger grill. 

Tester Review:

The Utopia 12 inches cast iron skillet got a very high quality rating from customers for durability, heat distribution, versatility and easy to clean sections. They mostly complain about not having any care instruction. Also, the packaging is very average.

3. Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge has been dedicated to manufacturing cast iron things for over a century. This cast iron has no difference. Pretty large and, as usual ergonomic built. This 17 inch skillet is the perfect cooking equipment for sautéing, searing, simmering, baking, braising, roasting and frying. 

Specifications:

Features at a Glance:

• Rim diameter is 17 inches, but handle to handle diameter is 19 inches. The inside rim diameter is 16 ⅜ inches. 
• It can hold slightly less than 12 quarts of food. So perfect for a campsite cook. 
• Excellent seasoning with 100% vegetable oil. No chemical and synthetic coating. 
• The 2 loop handles make it very much handy. 
• Mostly suitable for induction cooktops, but great for oven, stove and pellet grill. 
• Even distribution of heat. 

Tester Review

A verified customer from the UK said he can cook a 7 members meal in this cast iron skillet. Also, he thinks the cooking tastes better now. So do we. Lodge cast-iron skillet enhances the food taste.

4. Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Iron Handle Skillet

Since 1925, Le Creuset has been serving great strong build and colorful cookware for the kitchen. The enameled cast iron skillet adds delicious outdoor taste even in indoor cooking.  

Specifications:

Features at a Glance:

• without pour spouts, this skillet is 11 ¾” across the top, with pour spouts the diameter is 13 ¾”. 
• The depth of this pan is 1.9 inches, and it can hold 1.27 quarts of food.
• It can tolerate up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit safely. In cooktops and ovens.
• The color coated enamel resists dulling. Staining on the bottom and handle. 
• Even the interior part has black satin enamel planned for high temperature.

Tester Review

According to most of the verified customers, this skillet doesn’t need much care. Le Creuset cast-iron skillet is pretty awesome for searing, stir-frying, sautéing etc. In our use, it is absolutely great for high-temperature applications, such as filet mignon and scallops.

5. Traeger Induction Cast Iron Skillet

Nothing can be better than using a Traeger cast iron skillet in a Traeger pellet grill. Furthermore, Traeger cast iron skillet recipes are there to try this induction skillet, like searing, sauteing, grilling, etc., so there is no limit to cooking on it.

Specifications:

Features at a Glance:

• No limit to cooking. Compatible with induction stovetop and pellet grill. 
• Also works fine on Traeger induction cooktop. 
• Enamel-coated cast iron skillet, Ready to cook after the first wash. 
• Dual handles are on the upper side of the skillet. It helps to hold the skillet. 

Tester Review

This skillet is relatively new on the market and launched in online shops recently. Yet to get how other customers feel about it, but as we have used it, we can understand its quality by seeing the finishing, cast iron surface and seasoning. For us, it will be a great combination with the Traeger grill. 

Cast Iron Skillet for Traeger: What to Look Before buying

You guys already went through the review of top cast iron Skillets. Not necessarily you must be busy with these brands. You can have any brandless cast iron skillet for Traeger. Let’s see the criteria to be looked at before purchasing. 

Size & Weight

Different brands have different sizes for skillets, but we recommend 10.25 inches to 13.25 inches for cooking on Traeger. The weight limit should cross 5- 7 lbs. So between these sizes, cooking family dinners and entertainment is possible. Anything above 10 inches is good for searing steak on Traeger. But prizes go up when the size gets bigger. 

Heat Tolerating ability 

Don’t think cast iron will be able to take any heat you give. For cooking in Traeger, 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit is common for any recipe. Also, cast iron skillets keep the heat for a long time. So if you overheat the skillet, it may cause permanent wrap and crack. 

Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

Enameled cast iron skillets don’t need any seasoning after every wash. Food doesn’t get trapped, and you won’t feel like cooking on a sticky surface. An enameled cast iron skillet cooks with exactly the same flavor as a non enameled skillet. 

Pre-seasoned

We already talked about how to season the cast iron skillets. But if the surface is not pre-seasoned by the manufacturer, then your seasoning has to be on point every time you do. 

Handle and Loop handle

Most of the cast iron pans have a cast iron handle and loop handle. The handle is for moving the pan, and the loop handle is for hanging. So make sure., your cast iron skillet has both of them. The color coated enamel keeps the handle cool even while cooking. 

How to Take Care of Cast Iron Skillet

We already know cast iron can tolerate almost everything we throw at her. It’s not a high maintenance mistress. Even if she goes rusty, we can rescue her back again to its normal cooking condition. Here, we’ll discuss the structural caring you can take on a cast-iron skillet before, during and after use. 

1. Before Using, Seasoning the Cast Iron 

All of our reviewed cast iron skillets are pre-seasoned, which means the brand has already coated the skillet surface with thin vegetable oil and thus the cooking surface gets less sticky. But our recommendation is to re-season the cast-iron skillet after the first cleaning. 

• clean/scrub the cast iron skillet with warm soapy water. 
• Then make it dry completely. Rub with a paper towel. Then heat it up on the stove to get it completely dried off. 
• Spill a thin layer of vegetable, avocado, or cooking oil over the cast iron. 
• Now move the skillet in different ways to spread the oil all over, and use a paper towel to rub it all over the surface, including the handles. 
• What temperature should I season my cast iron skillet? Pretty common question. Set the temperature to 450-550 degrees Fahrenheit.
• How long does it take to season your cast iron skillet? Once the temperature reaches the temperature, bake the skillet like this for 50-90 minutes. 
• Turn off the oven. Then, it is now ready for cooking without sticking anything. 

2. During Usage: Pre-heating

We do love to fry bacon slices in the cast iron skillet, but it’s not the only way you can preheat your cast iron skillet. Preheating the cast-iron skillet before cooking is always important, otherwise, the heat won’t spread to the food evenly. Also, the food will stick and crumble. 

3. After Using: Wash 

After cooking, it’s time to wash the cast iron skillet. Wash the skillet with hot water and salt.. Don’t use any cleaner or dishwasher. They dry the skillet completely and thoroughly. 

4. Re-season

This process is not like the previous, just apply thin oil, and spread the oil all over the cast iron skillet. Then keep the skillet on a stovetop for 10 minutes. This is the re-seasoning you should do after every wash. 

5. Storing

Try your best to store the skillet in a moisture-free environment. Also, never store food on an iron skillet and don’t keep it in the freezer.

You can check this video for more details information:

FAQs

Can I use a cast iron skillet on Traeger?

Cast iron skillets can hold the heat longer than nonstick. But you must preheat the cast iron skillet before putting it in the Traeger.

How to cook steak in a cast iron skillet on the traeger?

– First, preheat and season the cast iron skillet for 10 minutes, then put it in the Traeger. Get a thick piece of meat and season it with salt and pepper.

After 15 minutes of heating in Trager, put the meat into the skillet and slip the steak every two minutes. Continue this process for 4 times. Now set a temperature to finish, and lower the lid until the Traeger reaches that temperature.

Can you use cast iron skillet on pellet smoker?

-Using cast iron in a pellet smoker enhances the taste and prevents the spices from dripping down from the grill grate. Thus, using a skillet for cooking in a pellet smoker is always better. 

Can you put Le Creuset in a Traeger grill?

– Le Creuset can tolerate the Traeger grill. Though Le Creuset has enamel, coat the skillet’s inside and outside. But the outside coat gets damaged after years of use in a Traeger grill or pellet smoker. 

Bottom Line

Nowadays, people are thinking about becoming more modern every day and almost forgetting the glory of the cast-iron skillet. Only a few chefs know the real difference in flavor between nonstick and cast iron. We recommend you get a cast iron skillet from a well-known brand and find out the real difference. Hopefully, you’ll help us bring back the golden days of cast iron skillets. 

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