This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. View our full disclosure here.Â
The most popular way to cook right now is on a griddle. From the comfort of your own kitchen, you can sear steaks, and perfect pancakes, and make the best burgers you can. There are so many things you can cook on a griddle pan that it should be a must-have for all chefs.
But to make the best meal, you’ll need to know which oils work best.
In this post, we’ll talk about some of our top choices for the best oils for griddle cooking. We’ll also talk about why it’s so important to use the right oil and how that will definitely make your griddle better.
Does your griddle need oil to cook?
A griddle made of cast iron is a great piece of kitchen equipment. These heavy-duty flat-top pans are great for quickly cooking meats and vegetables at high temperatures in a short amount of time. Griddles make the best pancakes, burgers, and even grilled cheese sandwiches.
But when you cook on a griddle, you need to use oil no matter what you’re making, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Different oils have different qualities, which means that some oils are better for griddling than others.
Oil is necessary for cooking on a griddle, and you’ll need to put a lot of oil in your pan before you start cooking. When the oil gets hot, it stops food from sticking to the griddle. This makes cooking much easier and makes the food taste much better when it’s done.
Why does a griddle need cooking oil?
When cooking on your griddle, it’s important to know why you need cooking oil. Food can still stick to the rolled steel cooktop of your griddle even after you have used it for a while.
When cooking, putting a thin layer of oil on the griddle makes it much less likely that food will stick to the surface.
Using oil when cooking on your griddle is also helpful because it helps the food cook. A thin layer of cooking oil moves heat and helps you get the right texture. Also, it can give your food a tasty flavor.
Last but not least, cooking oil helps protect the cooktop of the griddle. When you’re done cooking, you’ll need to clean the griddle the right way.
The last step is to rub a thin layer of cooking oil on the griddle surface once it is clean. This layer of oil keeps the griddle’s seasoning and helps stop problems like griddle rust.
How to use a griddle to cook?
No matter if you’re making pancakes for breakfast or cheeseburgers for dinner, there are a few important steps to take before you start cooking on a griddle.
- Get your griddle ready: Make sure you’ve seasoned your griddle before you start cooking. So that food doesn’t stick to the pan, you need to fill it with cooking oil and heat it up. Over time, the oil on the bottom of a cast-iron griddle forms a layer that doesn’t stick to food. This makes it easier to cook on and keeps it from rusting.
- Cook your food: This is an easy step. Prepare your meals! Cook those hamburgers, pancakes, or cheese sandwiches on the griddle!
- Clean your griddle pan: When you’re done cooking, you should immediately clean your griddle pan. This means scraping off any leftover food or food that has burned and washing the pan with water. After cleaning, dry the pan well.
- Season your pan (again): Once the pan is completely dry, season it once more. This means putting a thin layer of oil on the bottom of the griddle pan and heating it up very hot. Because of this layer of seasoning, oil is a must when cooking on griddles (and any other cast-iron cookware). Seasoning makes a cast iron griddle pan’s surface easy to clean and keeps it from rusting.
Best oil for griddle cooking – our top picks
Oil for cooking is one of the most common ingredients, and it does a lot of important things during the cooking process.
You want to cook with an oil that gives your food flavor and depth while also bonding with your griddle over time to make a seasoned, non-stick surface.
No matter what oil you choose for your flattop grill, it should be high in fatty acids. Because oils with a lot of fatty acids will stick to your griddle’s surface better. That’s exactly what you want to do to season the surface of your grill and give your food a great taste over time.
There are a lot of different kinds of oil for sale at your local grocery store. There are oils made from vegetables, olives, sesame, and even avocados. When you griddle food, different oils can give it a different flavor and different oils work best at different temperatures.
The smoke point of the oil is the most important thing to think about. The smoke point is the temperature at which oil starts to burn. The oil starts to break down when it starts to burn. This changes how hot you can get the oil when cooking.
The temperature you can use goes up as the smoke point goes up. High temperatures are best for grilling, so a high smoke point is a huge plus.
It’s also important to remember that many oils will work well on your griddle. The best oil for your flattop grill will depend on what you like and what you’re cooking. This could change from day to day, depending on what you’re making for dinner.
So, here are some of our top choices for the best oils for cooking on a griddle:
1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The best kind of virgin oil is extra virgin olive oil. To make it, you just crush olives and squeeze out the juice. Extra virgin olive oil is the only olive oil used for cooking that isn’t refined in a factory or made with chemicals. It’s a great all-around oil for griddle cooking.
Olive oil is great for heart-healthy cooking because it has more monounsaturated fats than most other oils. It also gives your food a delicious, one-of-a-kind flavor that you can’t get from any other cooking oil.
People like this oil because it gives food a unique taste that you can’t get from other oils. Because it is low in acid, it goes well with bean dishes, pasta, stir-fried vegetables, and fish cooked on the grill. You can also put it in salads made of vegetables.
On the internet, people have a lot of different ideas about how good (or bad) extra virgin olive oil is for cooking. The problem is that olive oil has a low smoke point compared to other oils, which means it’s not the best choice if you want to cook at high temperatures.
Make sure to read the oil’s label to make sure the smoke point is right for what you want to do.
Smoke Point
Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of 405°F (207°C), but most frying only needs 350–375°F (177–191°C).
Nutritional Value
A Web.MD article says that a tablespoon of olive oil has 126 calories and 14 grams of fat. Most of the fat is monounsaturated, which is good for your heart. Also, virgin olive oil has about 13% of your daily value (DV) of vitamin E and 9% of your daily value of vitamin K.
2. Sunflower Seed Oil
There are different kinds of sunflower oil, which are grouped by how well they work. There are three types: unrefined, partially refined and neutralized or dewaxed. Each of these groups has a different smoke point and nutritional value.
On a cast-iron griddle pan or grill, refined sunflower oil works well for cooking at low to high temperatures. On the other hand, the unrefined version is a traditional salad dressing in Eastern European cooking.
Sunflower oil is made by pressing sunflower seeds, and it has no taste. In addition to being used in cooking, it is often used as an emollient in beauty products.
Smoke Point
The smoke point of raw sunflower oil is only 225°F (107°C), but the smoke point of refined sunflower oil (high oleic) is 450°F (232°C).
Nutritional Value
Sunflower oil has a lot of monounsaturated fats called linoleic and oleic acids, which help keep your heart healthy. It also has a lot of vitamin E in it.
3. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is considered by many to be the best oil for high-heat cooking, so we chose it as the best oil for griddle cooking.
When compared to other cooking oils, avocado oil has one of the highest points at which it starts to smoke. It is thought to be the best oil for high-temperature cooking. This is also one of the reasons why we think this is the best oil for griddle cooking.
It is good for your health in a lot of the same ways that olive oil is, but unlike olive oil, refined avocado oil can be used up to 520° Fahrenheit. Avocado oil is by far and away the best choice for cooking at high temperatures. Avocado oil is great for cooking because it has a lot of both monounsaturated and saturated fats.
Because it has a high smoke point, you can safely sear, BBQ, and sauté on your flat top at high temperatures without worrying about the oil breaking down and making your food taste bad. This high-heat cooking oil can also be used to bake, dress, marinate, and make homemade dressings.
Most of the time, it tastes neutral, especially when compared to olive oil. But it might have a hint of grassiness and avocado flavor.
Smoke Point
The smoke point of refined avocado oil is 520 °F (271 °C), which makes it perfect for cooking at high temperatures.
Nutritional Value
Avocado oil is good for your health in many ways. In a Healthline article, some of its most important nutrients, such as heart-healthy oleic acid and unsaturated fatty acids, were listed. It also has a lot of the antioxidant lutein, which is good for the eyes.
Also, because of the main ingredient in this high-heat cooking oil, it is the best oil for griddle cooking if you are on a Keto or Paleo diet.
4. Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil, also called linseed oil, is an oil made from the dried and ripened seeds of the flax plant. It can be colorless or yellow. This oil is a great choice for vegans who want an oil with a lot of omega-3s.
Since flaxseed oil has a very low smoking point, it is better for seasoning food on a griddle. It forms a “solid layer” on the pan, which protects your food and keeps it from getting burned, especially if the pan doesn’t have a nonstick surface.
Smoke Point
The smoking point of flaxseed oil is only 225°F (107°C).
Nutritional Value
There are many essential fatty acids in flaxseed oil. Wikipedia says that it has a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, linoleic acid, and oleic acid, all of which are good for your health. There are 126 calories in a tablespoon of flaxseed oil.
5. Canola Oil
Canola oil is another great oil for cooking on a griddle. It comes in three different types: unrefined, refined, and expeller-pressed. The refined type has the highest smoking point.
Canola oil is a good alternative if you always cook at high temperatures. Some of the better canola oils can be used up to 470 degrees Fahrenheit before they start to smoke.
It has a pretty neutral flavor, and it also has omega-3 fatty acids that are good for your heart.
Practically speaking, canola oil is usually less expensive than other cooking oils. Canola oil is a good choice if you want to keep your grocery bill low.
Many canola oils are made from canola seeds that have been genetically modified, so if you are on a non-GMO diet, be sure to use organic canola oil.
This best oil has a neutral taste, like vegetable oil, and doesn’t change the taste of the dish.
It is important to remember, though, that when canola oil is exposed to high heat for a long time, it tends to give off chemicals that are bad for your health. Because of this, it is not good for long, high-heat cooking. On a flat-top grill, you can use it to quickly sauté or fry meat or vegetables. You can also season your griddle with it.
Smoke Point
The smoke point of unrefined, refined, and expeller-pressed canola oils is 225°F (107°C), 400°F (204°C), and 375–450°F (191–232°C), respectively.
Nutritional Value
About 124 calories can be found in a tablespoon of canola oil.
Canola oils are healthy because they are low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. In 2006, the USDA gave canola oil a qualified health claim because it can lower the chance of getting coronary heart disease.
Canola oil has 22% of the daily value (DV) for total fat, and 5% of that comes from saturated fats.
6. Coconut Oil
In the last ten years, coconut oil has become one of the most popular cooking oils because it is thought to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also known for having a strong flavor that makes the food you cook taste great.
Coconut oil is a good choice because it has a rich, flavorful taste and is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It gives your food a unique flavor that tastes great.
The bad thing about coconut oil is that its smoke point, which is around 400°, is the lowest of all the oils on this list. So you have to be careful about what you cook on your griddle with it.
I use coconut oil the least out of all of these because it’s almost all saturated fat, which is fine for cooking but might not be the best for daily use.
The meat of a matured coconut is used to get this high-heat oil. Coconut oil that has been cleaned can be used to sauté, stir-fry, fry, and bake. Coconut oil isn’t just used for cooking. It’s also used in a lot of beauty products.
Smoke Point
The refined version has a smoke point of 400 °F (204 °C).
Nutritional Value
There are a lot of saturated fats in coconut oil. MyFoodData.com says that there are 11.2 grams of saturated fat in one tablespoon. This amount of fat is worth 121 calories, or 6% of the Daily Value (DV).
Saturated fat accounts for 90% of the fat in food. In addition, lauric acid, a saturated fat, accounts for 40% of the total fat. Studies show that lauric acid helps raise HDL cholesterol, which is also called “good” cholesterol. This lowers your risk of heart disease.
7. Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil is one of the most popular and widely available cooking oils. It can be used on flat-top grills or griddle pans for a wide range of cooking methods. This is the best oil for cooking on a griddle at medium to high heat.
We like that vegetable oils can be used for a lot of different things. This is because they have a neutral taste and a high smoke point.
This high-heat oil can be used to roast, fry, and bake. Most of the time, it is used as a shortening in baking to make the dough crumbly. You can also season your griddle with it.
Smoke Point
This oil can handle a temperature of up to 428°F (220°C) without losing its quality.
Nutritional Value
There are omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids in vegetable oils, as well as monounsaturated fats. About 120 calories can be found in one tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Which oil is best for cooking at high temperatures?
The best way to cook on a griddle is at a very high temperature. On a griddle, meats and vegetables cook best when they cook quickly over high heat. This means that the oil you choose should have a high smoke point so that it can handle cooking at high temperatures.
A high smoke point will keep the flavor from changing and make sure your food doesn’t stick to the pan or burn. One of the best choices is avocado oil, which has a high smoke point of 520°F.
Avocado oil isn’t always easy to find, though. If that’s the case, you can use vegetable oil instead. The smoke point for these is between 400 and 450°F. Most high-heat cooking on a griddle will happen between 400 °F and 450 °F, so vegetable oils work well.
Related: Best Grinder for Indian Cooking
Cooking with oil
You’ll need oil to season the griddle before and after the first time you use it, as well as to prepare the griddle before cooking in the future. By seasoning the griddle with oil, you can make it naturally non-stick, which will make it easier to clean and add another layer of flavor.
After you’ve cooked off the oil for seasoning, you can use it, again and again, to help get the surface ready for good cooking. Then make sure to clean it well to prevent rust and get rid of any leftover food.
Make sure to use enough oil before and during cooking to keep the surface from sticking and to give your food the right flavor. After seasoning the griddle, you’ll also want to clean it by wiping it down with cooking oil and paper towels.
With just a little bit of work and attention to seasoning, your griddle can keep giving you good food for a long time when you go camping or hiking.
Also Read: What is the Shelf Life of Essential Oils
Cooking oil labels
When you are shopping for cooking oils, you will notice that many of them are labeled as either cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oil. These two words talk about how the oil was taken out.
The way oil is extracted has a big effect on the quality of the oil as a whole. Find out how they are different so you can choose the best one for you.
Expeller Pressed
An expeller press also called a screw press, is a machine that uses high pressure and friction to press nuts and seeds to get the oil out of them. The seed goes through a space that looks like a barrel, where the temperature can reach 210 F even if no heat is added.
Like the cold press, the expeller press does not use any chemicals to make oil.
Cold Pressed
A cold press is another kind of machine that can be used to get oil without using heat or chemicals. This way of getting oil out has more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than other ways.
Smoke point
When you cook on a gas griddle, the heat will get pretty high, so you need to be aware of the smoke point of the oil you use. When cooking oils are heated above their smoke point, the oil can break down and release harmful chemicals. It can also change the taste of the food.
Make sure that the oil you choose has a high enough smoke point before you buy it. Most of the time, you’ll want to use something with a smoke point of at least 400 °F, and preferably even higher.
If you’re not cooking at low temperatures, it’s best not to use extra virgin olive oil (325°F smoke point) and regular butter (350°F smoke point). As long as you don’t turn the heat up too high, you can use these just fine.
I really think you should get a griddle accessory with an infrared thermometer so you can accurately measure the temperature of the griddle while cooking. This helps make sure you always cook at the right heat.
Also Read:
Neutral vs. flavored oil
Another thing to think about when choosing an oil is whether or not it has a neutral taste. Some cooking oils will not change the taste of the food, while others will add flavor.
This isn’t always a bad thing, since adding these flavors may make the food you’re making taste better. It all depends on what you’re cooking and what you like.
In some dishes, you’ll want the taste of the oil to come through. Sesame oil adds a great flavor to Asian dishes, and many recipes call for it.
Beef tallow has a flavor of its own and can also make other foods taste better. If you don’t want to add any extra flavor to the food, choose a neutral oil that won’t change how it tastes.
To help you choose the best oil, here is a quick list of oils with a smoke point of at least 400 °F and whether or not they are neutral oils.
Frequently asked questions
It’s always a good idea to use oil before you start cooking on a griddle, no matter what you’re trying to make. This will make cooking much easier and more convenient, but it will also make it easier to clean up after you’re done cooking.
When using a griddle pan to cook, oil is one of the most important things you will need, and you will need to use a lot of it for it to do its job well.
Once the oil starts to get hot, it will keep food from sticking to the griddle, which makes cooking much easier. You might even find that the end result tastes much better than it would have if you hadn’t added the spices.
Before you use your griddle for the first time, you should also make sure that it has been properly seasoned. Most griddles will already have salt and pepper on them, but some won’t. Before you start, you should always make sure that it has been seasoned well.
Olive oil is the best oil to cook with because it is healthy and can be used in many different ways. But you’ll need to make sure it’s extra virgin olive oil and not the regular kind.
This means that the oil has not been refined or processed too much. Extra virgin olive oil means that the oil has not been refined, which means it is of a higher quality.
Extra virgin olive oil also has a lot of monounsaturated fats and a few polyunsaturated fatty acids, both of which have been linked by many studies to a healthier heart.
Compared to other oils, olive oil has a low smoking point, which means it is best for cooking at low or medium heat. Additionally, it is one of the healthiest oils for baking.
Avocado oil is one of the best oils to use when cooking at high temperatures on a cast iron griddle. It is the oil on our list with the highest smoking point. It’s also great for cooking a wide range of dishes because it has a neutral flavor that doesn’t change the dish.
Extra virgin olive oil is great for cooking with low heat.
You can season your griddle well with flaxseed oil. You can season your griddle with other high-heat oils, but flaxseed oil is best because it forms a layer of polymerized oil.
Canola oil and vegetable oil are both very similar, and it would be easy to mix them up if they were both on the counter next to each other. Both of these oils are pale yellow, have no taste, are cheap, and have high smoke points, which makes them good for cooking at high temperatures, like frying.
Both of these oils can be used in place of each other. If you tried just the oil, you might notice a slight difference in taste, but the final dish shouldn’t taste or feel any different.
People think that canola oil is better for you because it has less saturated fat than vegetable oil. Canola oil is also one of the few oils that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, and it can help lower levels of bad cholesterol.
Canola oil is a good choice if you want to avoid saturated fat. Other than that, you can cook well with either oil.
Yes, peanut oil or groundnut oil is another kind of oil that can be used on a griddle, but it is usually used in baking.
Cooking sprays use a mixture of oils that help make a “non-stick” barrier between the food and the cooking surface, like a griddle, a frying pan, or a baking sheet. Spray Pam Cooking Spray on your griddle or skillets to keep your pancakes, French toast, and eggs from flipping and to make cleaning up easier.
You can season your griddle with almost any oil that is safe for food, but different oils have different burn times, smoke points, and durability once they are done.
Learn More: Best Vacuum Cleaner Without Beater Bar
Conclusion
These days, most of the best kitchen griddles can be used on both sides. That means you can flip a cast iron reversible griddle over and find a cast iron grill plate on the other side. Because of this, we thought we’d also make a quick note about the best oils for grilling.
The only difference between grilling and griddling is that the bottom of a grill pan has raised ridges instead of being flat and smooth. The raised ridges look like the traditional outdoor griddles you see at summer barbecues. They are great for marking sausages with scorch marks or giving burgers a really smokey flavor.
It’s important to remember that not all cooking oils can be used on a griddle. They have very different smoking points and different kinds of nitric oxide. Now that you know about these things, you can pick the best oil for your cooking needs.
The best oil for a flat-top grill will have a high smoke point because steaks need to be cooked at a high temperature. For grilling, use vegetable oil, canola oil, or olive oil, just like you would for griddling.
This is not a full list by any means. There are a lot of other great oils for cooking, such as peanut, sesame, and flax oil, to name a few. We just think that avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, and coconut oil are the best oils for cooking on a griddle in general.
These are my favorites, but there are many other good choices. Choose the one that works best for you and the dish you’re making!