80 cast iron recipes

Quick cast-iron charred vegetables with corn, zucchini, and bell peppers in lemon-herb dressing. A 15-minute summer side dish with smoky, caramelized edges.

Blackened chicken breast seared in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet with a Cajun-style spice blend of paprika, cumin, thyme, and red pepper, then finished in the oven. No butter needed.

Whole wheat batter bakes up around juicy peaches and plump blueberries in this cast-iron skillet cobbler with golden edges and fruit bubbling through tender cake.

Spiced hamburgers with chili powder, cumin, and cracked black pepper seared in cast iron, served with a shallot red wine pan sauce. Restaurant-style burgers at home.

Tarte Tatin with a nutty oatmeal crust: apples caramelized in butter and brown sugar in a cast-iron skillet, baked under the crust, then flipped to reveal the glossy upside-down apple tart.

Sizzling Sichuan scallops wok-tossed with ginger, garlic, chili paste, and crunchy cucumber, then poured hot onto a screaming cast iron platter at the table. Pure drama.

A Cajun classic with browned chicken simmered alongside fresh corn scraped from the cob, tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper in a cast iron pot. Louisiana soul food at its best.

A campfire coffee cake made in a cast iron Dutch oven with charcoal. Bisquick batter over pie filling, topped with cinnamon sugar and butter. Wake up the whole campsite with this one.

Upside-Down Pineapple-Raisin-Carrot Cake bakes a spiced carrot batter over caramelized pineapple rings and raisins in a cast iron skillet. Two classics in one.

Orange-scented sweet crepes rolled around a cinnamon-sugared cottage cheese filling. A Central European-style blintz made in a cast iron skillet, served for breakfast or dessert.

Potato pudding baked in a cast iron skillet with grated raw potatoes, crispy bacon, eggs, and evaporated milk. A savory, custard-like dish with crispy edges from the iron pan.

Cajun prime rib roasted with a thick crust of black pepper, garlic, and onion, then chilled and sliced into steaks for blackening in a screaming hot cast iron skillet. A two-day showstopper.

Chicken fried steak Dupree pounds chuck steak thin, dredges in flour and saltine crumbs, then fries crisp and finishes with onion-cream gravy. Classic Southern comfort food cooked in cast iron.

Louisiana chicken gumbo with stewing hen, andouille sausage, oysters, and file powder built in a cast iron pot. Browned-hen fond, holy trinity, and oyster liquor give this gumbo serious depth.

Blackened Cajun prime rib: a 10-pound roast seasoned with pepper, garlic, and onion, roasted, chilled, then sliced into steaks and seared in a white-hot cast iron skillet until charred and crusty.

Authentic Cajun blackened chicken with a spicy Paul Prudhomme-style seasoning rub. Cast-iron skillet seared at smoking-hot temperatures for the signature charred crust. Best done outdoors or under a commercial vent.