Dutch ovens are a must-have essential for cooking and baking, regardless of your skill level. They are also super user-friendly. Cook on the stove, in the oven, and even outdoors with the help of one cooking medium. To ensure you get off to a good start, we've put together this how-to guide with helpful tips and ideas. Learn how to Dutch oven cook for delicious results, below.

What Can I Cook In a Dutch Oven?

The question is, what can't you cook in a Dutch oven? Layered pasta dishes, creamy stews, crispy bread, tender meats, and steamed or sauteed veggies are just a few examples we touch on in the How to Use a Dutch Oven section. As seen above, you can even use a Dutch oven to roast a whole turkey. If you are limited on kitchen storage space, a Dutch oven is the perfect all-in-one form of cookware for the vast majority of your cooking and baking activities.

Tip!

Reference Dutch Oven Sizes: Everything You Need to Know for helpful information on the right sizes based on the number of people you cook for and the types of food you plan to make.

Starter Tips

A good Dutch oven experience starts with the right preparations. Review these tips to determine how to prepare your Dutch oven before you start cooking or baking with it.

Check Stovetop Compatibility: Be sure to check your product's care instructions to determine if ceramic or aluminum Dutch ovens are compatible with your stovetop type. The “Stove Type Compatibility” filter to the left-hand side of product pages can help you browse options that work with your stovetop.

Wash Before First Use: Wash and rinse your Dutch oven using light dish soap, a sponge, and warm water. This helps remove any chemicals or residue left from the creation process and preps your Dutch oven for seasoning.

Season Your Dutch Oven: After you wash and dry your Dutch oven, there is one more step to ensure a seamless cooking experience. You now need to "season" your Dutch oven to help prolong its lifespan (this process prevents sticking or rusting) and enhance food flavors. Start by preheating your oven in accordance with the type of oil you plan to use. The general rule of thumb is that the oven temperature should be higher than the average smoke point of the oil type (this ensures the oil creates a good seal).

If you plan to season with shortening, preheat your oven to 350℉ to 360℉. For canola oil, preheat the oven to 400℉. Vegetable oil typically requires a preheat temperature between 350℉ to 400℉. Then, use a paper towel to coat the interior of the Dutch oven and its lid with either shortening, vegetable oil, or canola oil. You can use other oils like flaxseed or peanut oil if necessary.

Always make sure to refrain from using butter or olive oil. This rings true whether you are cooking with a cast-iron Dutch oven or one made with ceramic or aluminum materials. Although you can cook with them later on, we don't recommend them for the seasoning process. This is because they aren't as effective for coating and tend to leave an odd smell on coating surfaces. Once your oven preheats, place the lid and the Dutch oven (upside-down) in the oven on baking sheets to catch any oil residue. Keep it in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour. Then allow components to cool and you're good to go!

Wash and re-season your Dutch oven periodically to ensure it maintains its protective coat.

How to Use a Dutch Oven

The Dutch oven is a king of multipurpose. A huge benefit of cooking with a Dutch oven is that the whole pot can go directly from the stovetop to the oven.

On the Stovetop

There are so many options for how to Dutch oven cook on your stovetop. Cast-iron Dutch ovens can go on electric, gas, or induction stovetops.

Stewing, Braising, and Simmering: Soups, stews, and braises call for long cooking times and low temperatures, to allow all the flavors to meld together as the meat and vegetables get tender and moist. Therefore, because of its ability to maintain low temperatures over long periods of time, a Dutch oven should be your go-to when it comes to stewing, braising, and simmering. The Dutch oven's heavy lid is essential for keeping moisture from evaporating out of such flavorful dishes.

Tip!

Wondering if you need a Dutch oven or a slow-cooker? Discover the strengths of each cooking method in Dutch Oven vs. Slow Cooker: Which One Do You Need?

Searing: A Dutch oven's cast-iron material is perfect for searing. You can get it smoking hot on the stovetop and brown your meat directly in it before braising it at a low temperature. It's a true one-pot wonder.

Boiling: Because of its size, a Dutch oven can also function just like your typical large cooking pot. You can use it to boil pasta, make rice, and even poach chicken.

Frying: Fry oil also must be heated to a very high temperature, and because of their durability under high heat, Dutch ovens are optimal fryers. Dutch ovens can also heat oil evenly, allowing you to easily control the temperature while cooking. However, not all Dutch ovens can be safely used at frying temperatures, so be sure to check with the manufacturer first.

Reducing: Because of its size and radiant heating capabilities, an uncovered Dutch oven allows for the even, rapid evaporation of liquids. Therefore, they’re ideal for making sauces and concentrates.

In the Oven

Learn more about using a Dutch oven for cooking in a standard household oven, below:

Roasting: As with stovetop braising and stewing, good moisture levels are essential to achieving a tender oven roast. The Dutch oven’s winning combination of even, consistent heat capabilities and a snug heavy lid enables it to produce perfectly juicy oven-roasted meats and vegetables.

Baking: Dutch ovens have also long been used to bake bread and other oven-baked goods. Their radiant heat acts similarly to the stone hearth of a bread or pizza oven. When baking breads, the lid holds in moisture and steam, which creates a desirably crispy crust. When cooking foods like casseroles, a Dutch oven’s ability to heat meat and aromatics on a stovetop and then be transferred to an oven to bake is key.

Tip!

Learn About the Best Dutch Ovens for Bread to support your bread-baking goals!

Outdoors

You can cook with a Dutch oven outdoors, whether you plan to go camping, use your backyard fire pit, or even your grill. If you plan to cook with your Dutch oven outdoors, choose a cast-iron version because the enamel-coated options can't go over an open fire. Some Dutch ovens have lid-lifter features that are perfect for carefully transferring them on and off of the fire.

For activities like braising meat or baking bread outdoors, place your Dutch oven directly on top of fire-heated charcoal chips. Then, cover the lid with charcoal chips (or heated wood). This technique creates the right balance of heat. For stews, sautees, and other types of cooking, you only need heat from below. So you can place your Dutch oven directly on top of heated coals or suspend it over the open fire. To cool or simmer, we recommend placing Dutch ovens on a campfire grate above the fire or raising the height if you’re using the hanging method.

Get more information on how to clean Dutch Ovens in our What Is a Dutch Oven? guide. Review our guide on cast-iron cleaning methods if you have a cast-iron Dutch oven.

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