Home › Home & Kitchen › Kitchen & Dining › Cookware › Grill Pans How to Use a Grill Pan Published: July 9, 2026 · Updated: July 9, 2026
Preheat the empty pan until it's properly hot, oil the food rather than the pan, lay it on the ridges and leave it undisturbed so it sears, then turn it once to get a crosshatch. The raised ridges give the char marks and let fat drain away, but they only work on a pan that's hot enough and food that's dry.
Recommended Preheat hot, oil the food, don't move it until it releases, turn once — cook dry food in batches — A grill pan mimics a barbecue by searing food on hot metal ridges while the grooves catch fat, so the results depend on real heat and leaving the food alone to develop marks. Heat the empty pan over medium-high for a few minutes until a drop of water dances and evaporates fast; a lukewarm pan steams food grey instead of searing it. Brush or toss oil onto the food, not the pan — oiling the ridges just smokes and burns — and pat the food dry, since surface moisture stops browning. Lay pieces across the ridges and then leave them: they'll stick at first and release cleanly once seared, so don't fiddle. For a crosshatch, rotate each piece 90° halfway through the first side, then flip once to cook the second side. Don't crowd the pan, which drops the heat and steams; cook in batches. Because a grill pan smokes at high heat, use good ventilation. Afterwards, let it cool, scrub the ridges with a stiff brush, and re-oil if it's cast iron. Use tongs, not a fork, so juices stay in the food.
