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heating a wok until dry
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4.95 from 100 votes

How to Season a Wok

While we think carbon steel is the best overall material for a wok, carbon steel woks do require seasoning before use. Here's how to to do it.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: How to and cooking methods
Cuisine: Chinese
Author: Bill

Ingredients

  • carbon steel wok
  • heavy duty aluminum foil
  • gas stove or outside burner (gas is best, though you can also do this on an electric stove)
  • oven mitt or dry kitchen towel
  • scrub sponge or scouring pad
  • paper towel (for wiping oil onto the wok)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

  • If your wok has wooden handles, wrap them in heavy duty aluminum foil to prevent them from burning.
  • Set your wok on your stove set to the highest heat. Make sure you clear the stove area, because things will get quite hot. Keep a dry kitchen towel handy or better yet, a silicon/heatproof kitchen mitt in case the wok handles get too hot.
  • Once the wok heats up, it will start turning a dark brown color and begin to smoke. This indicates that the residual oils from the wok are burning off. Next, the wok will begin superheating and the impurities from those industrial oils will burn off. Tilt the wok to superheat one area at a time, until the entire wok surface has taken on a blue tint.
  • Turn off the burner and set the wok back on the stove to cool for a few minutes. Carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water into the wok to cool it off.
  • When your wok is completely cooled, move it to your sink and give it a light scrubbing (you can use a small amount of dish soap). Rinse your wok thoroughly with clean water. You may see some dark spots in the metal from impurities in the carbon steel, but this is nothing to worry about.
  • Wipe down the excess water with a paper towel and place the wok back on the burner to dry it over medium high heat.
  • After the wok is thoroughly dried, add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok over low heat. Spread the oil around the wok by tilting it until you get an even coating. Turn off the heat and use a twice-folded paper towel to begin wiping down the wok. Use your wok spatula to start since the wok will be hot.
  • Repeat this wash/dry process one more time (and each time you use your wok) and your new carbon steel wok is ready for cooking your favorite dishes!