Pie Irons: What Are They and How Do You Use Them?

Pie irons are a brilliant addition to any campfire cookout or for adding a bit of adventure to an open fire dinner when lockdown life starts to get you down.

The long handles make pie irons perfect for cooking with (real) fire as they keep your dish toasty without needing to worry about burned fingers, while the closing mechanism keeps your ingredients securely over the flames… Not falling onto your hot coals!

Although they’re named after the pie… Pie irons are incredibly versatile. Perfect for a quality grilled cheese at a campout and a great way to inject some fun for dessert when used to make tasty (sweet) treats using your log burner at home. You can even use one for campfire pizza or tacos!

What is a pie iron? 

A pie iron is made from two shallow metal or cast-iron bowls that fit together to create a ‘box’ for your food to cook in. These bowls are attached to long handles that allow you to hold your dinner over an open fire without worrying about burning your hands.

To use a pie iron, simply fill the bottom bowl with your ingredients, secure them together tightly, and use the handles to hold the pie iron over heat.

Pie irons are a great utensil to bring camping and are usually compact and portable for off-grid cooking. Many pie irons even feature removable handles for easy storage.

What is a pie iron good for?  

Don’t let the restrictive name fool you… Pie irons are incredibly versatile and an excellent piece of cookware to own, especially if you regularly go camping or enjoy cooking on a fire.

You can cook almost anything in a pie iron.

Start with a starch (for example, mashed potato, bread, or dough) as a base layer, then your fillings, then a top of the same starch you used at the bottom. Doing this helps keep your filling ingredients secure in the pie iron and provides you with delicious, perfectly cooked food.

Seasoning

It’s vital to properly season your cast-iron pie iron before use.

This process gives a cast-iron cooking utensil its non-stick properties and is really easy. Some pie irons (like those from Uno Casa: https://unocasa.com/products/pie-iron) come pre-seasoned… But it’s still good to get into the habit of seasoning cast-iron cookware.

To season your pie iron, all you need is some vegetable oil or shortening (NOT butter)…

1. First, clean your pie iron thoroughly with warm water and soap, then dry it completely.
2. Next, coat the iron with your chosen fat.
3. Place your fat-coated pie iron over an open flame for approximately 15 minutes.
4. When the pie iron starts smoking, take it off the heat and wipe out the inside of the pot (you can just use a paper towel for this, but be careful as the pan will still be hot!).
5. Once clean, add another coat of fat and return it to the fire until it starts smoking again.
6. After the second heating, allow the pie iron to cool completely before adding a final coat of oil or shortening.

Once you’ve successfully seasoned your pie iron, you shouldn’t need to season it again unless you leave it unused for a long time or you spot rust appearing.

How to use a pie iron

Pie iron cooking is one of the easiest ways to create tasty treats wherever you are! All you’ll need is a roaring fire, some ingredients, your pie iron, and butter or oil for greasing.

1. Grease the inside of your pie iron with butter or oil to prevent your food from sticking. This also provides a toasty and crisp finish.
2. Build a sandwich-like dish with starch, fillings, starch
3. If you’re new to pie iron cooking, it’s a good idea to leave the food on the heat for a little longer than you expect to ensure everything doesn’t fall apart when you try to take it out!
4. Be sure to clean your pie iron thoroughly after use and add an extra coat of oil before storing it to avoid rust or damage.

Pie Iron Recipes

Pie irons are perfect for grilled cheeses or DIY pies, but there really are unlimited pie iron recipes you can experiment with!

We like to keep things straightforward and fun with store-bought crescent rolls and fruity pie fillings with Nutella for sweet treats. Improve your classic grilled cheese by adding gourmet cheeses and yummy cured meats like Chorizo (blue cheese and apple slices are also delicious grilled cheese fillings).

Pie Iron Cooking

Your pie iron is likely to quickly become your favorite cooking utensil both at home and when enjoying the great outdoors. Let us know your favorite pie iron recipes in the comments, and keep playing with your food to find the perfect flavor combinations!