Woks need seasoning—not the salt and pepper kind, rather the protective layers on the surface of the wok built up over time. Seasoning not only protects your wok from rust but also enhances its cooking performance over time by making it non-stick. Read on for how to season a new wok and how to maintain a wok after each use.

How to season a new wok

Step 1 – Identify the wok material

First, you must identify the material of your wok. This will inform you on which steps to continue through and which ones you can skip.

• Carbon Steel: The most common and highly recommended material. It’s lightweight and develops a patina easily.
• Cast Iron: Heavier but retains heat well. Not common since its heavy weight is counterintuitive to stir frying.
• Stainless Steel: Does not require seasoning but benefits from regular cleaning to prevent sticking. Not a common wok material.

Bluing is the process of heating a carbon steel wok until it develops a blue or golden hue. Some woks come pre-blued, while others require this step. If you have a carbon steel wok, check your wok’s label or appearance:

• Pre-blued (pre-seasoned) woks: These woks have already been heated at the factory to prepare the surface. The surface of your wok is a dark color that may have a bluish tint. You can skip the bluing in step 3 and proceed directly to washing and seasoning.
• Non-blued woks: If your wok has a shiny, silvery surface, it needs to be blued before seasoning.

The wok pictured in this post is from Oxenforge, made from carbon steel and pre-blued.

Science of seasoning: Carbon steel and cast iron need to be seasoned because they are porous materials, meaning their surfaces can trap oil. This trapped oil polymerizes when heated, creating the non-stick patina.

Step 2 – Wash with soap and water

New woks are typically coated with a protective factory oil to prevent rust. Use warm water, dish soap, and a scouring pad or bamboo brush to scrub the oil off thoroughly. Make sure to wash both inside and out. Dry the wok thoroughly with a towel.

Step 3 – Blue the wok (if required)

You’ll need a powerful gas stove for this step, since the metal much reach 550F to oxidize. If your wok needs bluing, place it over your stove’s highest heat until it starts to change color, turning a bluish-gray. The metal may first turn a golden-orange hue, continue heating until the entire surface of the wok is a blue color. Move the wok around to ensure even heating all the way up the sides. This process may take upwards of 30 minutes. Once the entire surface has changed color, allow it to cool for 5 minutes before proceeding to the next step.

If you see smoke while bluing, this means there is residual oil that needs to be washed off. Stop the process and let the wok cool, wash it thoroughly with soap and dry thoroughly with a towel before resuming.

Science of seasoning: Heating the carbon steel to a high temperature alters its molecular structure and creates an oxidized layer of black iron oxide (magnetite), allowing oil to adhere during seasoning.

Step 4 – Oil the wok

It’s important to understand the type of stove you have and how it heats the wok. Round bottom woks require flames, so a gas stove, live fire, or wok burner are your best options. Flat bottom woks may be compatible with electric stoves, however I find them inadvisable with induction stoves since they require direct contact and create hotspots. Take caution when drying or heating your wok with an electric stove since they

Set your dry wok over the stove on high heat. Once you see wisps of smoke, add 1/4 cup of high smoke point oil (canola, grapeseed, peanut oil) and some aromatics or vegetable trimmings. I might use an old onion, cabbage butts, carrot peels, this will be discarded later. Swirl the hot oil to coat the inside of the pan, frying until the aromatics are browned. Pour off the oil and solids and allow the wok to cool for 5 minutes.

Science of seasoning: Immersive seasoning methods allow the oil to heat and polymerize over a larger area at once, speeding up the seasoning process while also infusing the wok with a slight aroma from the stir-fried ingredients.

Step 5 – Wash the wok (no soap this time)

Rinse the wok well with warm water, no soap necessary this time. After rinsing, place it back over the stove to dry completely.

Science of seasoning: Water left on the wok’s surface can lead to steam pockets during seasoning, disrupting the polymerization process and creating uneven seasoning.

Step 6 – Apply a thin layer of oil

Rinse the wok well with warm water, no soap necessary this time. After rinsing, place it back over the stove on medium heat to dry completely. Once the wok is dry, apply a few drops of high smoke point oil with a paper towel. Don’t be tempted to apply a thick coat of oil, since it will be more likely to flake off after future use. Although not necessary, I like to add a thin layer of oil to outside of the wok as well to protect from rust the first time I season it.

Science of seasoning: Over time, cooking with oil-rich foods will build additional tiny layers of seasoning to further enhance the wok’s non-stick properties.

How to clean and maintain a seasoned wok

After each use, clean the wok with hot water and a soft sponge or bamboo brush. Avoid soap when possible, as it can strip the seasoning. It’s also advised to avoid abrasives like steel scrubbers, since they will also remove the finish. Dry the wok thoroughly on the stove and apply a light coat of oil with a paper towel before storing.

Ready to put that wok to use? Check out my recipe for Salt Fried Pork.