Buying & care
How to Season a Clay Tagine (Step by Step)
A brand-new clay tagine is fragile until it has been seasoned, or cured. Seasoning soaks the porous clay, drives moisture into its structure and lays down a thin protective film of oil, all of which strengthen the pot and make it far less likely to crack the first time it meets heat. The process takes a few hours, most of it unattended, and it only has to be done thoroughly once.
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- Guide
- Buying & care
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Season a new clay tagine before its first meal — unseasoned clay cracks easily on the flame.
- Soak, oil, then slow-bake: the three steps that cure the clay.
- Always cool the tagine slowly and avoid thermal shock, before and after seasoning.
- Lightly re-oil the interior every so often to keep an unglazed tagine in good condition.
Why seasoning matters
Clay is porous and, straight from the kiln, brittle. Water and oil worked into that porous body before cooking do two useful things: the absorbed water lets the clay expand and contract more gently when heated, and the baked-in oil seals the surface, reducing how much liquid and flavour the pot soaks up during cooking. Skipping this step is the most common reason a first tagine cracks.
Seasoning matters most for unglazed clay, which is fully porous, but even a lightly glazed cooking tagine benefits from a gentle first cure and a careful, low-heat first use. A fully glazed or enamelled pot needs no seasoning.
The step-by-step method
Set aside an afternoon; the active work is only a few minutes at each stage.
- Soak: submerge both base and lid in cold water for two to three hours, or overnight for a large pot.
- Dry: let the tagine air-dry completely so the surface is no longer wet to the touch.
- Oil: rub the entire inside of the base and lid with a thin coat of olive oil.
- Bake: place it in a cold oven, set to a low 150C, and let it warm for about two hours.
- Cool: turn the oven off and leave the tagine inside until fully cool before removing.
First use and keeping it seasoned
For the first few dishes, favour recipes with plenty of liquid and keep the heat low, always using a heat diffuser on gas or electric. Bring the pot up to temperature gradually and never move a hot tagine onto a cold surface or add cold liquid to a hot pot, as sudden temperature swings are what crack cured clay.
Over time, wash the tagine by hand with little or no soap, dry it fully, and every so often rub a little oil into the interior of an unglazed pot to maintain its seal. If you ever see the surface looking dry and thirsty, repeat a light soak-and-oil. For the wider care routine and buying advice, see caring for Moroccan clay cookware and the tagine pot guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to season a new clay tagine?
Yes, if it is unglazed or lightly glazed clay. Seasoning soaks and oils the porous clay so it resists cracking and absorbs less liquid during cooking. Only fully glazed or enamelled tagines can skip it, though a gentle first use still helps.
How do you season a clay tagine for the first time?
Soak the base and lid in cold water for two to three hours, dry them fully, rub the interior with olive oil, then bake in a cold oven set to about 150C for two hours and let it cool inside. This cures the clay before its first meal.
Can you season a tagine on the stovetop instead of the oven?
You can, but the oven is gentler and more even. If you must use a hob, soak and oil as normal, then heat very slowly over a diffuser on the lowest setting for an hour, never letting the clay get a sudden blast of heat.
How often should you re-season a clay tagine?
There is no fixed schedule. Re-oil the interior of an unglazed tagine whenever it looks dry, and give it an occasional soak-and-oil if it sees heavy use. A well-kept tagine needs only light upkeep between meals rather than a full re-cure.