8 Substitutes: You Can Use Instead of a Dutch Oven

It is okay if you do not have a dutch oven. Understandably, this is not stapled cookware that you can see for all households due to it being expensive. Do not worry, though, because there are other types of cookware that you can use to replace the dutch oven.

Listed below are the dutch oven substitutes that you can use instead.

Air Fryer

An air fryer is a healthy way of frying food. It is a small kitchen appliance with the same result as deep-frying without cooking oil but hot air instead.

PROS	CONS
Easy to use and easy to clean	Quite expensive
Healthy meals	Dry food all the time
Portable	Power cable is short

Ceramic Pot

You can also use a ceramic pot to replace a dutch oven if you do not have one. With a ceramic pot, you can cook macaroni and cheese, soup, stew, and other dishes.

PROS	CONS
Can serve food directly from the oven	Fragile and Sensitive
Non-stick	More expensive compared to other non-stick pans
Easy to clean and lightweight	Not dishwasher and oven-safe

Deep Frying Pan

You can use a deep frying pan in place of a dutch oven to fry meats such as chicken, steak, pork, and you can also use it to make sauces and gravies.

Aside from that, you can use a deep frying pan for cooking pasta dishes, stews, roasts, and other desserts with sauce.

Frying pans come in various sizes, which you can use depending on your preference. However, they are naturally shallow compared to the dutch ovens. Despite being shallow, it still serves as a good alternative for a dutch oven, especially if you intend to cook cobblers, fruit pies, and macaroni and cheese.

PROS	CONS
Less expensive	Shallow, thus, not enough space for a huge quantity of food
Accessible as it is almost always available at local stores and even online	Often times not-oven safe and cannot withstand extremely high heat temperature
Recommended to use for browning meat	Not all frying pans come with lid covers

Electric Fryer

An electric fryer, also known as the deep fryer, is also a good alternative for a dutch oven. As its name implies, it is a fryer that must be plugged into a convenience outlet to operate.

PROS	CONS
Considered to be economical	Not a healthy choice as it requires a lot of oil to deep fry
Improved flavor and texture of the food	Boiling oil can be dangerous and can cause harm and injury
Faster cooking	Messy and high maintenance

Pressure Cooker

A pressure cooker is also an excellent substitute for a dutch oven, especially when making soups, stews, roasts, rice, pasta, steamed meats and vegetables, and more. And sometimes, it does more than what a dutch oven can.

It is the perfect type of cookware, especially when you are in a hurry or too busy to prepare longer time. Sometimes, a pressure cooker can help you finish a dish in less than an hour.

PROS	CONS
Saves energy and less cooking time	Do not allow you to check your food if it is ready
Durable	Quick to overcook items
Helps preserve the vitamins and nutrients	Take time to learn how to operate

Roasting Pan

A roasting pan is also considered to be an excellent dutch oven alternative. As the name implies, it is often used to roast chickens and turkeys.

Moreover, it is also good to use when baking dressing and casseroles and a massive quantity of desserts such as apple crisps, mac and cheese, and many more. It can stay inside the oven for quite a long while and withstand high heat temperatures.

PROS	CONS
Can cook large servings of food	Usually do not have lid covers
Versatile; food rack is also removable	Cannot be used directly for browning food
Durable, Sturdy, and can withstand high heat temperature	Cannot be used to serve dishes on the table

Stockpot

Another good substitute for a dutch oven is a stockpot. It is also versatile as it can do multiple tasks usually executed by a dutch oven.

A stockpot also has tall sidings, perfect for large servings of dishes. It can accommodate vast amounts of rice, pasta, vegetables, soups, and sauces.

Like a dutch oven, it also comes in various sizes that you can use depending on the quantity of serving you will prepare.

Unlike a dutch oven that will still require you to transfer in an oven to perfectly brown the meat, you can use this stockpot on the stovetop alone; you will only need to reduce the heat temperature, though.

A stockpot is one of the deepest cookware you may encounter, and it also comes with a tight-fitting lid cover. Moreover, aside from being too deep, it is also wide and has a flat-bottom surface with two small handles resembling an ear, making it easy to carry.

PROS	CONS
Very lightweight	Makes it difficult to store due to its tall height
Wide-mouthed and deep	Not short-people friendly as it may be difficult for them to see the bottom
Comes in various sizes and usually large	Not advisable if you prefer to make a dish from the oven transferred to the table

Wok

Instead of a dutch oven, you can use a wok pan to roast chicken and cook french fries, steak, or any stir-fried food. You could even sear and cook a roast in a wok!

PROS	CONS
Wider cooking surface	Quite heavy
Versatile	Not a good heat conductor
Long lifespan	Handle can get too hot

Summary

These 8 types of cookware are just a few of the many dutch oven substitutes you can choose from. You can select which one you prefer the most and which one is more applicable for the recipe you are trying to cook.