How to Clean Oven Trays with Burnt-On Grease (It’s Hard to Avoid Some Scrubbing)

I’m just gonna keep it 100 with you. When your oven tray goes through several rounds of juicy chicken thighs, things get ugly. Either juices seep through the baking paper, or you simply misjudge the amount needed.

I've made all the same mistakes everyone else has. We all want black grease to come off with just some oven cleaner and a gentle scrub. But the truth is, you kind of just need to get down and dirty with it...

If your tray has gone from shiny to pitch black, I’m with you. You shouldn't feel bad about it. It’s just what comes with cooking tasty food that makes life actually enjoyable.

Here are some general items you'll need

• A tough metal-safe scrubbing pad. This is probably the most crucial element on this list. In my experience, all cleaners are secondary to some actual elbow grease when it comes to oven trays.
• Boiling water. Don’t worry, you’re not going to be putting this in the oven. It’s just to soak the tray in so the job becomes a little easier to do.
• Gloves. I personally just don’t like the feeling I get after handling oily stuff. That said, if you don’t mind it, paper towels absorb oils very well off your hand.
• Organic cleaning liquid or any natural cleaning product you prefer. This just helps you glide across the tray more seamlessly. There's no avoiding actual scrubbing so you may as well pick a cleaner that’s healthier than the others.

Optional:

• Dish soap
• Baking soda
• Nylon-bristled brush (if you have an enamel-coated tray - more on this later).

The quickest way to clean a tray if the grease is still fresh or only mildly burnt:

Place your tray in the sink and plug the drain

 Then boil enough water to fully cover the tray, or at least most of it.

Add 4-5 pumps of your organic cleaner directly into the sink before adding hot water

 If you don’t have that, a few squeezes of dish soap will also do. The idea here isn’t to magically dissolve all of the grease. That's simply unrealistic. It does, however, soften things up and smoothen out the next step.

Allow the tray to soak for 5 to 10 minutes

 Then turn on the cold tap to cool the solution down. From here, you can safely unplug your sink stopper.

Scrub Freely

 You can now grab your scrubbing pad and go at it freely in any motion you’d like. As long as you’re applying decent pressure, you should start seeing some signs of recovery.

This is all you need to do for the majority of medium-level baking tray disasters. One tip I will give you though is to do this right after baking. Think of this as the optimal time when the grease is most vulnerable. Be sure to add cold water before you touch these trays because they’re a serious burn hazard.

What do you do when it’s gone full black

If your tray looks very bad, you'll need to take a more intensive approach. Baked-on fat and crystallized sugar built up over months can make cleaning a real chore. Here's the method to get through it efficiently:

Plug your sink and fill with hot tap water

 We're not using boiling water since this will need a 30-minute soak. Toss in a few pumps of dishwashing liquid and a few tablespoons of baking soda so it starts fizzing. This combination works better than natural cleaners for heavy buildup.

Let the tray soak for 30 minutes

 The increased time under water is the reason you don’t go with boiling. Prolonged high temperatures can cause stainless steel and aluminium trays to warp. 

Use cold water to cool it down and scrub the tray under running water

Different trays should be dealt with differently, so I’ve made this list to help determine your tray type.

Quick tell-tale signs if you’re not sure what kind of tray you have:

Stainless Steel: These trays are shiny and smooth with a mirror-like finish. They generally don’t rust, and they may get slightly discoloured over time.

Aluminium: These are light in the hand and have a dull silver finish. They can feel soft or bendable. They might darken or develop white spots over time, but they will never rust.

Enamel-Coated Steel: These usually have a glossy and sometimes speckled coating. They’re usually heavier and if they get chipped, you’ll see a dark metal surface exposed underneath.

Non-Stick: These ones are pretty easy to tell. If you’ve got a slippery dark grey or black coating, it’s probably a non-stick Teflon tray. These are usually very smooth to the touch until they start to flake and wear out.

Here’s a quick checklist on what to do for each tray type:

Stainless Steel

• ✓ Steel wool is okay. Stainless steel isn’t prone to scratching so you can scrub away here.
• ✓ Baking soda is an optional enhancement for your clean.

Aluminum

• ✗ Do not use steel wool. It will scratch your surface.
• ✗ If you’re thinking about using vinegar, steer clear. It will react with this metal.
• ✓ Use a soft sponge and baking soda paste. Mix baking soda with a little water to form a paste if you’d like some extra cleaning power.
• ✓ Avoid forceful scouring if you can.

Enamel-Coated

• ✗ No metal scrubbers. It can very easily chip the tray and expose the bare metal underneath.
• ✓ Try a warm water soak with a spoonful of baking soda mixed in. This is a decent technique to help loosen stuck bits of food without damaging the surface.
• ✓ Use a nylon-bristled brush. These are firmer than a regular sponge but still gentle enough to avoid scratching.
• ✓ Always wipe it dry after you use them. This helps prevent cracks or rust in areas where moisture might linger.

Non-Stick

• ✗ Absolutely do not use any abrasives.
• ✓ Stick with the warm soapy water soak from the steps above. And soft cloths only for drying.
• ✓ Replace the tray ASAP when you notice any roughness. Especially if you discover any loose coating flakes in your food.

A quick note on non-stick trays

The benefit of non-stick trays is that the Teflon makes it much less likely for burnt-on grease to occur. According to the FDA, intact non-stick coatings are generally safe. 

PFAS are tightly bound during manufacturing, so there's little risk of them leaching into food. PFAS are man-made chemicals that give non-stick coatings their grease, water and stick-resistant properties.

The catch is, this only holds if the surface stays smooth. Once the surface starts to flake, tear, or lose its integrity, the tray needs to be replaced. No amount of scrubbing here is worth any of that coating going into your food.

Assuming everything’s still normal, use warm water, a soft sponge, and gentle products only. Don't use your usual cleaning routine here. It won’t end well.

How to Never Deal with Crusty Trays Again (Your Future Self Will Thank You)

The good news among all this is once your tray is restored, you’ll never have to go through that nightmare again.

New Life Rules for Your Tray

Line it up like a pro. Baking paper or silicone mats are your tray's best friends. Think of them as protective armor against whatever you're cooking.

The 30-second save. Right after cooking while the tray's still warm, give it a quick wipe. You don't need to full-on clean it, just give it a quick clean. This tiny habit will save you from having to go through the intensive cleaning routine above.

Never do an overnight soak. Cold water + time = grease that's basically welded into your tray. If you’re doing any soaking, use hot water or don't bother at all.

Don’t stack greasy trays together. Dirty trays pressed together just create unnecessary sticky mess on both sides.

The Burning Questions (Literally)

What's the nuclear option for really disgusting trays? Boiling water, dish soap, and baking soda are your holy trinity. Soak it for around 30 minutes and then scrub it based on the material of your tray.

Can I always avoid turning my tray into a cat-scratched mess? Honestly, you need to balance cleanliness with avoiding scratches. You’re almost always going to have baking paper or foil over your tray anyway. At that point, I'd rather accept a few scratches than deal with permanently greasy trays.

Will my soda crystals and essential oils save my burnt tray? Natural cleaners are great for maintenance, but not the best for disasters. Burnt grease needs some actual physical work put into it. That’s just what I’ve learned from experience.

Why does my 'clean' tray still smell bad? Hidden grease inside microscopic scratches can go bad or it could be other food residues. This is pretty common for trays that haven’t been cleaned for a long time.

Enamel-coated trays have this problem the most as the cracks can easily absorb odours. I suggest adding sliced lemons or a few tablespoons of lemon juice to hot water (not boiling). And then doing a 20-30 minute soak. You’ll also want to do a thorough air dry afterwards once the antibacterial citric acid has done its job.

Still Got a Few Spots Left on the Kitchen Bench?

Your trays are all good now. Why not take a look around to see what else we can freshen up?

Let's go with the logical next step: oven glass doors. See here how to clean them for spots and grime.

Stovetops are no less important. They could probably do with a quick wipe-down.

Rangehood filters next, maybe? They’re quietly collecting grease every time you cook. Give them a good soak to wash out the grime.

Now what about your wooden cutting board? That's a really easy win. Give it a quick clean while you’re at it.

Finally, your kettle. When was the last time you scrubbed out the limescale? Let’s give the bottom a proper clean.