We can always rely on grill master Bobby Flay for expert hacks to achieve great food. The culinary star has many go-to tips for churning out great hamburgers, like his hands-off rule for perfect grilling and the only two ingredients he uses to season his burgers (salt and pepper). When it comes to cooking up those beefy sammies, Bobby also has one go-to frying oil that he always uses: canola.
Canola oil is, incidentally, Bobby Flay’s favorite cooking oil. He reports using it in almost every case when he’s cooking, due to its high smoking point and flavor neutrality (though he does still use olive as a finishing oil). These qualities also make canola his favorite for frying burgers.
To execute a pan-fried burger Bobby style, the chef recommends beginning with a cast iron pan, though a griddle will also do. The pan should be heated on high, and when the pan shows signs of smoking, only then should the canola oil go in, per Mr. Flay. He generally recommends 1 ½ tablespoons of oil for his burger recipes, which also goes for cooking alt meats like turkey burgers.
Other Bobby Flay burger must-haves
Bobby Flay has had a passion for drive-in food like hamburgers and milkshakes from the time he was a child. As an adult who has budded into one of the most famous chefs of our day, he has put his signature spin on these goodies, including cultivating favorite methods for assembling and consuming burgers — and who are we to quibble?
Crunch is king in Bobby’s kitchen, and one thing he loves is adding a surprise crunchy layer to his hamburgers. Among his various ventures as a restauranteur, the Food Network star owns a chain of burger houses called Bobby’s Burgers, which include some of Flay’s signature creations as showcased on television. His Crunchburger is the featured item at the restaurant and contains the crunchy surprise of a potato chip layer beneath the bun. According to Bobby, the childhood habit of adding chips to a sandwich isn’t a mistake, and every burger and sandwich at Bobby’s Burgers can be customized for “crunchification” with the added chips. The cooking icon heartily recommends chipping up your home burgers, too, and enjoying that perfect, balanced bite of crispy, salty potato chips, gooey cheese, and juicy beef. Bobby additionally crunches up his hamburgers with elements like tortilla chips, coleslaw, or pickles.
When it comes to the indispensable dairy layer on a burger, Bobby’s preference is American cheese, which, again, gives him the throwback flavor he enjoyed in childhood. Anyone who has watched Flay on TV also knows his fondness for spiciness, and he favors adding heat to his burgers as well. This can take the form of pickled jalapeños, as featured in the Nacho Burger at his restaurant, or another Flay go-to like ancho chile powder.
