Culinary star Bobby Flay, who became famous at a relatively young age, is certainly a king of the kitchen — something he’s proven time and again in victorious battles on his Food Network competition show “Beat Bobby Flay.” And when it comes to techniques he uses to win head-to-head cooking contests with other chefs, we’re in luck. In a June 2023 Instagram post, Flay shared how he elevates rice to winning proportions, and it’s by perfectly crisping it. Flay’s crispy rice follows a fairly straightforward technique, using a light oil in a hot skillet to crisp up part of a batch of rice while the rest remains fluffy. What’s nice, too, is that this crisping technique can be applied to many types of rice, elevating the dishes you use it in.
To start, Flay cooks rice and then transfers it to a sheet pan, spreading it out proportionately for even cooling. He puts the pan in a deep freezer to stop the cooking process and allow it to cool completely. In a cast-iron skillet, Flay heats up a healthy amount of oil, and then places his now-cooled rice in the skillet. He adds varying seasonings and herbs, depending what dish his crispy rice will be accompanying. If utilizing fresh herbs, he adds them to the top of the rice but doesn’t incorporate them right away, allowing the bottom rice layer to get adequately crispy before turning the pan’s contents with a spatula. Ultimately, about a third of the rice should be crisp, while the rest retains a fluffy consistency.
Bobby Flay serves up a lot of crispy rice
Crispy rice is a signature Bobby Flay addition to meals that he’s incorporated into an array of dishes, both on the air and off. Regardless of what recipe the rice is accompanying, the key is letting it develop a nice, crisp crust in a hot pan. Some examples that he’s showcased on the Food Network include lime, cilantro, and cardamom crispy rice paired with a spicy Southern peanut chicken soup and crisped-up arroz con pollo (Spanish for “rice with chicken”).
In the restaurant realm, Flay’s signature dishes also showcase crispy rice. Famous among them is his Kale and Wild Mushroom Paella, which became the most-popular entree at his Mediterranean restaurant Gato in New York City, which Flay admitted in a December 2024 TikTok video surprised him because it’s a vegetarian dish. He expected only a few orders of it to be placed per night when he first added it to the restaurant’s menu, but up to 70 orders would come in over the course of just one evening. Flay credits the dish’s popularity to its crispy rice element.
@foodnetwork @Bobby Flay’s Kale and Wild Mushroom Paella was famous at his restaurant, Gato, for a reason 👏👏 #BeatBobbyFlay
♬ original sound – Food Network
Flay also serves up crispy rice at home for his loved ones. One preferred dish, Crispy Coconut-Scallion Rice, is a regular in the Flay household — likely presented family-style since it’s Bobby Flay’s preferred way to serve food when hosting. The recipe is also featured in Flay’s “Bobby at Home” cookbook. Unsurprisingly, the culinary star has pulled out this dish to secure victories in his “Beat Bobby Flay” domain, as well.
