The 1 Thing You Should Grill This Summer, According to Bobby Flay

This is the side dish refresh we didn’t know we needed…but are so glad we now have! 😎

Bobby Flay has said that his last meal would be a cheeseburger (“with two slices of American cheese”). And the “most signature dish that I have” is the shrimp and roasted garlic tamale that’s become a staple on the menu at all of his Mesa Grill restaurants. He also revealed to our pals at Allrecipes that chicken “is sort of ‘my protein.’”

So with all of that in mind, you might imagine the item Flay plans to grill the most this summer might be beef, chicken, or seafood. But something else is taking center stage even more often, the chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and Food Network star told us in an exclusive interview.

“People ask me all the time, ‘chef, do you ever cook at home?’ I cook at home all the time, especially in the summertime,” Flay confirmed, as we caught up with him via Zoom from his home kitchen. “I’m actually out at my house in the Hamptons right now, gearing up for Memorial Day weekend because my house is going to be filled with people.” 

The other people might be inside. But if you’re looking for Flay, he will be outside—cooking a grate menu.

The 1 Thing You Should Grill This Summer, According to Bobby Flay

Since we had just wrapped up research to debut our guide to 10 2024 grilling trends that are totally hot (and 3 that are fizzling), and since Flay had just been tapped by Pepsi to collaborate for their “Grills Night Out” campaign, we couldn’t resist asking Flay what he might cooking over fire—besides the three brand-new recipes he shared with Pepsi.

“All summer long, I cook lots of things, and it’s always family-style. If there’s a bunch of people coming over, I have to have variety. If I just cook one particular thing, there might be someone who’s a vegetarian or vegan or who doesn’t eat meat or doesn’t eat fish, so I really mix it up,” Flay said.

So while he likes to offer a variety of main dishes, including “things like 16-spice chicken, seafood or shrimp, and usually some kind of pork or beef,” Flay said that he’s giving his menu a fresh makeover this year.

To be thoughtful and accommodating to guests who might have different dietary preferences or food allergies, “I cook a lot more vegetables on the grill than I used to. Lots of grilled zucchini, grilled corn…”

Grilled vegetables are a food trend we continue to see on the rise, and honestly, it’s one we hope never gets extinguished. From steak-like slabs of cabbage and cauliflower to skewers of tender squash, the versatility in terms of flavor and texture makes it easy to build a colorful and crowd-pleasing menu. Plus, we can use the farmers market as your guide to what’s freshest and best, and adjust the starting line-up as late spring shifts to summer, then to fall and harvest season.

So which vegetable reigns supreme this season, according to Flay?

“I always bring a lot of flavor to the party,” he continued. To do just that, “I always make some sort of grilled potato salad for sure,” he explained. 

Normally, potatoes can be a bit ho-hum, and their mild flavor sings back-up to the more aggressive seasonings, dressings, and herbs they’re often tossed with. But when you cook potatoes on the grill, you infuse their fluffy flesh with smoky flavor. Grilling potatoes also frees up space on the stove or in the oven if you have other dishes that rely on that kitchen real estate. And as a big bonus on the toastiest days of summer, cooking al fresco helps keep your kitchen cooler.

To grill potato slices for potato salad or any other spud side dish, wash and scrub potatoes (we like red potatoes for a grilled potato salad), then cut them into ½-inch slices. Brush both sides of each potato slice with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat your grill to medium-high, then place the slices directly on the grill rack. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and browned, turning once.

After watching multiple seasons of “Beat Bobby Flay,” we’re convinced that we can’t beat him. But we sure are glad we can join him this season by adding some grilled potatoes to our cookout menus this summer. Now the only challenge is which recipe to try first with grilled potatoes instead of boiled: Summer Vegetable Potato Salad, Potato Salad with Sausage and Grainy Mustard Dressing, or BLT Potato Salad?  

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