26 Bobby Flay Recipes to Comfort and Delight

Channel Mesa Grill at home with these dishes from the celebrity chef.

Smoky Shrimp and Cheesy Grits
Photo: Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

New York chef Bobby Flay has been a household name since the 1990s when he became one of the first chefs to achieve celebrity status through his appearances on the Food Network. With his countless TV shows, including Boy Meets Grill and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, nearly 20 cookbooks, and restaurants like Bobby's Burgers and Amalfi, Flay has inspired a whole generation of home cooks. These are the recipes the TV chef and grilling expert shared with Food & Wine, from smoky shrimp and grits to peach cobbler and some of his favorite variations on burgers.

01 of 26

Cioppino (Seafood Stew)

Cioppino (San Francisco Seafood Stew)

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

One of chef Bobby Flay's favorite San Francisco spots to enjoy cioppino is Nick's Lighthouse. The stew is typically made from a variety of seafood depending on what's freshest; Flay's version of the recipe uses generous portions of fresh shrimp, littleneck clams, and snapper.

02 of 26

Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops

Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

This squid ink pasta recipe from Bobby Flay features shrimp, squid, and scallops in a tomato sauce that boasts a hint of heat from jarred Calabrian chiles. Flay makes his own squid ink pasta, but you can use a quality store-bought squid ink or other pasta if you want to make this dish in just minutes.

03 of 26

Smoky Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

Smoky Shrimp and Cheesy Grits
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Steaming hot grits are mixed with plenty of cheddar cheese, then topped with garlicky shrimp and smoky bacon for a flavorful dish that's ready in just 25 minutes.

04 of 26

Dill Pickles

Easy Dill Pickles Recipe

Julia Hartbeck

These incredibly simple pickles have just the right amount of garlic and dill and are intensely crunchy and refreshing right out of the refrigerator.

05 of 26

Grilled Asparagus Salad

Grilled Asparagus Salad
© Christina Holmes

Bobby Flay makes this delightful grilled asparagus salad with sweet grape tomatoes, briny kalamata olives, and sharp white cheddar. Each bite brings out a different combination of ingredients.

06 of 26

Buttermilk-Biscuit Peach Cobbler

Buttermilk-Biscuit Peach Cobbler
© John Kernick

Unlike most people who make cobblers, Bobby Flay opts to bake the biscuits separately from the fruit so the undersides cook fully; then, just before serving, he sets the biscuits on the fruit and bakes them for a few more minutes, so they can soak up some of the juices without getting soggy.

07 of 26

Peach-Maple Ice Cream

Peach-Maple Ice Cream
© Ngoc Minh Ngo

Fresh, juicy peaches are paired with vanilla bean, pure maple syrup, and a hint of bourbon for an ice cream that's as delicious on its own as it is paired with buttery cakes and cobblers.

08 of 26

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken
© Ngoc Minh Ngo

You haven't really had an authentic Southern restaurant experience until you've had meat-and-three: a choice of meat plus three vegetable side dishes. Here, Bobby Flay bakes chicken — the centerpiece of many a meat-and-three — with a sticky sweet-and-spicy honey glaze inspired by the Savannah Bee Company's tupelo honey.

09 of 26

Ancho and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeño Crema

Ancho-and-Honey-Glazed Salmon with Black Bean Sauce and Jalapeño Crema
© David Malosh

Bobby Flay presents his sweet-spicy salmon with black bean sauce and jalapeño crema, a recipe from the 2007 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

10 of 26

Coconut-Buttermilk Pie with Blackberry Caramel

Coconut-Buttermilk Pie with Blackberry Caramel
© Michael Crook

This pie is creamy and crispy, but what sets it over the top is the luscious and silky blackberry caramel made with fresh blackberries and blackberry liqueur. 

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Pimiento Cheese Grits

Pimento Cheese Grits
© Michael Crook

In this clever dish, Bobby Flay folds the classic ingredients of pimiento cheese into warm, creamy grits, switching up smoky Spanish piquillos for the jarred pimientos.

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Grilled Oysters with Spicy Tarragon Butter

Grilled Oysters with Spicy Tarragon Butter
© Ngoc Minh Ngo

Bobby Flay tops his oysters with a blend of butter, tarragon, and hot sauce, then returns them to the grill so the butter melts into little pools in the shells.

13 of 26

Nacho Burgers

Nacho Burgers
© John Kernick

Of all the burger recipes F&W has run, and of the six from chef Bobby Flay, this one is the over-the-top best, with juicy meat, gooey cheese, salsa, and tortilla chips.

14 of 26

Kentucky Hot Brown

Kentucky Hot Brown
© BARNARD & MEYER

Bobby Flay smothers an open-face turkey sandwich with cheese sauce and bacon for his version of the extraordinary Louisville classic.

15 of 26

Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails

Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails
© John Kernick

When watermelon is in abundance, this is a great way to use it. Bobby Flay purees seedless watermelon chunks, then strains the juice through a sieve and mixes it with silver tequila, sugar syrup, blueberries, mint, and fresh lime juice.

16 of 26

Deviled Eggs with Pickled Shrimp

Deviled Eggs with Pickled Shrimp
© Michael Crook

To amp up his creamy dill and chive deviled eggs, Bobby Flay tops them with tangy pickled shrimp. Both the shrimp and hard-boiled eggs can be made a couple of days in advance.

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Fried Chicken with Honey Mustard

Fried Chicken with Honey Mustard
© Michael Crook

Bobby Flay's crispy fried chicken stays tender and juicy for two reasons: First, the tangy yogurt marinade and second, the fact that the chicken is roasted first, then quick-fried just before serving.

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Smoky Orange Vinaigrette

Smoky Orange Vinaigrette
© Kana Okada

This marmalade-sweetened dressing is quintessential Bobby Flay; its bold flavors taste best with grain salads or grilled meat.

19 of 26

Cheyenne Burgers with Onion Rings

Cheyenne Burgers with Onion Rings
© David Malosh

Flay double-smokes bacon, onion rings, smoked cheddar, and barbecue sauce for these burgers. Oh yes!

20 of 26

Peel-and-Eat Shrimp with Barbecue Spices

Peel-and-Eat Shrimp with Barbecue Spices
© Ngoc Minh Ngo

During his visit to Savannah, Bobby Flay ate as much Gulf shrimp and barbecue as humanly possible, then came back to New York and created a recipe that cleverly combines them both. He loves to rub large peel-and-eat shrimp with a barbecue-inspired blend of paprika, chile powder, sugar, and cumin before sautéing them.

21 of 26

Collard Greens with Black-Eyed Peas

Collard Greens with Black-Eyed Peas
© Michael Crook

This marriage of two Southern classics — collard greens and black-eyed peas — is not only delicious but super smart: Bobby Flay uses canned chipotles in adobo to give the dish a smoky flavor.

22 of 26

Juicy Texas Burgers

Juicy Texas Burgers
© Quentin Bacon

Bobby Flay created this recipe for actress Stephanie March, "a Texan who loves brisket and coleslaw."

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Ginger Julep

Ginger Julep

© Michael Crook

Bobby Flay's gingery take on a Southern julep is fresh and lively. The ginger-mint syrup adds a little spice to this classic cocktail, and the fresh orange juice brings the perfect touch of citrus.

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Corn and Goat Cheese Grits

Corn and Goat Cheese Grits

© Ngoc Minh Ngo

"I decided to citify Lowcountry cuisine by adding lots of chopped garlic and fresh goat cheese," says Bobby Flay of these hearty yet elegant grits. The end result is a tangy, creamy, corn-flecked side dish.

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Turkey Burgers with Smoked Gouda

Turkey Burgers with Smoked Gouda
© John Kernick

By adding two flourishes to a simple grilled turkey burger, Bobby Flay makes it fantastic. First he melts slices of smoky Gouda cheese onto the meat, then he spreads toasted buns with a sweet-spicy sauce of mustard, horseradish, and honey.

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Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette
© Kana Okada

For this tribute to creamy Caesar dressing, Bobby Flay adds sweet roasted garlic puree instead of lots of mayonnaise.

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