Bobby Flay Has a Ridiculously Simple Tip to Prevent Fish From Sticking to the Grill

TL;DR: 

• Bobby Flay demonstrated how to prevent fish from sticking to the grill while preparing fish tacos. 
• He said the longer it sits, the easier it will come off the grill.
• Touching food too much is the most common grilling mistake, according to Flay.  

Hesitate to grill fish because it always seems to get stuck to the grates? Bobby Flay has a solution. The best part is his fix doesn’t involve any kitchen gadgets or special ingredients. Spoiler: All that’s needed is patience. 

Bobby Flay demonstrated the tip when making grilled fish tacos

Flay shared his tip for grilling fish while making fish tacos on Barbecue Addiction: Bobby’s Basics. Along the way, he grilled halibut and made vera cruz salsa. 

The Beat Bobby Flay star began with the halibut. He brushed both sides with olive oil before seasoning the fish with ancho chile powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. 

While the halibut cooked, he prepared “relish,” or the vera cruz salsa, to serve with the tacos. Flay chopped grilled jalapenos and grilled tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Then he tossed in capers, manzanilla olives, red onion, dried oregano, cilantro, and red wine vinegar. Lastly, he added a “splash” of olive oil and some freshly squeezed lime juice over the top. 

When the halibut was done cooking, Flay made a “halibut cabbage salad” before serving the fish in warm tortillas with vera cruz salsa. For complete details on Flay’s grilled fish tacos, Food Network has his full recipe.

Bobby Flay’s tip for preventing fish from sticking to the grill is to let it sit

Flay shared the “very important” step of leaving the fish alone as he put it on the grill. “I have a nice hot grill here, and we’re just going to sear this,” he said, putting the fish down top side first. 

“When you’re grilling fish,” he explained, “the longer this halibut sits on that hot grill, the easier it will come away from the grates itself. So we’re just going to let it work.” 

That’s Flay’s tip for preventing fish from sticking to the grill, let it sit. It’s as simple as that. However, as he demonstrated, some fish being left behind on the grates might happen. “Lost a tiny bit, but that’s pretty good,” he said as he picked it up with a spatula.

Letting the grill do its job is a Bobby Flay grilling commandment

Flay’s grilled fish tip of leaving it alone goes back to what he considers the most common grilling mistake.

“The No. 1 mistake people make at the grill is touching the food too much,” he once told Food Network’s FN Dish. “Most of the time you’ll see me at the grill doing absolutely nothing!” 

Whether it’s fish, chicken, steak or veggies, I like to add a light touch of canola oil — which has a mild flavor and high smoke point — and then let the grill do its job,” he continued. “If you check on the food and it’s sticking a little, it’s not done cooking. Turn the food only once and let the fire be your guide.”