Food Network’s Bobby Flay Revealed the ‘Little Trick’ He Relies on to Keep His Signature Crunchburger Juicy

When it comes to the perfect burger, flavor means everything. But texture is an absolute close second and celebrity chef Bobby Flay delivers both in his juicy, cheesy, temptingly tasty Crunchburger. Here’s how to make the Food Network star’s signature sandwich.

Bobby Flay’s Crunchburger is the signature dish of his burger eateries

Flay’s Crunchburger is the “‘house’ burger at Bobby’s Burger Palace,” Flay wrote on Food Network’s site. “It’s a basic burger (I like it garnished with red onion, tomato, romaine lettuce, and horseradish mustard) with CRUNCH.”

He revealed that the burger gets its irresistible texture from a humble, yet effective, ingredient: potato chips.

“The crunch factor comes from a big handful of potato chips layered between the burger and the bun,” he added. “Some of you may have added chips to your sandwiches as kids, and if people ever told you that you were nuts, I’m here to say that you’re not! Oozing melted cheese becomes a part of the chips and those crunchy chips become a part of the burger — delicious. I love getting a mouthful of juicy burger and salty, crispy potato chips in one bite; it’s a way to get a true contrast of textures into your cheeseburger. In fact, I make it an option to have all of the burgers at Bobby’s Burger Palace ‘crunchified.'”

Flay’s secret to juicy burgers is all in the thumb

“I think of burgers as the quintessential sandwich,” Flay says in the Food Network video for his Crunchburger. “Each component must be treated with the utmost respect to get the perfect result.”

To start, the Beat Bobby Flay star calls for “six or seven ounces of chopped meat” with 80 percent meat to 20 percent fat (“I like to have a little flavor in my burger and the flavor is going to come from the fat”).

“Here’s a little trick that I do,” he revealed. “I just make a little well with my thumb in the middle of the burger and then when the burger cooks, it actually comes back to shape. Otherwise, you’re going to have this big sort of hump on the burger. Then what happens is people take the back of the spatula and they press it down to get it back to its shape. That’s when you lose all the juiciness.”

Finishing up Flay’s Crunchburger

Basically, the “thumbed” patties are salted, peppered, and grilled to your preference of doneness. Two slices of Monterey Jack cheese are melted on the cooked patties (“The key to cheese is to melt the cheese completely. It drives me crazy when I go to a burger place and they don’t melt the cheese”).

A horseradish mustard mayonnaise adds to this burger’s flavor profile. It’s garnished with tomato, red onion, and lettuce and topped with a generous handful of potato chips: “Crunchification at its best!”

Find the full recipe on Food Network’s site and try Bobby Flay’s Crunchburger for yourself!