'Okay, You Want To Fight?' — The Controversial Ingredient Guy Fieri Is Totally Against

Unlike other celebrity chefs that have become famous for their aggressive outbursts, Guy Fieri is better known for his fiery personality and no-nonsense approach to cooking. That doesn't mean the chef doesn't have strong food opinions that he's willing to defend with physical force, if necessary.

In a recent Food Network Instagram post, the chef was asked his opinion on controversial cooking topics. During the rapid fire interview, Fieri didn't skip a beat when doling out his opinions as if they were gospel, but he had an almost visceral reaction when the interviewer asked if pre-minced garlic is ever ok. His response was to close his eyes in disbelief and then ask the interviewer, "Okay, you want to fight?" We'll be adding pre-minced garlic to the list of foods Fieri won't touch.

Evidently, the chef believes using this type of convenient but not fresh garlic is wrong. If you're a home chef that uses this convenient ingredient, don't sweat it. Sometimes, pre-made stuff works just as well (we actually like microwavable roux) and standards are much more rigorous for professional chefs.

We do agree with Fieri in his answer to the last question: "Is it sacrilegious to break your pasta?" The chef simply gave up words, and grabbed the interviewer while raising his fist. Of course, we assume he didn't actually hit anyone and that his hyperbolically violent answer was playful. That doesn't mean that we don't think it's absolutely the right answer to someone even considering breaking pasta.

Despite the pretense of violence, neither of Fieri's more aggressive answers were his most controversial ones. The interviewer also asked the chef if he washes chicken before cooking it, to which he replied with a simple "no." This has social media users divided in a culinary civil war in which there is no compromise.

"The thought of washing chicken makes me feel like I already have salmonella," one user commented, echoing many similar opinions, while another stated, "not washing chicken out of any pan is asking for e-coli." Fieri's answer is even more divisive because he does wash rice, which some infuriated commenters feel is contradictory.

The chef also seems to have hit a nerve with his opinion on washing cast iron skillets. "To run water over it, to scrape bits out of it, to hit it with a wire brush, something like that, yes ... But no, no soap, no nothing. You're going to wreck the whole pan," he said. As expected, the post's comment section is now filled with people giving instructions on how to correctly wash skillets. Who's right? It's difficult to say, but we might be more inclined to believe a professional chef who's been cooking since he was eight-years-old than random internet commenters.

The Instagram post promoted the finale of the Food Network's "Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas" competition, which Fieri hosts. The finale was held on December 10th, 2025 and saw the Voltaggio Brothers (of "Top Chef" fame) win the $100,000 prize.