About Chef Josh
I’m really glad you’re here. I’m Chef Josh, cook, recipe creator, TV competitor, and the voice behind The Chef Out West.
Food has always been the thing I reach for. It’s how I reset, how I connect with people, and how I make sense of the day. Want to know the crazy thing? I didn’t grow up planning to be a chef.
Cooking found me by accident after a snowboard crash left me couch-bound with too much time and a constant loop of food shows. I started cooking because I was bored. Then I realized it helped. Then I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Even still, cooking remained on the edges of my life. I worked in corporate tech sales and just looked forward to cooking every night because it felt like the most engaging part of my day. It was my friends who literally forced me to apply for MasterChef. I never thought I'd get on the show. And then I did.
And guess what. I loved it. I got sent home over a cheesecake, which is a moment that still makes me laugh and think about how important those tiny turning points can be. Funnily enough, that cheesecake became one of the most loved recipes I’ve ever shared. Full circle food life.
My MasterChef experience changed everything for me. I left sales and went all in on kitchens. I worked my way through demanding services, ran restaurants, and learned how to cook under pressure without losing my instincts. Along the way, I started cooking for high-profile clients and competing on food shows like Chopped, Fire Masters, and Beat Bobby Flay, where I walked away with a win (that still feels wild to write)...
These days, I split my time between cooking professionally and sharing everything I’ve learned here on The Chef Out West.
This space exists because I want making good food to feel fun, easy, and doable for anyone who wants it. I don’t believe in secrets. If I cook it in my kitchen, I’ll tell you every detail about how I did it and why it worked so you learn along the way too.
My cooking style is bold and comforting, rooted in real life and nostalgia but practical for busy weeks. The same principles I use when I cook professionally are behind every recipe you’ll find here.
At the end of the day, I want your kitchen to feel easier. I want cooking to feel fun again. And I want you to feel confident making food that people remember.
If that sounds like your kind of place, you’re in the right spot.
Let’s get cooking.
