Celebrity Chefs Who Are Going To Be Everywhere In 2023

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Once restricted to hidden kitchen spaces, chefs now regularly step out of the background and break up with their traditional roles. Though some chefs-turned-celebrities existed before, the 20th century gave hardworking chefs a chance for stardom and fame. The term is not only designated for professional chefs but also applies to inexperienced home cooks who participate in numerous cooking competitions. With enough skill and personality, they can often get the same celebrity moniker.

The world is currently going through a food craze, which will probably continue into 2023, and food-related content will most likely be one of the most prolific and profitable media topics. This also includes celebrity chefs, who are one of the main reasons why cooking has become such an attractive and alluring profession. The expectations in 2023 are high, and we hope to see more diversity and chefs who step away from entrenched practices by bringing new flavors, ideas, and life to the industry.

This celebrity round-up will include some old favorites that continually impress us with their creativity and several new names that have just earned their celebrity chef title. All of them are expected to get more coverage and attention in 2023, and you will most likely see their features on the most important food channels and media outlets.

Rick Martínez, one of the biggest authorities on authentic Mexican cuisine in the U.S., grew up in Austin, Texas. As a second-generation American, Martínez learned to cook with his food-loving parents, influenced by the food tradition of the American South, Tex-Mex fare, and his family's recipes. As he grew older, he wanted to explore and connect to his Mexican heritage through cooking. The final result was "Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico," a colorful, hefty cookbook published in 2022 that holds all of his favorites. Martínez roamed through all 32 Mexican states in search of authentic flavors and derived inspiration for his collection of recipes. The book explores regional differences and is an homage to Mexican culinary heritage. 

Martínez is big on color, flavor, and personality, which all translate well through the screen. Known for his warm character and the ease with which he explains detailed recipes, he has been recognized as one of the most lovable celebrity chefs. Martínez keeps busy with numerous appearances in TV shows and collaborations with some of the biggest media outlets. His latest feature for the New York Times includes a selection of his favorite Mexican-inspired recipes and a stunning video on making the spectacular mole negro. He currently hosts "Sweet Heat" at Food52, partners with Babish Culinary Universe on the "Pruébalo" series, and collaborates with Food Network. Judging by this, Martínez surely has more things cooking for 2023.

Eric Kim started his culinary journey at Food Network, where he worked as a digital manager. He perfected his craft at Saveur and Food52. "Table For One" was his massively successful weekly column at Food52 that gained him a large fan base. Kim steps away from the traditional image of a celebrity chef. He is not loud or extravagant but leaves the dishes to speak of his immense creativity. His writing is deep, often personal, and reflective, which was recognized by the leading food outlets that publish his food-related articles and essays.

Kim is now a writer and a columnist at the New York Times, where he shares trusted recipes that combine tradition and contemporary trends and range from American classics to Asian-inspired dishes. The year 2022 was a widely successful one for Kim as he published his long-awaited first cookbook. "Korean American" is a collection of recipes, memories, and stories that Kim uses to reconnect to his dual heritage. It is a somewhat intimate culinary journey through the experience of a Korean American family. The cookbook got a lot of favorable press — Barnes & Noble named it one of the best cookbooks of the year. It was also a New York Times bestseller this year, which further cemented Kim's position as one of the most influential young chefs who will certainly write more columns and get plenty of media coverage in 2023.

Yotam Ottolenghi has long been on the culinary scene and needs little introduction, but despite his veteran status, he shows no signs of slowing down. Ottolenghi specializes in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. He continually introduces novel techniques and familiarizes cooking enthusiasts with unusual flavors, which are then regularly implemented in the standard culinary narrative. But Ottolenghi is not merely a chef; he is the head of an entire culinary empire that includes a series of London-based restaurants and shops.

The chef is heavily featured in some of the most important publications. He has been running a weekly column in The Guardian for over 15 years and is a monthly contributor to the New York Times. Along with his trusted associates, he diligently tests and films all the recipes for the widely popular Ottolenghi's Test Kitchen YouTube channel, and the team released the second Test Kitchen cookbook in the fall of 2022. "Extra Good Things" is a collection of vegetable-centered meals that give all and "a little extra." Ottolenghi also has a Masterclass series consisting of 26 video lessons that give insight into contemporary Middle Eastern cuisine and provide accompanying flavor-packed recipes. Along with all his business endeavors and very loyal fan base, 2023 will be the year where we will certainly see more of chef Ottolenghi and his creative recipes. The chef will start the year with an Australian tour, but who knows what else he has in store by the end of the year.

Marcus Samuelsson's biography is remarkable. The Ethiopian-born chef was adopted by a Swedish family, and after finishing culinary school and training in Europe, he found his home in New York City. He got his first break at Aquavit, a Swedish restaurant where he first became an executive chef (via CNBC). According to his official website, Samuelsson now runs several restaurants in and outside the U.S. He was the youngest chef in history to get the ultimate three-star review by the New York Times, and he has already collected eight James Beard awards. Apart from his restaurant business, Samuelsson is no stranger to TV screens. He hosted a successful food travel show on PBS, "No Passport Required," and frequently made guest appearances in various cooking competitions.

Samuelsson is one of the veterans on this list, but you will certainly see and hear more of him in 2023. The chef opened a new Chelsea-based restaurant in the fall of 2022. He named the restaurant Hav & Mar, which can roughly be translated as ocean (from Swedish) and honey (from Amharic). The restaurant combines Samuelsson's roots with sustainability and honors and celebrates diversity. Samuelson also appeared on Netflix's "Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend," and in November, he released the first season of a new food podcast together with Jonathan Waxman. "Seat At The Table" looks into legendary American restaurants and hosts some of the biggest American chefs, such as Thomas Keller and Nancy Silverton.

Curtis Stone is a familiar face and the true epitome of a celebrity chef. Born and raised in Australia, Stone has found his private and professional haven in Los Angeles. He cites his mother and grandmother as his biggest inspirations and the most important cooking teachers. His professional career started in Melbourne, but it flourished in London, where Stone worked for the legendary Marco Pierre White, who appointed him as head chef of his London-based Quo Vadis. Since then, the chef has not looked back. He now runs three restaurants, including Michelin-starred Maude and Gwen, and apart from that, he has a budding screen career.

Stone's affair with television started with "Surfing the Menu," a TV show exploring the richness of Australian cuisine. It continued with "Take Home Chef," which brought him to the States, and he hasn't stopped appearing in the media ever since, as a cooking expert and a guest or as host of his food and travel shows (via IMDB). His latest appearance was in the "Iron Chef" reboot, the "Quest for an Iron Legend." In an exclusive interview with Mashed, he shared his experience, confirming that this is the most competitive and challenging cooking competition in which he participated. Stone has yet to make official announcements for the following year, but this fame-loving chef will certainly not step away from the spotlight, and we will surely see him sharing his skill, passion, and knowledge across all culinary channels and media outlets.