Aarón Sánchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, author and philanthropist. He is a judge on FOX’s culinary competition series MasterChef and MasterChef Junior and the host and executive producer of El Toque de Aarón on Discovery Familia and Hogar de HGTV. Aarón is the founder of the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, a nonprofit program whose mission is to uplift the lives of Latino youth through food. He is a partner and creative director for Cocina Media, which creates and produces lifestyle content that uplifts Hispanic culture. Aarón grew up in the restaurant business and is passionate about preserving his family’s legacy through food and encouraging diversity in the kitchen.

 

Aarón has starred in multiple Food Network shows, most notably as a judge on Chopped and Chopped Junior and as the host of Cooking Channel’s Emmy-nominated series Taco Trip. He has also hosted several Spanish-language shows including 3 Minutos con Aarón, MOTOCHEFS and most recently, El Sabor de Aarón on Discovery, where he also served as the executive producer.  

 

A third-generation cookbook author, Aarón has written two cookbooks - La Comida del Barrio and Simple Food, Big Flavor and a memoir, Where I Come From: Life Lessons From A Latino Chef. He also co-hosts a podcast, Cooking in Mexican from A to Z, on Heritage Radio Network with his mom, Zarela Martinez.

 

Aarón is the chef/partner of restaurants Johnny Sánchez (with locations in New Orleans and Lake Charles), Showbird (New Orleans) and Adobo Cantina (West Virginia University and Tulane University). 

 

Aarón’s passion extends beyond the kitchen. He is a partner in world-renowned tattoo shop and museum, Daredevil Tattoo in New York City. An avid music lover, he enjoys cooking to the sounds of Portugal the Man, Shakey Graves, Café Tacvba, Alabama Shakes, Tank and The Bangas, Amos Lee, Lianne La Havas, and Lenny Kravitz. He has a son, Yuma, and lives in New Orleans, LA.