Anne W. Burrell was born on September 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, New York. She developed an early love of cooking inspired by her mother and by watching Julia Child on television. Burrel studied culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America and, later, at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. She then worked at various restaurant kitchens in Tuscany and Umbria, where she developed a love of Italian cuisine.

After returning to New York, Burrell worked as a chef and later taught at the Institute of Culinary Education before making her television debut. Her first TV appearance was on Food Network as a sous chef on Iron Chef America. She later hosted her own show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, which premiered in 2008 and ran for nine seasons. 

In 2010, Burrell became co-host of Worst Cooks in America, guiding culinary novices through a cooking boot camp. In 2015, she won the fourth installment of the Chopped All-Stars tournament, donating her $75,000 prize. She also appeared as a judge on Chopped and hosted Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell. Sadly, she passed away in 2025, with Season 29 of Worst Cooks in America being her final (posthumous) TV appearance.