Top Chef Amateurs

Top Chef Amateurs premiered on Bravo in 2021 as a reality cooking competition series that expanded the Top Chef brand by spotlighting home chefs instead of professionals. Developed as a companion to the long-running Top Chef franchise, the show brought everyday cooks into the famed Top Chef kitchen to tackle culinary challenges inspired by past seasons. Produced by Magical Elves and airing on Bravo, it offered a new way for fans to see how amateur talent fared in the high-pressure world of Top Chef.

Each episode featured two amateur cooks competing in a head-to-head challenge drawn from iconic Top Chef formats, including blind taste tests, mise en place races, and more. The amateurs worked alongside a rotating group of Top Chef All-Stars acting as sous chefs, who helped them navigate the pressure of the kitchen and offered guidance throughout the competition. The winner of each episode earned bragging rights and a cash prize, emphasizing personal achievement over a season-long elimination structure.

The format leaned into the established Top Chef challenge structure but tailored it for short, self-contained episodes. Unlike the traditional Top Chef competition, which follows a group of chefs through an entire season, Top Chef Amateurs featured individual, episodic competitions focused on skill and creativity under time constraints. This approach made the show accessible to viewers seeking a compact, challenge-driven experience.

Top Chef Amateurs was hosted by longtime Top Chef judge Gail Simmons, who also served as head judge for the series. The show featured a notable roster of Top Chef All-Stars, including Eric Adjepong, Richard Blais, Tiffany Derry, Kwame Onwuachi, Gregory Gourdet, Jennifer Carroll, Stephanie Cmar, Dale Talde, Melissa King, and Isaac Toups, among others. Because it only aired for one season, there are no additional seasons or former hosts beyond its initial run.