Prep Chef Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

A Prep Chef, also known as a preparation cook, is an integral part of the culinary industry responsible for preparing ingredients for the main cooks or chefs in a kitchen. Their tasks include washing, peeling, cutting, and chopping fruits, vegetables, and other food items, as well as cooking and preparing simple dishes. They also play a critical role in maintaining cleanliness and order in the kitchen, storing food appropriately, and ensuring the availability of fresh ingredients. Prep Chefs often work under the supervision of a head chef or cooks, thus they need to have a keen eye for detail, excellent time management skills, and the ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.

To qualify as a Prep Chef, a certificate or an associate's degree in culinary arts or a related field is usually required. However, critical skills such as culinary expertise, knife skills, understanding of food safety standards, and a strong familiarity with various cooking techniques are essential. In addition, they should also have good physical stamina to manage long hours of standing and handling kitchen equipment. Prior to progressing to the position of a Prep Chef, a person may start their culinary journey in roles such as a dishwasher, line cook or a kitchen assistant.

1-15 of 35 Jobs

Experienced Meat Cutter-FT pay up to $28.67/hour (SF Bay Area Applicants Only).

  • Palo Alto, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 2 hours ago
  • Palo Alto, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 2 hours ago

About Us: Proudly serving our San Francisco Bay Area communities since 1986, Mollie Stone's Markets is a local, family-owned grocery store chain. With over 38 years of exemplary performance,...

Restaurant Prep Cooks / Pastry Cooks

  • San Jose, CA (3 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 4 hours ago
  • San Jose, CA (3 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 4 hours ago

What is our recipe for healthy, happy Team Members? Equal parts fun and rewarding work crafting our delicious, fresh from scratch food fresh to order. Add in a dash of flexible scheduling, a pinch...

Restaurant Prep Cook / Pastry Cook

  • Sunnyvale, CA (4 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 4 hours ago
  • Sunnyvale, CA (4 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 4 hours ago

What is our recipe for healthy, happy Team Members? Equal parts fun and rewarding work crafting our delicious, fresh from scratch food fresh to order. Add in a dash of flexible scheduling, a pinch...

Seasonal Cold Line Prep Cook

  • Mountain View, CA (7 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 18 hours ago
  • Mountain View, CA (7 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 18 hours ago

Strong knife skills and understanding of kitchen safety. Able to keep up in a high-volume, team-driven environment. Must speak and understand English....

Prep Cook (Full Time)

  • Milpitas, CA (8 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 21 hours ago
  • Milpitas, CA (8 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 21 hours ago

Completes orders from steam tables and grill and serves customers at multiple stations....

Prep Cook / Dishwasher (Graveyard Shift)

  • Hayward, CA (23 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 6 days ago
  • Hayward, CA (23 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 6 days ago

Were looking for a reliable, hardworking team member to join our kitchen crew! This is a hybrid role focused on food prep and dishwashing during the graveyard shift. Duties include: Basic food...

Prep Cook-El Torito

  • Milpitas, CA (8 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 8 days ago
  • Milpitas, CA (8 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 8 days ago

skills Proper food storage knowledge Proper lifting techniques Guest relations Sanitation and safety Full service kitchen operations Ability to communicate effectively and assertively in the English...

Prep Cook (Full Time)

  • Palo Alto, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 9 days ago
  • Palo Alto, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 9 days ago

. + Completes orders from steam tables and grill and serves customers at multiple stations. + Uses approved food recipes and production standards to ensure proper quality, serving temperatures and standard...

Prep Cook

  • Sunnyvale, CA (4 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 11 days ago
  • Sunnyvale, CA (4 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 11 days ago

Skills and Qualifications: Basic knife skills and a strong understanding of fundamental food preparation techniques. Ability to follow recipes and instructions accurately....

Butcher

  • Cupertino, CA (8 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 12 days ago
  • Cupertino, CA (8 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 12 days ago

Successfully completed WFM Butcher Apprentice Program, or an equivalent training program.* * UK Exceptions may apply Physical Requirements/Working Conditions Must be able to lift 50 pounds....

Meat Cutter

  • Fremont, CA (14 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 20 days ago
  • Fremont, CA (14 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 20 days ago

Accurately cut to trim and yield specifications as specified by information provided by cut tickets Provide communication to the supervisor of any discrepancies between cutting tickets and normal...

Prep Cook

  • Palo Alto, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 28 days ago
  • Palo Alto, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 28 days ago

presentation looks great Stock and maintain sufficient levels of food products at line stations to assure a smooth service period Prepare items for broiling, grilling, sauteing or other cooking methods...

Prep Cook

  • Newark, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 30+ days ago
  • Newark, CA (12 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 30+ days ago

Overview Open interviews conducted daily - Walk-ins are Welcome Hiring Immediately We value Gracious Hospitality in everything we do, it starts with you! Our team members are the not-so-secret...

Cook, Prep (Indian Cuisine) (Full Time)

  • Mountain View, CA (7 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 60+ days ago
  • Mountain View, CA (7 miles from Santa Clara, CA)
  • 60+ days ago

Completes orders from steam tables and grill and serves customers at multiple stations....

Cook, Prep (Full Time)

  • Santa Clara, CA
  • 60+ days ago
  • Santa Clara, CA
  • 60+ days ago

Completes orders from steam tables and grill and serves customers at multiple stations....

Demographic Data for Santa Clara, CA

Moving to Santa Clara, CA? Find some basic demographic data about Santa Clara, CA below.


Local
National
128,103
4,592
Medium/Lg

Prep Chef Online Courses and Training Opportunities

iHireChefs curates thousands of courses in order to recommend the best ones to help further your career. If you register for a course using the links on our site, we may receive a small commission.
Planet Chef
Whether they were born in Brazil, Argentina, Japan, South Africa, or Cameroon, they all learned how to cook in France. Meet these young and creative chefs who drew their know-how from their unique...
Travel Cake Master chef series Chef lim by APCA chef online
Travel cakes Master chef series by chef Lim, our in-house executive Pastry are something which does not need too much or a storage and great stuff for picnic and partiesThis program will cover 8...
Viennoiserie Master Pastry chef by APCA chef online
Master chef Angelo Vontoorn in this program is going to teach about different Advance Venoisseries and Laminated doughs. Some are also based on started or Levain. You will be learning how to make...

Salary for Prep Chef Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

Estimated salary range based on data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and iHireChefs research efforts.

Licensing / Certification

Required or preferred licenses and certifications for Prep Chef positions.



Highest Education Level

Prep Chefs in Santa Clara, CA offer the following education background
High School or GED
33.4%
Associate's Degree
24.5%
Vocational Degree or Certification
17.5%
Bachelor's Degree
16.9%
Some College
3.2%
Master's Degree
2.3%
Some High School
1.8%
Doctorate Degree
0.4%

Average Work Experience
Here's a breakdown of the number of years' experience offered by Prep Chefs in Santa Clara, CA
Less than 1 year
40.5%
2-4 years
26.0%
1-2 years
22.8%
None
9.8%
8-10 years
0.9%



Prep Chef Related Career Advice Articles

How to become a chef
How to Become a Chef

Thinking of launching a career as a chef? This guide will tell you everything you need to know – from how long it takes to become a chef to how to get a job as a chef (and more).

Read article »
Closeup of sustainably sourced ingredients
What Makes a Restaurant Sustainable?

In terms of restaurant management, sustainability is more than just a buzzword or an offshoot of the “farm-to-table” craze.

Read article »
Private chef cooking in home kitchen
Private Chef vs. Personal Chef

Are you considering a career as a private or personal chef? Is there even a difference? These two positions may be synonymous in some circles and require very similar skills, but there is one distinct difference: private chefs are employed by a single client, whereas personal chefs may work for a number of clients at any given time.

Read article »