Prep Chef Jobs in Elgin, IL

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 47 Jobs

Kitchen Prep

  • Schaumburg, IL (7 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 5 hours ago
  • Schaumburg, IL (7 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 5 hours ago

Provides support through preparation and proper presentation of all salad bar items, side dishes and desserts according to recipe in an efficient manner....

Food Prep Helper

  • Lake Forest, IL (24 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 1 day ago
  • Lake Forest, IL (24 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 1 day ago

., cook vegetables, chicken for salads....

LINE COOKS PREP CHEF -EXPO (Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard Area)

  • Glen Ellyn, IL (13 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 1 day ago
  • Glen Ellyn, IL (13 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 1 day ago

Job Title: Line Cook / Prep Chef / Order Expo Location: 340 Roosevelt Rd....

Cook/ Prep Cook- Full Time

  • Clarendon Hills, IL (20 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 5 days ago
  • Clarendon Hills, IL (20 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 5 days ago

COOK/ PREP COOK/ LINE COOK The Birches Assisted Living (1)- Opening: Full Time 32 Hours (includes every other weekend shift) What You've Been Looking For: A Workplace to Call Home All hours and...

Breakfast Shift /Prep Cook

  • Hoffman Estates, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 5 days ago
  • Hoffman Estates, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 5 days ago

The SHARE Program, a 24-hour Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility for male and female adults, 18 and older is seeking Part-time Breakfast Shift Prep Cook to work in our full service...

Meat Cutter

  • Wauconda, IL (18 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago
  • Wauconda, IL (18 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago

Id : 573600, Title : Meat Cutter, Category : Retail, Store Ops, RequisitionType : High Volume - Retail, JobGrade : null, RequisitionId : ...349, ExternalPostedStartDate : 2025-03-03T18:30:54...

Lead/Prep Cook CDH Full-time Rotating shifts

  • Winfield, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago
  • Winfield, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago

Demonstrates consistent use of knife skills (chopping, slicing, dicing, paring) Prepares and presents cafe, patient, and catering menu items according to recipes and standards....

Lead/Prep Cook CDH Casual Rotating shifts

  • Winfield, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago
  • Winfield, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago

Demonstrates consistent use of knife skills (chopping, slicing, dicing, paring) Prepares and presents cafe, patient, and catering menu items according to recipes and standards....

Prep Cook

  • Oak Brook, IL (19 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago
  • Oak Brook, IL (19 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago

Job Details Job Title Prep Cook Posted: 3/05/2025 Location IL, Oak Brook 240 Oakbrook Center Oak Brook, IL 60523 Description IMMEDIATELY HIRING - Prep Cooks Part-Time & Full-Time Opportunities! -...

Butcher

  • Kildeer, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 days ago
  • Kildeer, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 6 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....

Dessert Finisher/Barista

  • Lincolnshire, IL (19 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 7 days ago
  • Lincolnshire, IL (19 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 7 days ago

Compensation Range $15.00 - $17.50 / Hour Overview: Why Join Our Team: Great earnings potential Full and part-time hours available Flexible scheduling to fit your life Medical coverage starting at...

Meat Cutter

  • Wauconda, IL (18 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 days ago
  • Wauconda, IL (18 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 days ago

A Day in the Life: As a Meat Cutter, you will be on the cutting edge with our beef, poultry, and other meat products, and you must be willing to carve out time to engage our customers in friendly...

Prep Cook - Bolingbrook Chili's

  • Bolingbrook, IL (23 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 days ago
  • Bolingbrook, IL (23 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 days ago

Role Overview Our Heart of House Team Members are responsible for setting the pace for a great shift, every shift. They provide dependable, fast service that is absolutely Chili's. If you take...

Prep Cook - Rosemont Chili's

  • Rosemont, IL (17 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 days ago
  • Rosemont, IL (17 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 days ago

Role Overview Our Heart of House Team Members are responsible for setting the pace for a great shift, every shift. They provide dependable, fast service that is absolutely Chili's. If you take...

Grocery Butcher

  • Kildeer, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 days ago
  • Kildeer, IL (10 miles from Elgin, IL)
  • 8 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....

Demographic Data for Elgin, IL

Moving to Elgin, IL? Find some basic demographic data about Elgin, IL below.


Local
National
123,590
2,999
Medium/Lg

Prep Chef Online Courses and Training Opportunities

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Chef for DevOps: Practical Uses of Chef
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Chef for DevOps: Managing Infrastructure Using Chef
Explore the implementation of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Chef for DevOps, including core principles, benefits, and components of Chef that are involved in implementing IaC in this 11-video...

Salary for Prep Chef Jobs in Elgin, IL

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 Elgin, IL offer the following education background
High School or GED
33.5%
Associate's Degree
24.4%
Vocational Degree or Certification
17.5%
Bachelor's Degree
16.8%
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 Elgin, IL
Less than 1 year
40.5%
2-4 years
26.0%
1-2 years
22.8%
None
9.8%
8-10 years
0.9%


Other Career Titles

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