Claudia Sandoval is a chef, author, television personality, producer, and entrepreneur whose cooking draws on modern Mexican coastal cuisine and her cross-border upbringing. Born in San Diego to a family from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother.
In 2015, Sandoval won Season 6 of MasterChef, becoming the first Latina winner of the U.S. series. In 2016, she published Claudia’s Cocina: A Taste of Mexico, featuring recipes inspired by her family’s Mexican roots and dishes she created on the show.
Her television credits include appearances on Chopped, Tournament of Champions, Worst Cooks in America, and Top Chef VIP, along with judging roles on Telemundo’s MasterChef Latino and Estrella TV’s MasterChef Latinos. She hosted and executive-produced the discovery+ docuseries Taste of the Border and the Bite Originals digital series La Mesa Mexa.
Sandoval is also the creator, host, and executive producer of Bitefully, a podcast about food memory, heritage, and identity. Through Claudia Sandoval Productions and her culinary company, Claudia’s Cocina, she works across consulting, brand strategy, events, and catering. She also created Cochi Dorado, a pop-up bakery focused on contemporary interpretations of Mexican pan dulce.
In 2025, Sandoval mentored Team Mexico at the Bocuse d’Or. She divides her time between San Diego and Tijuana.
