Chicago-based chef, master of live-fire cooking, and a modern torchbearer of Mexican culinary heritage.

ABOUT JONATHAN

Chef Jonathan Zaragoza grew up on Chicago’s South Side in a family where cooking was more than a profession — it was the center of daily life. His earliest memory of the kitchen involves standing on a step stool at five years old, helping his mother stir eggs. By twelve, he was tending the fire in the family’s backyard wood oven, learning to make birria — a roasted goat specialty from Jalisco — using techniques passed down through generations.

In 2007, his family opened Birrieria Zaragoza, the Michelin Bib Gourmand–recognized restaurant that helped introduce traditional birria to a broader American audience. That kitchen became Jonathan’s foundation — shaping his understanding of food not only as craft, but as culture, memory, and identity.

Jonathan’s culinary path quickly expanded beyond the family restaurant. He trained in some of Chicago’s most respected kitchens, including Sepia and Sixteen, gaining Michelin-level experience before becoming executive chef of Masa Azul at just 22. Along the way, his curiosity led him deeper into Mexico’s regional foodways, traveling throughout the country to study the techniques, ingredients, and traditions that continue to influence his cooking today.

His work has been featured in Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, Food & Wine (where his barbacoa recipe appeared on the cover), Bon Appétit, and ChefSteps, and his family’s restaurant earned an on-screen nod in FX’s The Bear. He has also collaborated with major culinary and lifestyle partners, developed recipes and food concepts for leading brands, and cooked at some of the country’s most respected food events. Whistle Sports’ Let Them Cook and other media appearances have further cemented his place as one of the most compelling voices in modern food culture.

Today, Jonathan’s work lives both in the kitchen and far beyond it. Through @goatboyintl, he has built a rapidly growing digital audience of 700K+ followers and subscribers across platforms, sharing recipes, technique, storytelling, and a deeper look at the traditions that shaped him. His YouTube channel, blog, and social platforms have become a space where heritage cooking, humor, honesty, and fire all coexist.

Known for his live-fire cooking and deep respect for Mexican culinary tradition, Jonathan moves fluidly between restaurant kitchens, media, education, and brand collaboration. Whether he’s roasting whole animals over open flame, teaching a foundational salsa technique, or documenting the craft behind a dish for a global audience, his work reflects a commitment to honoring the past while pushing the culture forward.

At the heart of everything he does is a simple belief: food carries stories — and those stories deserve to be told well.