Hi! I’m CJ!
My name is Chris Joe (or CJ) and I’m a third generation Chinese- American home cook. I was born and raised in Southern California (where I still live today) and worked in corporate finance for almost 10 years before quitting my job to go full-time as a content creator and recipe developer.
I started filming my favorite recipes for my Instagram and TikTok in 2021, where I have a combined following of 2 million plus followers. (I know, I still can’t believe it sometimes!) Trust me, I had no idea how much my life would change when I filmed my first recipe video in early 2021!
Every recipe you find on my site has been developed by me and tested multiple times. My goal is to share recipes that can be used by anyone, regardless of skill level, experience, or access to specific ingredients. As a home cook, I understand the limitations and reality of cooking at home – that’s why every recipe I share is as easy and approachable as possible!
That’s me & my Yeh-Yeh!
Let me rewind a little bit – I’ve always had a passion for food and cooking; you can say it’s an inherited trait. My Yeh-Yeh (paternal grandfather) immigrated to the United States from China, served in the US army, and then went on to open up his own grocery store, where he manned the butchery. He taught me many of the Chinese cooking techniques that I still use today, and I inherited his cleaver, which you can see me still use in many of my videos.
One of his specialties was his Crispy Pork Belly, which is one of my most popular recipes to date! Every time I see someone remake his recipe, it brings me joy beyond what I can describe.
My Work
You can find my recipe videos on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook. I’m also on Pinterest!
I won The Influence Agency’s Food Influencer of the Year in 2022. Google highlighted me as one of “10 Asian American Creators You’ll Want to Follow”. I’ve been featured on Good Morning America for My Grandma’s Wontons and my Yeh-Yeh’s Crispy Pork Belly, yahoo for my Egg Drop Soup, ABC News, Eater, Buzzfeed Tasty, the FeedFeed podcast, the Drew Barrymore Show, New York City Wine and Food Festival’s Foodie Con, the goop newsletter, and many more.
I’m part of Team Tillamook for 2024 – I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes that I’ve developed with Tillamook products! I worked with Cuisinart Outdoors to help develop an outdoor wok – we even competed in the National Hardware Celebrity Cook Off, where I won 1st place for appetizers and 2nd place for sliders!
I’ve worked with some of my favorite brands, such as Best Buy, Dole, Hellmann’s, Hormel, Mission Tortillas, Nature Valley, Ninja, Pinterest, PepsiCo (Quaker), The Coca Cola Company (Gold Peak Tea), Tillamook, Tyson, and more. I’ve also been featured at events, such as the CJ Cup with bibigo (part of the PGA tour), and spoken on panels for TikTok.
I absolutely love working with brands that align with my values and content – if you are interested in working with me, please email me at partnerships@cjeatsrecipes.com with more information.
My Recipes
If you don’t know where to start, you can check out some of my most popular and viral recipes here!
Do You Have A Cookbook?
The most commonly asked question I receive is “Do you have a cookbook?” And I am so excited to finally announce that I am writing my first cookbook with Avery (an imprint of Penguin Random House)! My debut cookbook is expected to hit shelves in Fall 2026. Subscribe to my email list to make sure you don’t miss any updates!
