Emeril Lagasse’s Net Worth, Awards, and Cookbooks

An American chef and television broadcaster is a pioneer in "New Orleans. Emeril Lagasse excels in cooking unique meals in Creole and Cajun cuisine. He is also a well-known author, chef, and restaurateur. Along with his famed catchphrases "Kick it up a notch!" and "Bam!" he has made a lot of money from his restaurants, cookbooks, and TV appearances.

He had a long and successful culinary career. He graduated from the prestigious Johnson & Wales University, a renowned culinary school, in 1978. In 1979, he became Executive Chef at Dunfey's Hyannis Resort. When his employment ended in 1982, he was appointed head chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans.

After nearly seven and a half years, Lagasse retired to create his restaurant, Emeril's, in New Orleans. Let's explore his Emeril Lagasse net worth in 2025, cookbooks, career, profiles, and more,

Emeril Lagasse Net worth 2025

Lagasse has a net worth of $70 million in 2025, making him one of the wealthiest chefs in the United States. Despite the fact that the COVID-19 outbreak was detrimental to him, he leveraged his passion for cooking to start a business. He missed the opportunity to see his brand develop significantly when he sold it. He had to close some of his restaurants. Lagasse is still making the most of his status, and his wealth is certain to increase once the company returns to normality.

Early life

He was born October 15, 1959, in Fall River, Massachusetts. His name is Emeril John Lagasse III.  Lagasse claims that he "grew up very Catholic." Lagasse worked at a Portuguese bakery as a child, where he learned to cook. He later attended Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School for Culinary Arts.

He received a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music because he excelled in percussion. However, he decided to attend Johnson & Wales University to become a chef instead. He began visiting Johnson & Wales in 1978. The university awarded him an honors degree a long time after the event.

Career

Emeril spent the following year receiving training at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Lagasse met Elizabeth Kief, another student while working at a local restaurant to help pay his fee. They married in October 1978. After honing his craft in Paris and Lyon, France, he spent a few years working at upscale restaurants in the Northeast of the United States.

In 1982, Lagasse succeeded Paul Prudhomme as chief chef at New Orleans' legendary Commander's Palace. Emeril had a challenging job that required him to work 18 hours every day, which strained their marriage. It was proposed that he be elected Chef of the Year in 1983.

When Emeril's eventually debuted in 1990, Lagasse had already been at Commander's Palace for seven and a half years. The menu at this incomplete restaurant in New Orleans' Warehouse District featured cuisine from France, Spain, the Caribbean, Asia, and Lagasse's native Portugal.

Since 1999, he has received the "Wine Spectator" Grand Award annually, and "Esquire" magazine awarded it Restaurant of the Year. There are numerous licensed eateries in New Orleans' French Quarter. Emeril's main office is located in New Orleans.

Television Appearance

 He got his start on television with The Great Chefs, where he appeared 10 times. She hosted the Food Network show How to Boil Water from 1993 to 1995. Lagasse had his own Food Network show, Essence of Emeril. He was the star of Emeril Green, a daily show, and Emeril's Kitchen, which aired from 2005 to 2006. Every Sunday, Ion Television broadcasts the Emeril Lagasse Show.

In 2011, Lagasse took over as host of Emeril's Table on Hallmark Channel.  Emeril has an Amazon Prime Video show called Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse.

In addition to becoming a Food Network host, Lagasse has been on various other television series. In 2009, Lagasse served as a guest judge on the Bravo television show Top Chef. In 2010, he appeared on Iron Chef America and played "Menu Master" on TNT's "On the Menu."

Awards and Honors

Cookbooks

• New New Orleans Cooking (1993)
• Louisiana Real and Rustic (1996)
• Emeril's Creole Christmas (1997)
• Emeril's TV Dinners (1998)
• Every Day's a Party (1999)
• Prime Time Emeril (2001)
• Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup! (2002)
• From Emeril's Kitchens (2003)
• Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family! (2004)
• Emeril's Potluck (2004)
• Emeril's Delmonico (2005)
• Emeril's There's a Chef in My World! (2006)
• Emeril 20-40-60 (2009)
• Emeril at the Grill (2009)
• Farm to Fork (2010)
• Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders (2011)
• Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches (2012)
• Emeril's Cooking with Power (2013)
• Essential Emeril (2015)

Restaurants Owned by Emeril Lagasse

Personal Life

Emeril Lagasse was born in Massachusetts on October 15, 1959. He is the son of Emeril John Lagassé Jr. and Hilda Medeiros. As a child, he discovered his passion for cooking while working in a Portuguese bakery. He subsequently attended Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School to learn to cook.

He received a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music because he excelled in percussion. However, he decided to become a chef at Johnson & Wales University instead.

He married Elizabeth Kief in 1978 and had four children: Jessica, Meril, Jillian, and Emeril IV. His mother's family was from Portugal, while his father's family was from France and Canada.

Lagasse is well-known for several things, including his restaurant business, cuisine, and television appearances. Emeril rose to prominence following the success of his television shows "Essence of Emeril" and "Emeril Live."

Biography

FAQs

Q. What is Emeril Lagasse's net worth in 2025?

His net worth in 2025 is estimated at $70 million.

Q. How many children does Emeril Lagasse have?

Emeril has four children: two with his current wife Alden and two from a previous marriage.

Q. Where was Emeril Lagasse born?

He was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA.

Q. What are some of Emeril Lagasse’s hobbies?

Outside of cooking, Emeril enjoys music and has a passion for fishing.