Chef Chad Diamond: 2026 Southwest Chef Series
When Chef Chad Diamond returned to professional cooking in 2024, he had already served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent roughly a decade in law enforcement and private security. The fifth-generation Arizonan joined Caldwell County BBQ shortly before its Pecan Lake location opened in Queen Creek. Within a year, he went from learning craft barbecue under pitmaster Scott Brown to overseeing the company’s pits.
Now, as head pitmaster, Diamond trains the people who keep Caldwell’s Central Texas-style barbecue consistent across its Arizona locations. He also gets to see what happens when he takes a familiar cut like brisket in a different direction. His latest idea: brisket pastrami, served on a sandwich or sold by the pound.
2026 BOSW Southwest Chef Series Hub
Chad Diamond at a glance
- Restaurant: Caldwell County BBQ
- Role: Head pitmaster
- Arizona locations: Gilbert, Queen Creek and Peoria
- Cuisine: Central Texas-style barbecue with Arizona influences
- Signature dish: Chili with Arizona chiltepin peppers
- Website: Caldwell County BBQ
- Instagram: @caldwellcountybbq
A second act at the smoker
Diamond grew up in the East Valley and studied classical cooking techniques through the East Valley Institute of Technology’s culinary arts program in high school. He worked in kitchens for several years before enlisting in the Marines. His return to cooking brought him back to the work he’d loved as a teenager, with a new craft to learn at the smoker.
Recipe for success
Caldwell County BBQ’s Pitmaster Special series gives its head pitmasters three months to put their own creations on the menu. Diamond developed two specials for the series: the brisket pastrami and a poblano cotija sausage. Both start with something familiar at a barbecue counter and give regulars a reason to order differently.
Chad Diamond’s impact on Arizona dining
As Caldwell County BBQ expanded, Diamond helped standardize how its teams prepare barbecue so diners could count on the same quality from one location to another. He also trains pitmasters and emphasizes promoting from within, giving team members a path to learn the craft and take on more responsibility.
Signature dish: Chiltepin chili
Diamond developed Caldwell County BBQ’s chili to make good use of beef trim. He turned to locally sourced chiltepin peppers, a chile native to the Sonoran Desert, to give the Texas-inspired recipe an Arizona accent. The dish reflects a practical instinct: Start with what the kitchen already has and look close to home for the ingredient that makes it your own.
Explore the 2026 Southwest Chef Series
This profile is part of The Best of the Southwest’s 2026 Southwest Chef Series, celebrating the chefs and culinary leaders shaping dining across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas and Southern California.
