Entrée: mahi mahi, cookie snack chips, green beans, french fries
Dessert: gourmet frozen yogurt sundae, white balsamic vinegar, puffed rice cereal bars, dulce de leche
Contestants:
Alexandria Brooks (age: 16), from Voorhees, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Ashley Dudley (age: 16), from Hancocks Bridge, NJ (eliminated after the entrée)
Jay Ureña (age: 16), from Queens, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Jason Khaytin (age: 14), from Holland, PA (winner)
Notes: Part one of five. Teenaged chefs competed in this tournament for a spot in the finale and a chance to win $25,000 and a $40,000 culinary school scholarship. During the tournament, chefs were given 30 minutes for the appetizer round, instead of the usual 20 minutes.
Sequoia Pranger (age: 16), from Salem, Oregon (eliminated after the appetizer)
Jason Khaytin (age: 14), from Holland, PA (eliminated after the entrée)
Dante Foggy (age: 17), from Burlington Twp, NJ (eliminated after the dessert)
Tommi Rae Fowler (age: 16), from Townville, SC (winner)
Notes: Part five of five. The previous four winners competed for $25,000 and a $40,000 culinary school scholarship. All the other contestants received a $1,000 gift card to FoodNetwork.com. Four of the teen chefs that did not win this season's Teen Tournament would later return for a teen chef redemption episode in season 25 ('Teen Redeem'.
Notes: Part 1 of a 5-part tournament featuring 16 past champions(4 professional chefs and 12 amateur champions) divided into 4 divisions of 4 contestants. The winner of each preliminary round advanced to the finale, whey they competed for a grand prize of $50,000, plus a new car. All contestants are professional chefs who were Chopped champions from other episodes. Fatima Ali had competed 2 other times before this (Episode 12.3 – "A Guts Reaction") and (Episode 14.3 – "Chopped Champions: Part 2"). This episode had a 30-minute "Chopped: After Hours" special that aired directly after the episode, consisting of previously online clips where judges engaged in friendly pseudo competition tackling one of the round's basket ingredients. Giorgio forgot an ingredient in the appetizer round but the judges loved his dish so he moved on.
Notes: Part 3 of 5. All contestants are Chopped champions from other episodes featuring heroes(people who help others in some way). Two firefighters, a US army veteran, and a police officer are the hero contestants in this episode.
Notes: Part 4 of 5. All the chefs are celebrities who formerly competed on Chopped for charity, each being a finalist in the tournament they originally competed in. Brandi, Carnie, and Gillian had competed against each other before when they were finalists in Season 19's Tournament Of Stars. In round 2, Brandi forgot to plate sauce, which had chocolate body paint, a basket ingredient.
Notes: The contestants in this special episode were children. Instead of the usual 20 minutes, they were given 30 minutes in the appetizer round. Due to the small height of the contestants, Ted had to help them reach for something at various times. This episode was dedicated to the memory of Lily Nichols' father, Jeffrey Nichols, who died just prior to the airing of this episode.
Dessert: witch's brew, blood oranges, blue cheese, pretzel spider webs
Contestants:
Mark Murray, Private Chef from Stanford, CT (eliminated after the appetizer)
Stephanie Mishoe, Pastry Chef from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the entrée)
TK Kyle, Caterer from Queens, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Roro Morales, Caterer from Portland, OR (winner)
Notes: This was a Halloween episode. The graveyard dirt pudding in the entree round was crumbled chocolate cake "dirt" over whipped cream with white wafer cookie "headstones" on top. The witch's brew in the dessert round was made from: limeade, ginger ale and lime sorbet.
Notes: This was a special Thanksgiving episode where the Chopped judges played to win money for the charity No Kid Hungry. This is the first episode to have four judges on the judging panel instead of the usual three so the contestants had to make five plates instead of the usual four.
Mirna Attar, Chef & Restaurateur from Portland, OR (eliminated after the appetizer)
Eva Winans, Line Cook from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the entrée)
Zachary Kell, Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Giuseppe Fanelli, Executive Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: The chefs were required to make meatballs in every course. Each chef was provided with a meat grinder on their station. Each round lasted its usual time limit but when this episode's first basket was used for Chopped After Hours, the time limit was increased to 30 minutes. Chef Giuseppe forgot the ginger in round 1, but moved on because the judges were unimpressed with Chef Mirna's dish.
Notes: This was a holiday themed episode featuring four of the hosts of The Kitchen as contestants, playing for charity. All the contestants, except Katie Lee, had competed before on Chopped. All four contestants received donations for their charities, win or lose.
Nico Romo, Culinary Director & French Master Chef from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the appetizer)
Geoff Rhyne, Chef de Cuisine from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the entrée)
Aaron Barnett, Chef & Restaurateur from Portland, OR (eliminated after the dessert)
Timothy Peterson, Sous Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: Judge Andrew Zimmern is the host of Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. All baskets in this episode featured highly unusual, "bizarre foods". Chef Timothy worked at Beauty & Essex, which is run by Chopped judge Chris Santos. In the first round Chef Nico was eliminated after leaving his lox ice cream in the freezer and forgetting to plate it.
Notes: The contestants were all home cooks. Drew Magary, a science fiction novelist and humor columnist for the sports website Deadspin, had previously posted a satirical application for the show in 2012.[1]
Dessert: pâte à choux, marzipan oranges, gold leaf, candied crabs
Contestants:
Kamel Saci, Head Bread Baker from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Frederick Aquino, Executive Pastry Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Mario Bacherini, Chef Technician from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Thiago Silva, Executive Pastry Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: All chefs in this episode were male bakers and/or pastry chefs. The chefs wore Chopped T-shirts and aprons rather than the traditional chef's coats. They were required to bake something in each round, with each basket containing a type of baking dough. The chefs had 30 minutes in the appetizer round instead of 20 due to the extra time needed for baking.
Jason French, Chef and Owner from Portland, OR (eliminated after the appetizer)
Tonya Mitchell, Culinary Director from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the entrée)
Timothy Witcher, Culinary Arts Instructor from Westhampton, NJ (eliminated after the dessert)
Ben Bettinger, Executive Chef from Portland, OR (winner)
Notes: Contestants were required to use the grill each round and could not use the ovens. Chef Timothy Witcher was the teacher of Dante Foggy, runner-up of the 2014 Chopped Teen Tournament. Chef Jason and Chef Ben knew each other prior to this episode, Jason being Ben's boss at one point.
Appetizer: ginger ice cream in cones, English peas, halibut fillets, faloodeh
Entrée: asiago cheese, flank steak, Italian hot peppers, olive oil ice cream
Dessert: banana splits with palm sugar ice cream, white chocolate, red olives, milky raw sake
Contestants:
Clio Goodman, Chef & Owner from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Chris Starkus, Chef de Cuisine from Portland, OR (eliminated after the entrée)
Emmanuel Delcour, Private Chef & Fitness Expert from Beverly Hills, CA (eliminated after the dessert)
Stacey Givens, Chef & Restaurateur from Portland, OR (winner)
Notes: The baskets in each round contained ice cream and each chef was provided with a tray of assorted toppings. An extra ice cream machine was brought in so that both chefs could each make ice cream in the dessert round. In round 3, Chef Emmanuel forgot to plate his white chocolate and red olives.
Leigh Ann Kato, Freelance Chef from Los Angeles, CA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Susie Blue McWilliam, Chef & Owner from Portland, OR (eliminated after the entrée)
Josh Lewis, Head Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Daniel Sharp, Executive Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: Contestants were required to make a sandwich for every course. In round 1, Chefs Susie Blue and Leigh Ann omitted a basket ingredient; Susie Blue used regular eggs instead of the basket eggs, while Leigh Ann chose not to plate her polenta. Chef Daniel is the brother of actress Lela Loren.
Victoria Neikirk, Executive Chefs from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the appetizer)
Tynan Gibson, Chef de Cuisine from Portland, OR (eliminated after the entrée)
Emily Hahn, Executive Chef from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the dessert)
Vandy Vanderwarker, Sous Chef from Charleston, SC (winner)
Notes: This was a viewers' choice episode. The basket ingredients were chosen by fans via social media. The first round was from Twitter; the second from Facebook; and the third from Instagram. Chef Emily and Chef Vandy were in a relationship prior to competing on this episode.
Fred Neuville, Chef & Restaurateur from John's Island, SC (eliminated after the appetizer)
Catherine Cosby, Executive Chef from Summerville, SC (eliminated after the entrée)
Anh Luu, Head Chef from Portland, OR (eliminated after the dessert)
Mo Major, Sous Chef from Port Chester, NY (winner)
Notes: The contestants were required to fry something in every round. In addition to the deep fryer, each chef was provided with a pot of oil preheated to frying temperature at the start of each round. Chef Catherine forgot an ingredient in both Round 1 and Round 2 resulting in her elimination.
Notes: The contestants were home cooks who had all competed previously and lost. Tommy Werther and Jackie Khanich had previously competed against each other in the same episode. In round 3, Sunny forgot to plate an ingredient (baharat).
Entrée: duck breast, artichoke, champagne, peanut butter and jelly
Dessert: pork crown roast, green lipped mussels, creamed spinach, truffles
Contestants:
Mark Mata, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Sarah Arkwright, Food Truck Owner from Portland, OR (eliminated after the entrée)
Diane Vista-Wayne, Line Cook from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Jonathan Kavourakis, Sous Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: The three rounds (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) were replaced by breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively. Chef Kavourakis worked at Beauty & Essex, which is run by Chopped judge Chris Santos.
Appetizer: chicken wings (puffed rice treats with hot sauce), Italian sausage, caramel apple (caramel coated onion), sheep (cauliflower and olive)
Entrée: layer cake (meatloaf with cream cheese), spaghetti squash, green beans (fondant), ice cream sundae (mashed potatoes and gravy)
Dessert: grilled cheese (pound cake with frosting), milk (buttermilk), peas and carrots (candy), tomato soup (strawberry soup)
Contestants:
Lauren Miller, Executive Chef, Sasquatch Brewing Co., Portland, OR (eliminated after the appetizer)
Daniel Doyle, Executive Chef, Poogan's Porch, Charleston, SC (eliminated after the entrée)
Cole Poolaw, Executive Chef, Barsa Tapas Lounge, Charleston, SC (eliminated after the dessert)
Silvia Baldini, Chef & Caterer, Strawberry & Sage, New Canaan, CT (winner)
Notes: This was an April Fools' Day competition where the ingredients in the baskets were actually something else in disguise and small pranks were pulled (e.g. hiding a rubber snake in a blender; having someone in a bear costume waiting in the break room between rounds.)
Notes: The theme of this episode was leftovers in every basket. All contestants were 'Chopped' judges who were competing for charity. The Tex-Mex condiments consisted of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
Jimi Hyatt, Chef from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the appetizer)
Heather Edwards, Executive Chef from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the entrée)
Deljuan Murphy, Executive Sous Chef from Charleston, SC (eliminated after the dessert)
Taylor Garrigan, Executive Chef from Charleston, SC (winner)
Notes: This was a barbecue themed episode with a different regional variety of barbecue sauce in every basket. All the chefs were from different areas of Charleston, South Carolina, and the third judge, Ray "Dr. BBQ" Lampe, was a finalist in the first Chopped: Grill Masters Tournament. Due to the extensive time required to cook ribs, the ribs in the entree basket were pre-roasted.
Notes: The first in a five-part All-Stars tournament series, where the winner takes home $75,000 for a charity of their choice. Madison Cowan had previously won the 2010 Champions tournament. Chef Cowan is also the first chef to have competed as both a civilian and celebrity contestant.
Dessert: watermelon fruit bowl, French feta cheese, ghost pepper, cookie cake
Contestants:
Art Smith, Charity: Reunion (eliminated after the appetizer)
Jet Tila, Charity: K9s for Warriors (eliminated after the entrée)
Michael Psilakis, Charity: The Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (eliminated after the dessert)
Anne Burrell, Charity: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (winner)
Notes: Finale of a five-part All-Stars tournament, with a $75,000 prize for the charity of the winning chef's choice. The fish carcasses were from catfish heads and cod. The seafood tower included clams, oysters, lobster, and shrimp. Due to the heat of the ghost peppers, goggles were provided in the dessert basket.
Robert Sevchik, Chef de Cuisine from Seattle, WA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Oscar Toro, Executive Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Steven Wambach, Executive Chef from Chicago, IL (eliminated after the dessert)
Robyn Almodovar, Food Truck Owner from Miami, FL (winner)
Notes: The "trash fish" in Round 2 was scut fish (specifically "porgy", as stated in the Chopped: After Hours segment for this episode). Chef Robyn previously competed on Season 10 of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen in 2012, finishing in 6th place; she later returned for Season 17 in 2017 and finished in 5th place. She also later competed on Cutthroat Kitchen.
Entrée: deep-fried canned ham, deep-fried ravioli, asparagus, hot beef sundae
Dessert: deep-fried tequila, nectarines, deep-fried butter balls, red, white and blue ice pops
Contestants:
Kris Edelen, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Eileen Andrade, Chef & Restaurateur from Miami, FL (eliminated after the entrée)
Derrick Prince, Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Brian Riggenbach, Executive Chef from Chicago, IL (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was carnival food with each basket containing two deep fried items. Chef Derrick worked for fellow Chopped judge Chris Santos, who did not appear as a judge in this episode. In the entree round, Chef Eileen forgot a basket ingredient (fried ravioli). In the dessert round, Chef Derrick cut himself but did not know about it until he was alerted by the medic. Blood was found in enough places that the judges could not taste his dish due to possible contamination.
Dessert: potato chips, strawberry toaster pastries, fast food sundae, mini marshmallows
Contestants:
Varsha Govindaraju (Senior), University of Washington in Seattle, WA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Alex Steinwald (Senior), Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (eliminated after the entrée)
O'Shane Elliot (Junior), University of Miami in Miami, FL (eliminated after the dessert)
Andrea Galan (Sophomore), New York University in New York, NY (winner)
Notes: Four college students competed in this episode. The instant ramen in the appetizer round consisted of dried ramen noodles and a flavoring packet, but the contestants were not required to use both components of the ramen. Chef Andrea later competed on Season 7 of the American version of MasterChef in 2016, finishing in 11th place.
Dessert: matcha chia smoothie, rice crackers, pineapple, dark chocolate
Contestants:
Justin Schwartz, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Momo Attaoui, Private Chef from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Rudy Poindexter, Personal Chef from Arlington, TX (eliminated after the dessert)
Ryan Ross, Owner & Private Chef from Bow, WA (winner)
Notes: Lighter and healthier ingredients were featured in the baskets. Chef Rudy Poindexter was the personal chef of Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder.
Entrée: three bean salad, burger patties, flask of whiskey, football cupcakes
Dessert: fried apple pies, wine coolers, strawberries, banana pudding
Contestants:
Erin Wishon, Executive Chef from Chicago, IL (eliminated after the appetizer)
Lamar Moore, Executive Chef from Chicago, IL (eliminated after the entrée)
Michell Sanchez, Chef & Restaurateur from Miami, FL (eliminated after the dessert)
Seis Kamimura, Executive Chef from Seattle, WA (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was tailgating and the baskets were replaced by coolers. Chef Michell previously appeared on two other Food Network shows: Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2014 and Charles Stiles' Mystery Diners in July 2015, four months before this episode aired.
Will Salazar, Executive Sous Chef from Chicago, IL (eliminated after the appetizer)
Juan Borjas, Executive Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Fred Maurer, Charcutier from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Dafna Mizrahi, Chef & Restaurateur from Amenia, NY (winner)
Notes: Contestants were asked to prepare dishes that one might find at a gastropub. Each round featured at least two gastropub-themed mystery ingredients. Juan Borjas worked for Chopped judge Chris Santos, who did not appear as a judge in this episode.
Jim Stacy (Offbeat Eats) (Charity: The Giving Kitchen) (eliminated after the entrée)
Gabriele Corcos (Extra Virgin) (Charity: The Food Bank of New York City) (eliminated after the dessert)
Roger Mooking (Man, Fire, Food) (Charity: Save the Children International) (winner)
Notes: This was a holiday-themed episode and all the competing chefs were hosts of shows on Cooking Channel playing for charity. Chef Kelsey cut herself in the appetizer round and her food overcooked on the stove while she was getting bandaged, contributing to her being eliminated. Chef Corcos also competed in the 2013 All-Stars tournament prior to this episode. Roger Mooking also served as a judge on Chopped Canada. The gingersnap cocktail in the second round was mixed from vodka, ginger-scented apéritif, allspice, and clove.
Franco Fugel (age 14), from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Theo Vicioso (age 17), from White Plains, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Anna Mindell (age 15), from New Haven, CT (eliminated after the dessert)
Yazmene Kaylani (age 16), from Sussex County, NJ (winner)
Notes: This is part 1 of 5 in a tournament with all teenage contestants. Throughout the tournament, contestants were given 30 minutes for the appetizer round.
Alyssa Chacon (age 17), from Union, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Nino Asaro (age 16), from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Salma Zahran (age 15), from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Peter Wenger (age 13), from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: Part 2 of 5. Teen Chef Wenger is a protégé of Chef Joel Gargano, who competed in the fifteenth-season episode "Cook Your Butt Off!" Throughout the competition Salma cut herself four times.
Danny Ganzman (age 15), from Buffalo Grove, IL (eliminated after the appetizer)
Olivia Neumark (age 13), from Seattle, WA (eliminated after the entrée)
Justin Ballenger (age 16), from Chicago, IL (eliminated after the dessert)
Veronica Seguin (age 14), from Bedford, MA (winner)
Notes: Part 4 of 5. The candy bars in the dessert round had the brand obscured but it appeared to be Pay Day candy bars. Veronica cut her finger in Round 1 but finished her dish.
Peter Wenger (age 13), from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Alexina Chasin (age 14), from Kingston, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Yazmene Kaylani (age 16), from Sussex County, NJ (eliminated after the dessert)
Veronica Seguin (age 14), from Bedford, MA (winner)
Notes: Part 5 of 5. The winner received a $25,000 grand prize, while the other three finalists each received a $1,000 Food Network gift certificate and an authentic Chopped chef's coat.
Appetizer: lump crab meat, daikon radish, Japanese mayonnaise, chili garlic coated peas
Entrée: Korean-style short ribs, wax soda bottles, romanesco cauliflower, calzones
Dessert: cold brew coffee, peanut butter toast, strawberry purée, Italian milk cookies
Contestants:
Morgan Goldstein (age 15), from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the appetizer)
Dante Foggy (age 18), from Burlington Township, NJ (eliminated after the entrée)
Jay Urena (age 17), from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Max Aronson (age 17), from Woodcliff Lake, NJ (winner)
Notes: This redemption episode, the first to feature teen chefs, featured four contestants from the 2014 Teen Tournament. Unlike previous teen episodes, the chefs were not given extra time in the appetizer round.
Notes: This celebrity episode featured four actresses who played sitcom moms, competing for charity. The TV dinners in the appetizer round included turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Betsy Randle made the final round, despite accidentally leaving a piece of plastic in a round 1 dish, then forgetting an ingredient in round 2. (Payton's appetizer was inconsistently cooked and loaded with raw spices, while Arnold's entree didn't transform her ingredients enough.)
Gretchen Roth, Food Services Manager at The Bowery Mission, New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Bonnie Kepplinger, Volunteer Cook at The Crib at the Night Ministry, Chicago, IL (eliminated after the entrée)
Victor Squire, Soup Kitchen Chef at The Open Door Shelter, Norwalk, CT (eliminated after the dessert)
Sister Alicia Torres, Franciscan Nun at Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago, Chicago, IL (winner)
Notes: This was a Thanksgiving episode featuring four soup kitchen chefs. Each basket contained the same ingredients, but in different forms. Each chef's respective soup kitchen received a donation from Food Network win or lose. The chefs had 30 minutes in the appetizer round instead of the usual 20 minutes.
Dessert: Day of the Dead cookies, watermelon brain, chocolate covered bugs, boo-nilla shakes
Contestants:
Jeny Weimer, Executive Chef & Co-Owner from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Celinda Norton, Chef & Food Blogger from Seattle, WA (eliminated after the entrée)
Leo Mamaril, Chef de Tournade from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Heather Borden, Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This was a Halloween themed episode. The coffin toast in the entree round consisted of a toasted bread boat filled with seafood and a cream sauce. In Round 2 Chef Celinda forgot the pickled pigs lips and she cut herself. She used the same cutting board side with her blood on it, resulting in the judges not tasting her dish and eliminating her. The "boo-nilla" shakes in the dessert round were vanilla milkshakes.
Entrée: (candy round) champagne, wafer sheets, cookie spread, green strawberries
Dessert: (cake round) avocado, rangpur limes, hazelnut flour, Persian rice
Contestants:
Sarah Mispagel, Pastry Chef, Nightwood, Chicago, IL (eliminated after the appetizer)
Anthony Hunt, Corporate Pastry Chef, Restaurant People Group, South Florida, FL (eliminated after the entrée)
Jasmin Bell, Manager & Pastry Chef, Le Rêve Bakery & Café, Seattle, WA (eliminated after the dessert)
Mathew Rice, Executive Pastry Chef, Girl & The Goat, Chicago, IL (winner)
Notes: Four pastry chefs competed in this episode where all 3 rounds were dessert rounds. Each round focused on a different dessert: chocolate, candy, and cake. The 1st round was extended to 30 minutes instead of the usual 20 minutes. The 3rd round was 60 minutes instead of 30 to allow the chefs enough time to bake and decorate their cakes.
Ada Santa (MIL) & Jaime Santa (DIL), from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Joan Low (MIL) & Linda Low (DIL), from Raleigh, NC (eliminated after the entrée)
Kathie Leonard (MIL) & Danielle Leonard (DIL), from Salem, MA (eliminated after the dessert)
Mara Cristiani (MIL) & Gena Cristiani (DIL), from Sarasota, FL (winner)
Notes: Teams of two amateur cooks, each consisting of a mother-in-law (MIL) and her daughter-in-law (DIL), competed in this episode. The wine purse in the first round contained white Bordeaux. The imitation sunny-side up eggs in the second round were made from tofu and soy.
Dessert: cassata cake, white chocolate chips, blood orange crackers, pine nuts
Contestants:
Ryan Profetto (Heather's son), College Student from Milford, CT (eliminated after the appetizer)
John Profetto (Heather's husband), Business Manager & Co-Owner from Milford, CT (eliminated after the entrée)
Kate Campbell (Heather's sister), Chef de Cuisine from Milford, CT (eliminated after the dessert)
Heather Profetto, Chef & Co-Owner from Milford, CT (winner)
Notes: This episode featured a family of four competing head to head. It's the second time all four contestants were family members that worked at the same restaurant.
Artie Wachtel, Retired Sales Manager from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Stanley Myers, Retired Postal Office Worker from Sayreville, NJ (eliminated after the entrée)
Gary Stamm, Community Theater Performer from Pleasant Prairie, WI (eliminated after the dessert)
Nelson Andreu, Chief of Police from Miami, FL (winner)
Notes: The competitors were amateur cooks and grandfathers. The contestants were given 30 minutes in the appetizer round instead of the usual 20. Gary Stamm is the father of former Chopped contestant April Stamm.
Season 27 (2016)
Chopped regular Marc Murphy did not appear as a judge in any episode this season.
Dessert: corn chip bars, rum & cola, blackberries, bananas
Contestants:
Kirk Bronsord, from Oakland, CA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Nick Caputi, from Queens, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Tim Lyons, from Houston, TX (eliminated after the dessert)
Jill Falgiano, from West New York, NJ (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was tailgating and the baskets were replaced by coolers. The contestants were amateur cooks and experienced tailgaters. Instead of the traditional chefs coats, the contestants wore specially made Chopped football jerseys.
Nick Lisotto, Executive Chef from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Gray Rollin, Chef & Restaurateur from Santa Rosa, CA (eliminated after the entrée)
Coby Farrow, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Jay Abrams, Executive Chef from San Francisco, CA (winner)
Notes: This episode featured bacon in every basket. The "bacon" gummies in the third round were strawberry flavored. All the chefs were men and wore specially made bacon T-shirts and blue jean aprons instead of the chefs coats.
Keisha Bocage, Chef & Owner from Houston, TX (eliminated after the appetizer)
Rocco Nankervis, Executive Chef from Houston, TX (eliminated after the entrée)
Brandon Soverall, Chef de Cuisine from Houston, TX (eliminated after the dessert)
Andre Fowles, Sous Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: Contestants were asked to create Caribbean-inspired dishes with the Caribbean ingredients in each basket. During the entrée round, contestants were given a hammer to open the coconut. The callaloo greens in the entrée round appeared to be the variety from taro leaves.
Notes: First episode of a five-part tournament. Four returning champions compete for a spot in the tournament finale. The beer flight in the second round contained four different types of beer.
Notes: Second episode of a five-part tournament. While Chopped normally obscures brand names, the smoked sausage in the first round was a product of Chopped sponsor Hillshire Farms. The frozen yogurt in the first round was not flavored.
Notes: Third episode of a five-part tournament. Guest judge Christian Petroni was a former Chopped champion (Episode 4.5 – "Mussels Mastery & Cotton Candy Can-Do") and Chopped tournament competitor (Episode 5.7 - "$50,000 Tournament: Round Four").
Notes: Fourth episode of a five-part tournament. Contestants Adam and Jackie Sappington had previously won a couples' team competition episode, but competed individually in this episode. Guest judge Angie Mar was the winner of the second Chopped: Grill Masters Tournament (Special 11 - "Grill Masters: Episode Five"). The duck mousse in the third round contained duck liver and port wine.
Notes: Fifth episode of a five-part tournament. Guest judge Angie Mar was the winner of the second Chopped: Grill Masters Tournament (Special 11 - "Grill Masters: Episode Five").
Dessert: piñata, black beans, crema, Mexican hot chocolate
Contestants:
Artist Thornton, Executive Chef from East Harlem, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Sylva Senat, Executive Chef from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the entrée)
Telmo Faria, Executive Chef from San Francisco, CA (eliminated after the dessert)
Adrian Ramirez, Executive Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This was a Cinco de Mayo themed episode and contestants were asked to cook Mexican cuisine. The piñata in the third round contained assorted candies including caramel squares, strawberry hard candy, and round peppermints.
Dessert: rose bud tea, chocolate honeycomb candy, crème anglaise, mangosteens
Contestants:
Peter Endrigian and Sally Meehan, Actor/Maitre'd from New York, NY and Actor/Model from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Tayo Ola and Elena Ng, Food Blogger from New York, NY and Bodybuilder from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Miles McKirdy and Stephanie Rizzolo, Bartender from New York, NY and Dining Concierge from New Brunswick, NJ (eliminated after the dessert)
Ian Phillips and Santana Benítez, Bartender from New York, NY and Non-Profit Volunteer from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This was a blind date team competition where 2 amateur cooks were paired up based on their interests and what they were looking for in a romantic partner. They met for the first time on the show and had to work together to try and win. The episode focused not only on the cooking, but also on how well the dates got along.
Dessert: fruit kabobs, iced tea, whipped topping, ice cream sandwiches
Contestants:
Dean Barker, Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Allison Kave, Chef & Owner from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Adrianna Montano, Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Ken West, Executive Chef from North Caldwell, NJ (winner)
Notes: Each basket contained ingredients associated with summertime. Chef Allison Kave is the sister of former Chopped champion and Chopped tournament competitor Corwin Kave. The sand castle cake in the first round was pound cake with a graham cracker "sand". The clambake in the second round contained mussels, steamer clams, potatoes, corn, and seaweed.
John Beatty, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Mike Bianco, Chef de Cuisine from Dobbs Ferry, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Mitchell Faber, Caterer from San Francisco, CA (eliminated after the dessert)
Erin Smith, Executive Chef from Houston, TX (winner)
Notes: Each basket featured dangerous ingredients, some deadly if not prepared properly. The 'shark' in the dessert round was a watermelon carved to look like a shark.
Father Justin Matro, Benedictine Monk & Pastor from Crabtree, PA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Sister Sara Marks, Franciscan Nun from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the entrée)
Rabbi Hanoch Hecht, from Rhinebeck, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Pastor Areli Biggers, Family Life Pastor from Hopkington, MA (winner)
Notes: All four contestants were amateur cooks and religious leaders. The baskets featured one or more biblical-themed or religious-themed ingredients. Rabbi Hecht is strictly kosher and therefore could not cook meat and dairy in the same competition. To accommodate this the baskets kept kosher and the pantry was stocked with dairy substitutes such as margarine and non-dairy whipping cream.
Jayson Reynolds, Chef & Caterer from Austin, TX (eliminated after the appetizer)
Shanice Fleming, Line Cook from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Tyler Henderson, Executive Chef from Santa Fe, TX (eliminated after the dessert)
Brandon Peacock, Executive Chef from San Francisco, CA (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was fried chicken with chicken of some kind in every basket. The deep-fryer was turned off and each chef was given a pre-heated pot of oil on their station. Chef Jayson Reynolds' wife is Chopped Champion Janelle Reynolds.
Cameron Cain, Executive Chef from Houston, TX (eliminated after the appetizer)
Seth Carter, Chef de Partie from San Francisco, CA (eliminated after the entrée)
Rey Martinez, Executive Chef from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Rachael Zavala, Executive Chef from Danville, CA (winner)
Notes: In this episode, all baskets contained hot dogs in some form. In Round 1, Chef Seth forgot carrot ketchup in his dish but moved on due to his dish tasting better than his competitor. In Round 2, Chef Seth and Chef Rachael both forgot quail eggs in their dishes but Chef Seth was eliminated for repeating his mistake from Round 1. This episode was the first time two chefs forgot to plate the same basket ingredient in the same round.
Entrée: peas in a pod, crown roast of pork, root beer float, Japanese sweet potatoes
Dessert: ya pears, fennel pollen, pate sucree, Brazil nuts
Contestants:
Tammy Lakatos-Shames & Lyssie Lakatos, Nutritionists from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Pamela Drew & Wendy Drew, Chef & Restaurateurs from San Francisco, CA (eliminated after the entrée)
Charlie Kalish & Michael Kalish, Instructors & Restaurateurs from San Francisco, CA (eliminated after the dessert)
Matt Romine & Mike Romine, Chefs & Restaurateurs from Imlay City, MI (winner)
Notes: This was a team competition featuring four teams of twin chefs. Aaron Sanchez' twin brother, Rodrigo Sanchez, made an appearance during the dessert round.
Entrée: prime rib, funnel cakes, dried crabs, okra
Dessert: gelatin fish bowl, mangoes, graham crackers, cream cheese
Contestants:
Gabriel Chirinos (age 15), from Jackson Heights, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Lyanna Cintron (age 17), from Queens, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Kamryn Kohler (age 16), from Yardley, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Eliana de Las Casas (age 15), from New Orleans, LA (winner)
Notes: Final part of a 5-part tournament featuring teenage cooks. The four remaining teen chefs competed for a $25,000 grand prize. The other three finalists each received a $1,000 FoodNetwork.com gift certificate and an authentic red Chopped chefs coat.
Ebony Amber, Costume Designer from Torrington, CT (eliminated after the appetizer)
James Roberts, Medical File Clerk from Long Island, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Gina Gullo, University Research Assistant from Lehigh Valley, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Joshua Potter ("Schwa de Vivre"), Drag Queen from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This was a Halloween themed episode with all amateur cooks dressed in costumes. The zombie hand was meatloaf in the shape of a hand and mashed potatoes. The jack o' lantern peppers were orange bell peppers cut to resemble jack o' lanterns. The bloodshot eyeballs were dyed hard-boiled eggs. The salty fingers were sea beans. The worms in dirt were gummy worms and chocolate sandwich cookies.
Dessert: black walnuts in syrup, beet yogurt, clementines, ear-of-corn cupcakes
Contestants:
Amber Keyser, Noah's Kitchen in Houston, TX (eliminated after the appetizer)
Pam Johnson, Elijah's Promise in New Brunswick, NJ (eliminated after the entrée)
Adam Coleman, Clear Path for Veterans in Chittenango, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Alex Lawrence, Trinity/Food for the Homeless in New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This is a Thanksgiving themed episode where all four contestants worked in soup kitchens. Each competitor received a donation from Food Network to their respective soup kitchens.
Appetizer: tailgate sandwiches, vegetables and dip, caramel corn, black bean salsa
Entrée: baby back ribs, brewmosa, hot Italian peppers, potato salad
Dessert: football pies, white nectarines, raspberry lambic beer, potato chips
Contestants:
Ali Muhammad from Cranford, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Catherine Highland from Englewood, CO (eliminated after the entrée)
Gina Gray from Ossining, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Frank West from Bayonne, NJ (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was tailgating and the baskets were replaced by coolers. The contestants were amateur cooks and experienced tailgaters. Instead of the traditional chefs coats, the contestants wore specially made Chopped football jerseys. The contestants had 30 minutes in the appetizer round.
Notes: First part of a 4-part tournament featuring twelve returning Chopped champions. Each episode's winner progressed to the finale, where the three episode winners competed to determine the tournament finalist. The finalist would choose a dish and compete for $40,000 against Bobby Flay in making a better version of the dish. For the whole tournament, one item in each basket was chosen by Bobby Flay.
Notes: Second part of a 4-part tournament. Chef Thomas is the youngest competitor in this tournament, having won the first all-teen episode back in season 13. In round 1, the can of fruit contained peaches, grapes, pears, and cherries. Also, due to the extensive prep time required, the abalone in round 1 was pre-cleaned.
Notes: Third part of a 4-part tournament. Contestants Matt Romine and Mike Romine previously competed together in a twins' team competition episode, but competed individually in this episode. The "ultimate milkshake" in the third round was reminiscent of "unicorn milkshakes" that are overloaded with rainbow candies, rainbow cereal, and colorful cookies in a large mug.
Dessert: lemon snack cakes, carrot hot sauce, plums, artisanal caramel
Contestants:
Sage Beausejour, Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Kathy Poland, Chef & Food Truck Owner from Denver, CO (eliminated after the entrée)
Shahin Afsharian, Executive Chef from Denver, CO (eliminated after the dessert)
Nicky Palamaro, Sous Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This episode featured inexpensive ingredients and foods in every basket. Chef Palamaro was a sous chef at Tertulia, owned by Chopped guest judge Seamus Mullen.
Notes: Final part of a 4-part tournament. The 3 finalists competed over 2 rounds (appetizer and entree) to win a guaranteed $15,000. The winner faced Bobby Flay in a $25,000 wild card round for a chance to increase their winnings to $40,000. This round was played like the second round on Beat Bobby Flay with both chefs making a dish of the winner's choice, which in this case was bibimbap. The chefs had 45 minutes in the 3rd round instead of the usual 30 to accommodate the crossover format.
Jay Fox, Butcher & Co-Owner from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Brian Paul Casey, Butcher & Co-Owner from Denver, CO (eliminated after the entrée)
Derek Boaz, Master Butcher from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Cara Nicoletti, Butcher from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: All four chefs were professional butchers. The chefs were given 30 minutes in the appetizer round and 40 minute in the entrée round in order to butcher their proteins properly.
Jared Falco, Chef de Cuisine from Armonk, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Sarah Murray, Sous Chef from Baltimore, MD (eliminated after the entrée)
Brother Luck, Chef & Owner from Colorado Springs, CO (eliminated after the dessert)
Christopher Royster, Chef de Cuisine from Boulder, CO (winner)
Notes: Every basket contained whole roasted animals which were placed in the pantry rather than the baskets due to their size. Chef Jared works for Chopped champion and occasional guest judge Christian Petroni. In round 1, Chef Sarah forgot to plate the sekacz on her dish, but moved on because they judged Chef Jared's dish on presentation, taste, and creativity with being poorly plated and that it just didn't come together, as cited by the judges.
Erick Dally, Executive Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Serge Pambo, Sous Chef from Rockville, MD (eliminated after the entrée)
Ashish "Al" Alfred, Executive Chef & Restaurateur from Bethesda, MD (eliminated after the dessert)
Lesley Covitz, Chef & Restaurateur from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: This was a viewers' choice episode. The basket ingredients were chosen by fans via social media. The zombie hand was meatloaf in the shape of a hand and mashed potatoes.
Elena Cruz, Chef & Co-Owner from Kingston, NY. (eliminated after the appetizer)
David Ruiz, Executive Chef from Albuquerque, NM. (eliminated after the entrée)
Jesse Vega, Executive Chef from Denver, CO. (eliminated after the dessert)
Faith Paulick, Executive Chef from Baltimore, MD. (winner)
Notes: For this episode, the chefs had to make tacos in every round. Chef Elena forgot an ingredient in the first round (tripe) which led to her being eliminated.
Faiz Ally, Executive Sous Chef from Washington D.C (eliminated after the appetizer)
Ivan Saez, Executive Chef from Washington D.C (eliminated after the entrée)
Meena Throngkumpola, Executive Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Nick Browne, Private Chef from Berkshires, MA (winner)
Notes: Each chef specialized in high-end cuisine and each basket contained expensive, high-end ingredients. The flight of caviar in the first round contained three different varieties of caviar for the chefs to use. Chef Nick Browne is the son of actors Kale Browne and Karen Allen.
Dessert: mushroom hot chocolate, cranberries, amaranth grain, buffalo milk butter
Contestants:
Michele Wright, Chef & Restaurateur from Goochland, VA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Justin Goerich, Executive Chef from Boulder, CO (eliminated after the entrée)
Peter Martinez, Sous Chef from Englewood Cliffs, NJ (eliminated after the dessert)
Mark Henry, Executive Chef from Fountain, CO (winner)
Notes: Each basket had wild ingredients (game and/or wild plants). Guest judge Jonathon Sawyer was the Chopped champion from the "Grill Masters Napa: Part 1" episode.
Russell Stippich, Sous Chef from Denver, CO (eliminated after the appetizer)
Chris Burnett, Head Sous Chef from Little Silver, NJ (eliminated after the entrée)
Dasha Perez-Haney, Executive Chef from Denver, CO (eliminated after the dessert)
Scott McDonald, Executive Chef from Jersey City, NJ (winner)
Notes: Each basket contained different types of whiskey and wings. In the entree round the chefs were given a caddy of five different hot sauces, and the celery, carrots, and blue cheese were all on a platter which counted as one ingredient.
Entrée: chicken pot pie, watercress, pork chops, "stars & stripes" pasta
Dessert: candy apples, blondies, vanilla pudding mix, American cheese
Contestants:
Paul Maloney, Executive Chef and Navy Veteran from Doswell, VA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Candace Gracik, Executive Chef and Coast Guard Veteran from Los Lunas, NM (eliminated after the entrée)
Jon Coombs, Sous Chef and Army Veteran from Ashburn, VA (eliminated after the dessert)
Gary Gonzalez, Line Cook and Marine Veteran from Edison, NJ (winner)
Notes: All four contestants were military veterans. While Chopped normally obscures brand names, the pot pie in the entrée basket was Marie Callender's brand. Each of the chopped chefs had $5000 donated in their name from Marie Callender's to a different charity. The winner also received a $10,000 donation to charity in addition to the usual $10,000 prize.
Cristian Petitta, Executive Chef from White Plains, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Thach Tran, Executive Chef from Denver, CO (eliminated after the entrée)
Zack Mills, Executive Chef from Baltimore, MD (eliminated after the dessert)
Christina Jackson, Chef from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: This was a noodle themed episode with noodles/pasta in every round. Chef Cristian cut himself in the first round and had to start his dish over with less fish. The sausage and meatballs were all on a platter which counted as one ingredient.
Mauro Maccioni, Chef and Co-Owner from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Naji Boustany, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Jackie Jeong, Chef de Cuisine from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Andrew Riccatelli, Chef de Cuisine from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: All the chefs were from New York. They were required to make dumplings in every round. To accommodate the theme, each chef was provided with a preheated pot of oil and the pantry was stocked with assorted dumpling wrappers. In the appetizer round, Chef Mauro didn't get any food onto his plates and though the judges tried the food in his pans, he was eliminated (making this the second time in the series that a contestant didn't plate anything before time ran out.)
Miguel Samanez, Sous Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Val Wasilewski, Executive Pastry Chef from Briarcliff Manor, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
George Rodrigues, Executive Chef from Washington D.C. (eliminated after the dessert)
Adriana Urbina, Chef and Owner from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This episode featured chefs from different Latin American countries who emigrated to the United States. There were also Latin American ingredients in each basket.
Notes: Part 1 of a 5-part celebrity tournament featuring 16 celebrities competing to win $50,000 for charity. Contestants in this heat were internet personalities with a considerable online following.
Notes: Part 4 of a 5-part celebrity tournament. Contestants in this heat were film and television actors. This episode marks Alan Thicke's final television appearance, as he died prior to the airing of this episode. A tribute was included to him at the end.
Dessert: port wine cheese, sweet flakes cereal, plumcots, wedding cake top
Contestants:
Ralph Ferrara and Toni Ferrara from Brick, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Henry Hynoski and Laura Hynoski from Secaucus NJ (eliminated after the entrée)
Jhonathan Fennell and Corry Fennell from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Kam Khazai and Karen Khazai from Gaithersburg, MD (winner)
Notes: This was a team competition with newlyweds (home cooks) competing in the Chopped kitchen. Henry Hynoski was a member of the Super Bowl XLVI-winning team New York Giants.
Notes: The contestants were Food Network chefs (and Chopped host Ted Allen) competing alongside their mothers for charity. Since Ted Allen was one of the contestants, the judges took turns performing his hosting duties and unveiling who got chopped each round (Marc announced round 1, Marcus announced round 2, and Amanda announced round 3). The chefs had 30 minutes in the appetizer round instead of the usual 20.
Erin Campbell, Competitive BBQ Champ from Yazoo City, MS (eliminated after the appetizer)
Shane Vidovic, Chef and Restaurateur from Lakewood, OH (eliminated after the entrée)
Eusebio Gongora, Culinary Director from Baton Rouge, LA (eliminated after the dessert)
Tanya Cauthen, Butcher from Richmond, VA (winner)
Notes: This was a grilling themed episode. The ovens were turned off and the stovetops were outfitted with grill pans and griddles. While Chopped normally obscures brand names, the meat sauce in the entree basket was A1 Steak Sauce, a product of a Chopped sponsor. Chef Campbell is the daughter of Leslie Roark Scott, a finalist in the second Chopped: Grill Masters Tournament.
Bea Rocchetti, Sous Chef from Farmington Hills, MI (eliminated after the appetizer)
Miguel Franco, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Michael Chatman, Line Cook from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Shacafrica Simmons, Caterer from Tallahassee, FL (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was potatoes, which were featured in two forms in every basket. Chef Chatman was a line cook for Chopped judge Alex Guarneschelli.
Dessert: bacon gelato, Belgian ale, cactus pear, pretzel bark
Contestants:
Mike Hannah and Melissa Hannah from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the appetizer)
Mark Sheridan and Kevin Sheridan from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the entrée)
Johnny Hall and Yahaira Hall from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Sabi Bivas and Daniel Bivas from Hillsborough, NJ (winner)
Notes: This was a home cook, team competition; four fathers paired up with their adult children. The teams were given 30 minutes in the appetizer round instead of the usual 20.
Jessica Johnson, Chef and Restaurateur from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the appetizer)
Craig Walker, Chef and Restaurateur from New Orleans, LA (eliminated after the entrée)
Greg Beckham, Chef and Restaurateur from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the dessert)
Christine Wendland, Executive Chef from Chesterfield, NJ (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was backyard barbecuing. The classic burger fixings in the second round contained onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. The watermelon grill in the third round was half a hollowed out watermelon with fruit skewers on top placed to resemble grill grates.
Tracy Wilk, Executive Pastry Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Sophie Jaeger, Pastry Chef and Restaurateur from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Anna Fitting, Executive Pastry Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Crystal Smith, Pastry Chef from Detroit, MI (winner)
Notes: This episode had all female pastry chefs. They were required to bake something in each round. The chefs were given 30 minutes in the appetizer round and 45 minutes in the dessert round to showcase their pastry talents.
Leah Gourlie, Pastry Chef and Owner from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the appetizer)
Jamal Bland, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Jessica Chaney, Pastry Chef from Detroit, MI (eliminated after the dessert)
Gavin Jobe, Chef and Restaurateur from Baton Rouge, LA (winner)
Notes: This is part 1 of a 5-part tournament where Alton Brown picked the baskets with specific scientific, gastronomic techniques in mind. The theme of this episode was smoke and the contestants were required to infuse smoke into each dish. A basket ingredient in the entree round (the meatballs) was smoked by Alton himself.
Lisa Pucci Delgado, Private Chef from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the appetizer)
Vinnie Cimino, Chef de Cuisine from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the entrée)
Ben Bebenroth, Chef and Restaurateur from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the dessert)
Nick Wallace, Executive Chef from Jackson, MS (winner)
Notes: This is part 2 of a 5-part tournament where Alton Brown picked the baskets with specific scientific, gastronomic techniques in mind. The theme of this episode was dehydration, with at least one dehydrated ingredient in each round. A basket ingredient in the entree round (the beef jerky) was made by Alton from brined, dehydrated flank steak.
Tiffany Schleigh, Pastry Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Louis Goral, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Andrea Anom, Line Cook from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Chris Holland, Executive Chef from Sparkill, NY (winner)
Notes: This is part 3 of a 5-part tournament where Alton Brown picked the baskets with specific scientific, gastronomic techniques in mind. The theme of this episode was molecular gastronomy, with at least one modernist ingredient in each round. A basket ingredient in the entree round (lamb rib roast) was set aside on a separate table. It was cooked sous-vide inside an immersion circulator.
Entrée: red snapper, sourdough bread, purple cauliflower, natto
Dessert: sauerkraut cake, pickled green strawberries, beer, passion fruit
Contestants:
Jason Rodriguez, Executive Chef and Owner from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Regan Reik, Executive Chef from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the entrée)
Kashi Smith, Chef Tournant from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Michael Nelson, Executive Chef from New Orleans, LA (winner)
Notes: This is part 4 of a 5-part tournament where Alton Brown picked the baskets with specific scientific, gastronomic techniques in mind. The theme of this episode was fermentation, with at least one fermented/pickled ingredient in each round. A basket ingredient in the appetizer round (champagne) was initially unveiled as a champagne flute, and the chefs were treated to a small lesson from Alton on how fermentation of grapes results in alcohol.
Dessert: dried tarantulas, whole coconut, marzipan fruit, cherry cola sorbet
Contestants:
Michael Nelson, Executive Chef from New Orleans, LA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Nick Wallace, Executive Chef from Jackson, MS (chopped 1st in dessert)* (eliminated after the entrée)
Gavin Jobe, Chef and Restaurateur from Baton Rouge, LA (chopped 2nd in dessert)* (eliminated after the dessert)
Chris Holland, Executive Chef from Sparkill, NY (winner)
Notes: This is the final part of a 5-part tournament where Alton Brown picked the baskets. There was no specific theme for the finale. A basket ingredient in the dessert round (sorbet) was shown as created by Alton via a dry ice fire extinguisher and sorbet mixture combined in a food processor. This was the first episode to feature a non-elimination (in round 2) and the first episode to feature a double elimination (in round 3). *For the first time in Chopped history, three competitors moved into the dessert round.
Suzette Montalvo, Food Truck Owner ('A New Yorican Thing') from Long Island, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Andrew Zurica, Food Truck Owner ('Hard Times Sundaes') from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Hassan Musselmani, Food Truck Owner ('The Drunken Rooster') from Detroit, MI (eliminated after the dessert)
Caitlyn Napolitano, Food Truck Co-owner ('Los Viajeros') from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: The contestants were all food truck owners. Chef Hassan previously competed on season 15 of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen in 2016, finishing in 11th place.
Bryan Lindsay, Executive Chef from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Brandi Marter, Chef and Restaurateur from Memphis, TN (eliminated after the entrée)
Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Executive Chef from New Orleans, LA (eliminated after the dessert)
Adam Bostwick, Chef and Restaurateur from Cleveland, OH (winner)
Notes: Contestants were tasked to cook dishes paired with waffles in every round. While Chopped normally obscures brand names, the potato chips in round 1 were shown to be Lay's Classic potato chips via on screen graphic.
Michael Monzon, Teppanyaki Chef from Los Angeles, CA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Dani Macchia, Private Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Kimberly "Kim" Gibson, Chef & Restaurateur from Chagrin Falls, OH (eliminated after the dessert)
Dustine Gonsalves, Chef de Cuisine from Los Angeles, CA (winner)
Notes: This was a Halloween themed episode. In the appetizer round the "skull platter" was prosciutto arranged on a prop skull to look like skin. In the entree round, the "egg eyeballs" were poached eggs in a pan, the blood shots were decorative syringes filled with a red syrup, and the "gory brain" was a glazed turkey meatloaf loaf shaped like a brain. In the dessert round the "Halloween candy cake" was a chocolate cake decorated with various Halloween candies. The "freaky brie" was a brie cheese wheel wrapped in puff pastry strips to look like a mummy face.
Dessert: sriracha lollipops, jalapeño-blueberry cornbread, baby pineapples, white chocolate
Contestants:
Iliana Negron, Executive Chef from Nyack, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Alex Diaz, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Ken Hatfield, Chef & Restaurateur from Cleveland, OH (eliminated after the dessert)
Airis Johnson, Private Chef from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was spicy foods in each basket. Chef Ken Hatfield is a descendant of the Hatfield family of the famous Hatfield–McCoy feud.
Cosmo Bisticas, Executive Chef from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
George Kringas, Chef and Owner from White Plains, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Tara Cianella, Chef and Owner from Nyack, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Gabriel Israel, Chef de Cuisine from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: The baskets in this episode featured Mediterranean ingredients. Both guest judges, Einat Admony and Michael Psilakis, were past Chopped winners.
Entrée: Whipped topping, baby kale blend, pancetta, shepherd’s pie
Dessert: Key lime pie, rhubarb, candied ginger, spiced rum
Contestants:
James Graham, Executive Chef from Staten Island, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Zack Stapelman, Executive Chef from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Natalie Colledge, Owner & Culinary Director from Montclair, NJ (eliminated after the dessert)
Kenneth Temple, Private Chef from New Orleans, LA (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was pies. The chefs were required to make a pie in every round and there was a different pie in every basket. The chefs were given 30 minutes in the appetizer round and 45 minutes in both the entree and dessert round in order to properly cook their pies.
Roxanne Spruance, Executive Chef and Owner from New York, NY (charity: American Farmland Trust) (eliminated after the appetizer)
Giorgio Rapicavoli, Executive Chef, from Miami, FL (charity: Our Pride Academy) (eliminated after the entrée)
Hugh Mangum, Executive Chef and Owner from New York, NY (charity: Share Our Strength) (eliminated after the dessert)
Emily Chapman, Sous Chef from New York, NY (charity: Shepherd's Circle Foundation) (winner)
Notes: This was a Thanksgiving themed episode. All four contestants were Chopped Champions returning to win money for their charity of choice. Judging them were three Iron Chefs from Iron Chef America (with Alex also being a regular Chopped judge). By winning this episode, Chef Emily Chapman became the first four-time Chopped champion.
Entrée: deckle of beef, kugel, porcini mushrooms (in olive oil), hard boiled egg snowmen
Dessert: chestnut tree honey, festive pretzels, Santa Claus melon, springerle cookies
Contestants:
Diana Sabater, Chef from Philadelphia, PA (charity: Esperanza) (eliminated after the appetizer)
Darius Peacock, Executive Chef from Trenton, NJ (charity: Good Shepherd Services) (eliminated after the entrée)
Sophina Uong, Executive Chef from Oakland, CA (charity: Camp Okizu) (eliminated after the dessert)
Adam Greenberg, Executive Chef from Norwalk, CT (charity: Mowat-Wilson Syndrome) (winner)
Notes: This was a holiday themed episode. All four contestants were Chopped Grand Champions returning to win money for their charity of choice. The chefs were given 30 minutes in the appetizer round instead of the usual 20 to allow time to properly butcher and cook the goose breast. The veggie plate in the appetizer round mainly consisted of broccoli, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes, arranged to look like a Christmas tree. The festive pretzels in the dessert round were pretzel sticks dipped in green candy coating and sprinkled with silver nonpareils. By winning this episode, Chef Adam Greenberg became the first male four-time Chopped champion (and the second overall chef to achieve it; with the first chef having achieved it only two episodes earlier in the Thanksgiving episode).
Entrée: polenta, spiral ham, green beans, pimento cheese
Dessert: blue grits, blackberries, lemon oil, boiled peanuts
Contestants:
B.J. Chester-Tamayo, Chef & Owner from Memphis, TN (eliminated after the appetizer)
Jean Gabriel, Chef & Co-Owner from Stamford, CT (eliminated after the entrée)
Tres Barnard, Chef from New Orleans, LA (eliminated after the dessert)
Steve Costanzo, Chef & Owner from Stamford, CT (winner)
Notes: Each basket in this episode contained some form of grits. Chef B.J. cut herself in the last seconds of the appetizer round, leaving enough blood on her station and plates to deem her dish unsafe to eat. The judges allowed her to bring over her non-contaminated components from her station for them to taste after the other chefs granted her permission to do so.
Dessert: marshmallow spread, fruit cocktail, gold leaf, gin
Contestants:
Josh Moore, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Catt Rolland, Pastry Chef & Sous Chef from New Orleans, LA (eliminated after the entrée)
Charles Disa, Chef & Caterer from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Dave Martin, Chef Consultant from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: The theme of the episode was cocktail food, with each contestant having to make small dishes suited for a cocktail party. They also had to prepare an alcoholic drink to pair with each dish. The rounds were extended by an extra 10 minutes to account for cocktail preparation (30 minutes in the first round and 40 minutes in the second and third rounds). The guest judge, Lauren Gerrie, was a previous Chopped winner from season 6 ('A Cornish Mess') and part 3 in the 2011 Chopped Champions tournament.
Appetizer: tiered cheese tower, cavatelli, frozen lima beans, duck tongues
Entrée: frankfurter crown roast, small graffiti eggplant, karela juice, goat leg
Dessert: moose ears, Saturn peaches, hard cider, Jordan almonds
Contestants:
Jonathan Scinto, Private Chef from Long Island, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Amanda Henson, Chef and Owner from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the entrée)
Andrew Welenken, Executive Chef from Louisville, KY (eliminated after the dessert)
Jamaal Taherzadeh, Executive Chef from Las Vegas, NV (winner)
Notes: The tiered cheese tower in the appetizer round contained Tete de Moine, Tomme de Savoie, cupola and a Spanish cheese. The 'frankfurter crown roast' in the entrée round was a bunch of hotdogs bundled together in a standing ring to resemble a "crown roast" of meat. The 'moose ears' in the dessert round were pieces of fried, sugary dough drizzled with caramel sauce. Guest judge Jonathan Sawyer was previously a contestant on Chopped: Grill Masters Napa.
Abel Gonzales, Chef and Partner from Dallas, TX (eliminated after the appetizer)
Anthony Serrano, Executive Chef and Owner from Chandler, AZ (eliminated after the entrée)
Allen Nguyen, Chef and Partner from New Orleans, LA (eliminated after the dessert)
Sarah Wade, Executive Chef from Boston, MA (winner)
Notes: Part 1 of a 5-part tournament with a prize of $50,000 in the finale. In this episode, all four chefs were known for their expertise in frying and were required to fry something in every round. Unlike past frying episodes, there was an extra deep fryer in the kitchen instead of providing each chef a preheated pot of oil.
Appetizer: White BBQ sauce, pie crust, mangoes, bone-in strip steaks
Entrée: Spatchcocked chickens, cucumber kimchi, red cabbage, cheese puffs
Dessert: Mini marshmallows, grilled lemon lemonade, zucchini, pig pickin’ cake
Contestants:
Maria Mazon, Executive Chef and Owner from Tucson, AZ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Jay Ducote, Chef and Restaurateur from Baton Rouge, LA (eliminated after the entrée)
Eric Thomas, Chef and Pitmaster from Atlanta, GA (eliminated after the dessert)
Lynnae Oxley-Loupe, Chef and Pitmaster from Portland, OR (winner)
Notes: Part 2 of a 5-part tournament. In this episode, all four contestants were known for their skill on the grill and were required to grill something in every round. The stove tops were outfitted with grill sheets, but the chefs were permitted to use the ovens.
Manny Slomovitz, Executive Chef from Cincinnati, OH (eliminated after the appetizer)
Joe Passanante, Chef de Cuisine from Queens, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Griffin Paulin, Chef and Owner from Louisville, KY (eliminated after the dessert)
Ken Harvey, Executive Chef from Tucson, AZ (winner)
Notes: Part 3 of a 5-part tournament. In this episode, all four competitors were known for their speed in the kitchen. Keeping in line with this theme, each round was 5 minutes shorter than normal (the appetizer round was 15 minutes, while the entrée and dessert rounds were 25 minutes each).
Notes: Part 4 of a 5-part tournament. In this episode, all four contestants were pastry chefs who specialized in desserts and baking. They were required to bake something in every round. The roasted head of cauliflower was topped with pomegranate seeds and mint. In the dessert round, Chef Michael failed to bake anything in his dish which led to his elimination.
Ken Harvey, Executive Chef from Tucson, AZ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Winnette McIntosh Ambrose, Pastry Chef and Owner from Washington, D.C (eliminated after the entrée)
Lynnae Oxley-Loupe, Chef and Pitmaster from Portland, OR (eliminated after the dessert)
Sarah Wade, Executive Chef from Boston, MA (winner)
Notes: Final part of the gold medal tournament. The winner gets $50,000. Unlike the previous episodes, there was no set theme for the finale (though different ingredients seemed to represent the past four themes; something grilled, something fried, something baked etc.)
Dessert: (ice cream round) white chocolate chunks, love potion cocktail, taleggio cheese, Spanish chorizo
Contestants:
Josip Franc, Executive Pastry Chef from Bernardsville, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Philippe Fallait, Chef and Owner from Astoria, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Marissa Delgado, Executive Pastry Chef from Phoenix, AZ (eliminated after the dessert)
Melanie Moss, Pastry Chef and Owner from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: The theme of the episode was chocolate. The contestants had to make chocolate desserts in every round; specifically candy in the first round, cake in the second, and ice cream in the third. The first round was extended to 30 minutes, the second round was extended to 60 minutes, and the third round was the usual 30 minutes (with an extra ice cream machine brought in). The love potion cocktail in the third round was composed of white chocolate liqueur, vodka, pomegranate juice, and strawberries.
Joshua Wiggins, Sous Chef from Red Bank, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Isaac Rios, Chef and Cafe Manager from Chandler, AZ (eliminated after the entrée)
Mattia Meneghetti, Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Celeste Rogers, Chef and Instructor from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was "healthy eats" with healthy, light ingredients in every basket. The snack box in the entree round consisted of two eggs, cheese, apple slices, grapes, peanut butter, and bread.
Appetizer: toro tartare with caviar, high-roller bagel, Ibérico ham, petite snow peas
Entrée: Wagyu double cheeseburger with gold chocolate bacon, 20 year old bourbon, arugula blossoms, white Alba truffle
Dessert: geode cake, etrog citron, fruit pops in champagne, camel milk chocolate bars
Contestants:
Jonathan Scallion, Private Chef, Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the appetizer)
Madeleine Dee, Executive Chef & Owner from Louisville, KY (eliminated after the entrée)
Chris Brugman, Executive Sous Chef from Scottsdale, AZ (eliminated after the dessert)
Johnny Church, Executive Chef from Las Vegas, NV (winner)
Notes: Each basket in this episode had high-end, expensive ingredients. This was the first episode that touted Martha Stewart as a new Chopped judge (though she has guest judged on Chopped Junior in the past). The high-roller bagel was topped with cream cheese, Riesling gelee, and gold leaf. The Wagyu bacon cheeseburger was topped with lettuce and goose pate. The camel milk chocolate was provided by Martha Stewart from her trip to Dubai. Chef Jonathan previously competed on Season 11 of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen in 2013, finishing in 3rd place.
Dessert: venison sausage, moose milk cocktail, honeycomb, black forest cake
Contestants:
John Chambers, Company Chef from Phoenix, AZ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Tandy Peterson, Chef de Cuisine from Scottsdale, AZ (eliminated after the entrée)
James Richards, Chef de Cuisine from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the dessert)
Noam Bilitzer, Sous Chef from Louisville, KY (winner)
Notes: Every basket in this episode featured wild game in some form. Guest judge Angie Mar was the winner of the second Chopped: Grill Masters Tournament.
Michael Compean, Executive Chef from Scottsdale, AZ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Ashley Goddard, Sous Chef from Phoenix, AZ (eliminated after the entrée)
Rich Hinojosa, Executive Chef & Co-Owner from Phoenix, AZ (eliminated after the dessert)
Evan Hennessey, Executive Chef & Owner from Dover, NH (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was leftovers in every basket. The leftover steak was bone-in strip steak cooked rare. The veggie platter contained celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and romanesco cauliflower.
Kelli Thompson, Executive Chef from Portland, ME (eliminated after the appetizer)
Greg Nalley, Chef & Owner from Baltimore, MD (eliminated after the entrée)
Julian Elfedayni-Connell, Sous Chef from Mystic, CT (eliminated after the dessert)
Rachel LeGloahec, Executive Chef from Las Vegas, NV (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was U.S. southern ingredients in every basket. The fried chicken in the second round was Kentucky Fried Chicken, still in its bucket (presumably marking it as a sponsor of the show because name brand ingredients are usually obscured).
Meghan Levins, Executive Chef from Louisville, KY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Marc Lamash, Chef from Garrison, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Ian Ray, Private Chef from Phoenix, AZ (eliminated after the dessert)
Lanny Chin, Executive Chef from Las Vegas, NV (winner)
Notes: This episode was German themed with a German guest judge. The baskets featured beer and bratwurst. The "beer flight" in the second round consisted of two sour ales, an IPA, and a Scottish ale, all of which were provided by a Nashville brewery owned by regular Chopped judge Maneet Chauhan.
Dessert: goat's milk, chocolate shell coating, fruit pizza, horseradish
Contestants:
Brant Dadaleares, Chef and Owner from Portland, ME (eliminated after the appetizer)
Alycia Harrington, Line Cook from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Sakari Smithwick, Chef de Partie from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Jessica Quinn, Pastry Sous Chef from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was ice cream in every round, and the chefs had to make ice cream in the dessert round. The cheeseburger in round 1 had a fried ice cream ball as one of the toppings (along with lettuce, cheese and tomato). Chef Brant forgot one of his ingredients which led to his elimination. The salad in round 2 was a salad with a scoop of frozen ranch dressing. A second ice cream machine was brought in for the dessert round.
Francis Legge, Executive Pastry Chef from Queens, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Lindsey Farr, Pastry Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Huascar Aquino, Pastry Chef & Owner from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Joyce Bucad, Assistant Pastry Chef from Las Vegas, NV (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was doughnuts in every basket, and the chefs had to make doughnuts in the final round. The dough in the third round basket was made by Martha Stewart. Chef Francis previously competed on Season 5 of the American version of MasterChef in 2014, finishing in 11th place.
Entrée: whole red snapper, sweet starfish, arugula, clam bake
Dessert: rum runners, bucket of sand pudding, salt water taffy, watermelon
Contestants:
Sean Collins, Chef de Cuisine from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the appetizer)
David Belknap, Executive Chef & Co-Founder from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Paul Castro, Chef de Cuisine from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Rachael Polhill, Executive Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: This episode had beach and sea-themed ingredients in every basket (meaning seafood as well as picnic-type foods that people might take and eat at the beach). The sweet starfish in round 2 were rice crispy treats shaped like stars. The rum runner in round 3 was a cocktail consisting of dark and light rums, pineapple juice, banana liqueur, and cranberry juice.
Juyoung Kang, Lead Bartender from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the appetizer)
Moses Laboy, Beverage Manager from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Jeremy Ross, Beverage Director from Ashburn, VA (eliminated after the dessert)
Jason Asher, Owner & Mixologist from Phoenix, AZ (winner)
Notes: Each basket had at least one bar food/ingredient and all four contestants were bartenders. Though it was not mandatory, some contestants made cocktails to pair with their dishes.
Appetizer: sardines, Jew's mallow, bone broth, turmeric ice cream
Entrée: radicchio, savory oatmeal, beef tenderloin, chocolate with chili
Dessert: blueberries, walnuts in the shell, white bean cookie dough dip, ginger tonic
Contestants:
Danielle Ennesser-Quirino, Chef & Owner from Scottsdale, AZ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Lex Grant, Private Chef & Owner from Newark, NJ (eliminated after the entrée)
Jacob Pitts, Executive Sous Chef from Manassas, VA (eliminated after the dessert)
Jermain Edwards, Executive Chef from New York, NY (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was "good food that's good for you", meaning lighter and healthier ingredients in every basket and every dish. In the entree round Lex forgot to plate a basket ingredient (chocolate with chili).
Dessert: tidal wave cake, Indian blackberries, water caltrops, sea urchin
Contestants:
Ken Arneson, Executive chef from Scottsdale, AZ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Sarah Wong, Butcher & Catering Chef from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the entrée)
Will Gilson, Chef & owner from Cambridge, MA (eliminated after the dessert)
Joshua Moore, Executive chef & co-owner from Louisville, KY (winner)
Notes: Each basket had seafood ingredients that were dangerous to obtain. In the dessert round, hammers were provided to help the chefs crack open the caltrops, and Ted warned the chefs that the caltrops were toxic if not cooked.
Appetizer: ambrosia salad, dandelion greens, charcuterie cone, beef short loin
Entrée: Moroccan mint tea, fresh chickpeas, pâté en croûte, lamb shoulder
Dessert: Asian pears, steamed buns, 'nduja, pork leg
Contestants:
Samantha Naomi, Butcher from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Judy Yao, Butcher from Cambridge, MA (eliminated after the entrée)
Erin Hockey, Butcher from Worcester, MA (eliminated after the dessert)
Elise Miller, Butcher from Portland, ME (winner)
Notes: All four chefs were female butchers. All rounds were entree rounds consisting of 45 minutes to allow enough time to butcher the proteins. The meat in each basket were pieces so large that they had to be grabbed from the pantry.
Tavis Rockwell, Executive Chef from Louisville, KY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Adam Pusateri, Chef and Owner from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the entrée)
Paula Alencar, Sous Chef from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Thomas Tapat, Sous Chef from Las Vegas, NV (winner)
Notes: The theme of this round was small plates in every round. The chefs had to create at least two different tasting plates for the judges to share. The first round lasted 30 minutes instead of 20 to allow adequate time to make multiple different dishes.
Dessert: breakfast sausage, maple syrup cheese, congee, French toast
Contestants:
Teerawong "Yo" Nanthavatsiri, Chef and Owner from Manhattan, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Nick Dixon, Executive Chef from Boston, MA (eliminated after the entrée)
Brianna Bowering, Sous Chef from Boston, MA (eliminated after the dessert)
Eric Felitto, Chef and Owner from Fairfield, CT (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was breakfast. The contestants had to make breakfast versions of each round (appetizer, entrée, dessert) and there was at least one breakfast ingredient in each basket. The round 1 "breakfast in bread" ingredient was eggs and bacon in a sourdough breadbowl.
Appetizer: mac & cheese, escarole, New York-style dough, pig's head
Entrée: oxtail, cola slushie, banana blossoms in brine, Detroit-style dough
Dessert: dulce de leche, preserved green olives, mini chocolate bars. Neopolitan-style dough
Contestants:
Giulio Adriani, Restaurateur and Pizzaiolo from Atlanta, GA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Vincent Rotolo, Owner and Head Pizzaiolo from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the entrée)
John Arena, Owner and Co-founder from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the dessert)
Nino Coniglio, Chef and Owner from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: The competitors were "pizzaiolos" ‒ chefs specializing in making pizza ‒ who had to make pizza in every round. Round 1 was extended to 30 minutes to allow the chefs enough time to cook their pizzas.
Massimiliano Eandi, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Allison Fasano, Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Andy Richmer, Chef and Owner from Madison, IN (eliminated after the dessert)
Pawan Pinisetti, Executive Chef from Las Vegas, NV (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was pasta. The contestants had to make pasta in every round. The pantry had various types of pastas that the chefs could use.
Ilson Goncalves, Chef and Owner from Montclair, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Darius Chase, Sous Chef from Louisville, KY (eliminated after the entrée)
Aless Mac Carthy, Owner/Caterer from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Anna Vocaturo, Chef Partner from Washington, D.C (winner)
Notes: The stuffed croissant in the second round was matcha tea flavored and stuffed with lemon curd. At the end of the second round, Chef Darius discovered he cut himself, and as a result his dishes couldn't be tasted due to a possible contamination. In the third round, Chef Anna also cut herself but caught the injury in time, and had to redo her dish.
Dessert: cocktail onions, pumpkin spice latte, salmon ice cream, apple pie filling
Contestants:
Lex Taylor, Chef and Owner from Ossining, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Stavros Karipides, Chef and Owner from Greenwich, CT (eliminated after the entrée)
Aziza "Z" Young, Executive Chef from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Eyhab "Happy" Hatab, Executive Chef from Mount Laurel, NJ (winner)
Notes: This was a viewers' choice episode. The basket ingredients were chosen by fans via social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). Chef Z, going by her real name, Aziza, previously competed on the sixteenth season of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen in 2016, finishing in thirteenth place.
Dessert: pork belly, crystallized ginger, lady gala apples, piggy dumplings
Contestants:
Justin Loo, Executive Chef from Las Vegas, NV (eliminated after the appetizer)
Mac Jarvis, Chef de Cuisine from Jackson Hole, WY (eliminated after the entrée)
Lucas Billheimer, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Matt Migliore, Sous Chef from Brooklyn, NY (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was different animal belly meat in each basket. The chicken cocktail in round 2 contained gin, salt, pepper, and a raw chicken egg. The piggy dumpling in round 3 was a steamed bun that looked like a pig (with edible nose, eyes, and ears) and was filled with custard. In round 1, Chef Justin plated a sauce on two plates with one of the basket ingredients (pickled ramps) after time was called, leading to his elimination. In round 2, Chef Mac forgot the lamb's lettuce and chicken cocktail on 1 of his plates, resulting in him getting eliminated. All 4 chefs were men, though Chef Mac said he had recently identified as transgender.
Dessert: boozy cereal, pink grapefruit, ostrich egg, red velvet pancakes
Contestants:
Matt Drummond, Executive Chef from South Boston, MA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Jamie Landers, Chef and Owner from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the entrée)
Bahr Rapaport, Chef and Owner from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Gregory Headen, Sous Chef from Philadelphia, PA (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was brunch, with every basket containing ingredients associated with brunch. The boozy cereal in round 3 was cinnamon squares in a cup of cream and Caribbean rum.
Marissa Bergen, Firefighter & Paramedic from Trenton, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Nick Triscari, Firefighter & Chef Owner from New Rochelle, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Monkonjay Gray, Firefighter & Cheesecake Chef from Greensboro, NC (eliminated after the dessert)
Daniel Brelsford, Firefighter & Cooking Instructor from Bridgeport, CT (winner)
Notes: All the contestants in this episode were firefighters. Firehouse Subs sponsored this episode and donated $25,000 to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation in honor of the competitors. Marissa cut herself in Round 1. A second deep-fryer was provided in the appetizer round to help ensure all the chefs managed to cook the chicken wings. The cherries jubilee in the third round was presented in a pan and on fire, inside the basket, surprising the competitors. This episode was dedicated to Keith Young, an FDNY firefighter and Chopped Champion who died on March 17, 2018.
Ryan Greenberg (age 12) from Livingston, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Django Santalis (age 10) from Patterson, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Pipa Hardin (age 12) from Campbell, CA (eliminated after the dessert)
Rachel Goldzal (age 12) from Staten Island, NY (winner)
Notes: The contestants in this episode were all children. Instead of the usual 20 minutes, the first round was extended to 30 minutes. In the third round, the kids were given miniature gumball machines filled with candy and a roll of quarters to get the candy out.
Edwin Anthony Rodriguez, Chef from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Samantha Sanz, Chef de Cuisine from Scottsdale, AZ (eliminated after the entrée)
Marino Rosato, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the dessert)
Christine Hazel, Traveling Chef from Philadelphia, PA (winner)
Notes: This was a Halloween themed episode. In the first round: the "rat" meatballs were regular meatballs with edible fake rat ears and eyes on it, the "mac o'lanterns" were orange bell peppers carved into jack o'lantern faces and filled with mac and cheese, and the eye-tini was a martini with a fake eyeball (lychee with blueberry) stuck in it. In the second round: the shrimp cocktail was served in chilled gelatin inside a prop head bust, and the loaded mashed potatoes had a spider web design piped on with sour cream. In the third round: the "creepy crawlies" were dates cut to resemble bugs, and the meringue was in the shape of bones. Chef Christine Hazel also appeared on season 14 of Hell's Kitchen.
Notes: This was the first of a five-part tournament, where sixteen past champions competed. The winner of each preliminary round advanced to the finale, where they competed for $50,000. In the appetizer round, Franco forgot the carrots but moved on because Syrena did not cook her smelt. The judges did not eat her dish as a result, citing the risks of parasites from freshwater fish.
Entrée: rainbow chard, vegducken, pumpkin dinner rolls, leg of lamb
Dessert: candied yam latte, popcorn on the cob, unbaked cinnamon roll pie, figs
Contestants:
Ted and Lisa Allen (charity: Reach Higher) (eliminated after the appetizer)
Marc and Paul Murphy (charity: No Kid Hungry) (eliminated after the entrée)
Maneet and Reeti Chauhan (charity: March of Dimes) (eliminated after the dessert)
Amanda and Jason Freitag (charity: God's Love We Deliver) (winner)
Notes: This was a Thanksgiving themed episode where three Chopped judges, and Ted Allen, were joined by their siblings to compete for their charities of choice. Since Ted was competing, the judges took turns performing his hosting duties, and unveiling who got chopped each round (Scott presented the first round, Tiffani presented the second round, and Chris presented the third round).
Altina Lester, Retired Chef from Boston, MA (eliminated after the appetizer)
Charisse Chavers, Head Chef from Brooklyn, NY (eliminated after the entrée)
Norma Knepp, Chef & Owner from Lancaster, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Ceil Vardar, Retired Caterer from Norwich, CT (winner)
Notes: This was a holiday themed episode where grandmothers competed, all of them working or having worked in the kitchen professionally. The first round was increased to 30 minutes instead of the usual 20 minutes.
Entrée: goat chops, chayote squash, labne, cookies & cream popcorn
Dessert: Japanese cheesecake, rambutan, strawberry banana juice, fruit rings cereal
Contestants:
Quinn Walmer (age 11) & Lyla Walmer (age 9) from Bridgewater, NJ (eliminated after the appetizer)
Jackson Rockmel (age 14) & Skyler Rockmel (age 12) from Berkeley, CA (eliminated after the entrée)
Sara Bonic (age 14) & Sammy Bonic (age 12) from Cantonsville, MD (eliminated after the dessert)
Arielle Wayner (age 13) & Alfie Wayner (age 9) from New Rochelle, NY (winner)
Notes: This was a team cook episode where the duos were young siblings. As with most other child-themed Chopped episodes, the first round was extended to 30 minutes.
Dessert: wieners in a quilt, frozen sour cherries, caramel popcorn, lemon curd
Contestants:
Ricardo Arias, Executive Chef from New York, NY (eliminated after the appetizer)
Steven Oliver, Chef & Owner from San Diego, CA (eliminated after the entrée)
Britni Nelson, Sous Chef from Philadelphia, PA (eliminated after the dessert)
Jeff Martino, Chef de Cuisine from Boston, MA (winner)
Notes: The theme of this episode was hot dogs in every basket. There were also several different types of hot dogs in the pantry (from venison sausage to cocktail weenies). The "wieners in a quilt" in the third round were hot dogs rolled in crescent dough.
