Best Episodes
Hosted by Ted Allen, Chopped is a high energy, fast paced cooking competition that challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets "chopped" by our panel of esteemed culinary luminaries until the last man or woman left standing claims victory.
Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 06, 2023.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
The chefs bake pre-made dough and try to figure out the best plan for including a Persian hot dog stew in their dishes; a prized seafood and a floral component; competitors discover beets and a classic French dessert in the final basket.
The episode was rated 8.24 from 29 votes.
Four daring competitors are up against the clock to come up with amazing appetizers using a cheesy creation in the first basket. A red spread and dried fish are two of the surprises the chefs must make sense of in round two, and a citrus food and an unusual seaweed snack must be combined in the desserts.
The episode was rated 8.25 from 12 votes.
In this third battle of the tournament, the chefs can gamble to get lucky or unlucky replacement ingredients. The appetizer basket reveals a notoriously challenging ingredient, and the final round chefs decide to take a chance by baking something.
The episode was rated 8.27 from 11 votes.
The competing chefs are challenged to make a scrumptious soup-and-sandwich duo for every round. In the appetizer round, they set out to make dunkable, slurpable creations while utilizing an unusual egg in the basket. In round two, duck bones in the basket seem to hint at the competitors making a stock, but they're short on time. The last two competitors break into a dessert basket that includes prunes in a form the chefs wouldn't ordinarily consume.
The episode was rated 8.30 from 10 votes.
Four previous winners return and compete for a chance at a $50,000 grand prize. They must use sweetbreads in their appetizers; a spiny seafood in their entrées; and pickles in their desserts.
The episode was rated 8.31 from 13 votes.
Julia Child was a chef, instructor, author and legend! Even today she influences modern chefs to achieve greatness and push themselves to be their best. In this competition, four Julia Child fans compete in a preliminary battle with baskets inspired by Julia's recipes. Creativity will have to blossom when the chefs find a blooming onion in the first basket. A French pastry in the entrée basket looks delicious, but the chefs will have to make it work with duck. Then for dessert, the two remaining competitors endeavor to make sweet desserts with a Bitter Frenchman cocktail. The winner will advance to the tournament's finale, where they'll fight for a $25,000 Julia Child-themed dream trip to France!
The episode was rated 8.36 from 11 votes.
Renowned chefs from across America compete in a five-part tournament extravaganza; in this preliminary battle, four culinary greats from the West face off, starting with an appetizer basket that includes a prized fish and a popular pepper.
The episode was rated 8.43 from 14 votes.
Everybody is spinning with excitement for the highly anticipated battle five fight! The three remaining chefs from the pool finally get to cook against the reigning champion, and the already astronomical jackpot is destined to go higher. Upon opening the appetizer basket, the chefs come face-to-face with an intimidating ingredient. In the entrée round, the chefs are shocked at the dollar value of the ingredient from the wheel, and they must tame one of the most bitter ingredients in Chopped history. After the final two contenders discover a giant sweet surprise in the dessert basket, they frantically stir, blend and bake their hearts out in an effort to emerge as the one and only Spin It to Win It grand champion!
The episode was rated 8.50 from 10 votes.
Four Northern chefs battle to see who will represent their region in the $50,000 finale; they start off with a strange paste in the appetizer round; a certain style of pizza and a signature spud are right up this group's alley in the entree basket.
The episode was rated 8.50 from 10 votes.
A $100,000 grand prize is up for grabs in this extraordinary five-part tournament event, featuring some of the most brilliant stars of the game. In this preliminary battle, defeated culinary heavyweights return with a score to settle, and one ambitious champion runs into two major problems toward the end of the first round. Something stinky in the entree basket has the competitors nervous, and after both remaining champs cook their hearts out in dessert, the judges have a gut-wrenching decision to make.
The episode was rated 8.54 from 13 votes.
Four chefs are aiming high as they attempt to impress Chopped judges Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant and Chris Santos, who are desperately looking for sous-chefs, but they won't settle for anything less than the perfect candidate. In this fourth preliminary battle of the tournament, the chefs open the appetizer basket and find a special seafood item that Scott knows very well. In the entree round, the chefs gain some confidence as they work with an Asian street food and a sugary soft drink. In the dessert round, Maneet is eager to see how the chefs use one of her favorite ingredients. If they can balance flavors, they might win her favor. The victorious chef from this battle will move on to the tournament's finale.
The episode was rated 8.58 from 12 votes.
Four chefs embrace their inner culinary idol as they compete in this preliminary battle of a special five-part tournament honoring Julia Child's life and legacy. With guest judge Isabella Rossellini on the panel, the competitors have extra incentive to do their very best! In the appetizer round, the chefs get an unusual piece of chicken and a potato product that would have made Julia cringe. The entrée round features ingredients inspired by Julia's cassoulet recipe, and a big egg signals big trouble for the two chefs cooking dessert. Winner of this battle moves on to the tournament's finale!
The episode was rated 8.60 from 10 votes.
In this phenomenal battle, Chopped legends Scott Conant, Maneet Chauhan and Marc Murphy are joined by smack-talking champ Stephen Coe to face off for a chance at the $100,000 finale! In the first round, incorporating a sweet, doughy breakfast item into an amazing appetizer is part of the challenge. A clever fusion food in the entree basket has the potential to bring crunch and flavor to the dishes, and will the edible Zen garden in the final basket bring peace and tranquility to the dessert round? With such fierce competitors gunning for victory, it's doubtful!
The episode was rated 8.75 from 12 votes.
In this spectacular battle of the judges, four Chopped deities -- Amanda Freitag, Marcus Samuelsson, Chris Santos and Tiffani Faison -- bring an intensity to the kitchen that has never been seen before. With their sights set on making it to the tournament's $100,000 finale, the judge-competitors open the appetizer basket and find a strange fish dish and some tiny exotic fruits. A pizza topped with something wild is the star ingredient in the entree basket, and a vegetable disguised as a meat is a treat in the dessert basket. A riveting final elimination will leave only one Chopped titan jubilant.
The episode was rated 9.00 from 10 votes.
Four champions who were previously defeated by Chopped judges return to the kitchen, hungrier than ever to take down everyone in their paths and win a $100,000 grand prize. Big stakes, little fish: sardines are the main protein in the champs' appetizer basket, and a jiggly mustard-flavored surprise threatens to throw the chefs off their game in the second round. Then, in the dessert round, two chefs must try to make something magical using unicorn milkshakes.
The episode was rated 9.25 from 12 votes.
