The BEST episodes of Chopped
Every episode of Chopped ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Chopped!
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.
#1 - A Chopped Halloween
Season 26 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/6/2015
The chefs are sure to be spooked when they see the Halloween-themed ingredients in the baskets. In the first round, real blood and fake eyeballs are some of the freaky surprises. In the second round, a coffin-shaped seafood creation prompts the competitors to get dead serious about making outstanding Halloween entrees. And there's plenty of fright packed into the dessert basket, in the form of a ghostly drink and some chocolate creepy crawlies.
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#2 - Fake Cake, Real Stakes
Season 23 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/31/2015
It's a great fake out, when all the basket ingredients are in disguise. Everyone should taste the "chicken wings" in the first basket, which are a secretly sweet item. The "cake" in the second round and "tomato soup" in the dessert basket also require a close inspection. The duplicitous ingredients lead to trouble for all and even more potential for trickery lurks in the pantry.
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#3 - Amateurs' Brawl
Season 22 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/7/2015
Four fearless home cooks put their pride on the line in the Chopped Kitchen. In the first basket, this group of awesome amateurs must transform spinach vinaigrette and chicken truffle sausages. Then in the entree round, will the chefs endeavor to be wildly creative with wild boar roast? And the finalists utilize some interesting techniques to makes something new from marshmallow chocolate cookies.
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#4 - All-Stars Tournament: Part 1
Season 24 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/28/2015
All-Star chefs Madison Cowan, Eric Greenspan, Brian Malarkey and Art Smith converge in the Chopped Kitchen to fight it out for a spot in the $75,000 finale. In the first round, a slimy ingredient provokes some disgusted reactions from the competitors and judges. In the entree round, the beautiful fish in the basket leads the chefs to make some surprising mistakes. And when the two finalists go in totally different directions with their desserts, it's up in the air which approach will be more pleasing to the judges.
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#5 - All-Stars Tournament: Part 2
Season 24 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/5/2015
The second group of All-Star chefs, Anne Burrell, Hung Huynh, Mary Sue Milliken and Dale Talde, come out swinging for the fences with appetizer baskets containing a soup and a sour surprise. In the entree round, a cheesy party food must be matched with some expensive offal. The two star chefs who make it to the dessert round are challenged to make delicious dishes with a refreshing drink and some airy cookies.
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#6 - All-Stars Tournament: Part 4
Season 24 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/19/2015
There's just one more spot in the Grand Finale up for grabs, and Rocco DiSpirito, Jet Tila, Fabio Viviani and Lee Anne Wong all want it. The All-Stars open the appetizer baskets and find a succulent seafood and an Asian pastry. In the entree round, the chefs will need to get creative in order to cook a perfect piece of beef in time. And some fish-shaped snacks meet crystals that pop in the dessert round.
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#7 - Rock Stars
Season 24 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/18/2015
Four rock stars with a passion for cooking (Lita Ford, Kelly Hansen, Eddie Ojeda and Dweezil Zappa) take over the Chopped Kitchen in hopes of winning $10,000 for a favorite cause. In the first round the cooks attempt to make harmonious appetizers with a bubbly drink and a "punny" protein. In the entree round, lamb is the jam. The final rock 'n' roll-themed round has the competitors cooking with rock candy and lemon rolls.
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#8 - Teen Tournament: Episode One
Season 25 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/25/2015
In the first preliminary competition of the Chopped Teen Tournament, a strangely fuzzy ingredient is one of the surprises awaiting the young chefs in the appetizer round. Then in the entree round, a challenging protein must be paired with a processed cheese. And the judges become increasingly concerned for the last two teens, who encounter a number of problems combining chips and candies into yummy final dishes.
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#9 - Teen Tournament: Episode Two
Season 25 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/1/2015
Four new whiz kids battle it out in this second competition of the Teen Tournament. Expensive crustaceans are a bit of a shocker in the appetizer baskets, while nerves and mishaps plague round two, and one of the competitors gets flustered with the sharpness of the knives and the scarcity of time allotted to complete creative lamb entrees. The two teen chefs who make it to the dessert round must create yummy, sweet dishes with a frozen treat and an Indian spice.
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#10 - Sitcom Moms
Season 25 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/29/2015
Four funny women (Tichina Arnold, Jackee Harry, JoMarie Payton and Betsy Randle) who are best known for playing mothers on TV, take on the role of Chopped competitor! The actresses have a hard time coming up with solid ideas for what to do with the mushrooms and frozen TV dinners in the appetizer basket. In the entree round, the cooks have 30 minutes to deal with minute steak, and the judges worry they might get served overcooked meat. In the final hilarious round, the two sitcom moms remaining are asked to get creative with tiramisu and strawberry sauce.
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#11 - G'day, Chefs!
Season 20 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/20/2014
Every basket has a little bit of an Australian slant to it: Will the competitors think this theme makes for a g'day in the kitchen? In the first round, lamb ribs are the Down Under favorite that the chefs must make their own, and a very alcoholic beverage leads some chefs down a dangerously fiery path. Then in the entree round, fans of emu fan fillets will be happy about what's inside the basket? And in the dessert round, the settings on the ice cream machine trip up one of the finalists, while the judges are on the edge of their seats, wondering if the mistake can be corrected in time.
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#12 - Military Vets
Season 26 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/10/2015
Veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard face off in the Chopped Kitchen. In the first round, one of the chefs stumbles upon a brilliant way to treat scalloped potatoes. What to do with a precooked meatloaf is the big challenge in the second round. And the two final chefs go all out in the dessert round, making very clever sweet treats from a crispy snack and a sweet and tart drink.
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#13 - In-Laws, In Teams!
Season 26 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/10/2015
They're family by marriage, and teammates in this competition: Pairs of mothers and daughters-in-law are taking over the Chopped Kitchen. In the appetizer round, a boozy accessory and a standard leftover are part of the challenge. In the entree round, the remaining teams find odd eggs and mashed potatoes in the baskets. And a subtropical fruit and a gooey bread are two of the surprise ingredients that the final teams must conquer in their desserts.
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#14 - Mac and Cheese
Season 25 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/1/2015
In this competition, every round features the food pair with a powerful bond — macaroni and cheese! The competitors come out strong in the appetizer round with sophisticated mac and cheese dishes that include Swiss chard. Then in the entree round, when one chef leaves cheese out of their dish, will it add up to approval from the judges? And a time-crunch in the dessert round leaves one of the chefs dashing to get all components on the plate.
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#15 - Knife Strife
Season 27 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/5/2016
The competition begins with a gory story in the appetizer round, when the chefs find blood sausages in the basket. Then, in a wild entree round, the chefs attempt very ambitious plans for a basket that includes a caramelized pudding and a pork product. Finally, a fat and a dough in the dessert basket result in some decadent dishes.
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#16 - Healthy Rivalry
Season 27 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/12/2016
Four chefs are challenged to create light dishes from baskets full of nutritious surprises. In the first round, the competitors must make tasty fish dishes that include an unusual alternative carb, and two of the chefs suffer from serious time-management issues. In the entree round, a grain and a green noodle are part of the culinary puzzle, and moderation is key in a dessert round that forces the chefs to use butter and sugar in smarter, minimal ways.
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#17 - Brunch Battle
Season 27 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/19/2016
Four chefs are challenged with making the magic of brunch look easy and creating the kind of meal that friends and family would love to linger over. Booze and eggs are some of the very brunch-y surprises found in the first two baskets, and in the dessert round, the finalists must make a fried sweet work with a poached fruit.
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#18 - Chinese New Year
Season 27 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/26/2016
Cue the fireworks as China's biggest holiday has its moment in the Chopped Kitchen! For the first course of their Chinese New Year feasts, the chefs must create appetizers using one of American diners' favorite Chinese dishes. Then, in the entree round, a giant fish is front and center in the basket, and in the final round, the chefs must include an oversized cookie and a strawberry-flavored treat in their desserts.
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#19 - Pig Candy
Season 54 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/7/2023
A pork theme is a true treat! The chefs get basket ingredients that make them feel like they've died and gone to hog heaven. Round-by-round, the competitor who's able to celebrate the pig the best in their dishes is bound to be the champ. A prized cut of meat is a nice head start for the chefs in the appetizer round, but they'll need to cook it perfectly to do it justice. Then in the entrée round, an offal surprise in the baskets leaves some chefs spooked. Donuts and an unusual nose-to-tail offering keep the chefs on their toes in the dessert round.
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#20 - Liver and Learn
Season 17 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/1/2013
The chefs receive calves' livers and ranch dressing in the first round, and the judges watch as four appetizers come together in 20 minutes. Then in the entree round, a small bird and a citrusy spice make for an interesting combination. And will hot sauce be a hit in the finalists' desserts?
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#21 - Amateurs Redemption
Season 23 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/17/2015
It takes a very brave home cook to take on Chopped once, and these amateurs are courageous enough to come back for a second time. In the first round, vegan roast is an ingredient to be reckoned with. In the second round, a small bird and a sugary breakfast item are part of the vexing entree puzzle that the amateurs must solve. Some sweet-and-savory candies and a special spice blend keep the last two competitors on their toes, as they fight to be the last one standing tall as the Chopped Champion.
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#22 - Let's Do Lunch
Season 23 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/24/2015
In this competition, the usual rounds are replaced with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The morning meal must include tiny eggs and fancy coffee. In the second round, the chefs have to make midday meals featuring lunchbox favorite peanut butter and jelly. A strange turn of events in the dinner round finds one of the competitors searching frantically for an ingredient that has mysteriously vanished from sight.
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#23 - Salt Pearls of Wisdom
Season 20 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/17/2014
Presentation is at the forefront of the judges' first decision, as they compare shrimp and chickpea dishes. In the entree round, the flavor profile of the baklava in the basket might cause the chefs to stumble. And the chefs try to find wise ways to use salt pearls in their dishes. Then the finalists must work booze and cashews into their desserts.
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#24 - Teen Tournament: Part One
Season 21 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/15/2014
For the first competition in the first ever Chopped Teen Tournament, four very talented young cooks compete for a chance to move on to the finale and win $25,000 and a culinary school scholarship. In the appetizer round, the cooks must work with lamb loin chops and kale chips. Perhaps surprisingly, the teen chefs seem less than happy to get French fries and cookies in the main course round. Then when the final two cooks open the dessert baskets to find a frozen treat, will they transform the ingredient into something new and delicious?
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#25 - Teen Tournament: Part Two
Season 21 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/22/2014
Intensity and energy abound in the second competition of the Teen Tournament! Cleaning shrimp and slicing jalapenos are the first order of business in the appetizer round. The teen chefs have to hop to it when they find out they have to cook frog leg entrees. And in the dessert round, an iconic New York cookie must be combined with a popular nut.
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