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 - Grilling on the Edge
Season 53 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/18/2022
Four chefs with a talent for live-fire cooking bring their passion to the Chopped kitchen. Second-guessing in round two leaves one chef confused about the main protein, and the two finalists must make dessert plates that include a dough and a fancy fruit.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes
#2 - Wild Ride
Season 24 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/3/2015
Fun at the carnival is the theme for this special Chopped competition. In a sign of what's to come, the chefs open the first basket to find that two out of the four ingredients are deep-fried. An outrageous sundae is the centerpiece of the second basket, but it's the deep-fried ravioli that causes trouble for one competitor. Then, after a wild final round, the judges face an unprecedented dilemma.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#3 - 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?
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#4 - Chopped Chops
Season 20 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/18/2014
Frog leg fest: The chefs open the first basket to find the French delicacy and some fine fungi. Then in the entree round, some little beans and big pork chops cause the competitors difficulties. And one of the finalists decides to take the cheese in the basket and use it in an ice cream. Will it work?
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#5 - Reality TV Stars
Season 22 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/17/2015
Reality stars Renee Graziano (Mob Wives), Travis Lofland (Deadliest Catch), Amy Roloff (Little People, Big World) and Kathy Wakile (Real Housewives of New Jersey) are ready for battle in the Chopped Kitchen. They'll have to tackle biscuit dough, vegetable cream cheese and cherry pie filling if they're going to take home $10,000 for their favorite charity.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#6 - Ultimate Champions: Celebrities
Season 21 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/16/2014
Four Chopped Champions from the world of entertainment and sports compete for the last spot in the $50,000 finale. In the appetizer round, the celebrity champs find a peculiar type of flour and sweet tea in the baskets. Then a can of soup in the entree round causes various issues for the competitors. And the judges taste banana paste and cream cheese desserts before deciding on the last finalist.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#7 - Family Affair
Season 26 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/15/2015
A mom, dad, son and aunt who work in the same restaurant meet in the Chopped Kitchen, where it's every chef for themselves. In the first round, one family member's grill pan gets taken over by two relatives. In the entree round, chicken breasts seem like an easy protein to work with, but how will the chefs fare with the other mystery ingredients? The final two family members make desserts using dried fruit and a very sweet cake.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#8 - Money Saver
Season 21 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/13/2015
The chefs learn that there is a "money saver" theme for this special competition: Ingredients in each basket will not exceed $10, but the chefs' dishes are still expected to look and taste like a million bucks. In the first round, a meatless basket has some of the chefs searching for protein in the pantry. Then various levels of creativity are one of the factors that the judges consider while analyzing three ham-steak entrees. And the dessert basket, including chocolate chips, seems deceptively simple.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#9 - Chopped, Again!
Season 23 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/27/2015
It's a second chance at victory, for four losing chefs seeking redemption. After the chefs make skate and pomegranate molasses appetizers, one chef must endure the indignity of being the first chef re-chopped. In the entree round, the competitors work with a boozy ice cream and an amusingly-named British pudding. In the dessert round, a German tart is a good start.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#10 - Ultimate Champions: Amateur Champs
Season 21 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/2/2014
Some of the most beloved amateur winners return to the Chopped Kitchen for a shot to compete in the $50,000 finale. In the appetizer round the competitors must use salsa and cheese blintzes in their culinary masterpieces. Then as the entree round gets started, an off-balance tug-of-war over a piece of equipment has everybody laughing, except for the chef who loses the fight. And grapefruit is among the loot the last two champs find in the dessert basket.
Watch Now:iTunes#11 - Short Order Cooks
Season 21 - Episode 12 - Aired 9/30/2014
Four fourth and fifth graders attempt to stand tall in the Chopped Kitchen! The mini culinary artists find a very kid-friendly ingredient in the first basket: cotton candy. In the second round, the judges are thoroughly impressed by the three remaining little cooks, who are seeking to make delicious entrees from pizza dough and a bitter green. And an exciting dessert round features brownie mix as one of the mystery ingredients.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#12 - 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.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#13 - 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.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#14 - Thrill of the Grill
Season 22 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/23/2015
The chefs learn that they must grill something in each round of this competition. For their appetizers, the chefs discover watermelon and wine coolers in the basket. A beautiful cut of beef and tedious-to-prep beans await the chefs who make it to the second round. A cone of sugar and a pitcher of lemonade are two of the fun items found in the dessert basket.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#15 - Chocolate Frenzy
Season 51 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/22/2022
For the love of chocolate! In this battle, the chefs are blessed with an abundance of the so-called food of the gods. In the first round, the competitors attempt to make duck and chocolate fly. Faux deviled eggs are a sweet trick in the entree basket, and by the time the dessert round is done, it might be natural to ask if there's such a thing as too much chocolate. Not for the winner of this chocolate challenge!
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#16 - Big Barbecue Bout
Season 23 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/16/2015
It's a battle for all the carnivores, celebrating the art of barbecue in the Chopped Kitchen. In the first basket, the chefs find a regional barbecue sauce and jumbo shrimp. In round two, the chefs scramble to make delicious pork spare ribs entree. After two savory barbecue courses, the last two chefs must make sweet and hearty desserts with bananas and coconuts.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#17 - First Responders
Season 23 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/14/2015
Police officers and paramedics with culinary chops are in the Chopped Kitchen. In the first round, the contestants respond to a basket with hummus chips and ground bison. In the second round, they must jump into action and figure out how to make fiery jawbreakers work with rotisserie chicken. And angel food cake in the final basket is apropos.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#18 - Judges' Face-Off
Season 23 - Episode 12 - Aired 6/9/2015
It's a friendly competition between friends, when the Chopped judges face off with baskets containing leftover ingredients. In the appetizer round, the chefs must turn tuna noodle casserole into something new. Rice left in a pan and soup saved for later are two of the ingredients in the entree basket. In the dessert round, leftover cake must be turned into something innovative and delicious.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#19 - Teen Tournament: Grand Finale!
Season 25 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/22/2015
Four returning teen winners come back to compete for $25,000 and the title of Chopped Grand Champion! Excitement is at an all-time high, as the young cooks open the first baskets and find a pasta, some jarred seafood, a candy, and a veggie. Breaking down a giant fish is a daunting way to begin the entree round, and scant use of a certain other basket ingredient could mean elimination for one young champ. Then in an intense final round, the two remaining teens turn a mocktail and a festive cake into a $25,000 dessert.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#20 - Hot Stuff
Season 22 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/2/2015
Will the chefs think the "chilified" baskets in this special competition are too hot to handle? In the first round the heat is on with habanero peppers. In the entree round, the competitors must work with one of the hottest peppers known to man, in beef jerky form. And the finalists must find a way to balance spice and sugar in their desserts.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#21 - Chopped All-Stars: Mega Chefs
Season 14 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/14/2013
In this second fight of the All-Stars $50,000 tournament, contenders with considerable competitive prowess take each other on in the Chopped Kitchen. The judges are eager to see what the chefs can do with sea bass and cream soda in the first round. Then in the entree round, the competitors must get their tails in gear to make oxtail and labaneh into delicious dishes. And it is no piece of cake for the finalists, figuring out how to transform a classic snack cake into an elegant dessert.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#22 - Haricot Flair
Season 20 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/28/2014
Yes, we have no bananas! But we do have banana blossoms in the first basket and four women competing! The three chefs who make it to the entree round must work with a notoriously stinky ingredient. And will a colorful ingredient in the last basket prompt the finalists to sprinkle a little fun on to their desserts?
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#23 - Ultimate Champions: Pros
Season 21 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/26/2014
Four distinct groups of champs will return to the Chopped Kitchen: professionals, amateurs, heroes and celebrities, all leading up to a grand finale where one chef will seize the biggest prize in Chopped history: $50,000 and a new car! In this initial battle, four stellar professionals fight to see who will represent the pros in the finale. They have to wrangle and cook eels and figure out what to do with a super salty veggie for their appetizers. Then in the entree round, the champs have to work with a bird and a soda. And a special cheese and a creepy chocolate item appear in the dessert basket.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#24 - College Challenge
Season 24 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/10/2015
Taking a break from their studies to crush it in the Chopped Kitchen, four college students compete for culinary superiority. In the first round, the young amateur cooks must work with a dorm-life starchy staple and a bag of frozen veggies. The college kids then look for creative ways to make use of a savory microwaveable snack in the entree round. And with both sweet and salty surprises in the dessert basket, the final two cooks seek to make balanced desserts to complete their meals.
Watch Now:AmazoniTunes#25 - Tendon Intentions
Season 24 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/7/2015
The chefs get beef tendon balls in the appetizer basket, a very tough ingredient — literally. In the entree round, fresh vermicelli noodles seem to get the best of some smart competitors. And caramelized onions don't scream dessert, but shouting out for more time in the final round is not an option for the last two chefs.
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