For this Chopped tournament event, 16 fearless champions are back to defeat the ultimate competitive-cooking heavy hitter, Chef Bobby Flay! The winner of each preliminary battle will advance to the Beat Bobby Flay finale for a chance to take on Chef Flay for $50,000. In this premiere battle, a strangely sweet sandwich and beautiful seafood await the champs in the first basket. Round two involves an unusual beef jerky product and a twist on hummus, and in the do-or-die dessert round, the remaining chefs have to use a special banana pudding and some fancy bacon.
Host Eric Adjepong has some tricks up his sleeve when he invites three all-star Chopped judges and some of Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's closest friends to the arena. James Beard Award winners Marcus Samuelsson and Scott Conant, along with Tournament of Champions winner Maneet Chauhan, enter the kitchen with a plan to take Alex down, using some of the most difficult ingredients yet. Antonia Lofaso and Jonathon Sawyer judge this historic battle and decide which of the exceptional chefs will go out in the first round. Will Alex be able to defend her name in lights, or will her trusted colleagues become her greatest enemies?
In this fiery tournament finale, four winners return with their sights set on taking the title of Chopped Grand Champion. The baskets contain ingredients reminiscent of the preliminary battle themes: wild game, steaks, surf and turf and pork. The appetizer round has the chefs working with a meat not found in the grocery store. A bucket of something frozen is part of the entree basket puzzle, and the two finalists who make it to the dessert round endeavor to give it their all with corn on the cob and an unconventional cheesecake. Only one chef can score the life-changing grand prize and walk away knowing they triumphed while 15 other skilled chefs went down in flames.
Four more enterprising chefs try to ace the most difficult job interview imaginable and score the chance to work for a Chopped judge. In round one, offal is an awfully shocking surprise, and judge Maneet Chauhan will be watching to see who stumbles and who shines. Then, in the entree round, when a cut of meat proves problematic, can the chefs figure out the best approach in time to get dinner on the table for a potential future boss? And in the dessert round, judge Chris Santos is excited to see what the chefs can do with deep-fried champagne. The winner of this battle moves on to the tournament's finale, where one champion will conquer all to seize the opportunity of a lifetime.
The chefs get only three items in each basket and must bid in a live auction for a fourth ingredient. In this preliminary competition, the chef who ends up with what seems like the least desirable auction item decides to double down on the level of difficulty by using an unusual technique and flavor. Will they make something great or just make a mess? The entrée round auction includes an unusual protein that gets big bids from more than one chef. Then, in the dessert round, when both competitors decide to bake something, they take on a high risk in hopes of a high reward. The winner advances to the tournament's finale to compete for the title of Chopped Grand Champion and an enormous cash prize!
The All-Stars championship is on! The four celebrity chefs who won the chance to advance to the finale competition of this $50,000 tournament finally face off for their favorite charities. The first round is bound to be awfully challenging, with offal in the basket. And when two of the chefs decide to make comfort food that speaks to their heritage, will they be able to transform their dishes using the mystery ingredients in a way that works? Then, with trail mix in the entree round, the remaining chefs must make amazing dishes if they want to be on the path to victory. If they don't succeed they will be asked to take a hike. And when two incredibly skilled finalists find themselves back in the dessert round at last, and find a tangy fruit in the basket, the judges hold their collective breath to see which one will become the Chopped All-Stars Grand Champion!
In a Kitchen Stadium first, Chairman Kaga pits two of his Iron Chefs against each other for the annual Mr. Iron Chef Tournament. Chen and Sakai go head to head for the chance to challenge the defending champion, Mr. Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba.