Martha Rules: Meet the Competitors 17 Photos
Martha Stewart takes over Chopped! In a glorious outdoor kitchen in Kennebunkport, Maine, Martha calls the shots and even changes the rules as 16 fearless chefs compete for a $50,000 grand prize.

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Episodes
See Episode GuideBrunch Brilliance
The chefs set out to wow the judges with brunch meals that wake their palates. A classic brunch combination-turned ice cream flavor makes for a challenging first basket. A unique take on eggs keeps the brunch theme front-and-center in the entree round. The two chefs remaining in the dessert round then get to find out what goes into boozy cereal.
You've Got Snail!
The bar for balancing flavors is set high as four chefs find sea snails and candy in the first basket. A mishap in the entree round dramatically affects one chef's scallop dish. The two remaining competitors must then work with a dessert basket that includes something porky and something sticky.
Martha Rules: Pantry Surprise!
Martha Stewart takes over Chopped! In a glorious outdoor kitchen in Kennebunkport, Maine, Martha calls the shots and even changes the rules as 16 fearless chefs compete for a $50,000 grand prize. As four competitors set out to make a stellar first impression, Martha has a big surprise related to the pantry. Maine-inspired basket ingredients like blueberry pie and clam chowder set the scene for a sensational coastal feast.
Frying Times
With $10,000 at stake, there's a twist in the competition! The chefs learn that they will be required to fry something in every course. In the appetizer round, a brightly colored beverage and a stuffed pasta are part of the puzzle. A decadent finger food and a protein-packed shocker challenge the chefs in the entree basket, while a classic cookie and a wild sundae bring the fun to an exciting, frying dessert round.
Meat Fight
Where's the beef? In the baskets! A beef theme is a meat lover's dream in this competition. The four chefs must cut jumbo-sized ribs down to appetizer-appropriate portions in the first round. A premium steak and a second-rate grocery store meal meet in a puzzling entree basket, and creativity and a shining example of good sportsmanship are on display in the dessert round.
Martha Rules: Pantry Surprise!
Martha Stewart takes over Chopped! In a glorious outdoor kitchen in Kennebunkport, Maine, Martha calls the shots and even changes the rules as 16 fearless chefs compete for a $50,000 grand prize. As four competitors set out to make a stellar first impression, Martha has a big surprise related to the pantry. Maine-inspired basket ingredients like blueberry pie and clam chowder set the scene for a sensational coastal feast.
Frying Times
With $10,000 at stake, there's a twist in the competition! The chefs learn that they will be required to fry something in every course. In the appetizer round, a brightly colored beverage and a stuffed pasta are part of the puzzle. A decadent finger food and a protein-packed shocker challenge the chefs in the entree basket, while a classic cookie and a wild sundae bring the fun to an exciting, frying dessert round.
Meat Fight
Where's the beef? In the baskets! A beef theme is a meat lover's dream in this competition. The four chefs must cut jumbo-sized ribs down to appetizer-appropriate portions in the first round. A premium steak and a second-rate grocery store meal meet in a puzzling entree basket, and creativity and a shining example of good sportsmanship are on display in the dessert round.
You've Got Snail!
The bar for balancing flavors is set high as four chefs find sea snails and candy in the first basket. A mishap in the entree round dramatically affects one chef's scallop dish. The two remaining competitors must then work with a dessert basket that includes something porky and something sticky.
Food Truck Kitchen
The Chopped Kitchen is taken over by food truck chefs, steering toward success! The first basket contains ingredients from Chinese and Greek cuisines, while a classic American street food meets a fun-to-say Korean dish in the entree basket. The two food truck chefs facing off in the dessert round work with unripe fruit and a much-loved sweet spread.
Beg, Borrow or Eel
In the first basket, nobody is thrilled to see a slimy surprise -- will there be enough time to deal with it properly and still creatively address the other three ingredients? Displays of talent and technique in the entree round have the judges eager to taste three Cornish hen dishes, and a very bold choice with a nostalgic treat in the dessert basket keeps the judges guessing.
Fried Chicken Time
Comfort food king, fried chicken, gets the royal Chopped treatment for three rounds! A weird syrup and a savory pancake are two of the ingredients that the chefs must use in their fried bird appetizers. The poultry party continues in round two with fried chicken entrees that have to include peach cobbler, and what will be expected from the chefs in a fried chicken-themed dessert round?
Deadliest Baskets
Chefs, beware: every round in this special competition will feature ingredients that are not just challenging, but actually dangerous! Poisonous seeds and a fierce creature make round one interesting for all. In the entree round, a potent alcohol and a shellfish keep the chefs fearful, then some ugly fungus and a deadly fruit keep the finalists on edge in the dessert round.
Smorgastarta Your Engines
The chefs learn all about the wonders of savory Swedish layer cake when they get the competition underway with some smorgastarta appetizers. A sweet powder and prickly produce make the entree round more complicated than the competitors wished it would be. And eggplant seems like a doozy for dessert, but preserved in sugar, the veggie is easier for the finalists to incorporate into their sweet plates.
Smorgastarta Your Engines
The chefs learn all about the wonders of savory Swedish layer cake when they get the competition underway with some smorgastarta appetizers. A sweet powder and prickly produce make the entree round more complicated than the competitors wished it would be. And eggplant seems like a doozy for dessert, but preserved in sugar, the veggie is easier for the finalists to incorporate into their sweet plates.
Got Your Goat?
The chefs race to figure out what to do with a seafood product and some boozy veggies in the first round. Then, the judges must decide who's got the chops to get goat chops just right in the second round. Finally, a tough dessert basket, which includes a cheese and a vegetable, keeps the finalists scrambling to the end.
Chopped Catwalk
Four chefs who are also fashion models strut their stuff in the Chopped Kitchen, where they find tuna and kale chips in the appetizer basket. In the second round, the chefs must make fish and seeds work in their dishes. Something frozen and something crunchy are found in the dessert basket.
Wild Times
Straight from nature to the chefs' baskets, ingredients in this competition are favorites of hunters and foragers! The first round puts an aquatic wonder and a delicate flower into the hands of the four competitors. An imposing root and a wild beast are part of the entree round challenge. Then, the final wild round is a sweet one featuring berries and butter.
Million Dollar Baskets
No expense has been spared with these top-notch, top-dollar basket ingredients! The chefs get to work with caviar and a very pricey seafood in the first round. The second million dollar basket features something lavishly sweet and something deliciously rare. And a $100 breakfast item is one of the prize ingredients that the finalists discover in the last basket.
Gimme Gator
Strange incarnations of everyday ingredients, black garlic and coconut vinegar, challenge the chefs in the appetizer round. The judges go on the hunt for compelling flavor combinations in the chefs' alligator entrees, then a Peruvian fruit is the most unusual find in the dessert basket.
Amped for Ramps
The competitors find a prized member of the onion family in the first basket, ramps! But will the flavorful wild leeks play nicely with the other mandatory ingredients? An organ meat and an Italian treat are in basket two, then the two chefs who make it to the dessert round get a popcorn-flavored candy and a citrus-flavored stalk.
Think Small!
The chefs are excited to find a small plates theme in effect for their competition. The judges -- including Martha Stewart -- are expecting modern, creative dining experiences in every round. The first basket features a surprise from one judge's restaurant. The round two basket contains a German sandwich that sounds unappealing to the uninitiated, and the third basket has the final two chefs scrambling to make small plates with big flavor that include a sensational citrus.
Terrine Cuisine
The chefs must hop to it and make rabbit terrine work with a less highfalutin, packaged product in their appetizers. Combining cake mix and ramen is part of the challenge in round two, and a weird ice cream and a curious condiment test the two finalists as they attempt to make desserts that the judges will love.
Martha Rules: Tick Tock!
Martha Stewart takes the reins for another gripping battle in the $50,000 Martha Rules tournament, and she has some tricks up her sleeve regarding the timing of the rounds. In the first basket, the chefs get a seafood delicacy befitting the beautiful coastal setting of the outdoor Chopped kitchen. The three chefs who make it to the second round must whip up Cornish hen entrees, and a citrus fruit meets a local candy in the dessert basket as the remaining competitors fight for a coveted spot in the finale.
Bacon, Burgers and Beer!
In what may be the best Chopped competition theme ever, the chefs' baskets are packed with bacon, burgers and beer! In the bacon appetizer round, the competitors go in some inventive directions with their dishes, including pizza and poutine. Round two is an adrenaline-packed burger battle that has the chefs working with a fun take on onion rings. And the alliterative theme comes to its boozy conclusion in the dessert round, with beer boldly represented in the baskets.
Chock-Full of Chocolate
Four pastry chefs step into the Chopped kitchen to show off their chocolate skills. A chocolate-covered seafood snack is a sneaky surprise in the appetizer basket, and a tart fruit and a Japanese food staple find their way into the entree basket. The remaining chefs find jerky in the dessert basket, and it just might work in their favor.