Seasons & episodes
S29 · E4Souper Chefs 2016-08-16
Never stop cooking -- a seventy-something chef who blew off retirement to return to the stove is among the four chefs competing! In the appetizer round, he and the rest of the group must make trout dishes that also include dill pickle soup. A weirdly spicy beer is one of the entree basket ingredients. Then, dough and sugar in the dessert basket seem to give the finalists a head start, but looks can be deceiving!
S29 · E5Chili Cook-Off 2016-08-21
The chefs battle in a Chopped chili challenge as they put their own spin on the classic American dish. Chocolate and sausage are two of the mandatory ingredients in the appetizer round, and degrees of spice and levels of creativity are big factors in the entree round. For dessert, chili-inspired sweet dishes are requested.
S29 · E6Teen Tournament: Battle 1 2016-08-23
Sixteen young chefs-in-training will compete to see who can become the Chopped Teen Tournament Grand Champion and score the $25,000 prize! In this first preliminary battle, the young competitors must make appetizers from a strange hybrid snack and a decadent pork product. In the entree round, the teens must figure out how to combine poultry with a weird casserole, then work with a spicy nut and a savory green fruit for dessert.
S29 · E7Teen Tournament: Battle 2 2016-08-30
Four new formidable young competitors fight to get to the finale, but in the first round, nerves and indecision keep everybody guessing whether all the teen chefs will finish their sausage appetizers. Seafood surprises await the teen chefs in round two, then some breakfast items take on a creative form in the dessert basket.
S29 · E8Teen Tournament: Battle 3 2016-09-06
In the third of four preliminary competitions, a new group of teen chefs arrives in the Chopped Kitchen with tons of energy, which they put to good use cooking short rib appetizers. An already-cooked, artificially-colored ingredient appears to be the most puzzling ingredient in the entree basket, and in the dessert round, a pastry bag of pate a choux leaves the competitors wondering what to do.
S29 · E9Teen Tournament: Battle 4 2016-09-13
Four more teen chefs battle it out for the last spot in the $25,000 finale. A can of something strange and a bottle of something sour are two of the ingredients that the competitors must use in the appetizer round. The fryer sees some action in the entree round when one teen chef decides to deep-fry the basket's protein. Then, the two finalists must figure out how to repurpose a cake they find in the dessert basket.
S29 · E10Teen Tournament: Finale Fight 2016-09-20
Four teen winners have returned to compete in the grand finale of the tournament with $25,000 at stake. The young cooks find a surf-and-turf combination in the appetizer basket and aim to distinguish themselves from their opponents with their first plates. Butchering skills come into play in the entree round, then one teen chef's premonition about a mango in the dessert basket comes true!
S29 · E11Twins for the Win 2016-09-08
Teams of twins face off in this competition, bringing twice the excitement to the kitchen! In the first round, some improbable eggs and incomplete crustaceans are in the basket. A royal-inspired meat product and a soda shop staple keep things interesting in the entree round, then the last two pairs of twins make some surprising choices when they get pastry dough in the dessert basket.
S29 · E12Naan the Wiser 2016-09-15
A serious time management issue in the first round featuring naan and blood sausages gets one of the competitors in trouble as the last seconds tick away. A very expensive fish in the entree basket has the judges hoping that the chefs know how to treat it right. Then, the finalists come up with some creative desserts as they tackle a fruit-filled third basket.
S29 · E13Worst Cooks Challenge 2016-09-27
Former winners and runners up from Worst Cooks in America arrive at the Chopped Kitchen with something to prove. In the first round, the competitors do a nice job with their frog leg appetizers, but the second round has the remaining chefs struggling to cook steak correctly. Then, in the last round, the cooks rely on ready-made doughs from the pantry to help them with their cocoa powder and pear desserts.
S30 · E1Kefir and Loathing 2016-09-22
A basket ingredient with a "secret" history and the fermented milk drink kefir are at the forefront of the appetizer round. The second basket looks to be deceptively simple, except for a strange blue drink. Then, something you wouldn't expect to find in a can is discovered in the dessert basket, and the last two chefs decide to go in a similar direction with their final plates.
S30 · E2Sweetbread Dread 2016-09-29
The judges are pleased to see fresh sardines in the first basket, but will the competitors treat these little fish properly? Some pricey basket items, including sweetbreads, add an air of luxury to the second round. Then, both of the final chefs want to make ice cream in the dessert round, but will they have time to pull it off?
S30 · E3Best Halloween Ever 2016-10-03
Four one-of-a-kind cooks have dressed up for Halloween in the Chopped Kitchen, and the judges are eager to see what a drag queen, a witch, a medieval re-enactor and a bloody-faced warrior will cook for them using a wild collection of appetizer ingredients! Some frightening sights in the second basket turn out to be pretty nice picks for a pork tenderloin entree, and a spiky fruit and clever cookie-crumb creation are two of the ingredients that the final competitors get to scare up a dessert.
S30 · E4On the Quack Burner 2016-10-06
Quack if you love duck tongues! The chefs must make use of this unusual meat in their appetizers, and a seaweed pasta product may be the weirdest item in the second basket. Then, spicy alcohol and a sweet cream are two of the components that the finalists have to work into their desserts.
S30 · E5Web Stars 2016-10-11
Competitors with successful online cooking shows arrive in the Chopped Kitchen ready to put their web-honed culinary skills to the test. There are smiley faces all around when the cooks find emoji cookies in the first basket, but round two has the judges monitoring the clock with doubts that all three chefs will be able to get a particular basket ingredient cooked in time. Then, a familiar boxed ingredient is one of the first things the finalists need to tackle for dessert.
S30 · E6Turkey Day Heroes 2016-11-14
Four chefs who cook in soup kitchens come to the Chopped Kitchen to face off in this special competition. In the appetizer round, they get creative with some fun bread and orange sauce. Turkey is a given in the entree round, but they also face an epic cake which defies description and is more than meets the eye! Some items in the dessert basket sound pretty healthy, like yogurt and fruit, but will the finalists' Thanksgiving desserts be nutritious or decadent?
S30 · E7Holiday Reality Check 2016-12-05
Chopped is hosting a holiday party with four stars of reality television: Les Gold (Hardcore Pawn), Claudia Jordan (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Jenni Pulos (Flipping Out) and Karina Smirnoff (Dancing With the Stars). In the first round, the larger-than-life celebs must use an edible wreath and festively-shaped bread. In the second round, the judges are surprised to hear that one of the competitors has never eaten a common green veggie found in the basket. Finally, marshmallow men and holiday cocktails make for a celebratory, unpredictable dessert round.
S30 · E8New Year's Bash 2016-12-20
It's the first ever Chopped New Year's party and the competitors get the celebration started with an extravagant appetizer basket that includes $50 worth of caviar and other pricy ingredients. The chefs find more premium items in the entree baskets, as well as a traditional southern New Year's legume. The last two chefs in this New Year's fight face some dressed-up ice cream cones and a limited number of grapes for dessert.
S31 · E1Smorgastarta Your Engines 2016-10-13
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.
S31 · E2Tailgate Greats 2016-10-18
Four devoted football fans are super proud of their can't-fail tailgating games, but in the Chopped Kitchen, only one can become a champ. Handy sandwiches and sweet popcorn are two of the ingredients the competitors face in the first round. Will a strange take on mimosa be hard for the chefs to swallow in the second round? Then, the two finalists hustle to figure out the correct technique to execute their creative ideas for dessert.
S31 · E3Beat Bobby Flay: Battle One 2016-10-20
First part of a 4-part tournament featuring twelve returning Chopped champions. Each episode's winner progressed to the finale, where the three episode winners competed to determine the tournament finalist. The finalist would choose a dish and compete for $40,000 against Bobby Flay in making a better version of the dish. For the whole tournament, one item in each basket was chosen by Bobby Flay.
S31 · E4Midnight Snack Attack 2016-10-25
The four chefs in this special competition are tasked with making the perfect midnight meal. In the first round, fried foods and a trendy cocktail are creatively reimagined in appetizers. Prized mushrooms and a much-craved street food are part of the basket challenge in the second round. And the finalists hope breakfast flavors wake up the judges' palates in the last round.
S31 · E5Beat Bobby Flay: Battle Two 2016-10-27
Second part of a 4-part tournament. Chef Thomas is the youngest competitor in this tournament, having won the first all-teen episode back in season 13. In round 1, the can of fruit contained peaches, grapes, pears, and cherries. Also, due to the extensive prep time required, the abalone in round 1 was pre-cleaned.
S31 · E6Chaudin Chow (aka Hearty Party) 2016-11-01
The chefs unveil a Cajun specialty in the first basket that is "offal-y" special. A prized protein adds some porky flavor to the chefs' fish entrees. And a drink that you have to chew is certainly the oddest mystery ingredient in the final basket.