Seasons & episodes

Kicking off a first-of-its-kind, high-stakes desserts tournament, four chefs compete in a series of chocolate challenges. Spicy booze and a book filled with bonbons are in the mix in round one, and an oversize beverage meets a stinky cheese in the entree basket. The dessert basket features a can of something that could be cause for concern as the chefs make chocolatey showpieces to earn a spot in the grand finale and a shot at the $50,000 prize.

It's much ado about doughnuts in this exciting heat of the $50,000 Sweets Showdown. The chefs must demonstrate doughnut dexterity as they create sweet, savory and filled varieties that incorporate challenging ingredients such as onions and grasshoppers. Only one tenacious chef will conquer all and win the chance to return for the finale.

With their eyes on the Sweets Showdown $50,000 prize, four top-tier dessert chefs strive to bake their way into the judges' hearts in this all-cakes preliminary battle. A beautifully bare edible art piece is at the center of the first basket, and a soup and a leafy green threaten to hinder the competitors' progress in the entree round. In round three, only one chef can win ultimate baking bragging rights and a trip to the finale.

The $50,000 Sweets Showdown continues with a preliminary battle that shines the spotlight on ice cream. Each round challenges the competitors to churn out a different frozen treat: milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches and sundaes. But after the judges sample all the cool creations, only one chef can advance to the finale.

In the thrilling culmination of a five-part tournament, four dessert dynamos return to the Chopped Kitchen in pursuit of the $50,000 prize, but the ultimate sugar high and the prestigious title of Chopped Grand Champion can only go to one extraordinary chef. A wild-looking citrus fruit and some syrupy flowers are part of the challenge in the first round. A colossal cocktail is all the buzz in the entree round, and an edible candelabra is a bright surprise for the two chefs left in the dessert round.

S43 · E13Give It a Nest! 2020-02-25＋

Four bold contenders stride into the Chopped Kitchen with winning on their minds. If the tri-tip in the first basket doesn't trip them up, the edible bird's nest just might. Stinging nettles threaten to hurt the competitors' chances for success in round two, and the two finalists must make good use of a dairy delicacy in their desserts.

In a Halloween-themed competition, the four chefs face ingredient baskets packed with nods to horror movies, which guest judge and actor Rose McGowan knows well. A cringeworthy surprise in the appetizer basket brings to mind a startling plot twist in a classic scary scene featuring maggots. The entree ingredients -- liver, fava beans and Chianti -- are inspired by one of the creepiest quotes in movie history, and a bubbling cauldron is a nice touch in the final basket.

The competing chefs are challenged to make delicious dishes from plant-based mystery basket ingredients. A marvel of modern food science is the centerpiece of the first basket, and a crispy green makes an appearance in round two.

Four Chopped champions are hungry for more as they return for a special Thanksgiving competition. The ferociously competitive chefs must deal with a shocking poultry product in the appetizer round, and the three who make it to the entree round get a big, bright orange surprise. A Thanksgiving dessert basket packed with pumpkin and cranberry flavors inspires the chefs to celebrate the holiday on their final plates.

Four big-hearted amateur chefs arrive in the Chopped kitchen ready to give the judges an unforgettable Turkey Day meal. The competitors, who are celebrated for serving their communities, get creative in the first round when they must make something usually paired with coffee work with ham. Everyone gives thanks for turkey in the entree basket, and the final two unsung heroes are challenged to find a place for a festive beverage in their desserts.

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.

Four Chopped judges compete alongside their significant others in a festive, feisty battle between friends. As the teams endeavor to create appetizers quickly and cooperatively, they must figure out how to use novelty pasta and a splendid fruit in their plates. The entree basket contains a stunning protein and a sweet seasonal surprise, and gingerbread and olives are an odd couple in the holiday dessert basket.

Holiday desserts take center stage as four Chopped champions return for a sweet competition with sugar and spice and not everything nice in the baskets! A bold beverage in the first round has the chefs making faces and making do. Unwrapping chocolates in a hurry is a tedious part of the challenge in round two, and a candy cane with an unconventional flavor threatens the champions' plans for magnificent desserts.

As the clock counts down on New Year's Eve, four chefs take on Chopped baskets to celebrate another trip around the sun. In the appetizer basket, a bite of something decadent and a peppery sauce await. Incredibly luxurious ingredients in the second basket set expectations sky high for the New Year's entree course, and a clever champagne treat is a nice touch in the dessert basket.

The four competing chefs get budget baskets full of low-cost ingredients for every round, and they have to make basic foods burst with flavor. A box of fish sticks is the big catch in the first basket, and the second round involves a lesson in putting your best foot forward when cooking with chicken feet. Finally, cheap wine and a cake mix mingle in the last budget basket.

Mock meat and an unusual green powder set the level of difficulty high in round one, and an Italian-Japanese mashup ingredient in the entree round threatens to mess up the chefs' plans. When the two remaining competitors find something called frog eye salad in the dessert basket, they both have their eyes on the prize, but only one can achieve their dream.

Is pickle pizza dill-ightful or frightful? Four chefs must sort out what to do with the unusual pie in the appetizer round. An egg-flavored snack in the second basket leads to some novel ideas for the entree plates, and there's hardly time to stop and smell the rose latte in a speedy dessert round.

Four chefs who specialize in cooking lighter, healthier fare are challenged to make delicious, lean dishes in the Chopped kitchen. Low-calorie chips and some leafy greens inspire creativity in the first round. After opening the entree basket, the chefs are left pondering whether avocado-free guacamole is yucky or yummy. Finally, light desserts are a tall order, and the remaining chefs try to measure up.

It's game day in the Chopped kitchen, and when four football-loving chefs bring their best offense, anything can happen. After kickoff, the chefs get an appetizer basket loaded with foods to fuel hungry sports fans. The entree basket has more of the same, including a super strange shot glass and some winning wings. Finally, the chefs left tackling game-day desserts must make cookies work with a cocktail.

Chopped champions return to the stoves, racing the clock and conquering basket after basket with the hope of moving on to the $50,000 finale. Watermelon weirdness in the first basket threatens to shake the champs' confidence, and a funky soybean product and an unusual cut of meat challenge the chefs to come up with wholly original entrees. Inside the dessert basket, the remaining chefs find a crunchy surprise that they must make work with a delicate fruit.

It's a rough reunion with the Chopped kitchen when the returning champs find a diabolical set of ingredients in their first basket. In round two, a giant fish and a sweet space food get the chefs thinking creatively. The final two champs wrestle to make sense of a salad cake as time ticks away in the dessert round, which sends one chef on to the $50,000 finale.

The fiercest Chopped champions are back to defend their titles in a whirlwind, no-holds-barred battle. A frozen oddity throws them a curve ball in the first round, and they find a box of something sweet plus a yummy Chinese specialty in the entree basket. The judges watch to see whether flowers in the dessert basket inspire creativity to bloom, and the winning chef advances to the $50,000 finale.

Passionate Chopped champions return for a shot at $50,000, and the competition kicks off with a colossal clam and a starchy comfort food in the first basket. In the entree round, the judges are eager to find out if the chefs can wing it with squab, and the dessert round puzzle includes a wild pizza pie and a purple tuber. The chef who outperforms the others gets to advance to the $50,000 finale.

Four repeat champions make their triumphant return to the Chopped kitchen to do it all over again for a shot at $50,000! Jaws drop when the chefs find out what's in the first basket, and a dream cut of beef could turn into a nightmare in the 30-minute entree round. The dessert round is the ultimate challenge for two seemingly unstoppable champs, but only one can take the title of Chopped Grand Champion and the $50,000 prize.