Seasons & episodes

S8 · E10The MasterChef Returns 2017-08-09＋

Reigning champion Shaun O'Neale returns and chooses ingredients from his cookbook to be part of the mystery-box challenge. The winner will receive an advantage moving forward, while the other chefs to battle in a coconut-theme elimination challenge.

S8 · E11Vegas Deluxe & Oyster Shucks 2017-08-16＋

The Top 12 head to Las Vegas for a team challenge in which they serve 50 VIPs in entertainment and hospitality at Caesars Palace for its 50th Anniversary party. Each guest will taste both teams' dishes and then cast a vote for their favorite dish.

S8 · E12In a Pinch 2017-08-23＋

The Top 11 are given a bag of live crawfish and have to cook them in order to extract the most meat possible. The six weakest cooks go head-to-head in an elimination challenge, during which they make a crawfish dish created by Gordon Ramsay. Then, the Top 10 face a chicken-and-potato team challenge.

S8 · E13Gordon’s Game of Chicken 2017-08-23＋

The six weakest cooks go head-to-head in an elimination challenge, during which they make a crawfish dish created by Gordon Ramsay. Then, the Top 10 face a chicken-and-potato team challenge.

S8 · E14A Mexican Tag Team Challenge 2017-08-30＋

In this week's mystery box challenge, the Top Nine must create a dish that is reminiscent of their favorite family breakfast, using Nutella as the key ingredient. The winner gets a huge advantage moving forward, leaving the rest of the chefs to pair up for a Mexican-themed tag team challenge.

S8 · E15The Great Outdoors 2017-08-30＋

The Top Eight head to Big Bear Lake to cook fresh fish.

S8 · E16Chopsticks & Pasta 2017-09-06＋

In this week's mystery box challenge, the Top 7 must create an Asian-inspired dish that centers around one of the most prominent utensils in culinary history - chopsticks! The winner gets a huge advantage moving forward, leaving the remaining home cooks to compete in a pasta-themed elimination challenge.

S8 · E17Pop-Up Restaurant 2017-09-06＋

The Top 6 split up in teams for a classic MasterChef challenge - to cook for food critics, writers, and chefs at a pop-up restaurant in a Southern California vineyard.

S8 · E18Something Fishy 2017-09-13＋

In this week's mystery box challenge, the Top 6 get a special treat as their family members join them in the MasterChef kitchen. The contestants will then have to cook a dish inspired by their families before competing in an elimination test that will send one or more of them home.

S8 · E19The Semi-Finals 2017-09-13＋

The remaining home cooks will face a series of skills tests that will determine who will make it to the finale.

S8 · E20The Finale (1) 2017-09-20＋

The remaining chefs compete for the trophy and the $250,000 prize with guest judge Joe Bastianich.

S8 · E21The Finale (2) 2017-09-20＋

The remaining chefs compete for the trophy and the $250,000 prize with guest judge Joe Bastianich.

Judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich each will have eight aprons to hand out to the home cooks whom they deem worthy – and they then will mentor those contestants throughout the competition.

The three judges each choose eight home cooks to mentor throughout the competition.

Forty-three of America’s finest home cooks compete in the Battle of the Apron challenge, during which they will face off against each other to earn a spot in the Top 24.

In the first mystery box challenge of the season, the Top 24 must prep, cook, and plate one dish featuring an ingredient unique to each of their home states.

In the first skills test of the season, MASTERCHEF host/judge/executive producer Gordon Ramsay teaches the home cooks how to properly break down a crab, before the contestants must replicate his work. The contestants whose skills don't cut it, face an elimination challenge during which Ramsay will show them how to make his signature Crab Benedict dish. It is then up to the judges to decide who stays and who goes home.

The Top 20 venture out of the kitchen and head to the historic Anheuser Busch brewery in Los Angeles for their first team challenge of the season. The two teams must cook a beer-infused lunch for more than 100 employees at the brewery who will each place a vote on his or her favorite dish. The team that receives the least amount of votes will head back to the kitchen for a banana cream pie pressure test that will determine who will be eliminated.

The contestants face a mystery box challenge where they must create a dish using one common ingredient—walnuts. The winner will receive three huge advantages. Later, the kitchen welcomes American soccer legend and Fox Sports soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, who will introduce a street food-themed elimination challenge that involves popular food among soccer fans in various countries.

The contestants cook for Season 7 winner Shaun O'Neale's wedding.

The contestants face a mystery box filled with fresh seafood and must create a dish using two items from it. The chefs who fail to impress the judges will face an elimination challenge and be asked to upgrade one of the most popular frozen dinner dishes, Salisbury Steak.

The remaining home cooks pair up for a skills test to create a restaurant-quality dish featuring five ingredients—only to leave one contestant without a pair. The contestant cooking solo gets a huge advantage in the challenge and gets the opportunity to cook alongside his-her mentor.The chefs who fail to impress the judges will face an elimination challenge and create the ever-challenging cheese soufflé in just 40 minutes.

The Top 14 contestants are split into two teams to compete in a fine dining challenge and are to cook 39 dishes for a group of very discerning judges who have big expectations. Contestants are surprised when diners are revealed and forced to scramble and alter their dishes to accommodate the guests. Ultimately the winning team’s recipe will be printed in Family Circle Magazine. The losing team will compete in a cupcake pressure test with special guest and pastry chef Christina Tosi.

The contestants must make a dish that features a deep-fried element as the judges cook alongside them; the elimination challenge features a citrus-centered dish.