Chopped - Season 18 / Year 2026

In the appetizer round, a peculiar cereal is the strangest find in the basket. Then, when one of the chefs begins cooking her fluke fillets very late in the round, the judges wonder whether they will be happy with the results. The entrée round mystery basket ingredients run the gamut from light to hearty, and the finalists must work a clever crepe and an interactive candy into their desserts.

Ted's in charge! Four chefs learn that Chopped's illustrious host has been given more power than ever for their competition. Along with his usual leading role, he has designed the baskets and will -- finally! -- get to taste and critique the food. For the appetizer round, Ted challenges the chefs with a wildly unusual product in a tube and his favorite snack of all time. Curry and crab are Ted's choice for two of the mandatory entrée round ingredients, and the final basket includes an exotic extract and an Italian dessert that Ted can never pass up. 

An over-reduced sauce and undercooked venison are two of the potential problems that threaten the chefs as they try to make appetizers. Salmon in the second basket seems like a good draw, but no Chopped round is ever straightforward and easy. Then, with Mexican chocolate in the dessert basket, it seems like the judges are in for a treat, but one of the chef's time management woes are worrying. 

Four chefs connected to the rich culinary history of Africa cook with passion in this special competition. Goat chops test the chefs' chops in the entrée round, and a final basket that skews more savory than sweet presents a challenge for the finalists.

The chef who cracks the code on this special competition's egg-centric baskets will win $10,000! Three others will leave with egg on their faces. Delicate eggs and smoked seafood are part of the appetizer round challenge. A strange syrup and bold greens must be included in the competitors' entrée plates, and breaking open a giant egg should be the first item on the finalists' to-do list in the dessert round. 

For this special competition, Native American chefs who revere indigenous culinary traditions compete in a first-of-its-kind battle. Every basket is packed with ingredients known and loved in native communities, like sumac and whitefish for the first round. The judges look forward to tasting entrées featuring a lean, tasty protein. Then, when the dessert round turns into a baking battle, will both chefs have enough time to complete their dishes as planned? 

Ready, set, cook! In the appetizer round, a super salty veggie and a dried fruit make up half of the chefs' basket riddle. In the entrée round, a carnival treat meets a Tex-Mex staple in the form of a strange mashup basket ingredient. Then, when a tight competition culminates in the dessert round, both chefs come up with ideas for creative cakes, but will they both be able to execute them? 

Making amazing meals out of absolutely anything is this competition's modus operandi, so leftovers is an all-time favorite Chopped theme. In the appetizer round, everyone is excited to show they have what it takes to repurpose foods that might have otherwise been tossed out, and the judges are in for four interesting takes on the first basket. In the entrée round, the chefs attempt to impress the judges using a variety of tools and techniques. The two finalists open the dessert basket to find a single slice of birthday cake, but only one chef will be left celebrating at the end of this leftovers battle.