Chopped

Watch Chopped

  • TV-G
  • 2009
  • 53 Seasons
  • 7.4  (4,127)

Chopped is an American cooking competition television series aired on Food Network. The show premiered in 2007, just when cooking shows were starting to gain popularity. The series is hosted by Ted Allen, a cookbook author and food and wine connoisseur, who is also a well-known media personality. The show is structured around the concept of a cooking competition that takes place between four chefs. Each chef has to prepare a three-course meal, consisting of an appetizer, entree, and dessert. The catch is that the chefs have to use a basket of mystery ingredients each round to create their dishes. These ingredients include unusual items like squid ink pasta, durian fruit and bison tenderloin to name a few examples, which they have to incorporate into their dish. The contestants have 30 minutes to create the appetizer and dessert dishes and 60 minutes for the entree. They have access to a pantry and a limited set of ingredients provided to them. After they complete each round, the judges critically evaluate their creations, with one chef being eliminated at the end of every round until a winner is crowned. The panel of judges, consisting of renowned chefs and food critics, brings their knowledge and expertise to every episode. They evaluate the dishes based on taste, creativity, presentation, and often on the mystery ingredient's utilization. The judges are known to be very critical and demanding, with high expectations from the contestants. One aspect that sets Chopped apart from its counterparts is its fast-paced nature. The contestants have to work under extreme pressure, which, in turn, creates an adrenaline rush for them and the viewers alike. The show thrives on drama and tension, often using suspenseful music and tight camera shots to create an immersive, intense experience. Chopped isn't all about the competition; it's also a learning experience for viewers. A large part of the show involves the chef's explaining their thought process as they develop and execute their dishes. The show provides an opportunity for food enthusiasts and aspiring chefs to learn about various cooking techniques, new ingredients and how to present them creatively. Chopped has pushed the boundaries of conventional cooking shows by showcasing unique combinations of ingredients and innovative techniques. The show's influence can be seen in the way restaurant menus and recipes have evolved over the years, with chefs more frequently using creative pairings and unusual ingredients. Chopped has become one of Food Network's most successful series, with over forty seasons, multiple spin-offs, and even a board game. The show's success can be attributed to its engaging format, talented contestants, and expert judges, and its conflict-driven nature. Chopped's popularity has become so widespread that it has even been featured in pop culture references, such as in an episode of Netflix's "Master of None." In conclusion, Chopped is an exciting and entertaining cooking competition series that has set the standards for all cooking competition shows that followed. It has maintained its popularity over the years because of its high energy, engaging format, and relatability to food enthusiasts and aspiring chefs alike. The show has not only provided us with thrilling entertainment but also educated us on the creative uses of cooking techniques and varied ingredients in the culinary world.

Chopped
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Seasons
Military Salute: Finale
21. Military Salute: Finale
May 23, 2023
Joining forces for the finale, the four military finalists cook as a team against a mystery Chopped judge in every round! Four-versus-one seems like a clear advantage for the military chefs, but they're teamwork is tested when they disagree about the timing involved for their first round veggie dish. In the second round, everyone is excited to see beautiful steaks in the basket, and the judges are hoping for grilled perfection. Then, hot dogs in the dessert basket are not a pleasant surprise. Whoever reigns supreme in each round will have the chance to win $75,000 for a charitable cause!
Military Salute: Army
20. Military Salute: Army
May 16, 2023
Be all you can be in the Chopped kitchen! Four chefs from the U.S. Army have their marching orders to transform a favorite soldier comfort food into an elevated appetizer. Then, an exotic vegetable and a tender meat surprises the chefs in their entrée baskets before a festive drink shakes up the remaining competitors in the dessert round. The champion of this competition wins a spot in the tournament's finale!
Military Salute: Marines
19. Military Salute: Marines
May 9, 2023
Chopped salutes the U.S. Military and welcomes the few, the proud, the U.S. Marine Corps chefs to the kitchen! In the appetizer round, the chefs must figure out how to make something that's normally "ready to eat" ready for the judges! Then in the entrée round, a breakfast food in the basket will awaken the chefs' creativity. Finally, a savory-sweet mash up in the dessert basket turns the final round into a real head-scratcher for the two Marines still cooking.
Military Salute: Air Force
18. Military Salute: Air Force
May 2, 2023
Flying high and cooking well, four members of the U.S. Air Force arrive in the Chopped kitchen for the special Military Salute tournament! In the appetizer basket, the chefs find a bowl of something comforting and a crunchy snack. For their entrees, they must use a tangy sauce and a snappy vegetable. Then in an exciting dessert round, the last two Air Force chefs remaining create final dishes that include a wild play on pickles.
Military Salute: Navy
17. Military Salute: Navy
April 25, 2023
U.S. Navy chefs will have to create spectacular appetizers using an aged meat product before reworking a patriotic cake for dessert, all with $75,000 for a charitable cause on the line.
Ribeye on the Prize
16. Ribeye on the Prize
April 18, 2023
When four competitors feast their eyes on the thinly sliced ribeye in the basket, they each take their appetizers in very different directions; in the entrée round, the chefs must incorporate a movie snack and a piece of poultry into their dishes.
Fiesta Mexicana
15. Fiesta Mexicana
April 11, 2023
It's a fiesta in the "Chopped" kitchen as every basket features foods from Mexico; the chefs must combine a weird ice cream and a classic sauce for the entree and get creative with unusual chips and a leafy greens for dessert.
Fry of the Beholder
14. Fry of the Beholder
April 4, 2023
The chefs must fry and fly as they use the deep fryer or air fryer to make crispy, creative cuisine; the chefs rush to fry up appetizers, and it's unclear whether everyone will remember to plate every basket ingredient.
Wanna Pizza Me?
13. Wanna Pizza Me?
March 28, 2023
It's a pizza style showdown as four brilliant pizza pros race the clock in a battle for $10,000. From toothsome toppings to delicious dough, every bite matters when making pizza magic. In the appetizer round, the chefs discover that a notorious pizza topping is a mandatory ingredient! The competitors who make it through to the entrée round are glad that they can continue to proudly rep their particular pizza styles. Finally, pineapple on pizza is a controversial thing, but maybe it won't cause such a fuss in the dessert basket.
Uncommon Ramen
12. Uncommon Ramen
March 21, 2023
Uncommon Ramen
A Bunch of Abalone!
11. A Bunch of Abalone!
March 14, 2023
Four chefs with distinct personalities enter the Chopped kitchen on a quest to show the judges who they are and what they can do. In the first basket, they're not too thrilled to see a sea creature nobody has worked with before, and a fryer battle ensues. Steak in the entrée basket seems like a luckier draw, but the chefs will have to ace the doneness under pressure. Finally, a condiment made with worms is a squirmy surprise in the dessert basket.
Flamin' Hot
10. Flamin' Hot
March 7, 2023
With powerful peppers in every basket, four chefs learn that they'll get chilies increasing in heat on the Scoville scale for every round. In the appetizer round, the chefs fight over the fryer and try to figure out how to properly balance heat with the other flavors in their dishes. Then, the entrée basket has hot and cold components, and the two finalists must use finesse to incorporate one of the hottest peppers in the world into their desserts.
Gluten for Punishment
9. Gluten for Punishment
February 28, 2023
Something fried in the appetizer basket is a bit of a head-scratcher for the chefs, but they must power on in an attempt to make it to the next round. The competitive fire is strong in the entree round as the chefs hustle to put together plates from a particularly strange combination of basket ingredients, including some curious fusion tacos. Then, the judges are impressed when the chefs bring very different yet clear visions to the dessert table.
Good Ole Creole Cookin'
8. Good Ole Creole Cookin'
February 21, 2023
An amazing blend of cultures, Creole cuisine is as comforting as it is complex. Four chefs who specialize in this cooking style are challenged to be creatively inspired by the basket ingredients. The judges are excited to chomp down on alligator meat in their appetizers, but the chefs seem overwhelmed by an imposing protein in the entrée basket. Then in the dessert round, the final two chefs struggle to settle on clear plans for the ingredients.
Blind Date Night
7. Blind Date Night
February 14, 2023
Meeting a blind date at a coffee shop is so passé! The Chopped Kitchen is the place to go when looking for love and the experience of a lifetime. Four pairs of chefs are set up on teams to compete against other lovelorn duos in an epic showdown, where sparks could fly in the heat of battle. Heart-shaped pasta and a flirty cocktail get things going in the appetizer round. As they cook up chateaubriand entrees, the couples find ways to connect, like doing shots in the pantry and discovering matching tattoos. A race to the ice cream machine in the final round adds some stress to the blind dates and has everyone wondering which duo can persevere under pressure and win.
Pig Candy
6. Pig Candy
February 7, 2023
A pork theme is a true treat! The chefs get basket ingredients that make them feel like they've died and gone to hog heaven. Round-by-round, the competitor who's able to celebrate the pig the best in their dishes is bound to be the champ. A prized cut of meat is a nice head start for the chefs in the appetizer round, but they'll need to cook it perfectly to do it justice. Then in the entrée round, an offal surprise in the baskets leaves some chefs spooked. Donuts and an unusual nose-to-tail offering keep the chefs on their toes in the dessert round.
Casino Royale XL: Grand Finale
5. Casino Royale XL: Grand Finale
January 31, 2023
The Casino Royale champions are back, and they're chasing a jackpot that starts at $25,000! The champs open up the final appetizer basket and come eye-to-eye with a shocking ingredient. Then, only one chef chooses to gamble away their finale entrée basket and are forced to deal with the consequences. Champagne in the dessert basket foreshadows the celebration that lies ahead for one of the competitors. With life-changing money on the line, every move matters and every mistake could mean the difference between becoming the grand champion or leaving as the runner-up.
Casino Royale XL: Battle Four
4. Casino Royale XL: Battle Four
January 24, 2023
The chefs take control of the game in Chopped's Casino Royale. With a spot in the tournament's grand finale at stake, the four chefs in this preliminary battle open their first basket to find something called "goat water." Then, a squirmy sea creature in the second basket doesn't seem like a keeper, but a risky switch could land something even worse. In the dessert round, an unpredictable moment leaves one chef awestruck, but it's anybody's guess how the competition will shake out after the last dishes are served. The winner moves on to the finale, where the jackpot starts at $25,000.
Casino Royale XL: Battle Three
3. Casino Royale XL: Battle Three
January 17, 2023
Four new bold chefs compete in a preliminary battle of Chopped's Casino Royale, and a super-sweet ingredient in the first basket proves to be problematic. The entrée basket reveals a cured piece of seafood that doesn't seem like a piece of cake.
Casino Royale XL: Battle Two
2. Casino Royale XL: Battle Two
January 10, 2023
Four more culinary gamblers have high hopes as they arrive for a preliminary battle of an extraordinary tournament event. The chefs unanimously agree to give one appetizer ingredient the boot and debate on using a cotton candy creation in the entrée.
Casino Royale XL: Battle One
1. Casino Royale XL: Battle One
January 3, 2023
The chefs tempt fate when they are given the risky option to switch out their ingredients, and everyone is shocked when one competitor decides to keep an extra strange one. A wild turn of events leaves a chef with an ingredient nobody saw coming.
Description

Chopped is an American cooking competition television series aired on Food Network. The show premiered in 2007, just when cooking shows were starting to gain popularity. The series is hosted by Ted Allen, a cookbook author and food and wine connoisseur, who is also a well-known media personality.

The show is structured around the concept of a cooking competition that takes place between four chefs. Each chef has to prepare a three-course meal, consisting of an appetizer, entree, and dessert. The catch is that the chefs have to use a basket of mystery ingredients each round to create their dishes. These ingredients include unusual items like squid ink pasta, durian fruit and bison tenderloin to name a few examples, which they have to incorporate into their dish.

The contestants have 30 minutes to create the appetizer and dessert dishes and 60 minutes for the entree. They have access to a pantry and a limited set of ingredients provided to them. After they complete each round, the judges critically evaluate their creations, with one chef being eliminated at the end of every round until a winner is crowned.

The panel of judges, consisting of renowned chefs and food critics, brings their knowledge and expertise to every episode. They evaluate the dishes based on taste, creativity, presentation, and often on the mystery ingredient's utilization. The judges are known to be very critical and demanding, with high expectations from the contestants.

One aspect that sets Chopped apart from its counterparts is its fast-paced nature. The contestants have to work under extreme pressure, which, in turn, creates an adrenaline rush for them and the viewers alike. The show thrives on drama and tension, often using suspenseful music and tight camera shots to create an immersive, intense experience.

Chopped isn't all about the competition; it's also a learning experience for viewers. A large part of the show involves the chef's explaining their thought process as they develop and execute their dishes. The show provides an opportunity for food enthusiasts and aspiring chefs to learn about various cooking techniques, new ingredients and how to present them creatively.

Chopped has pushed the boundaries of conventional cooking shows by showcasing unique combinations of ingredients and innovative techniques. The show's influence can be seen in the way restaurant menus and recipes have evolved over the years, with chefs more frequently using creative pairings and unusual ingredients.

Chopped has become one of Food Network's most successful series, with over forty seasons, multiple spin-offs, and even a board game. The show's success can be attributed to its engaging format, talented contestants, and expert judges, and its conflict-driven nature. Chopped's popularity has become so widespread that it has even been featured in pop culture references, such as in an episode of Netflix's "Master of None."

In conclusion, Chopped is an exciting and entertaining cooking competition series that has set the standards for all cooking competition shows that followed. It has maintained its popularity over the years because of its high energy, engaging format, and relatability to food enthusiasts and aspiring chefs alike. The show has not only provided us with thrilling entertainment but also educated us on the creative uses of cooking techniques and varied ingredients in the culinary world.

Chopped is a series that is currently running and has 53 seasons (753 episodes). The series first aired on January 13, 2009.

Where to Watch Chopped

Chopped is available for streaming on the Food Network website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Chopped on demand at Google Play, Apple TV, Food Network and Philo.

  • Premiere Date
    January 13, 2009
  • IMDB Rating
    7.4  (4,127)