Next Level Chef - Season 5 (2026)

The competition kicks off with eight pristine pro chefs who use their fierce expertise to create dishes that will impress the judges in the audition round and secure them a spot in the competition.

Eight social media chefs level up corner store staples and try to cook their way to the top kitchen.

The auditions come to a close as eight amateur home cooks prove their worth in the kitchen by transforming ordinary ingredients into standout dishes, with love. The home chefs must elevate their culinary skills to impress the judges and earn their chef whites.

It's the Draft! Gordon has a clear vision for his team, Nyesha has been keeping notes and Richard is determined to hang on to his crown this season, but will he draft the winner?

Three enormous fish descend on the platform and the chefs must work together slicing and filleting their catch of the day. But with the pressure on, this is a true test of technique. Who will rise to the top and save their team, and who will face each other in the dreaded elimination?

Protein bowls have taken the world by storm and this week the chefs are tasked with creating a show-stopping bowl with color, flavor and texture. But to add to the chaos, the platform moves faster than ever before and does not stop! With ingredients missed, tempers rise and tears fall, and one more chef leaves the competition for good.

For the first time ever, the Great Room is transformed into a beautiful restaurant packed with hungry diners and 3 Michelin-starred VIP guests! Gordon, Nyesha and Richard lead their teams, grabbing, cooking and plating, and each team must create one course in a frenetic 40-minute cook. The team with the weakest course will cook against each other in the elimination, where, for one chef, their Next Level journey ends.

Much to the chefs' surprise, when Ramsay welcomes them back, it is Oscar, not Gordon, and this week's challenge is revealed as reimagining kids' classic dishes! The chefs must take these nostalgic flavors and elevate them into culinary masterpieces. It might sound simple, but it's not child's play as one more chef leaves the competition.

For the first time ever, the platform becomes a pub complete with beer taps! Proteins must be paired with perfectly poured beer to create delicious dishes. With a classic game of beer-pong in order to win more ingredients, whose dishes will be brew-tiful and whose will fall flat and send them home.

The chefs take rustic ranch cooking to the next level.

The stakes are higher than ever, because for the first time this season, the chefs are no longer competing on their teams. It's each person for themselves as they fight for their place on the top level. If they fail to cook the best dish in the top kitchen, they compete again in the middle kitchen. Fail there and it's down to the basement to cook one last meal that will make or break their place in the competition. Without a team to save them, who will make it through?

With only seven talented cooks remaining, the chefs must make a next level noodle dish that honors tradition while elevating this ingredient that is loved all over the world. The chefs are not only cooking to stay in the competition but also to win that priceless Time Token! One more chef leaves the competition

The chefs cook for a star-spangled cocktail party in celebration of America’s 250th, where they craft a showstopping cocktail and appetizer.

With only five chefs left, the worlds of soccer and food are fused in a special, championship-inspired episode. USA Soccer legend Alexi Lalas makes a surprise appearance, and the chefs need to create a world-class fusion dish with ingredients tied to two different countries.

It's the semi-finals which means four chefs are within reach of the finale! The chefs must create a signature dish that they feel defines them, but there is a hidden catch. This is the moment that could define their legacy.

Season finale.