Top Chef - Carolinas (2026)

Top Chef travels to the Carolinas with 15 chefs. At Charlotte Motor Speedway, they meet hosts and NASCAR legends Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch for a timed cooking challenge. Then they create sweet potato dishes honoring their roots.

For this week’s Quickfire Challenge, the chefs are tasked with creating a savory dish inspired by a sweet treat. Then the chefs head to PuckerButt Farms for a pepper tasting with Ed Currie, the inventor of the world’s hottest pepper. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs are split into two teams and must create a progressively hotter menu. “Top Chef” season 12 winner Mei Lin joins Kristen, Tom and Gail at the judges’ table.

Legendary Chef Emeril Lagasse joins Kristen in the kitchen for this week’s Quickfire Challenge where the chefs are tasked with giving livermush a makeover. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs must honor North Carolina’s rich textile history by incorporating natural food-dyed elements into their dishes. Flour Shop founder Amirah Kassem joins Emeril, Kristen, Tom and Gail at the judges’ table.

In a Quickfire Challenge honoring the Wright Brothers’ first flight in North Carolina, the chefs must team up to create a trio of dishes that take off alongside a curated wine flight. Then, in the Elimination Challenge, the chefs must turn classic Southern sides into standout main course dishes. The judges are joined by last season’s winner Tristen Epps-Long and acclaimed James Beard-nominated chef Greg Collier.

This week the chefs are visited by North Carolina’s own Fortune Feimster as she challenges them to improv their Quickfire dishes and serve them to kids in honor of Comic Relief. Then the chefs are tasked with creating dishes featuring dehydration. They’ll serve their dishes to Kristen, Tom and Gail along with guest judges Joe & Katy Kindred as well as “Top Chef” alum Savannah Miller at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

There’s no Quickfire Challenge this week as the chefs take on a Carolina classic: whole-hog barbecue. Splitting into teams of two, they gear up for a head-to-head battle showcasing five key cuts of the hog. Before their Elimination Challenge begins, they venture to Charlotte and Lexington to experience Carolina BBQ at its source. Then it’s an all-night cook where the heat is on as they’ll not only need to impress the judges, but also “Top Chef” alum and Pitmaster Michelle Wallace and a group of local pitmasters from across the state.

“Southern Charm” stars Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover join Kristen Kish in the Top Chef kitchen for a Quickfire inspired by Cracker Barrel’s all-day menu. The chefs must split into teams of three and prepare three meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner, each inspired by southern classics. Later, actress and guest judge Melissa Benoist joins a regal celebration in honor of Queen Charlotte’s birthday and the 20th anniversary of “Top Chef,” tasking the chefs with creating a dessert for the judges along with 60 superfans.

It’s Restaurant Wars and this season the perennial favorite returns with a twist! The chefs split into two teams of four and are tasked with developing restaurant concepts. Each team must present a three-course progressive menu, offering two options for every course. To add to the pressure, they must serve 100 guests while also fielding to-go orders in the middle of it all. Kristen, Tom and Gail are joined at the judges’ table by restaurateur Michael Mina and Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. Before it all begins, the cheftestants receive news that reshapes their dynamics.

The chefs pack their knives as they head to Greenville, S.C., where they are welcomed by renowned restaurateur Carl Sobocinski. He opens the door to one of his notable restaurants, Soby’s, where the chefs will stage the ultimate dinner party for a room full of esteemed local restaurateurs and chefs. For the Quickfire Challenge, they will host a pre-dinner cocktail reception, followed immediately by the start of their Elimination Challenge, where they must serve an eight-course meal. Kristen, Tom and Gail will be joined at the judges’ table by Carl Sobocinski and “Top Chef” season 22 finalist Shuai Wang.

The remaining chefs head lakeside to Lake Hartwell’s legendary Green Pond Landing to face the fan favorite mise en place Quickfire Challenge with Kristen, Tom and Gail, and then head out on the water to compete in a Top Chef Fishing Derby. For the Elimination Challenge, they must create their best dish featuring the fish from the lake to impress the judges and guest judges Oscar-nominated actress Danielle Brooks and James Beard-nominated chef James London.

The chefs gather at Greenville's Unity Park where they're welcomed by Kristen and special guest judges Keith Habersberger and Rachel Cole of the "Try Guys"; for the Quickfire Challenge, the chefs must create a dish with elements voted on by "Top Chef" superfans; joined by chefs Niki Nakayama and Adam Cooke and retired Olympic cyclist Brent Bookwalter, the judges task the chefs with creating elevated fine dining dishes featuring rabbit in this week's Elimination Challenge.

Before heading back to Charlotte, the chefs make a stop in Asheville, N.C.; there is no Quickfire Challenge as the chefs explore the city with local host and former "Top Chef" alum Ashleigh Shanti, learning about the community's relief efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while discovering the cuisine of this Appalachian region; for the Elimination Challenge, the chefs host a one-night-only event for 200 community members in recognition of their resilience.

For their final Quickfire Challenge, the chefs use a game of 20 questions to identify and recreate a dish made by Tom. The chefs are tasked with crafting dishes plated in unexpected ways, using unconventional vessels. Joining the judges are actress Liza Koshy, Michelin-starred chef Jon Yao and Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis.

The final three chefs are asked to create the best progressive four-course meal of their lives; the finalists must impress an esteemed table of diners, including Hunter Lewis, Editor-In-Chief of Food & Wine magazine; chefs Eric Ferguson, Camari Mick and Nok Suntaranon, and Top Chef alums Sara Bradley, Joe Flamm and Stephanie Izard. At the judges' table, Kristen, Tom and Gail are joined by chefs Brandon Jew and Val Cantu to determine who will be named the next Top Chef.