Season 8 - Episode Guide

In the Season Eight premiere episode, 40 of America's best home cooks travel to Los Angeles to compete in the Masterchef Battle for a White Apron challenge, during which they will face off against each other to try to earn a place in the Top 20. Judging the battle rounds will be Gordon Ramsay, Christina Tosi, and new judge and award-winning chef Aarón Sánchez, who will taste for flavor, creativity and presentation. After each battle, the judges will decide whom they think deserves to make it to the next round and a chance to compete for the coveted title

The remaining nine chefs compete for a spot in the Top 20.

In their first mystery box challenge of the season, the Top 20 will have to take 12 of the most popular ingredients found on any American home cook's shopping list and make the judges a MASTERCHEF-worthy dish. Whoever wins the challenge will have a huge advantage moving forward in the competition.

The Top 19 take it to the sandy shore, where they will compete in their first team challenge of the season. The chefs will have to prepare and cook fresh fish for 101 lifeguards who will then vote on their favorite dish. The losing team will have to compete in a pressure test before the judges send one chef home.

The Top 18 face a mystery box challenge that includes cooking some of the finest shellfish in the world. The winner will receive a huge advantage moving forward, leaving the rest of the home cooks to compete in an elimination challenge, during which they must create a Gordon Ramsay classic. Then, it is up to the judges to decide who will leave the kitchen.

This week on MASTERCHEF, the cooks take part in a challenging skills test, during which they must prepare racks of lamb with fine artistry. Those who fail to impress the judges will face an elimination challenge that includes recreating Gordon Ramsay's signature lamb chop dish. It is then up to the judges to decide who will leave the kitchen.

This week on MASTERCHEF, the home cooks head to Beverly Hills, CA, to take over the dining room breakfast service for The Belvedere restaurant at the iconic five-star Peninsula Hotel. After splitting into two teams, the cooks will make a variety of dishes for diners. The team that fails the challenge will have to face a pressure test and cook a perfectly battered fish and chips dish. It is then up to the judges to decide who will leave the kitchen.

The Top 15 face a mystery box challenge in which they randomly will choose from boxes containing a different body part of a cow and use it as the star of a dish. The winner will receive a huge advantage moving forward, while those who didn't impress must face off in an elimination challenge. It is then up to the judges to decide who will leave the kitchen.

The MASTERCHEF kitchen is transformed into a full dining room, as it welcomes purveyors of the finest local ingredients, ranging from butchers and vegetable farmers, to beekeepers and herb growers. After splitting into two teams, the home cooks must prepare dishes using the guests' own ingredients. The purveyors will then vote on which team created a better dish, forcing the losing team to head back to the kitchen for a pressure test, during which they will cook a classic Italian dessert, the cannoli. It is then up to the judges to decide who will head home.

Reigning champion Shaun O'Neale returns to the MASTERCHEF kitchen, as he chooses ingredients from his new cookbook to be part of the mystery box challenge. The winner will receive a huge advantage moving forward, leaving the other chefs to battle it out in a coconut-themed elimination challenge. It is then up to the judges to decide who will head home.

The Top 12 head to Sin City for a team challenge during which they will serve 50 VIPs in entertainment and hospitality at Caesars Palace for its 50th Anniversary party. Each guest will taste both teams' dishes and then will cast a vote for their favorite dish. The team with the most votes wins, sending the losing team back to the kitchen for a pressure test. It is then up to the judges to decide who will head home.

In this week's skills test, The Top 11 are given a bag of live crawfish and will have to carefully cook them in order to extract the most meat possible. The six weakest cooks will go head-to-head in an elimination challenge, during which they will make a crawfish dish created by none other than Gordon Ramsay. Then, the Top 10 face a chicken-and-potato team challenge. Find out which contestants will be eliminated.

The Top 10 cooks compete in a chicken-and-potato team challenge. Find out which contestants will be eliminated.

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. Then, the Top Eight head to Big Bear Lake to cook fresh fish. Find out which contestants will be eliminated.

In the second half, the top eight head to Big Bear Lake to cook fresh fish.

In this week's mystery box challenge, the Top Seven 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.

The Top Six 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. Which contestants will be eliminated.

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 the cooks compete in an elimination test that will send one or more of them home.

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

After countless mystery box, team and skills challenges, it all comes down to this. The final three home cooks will each prepare a three-course meal with ingredients of their choosing. After evaluating the final dishes, the judges will reveal America's next MASTERCHEF, who will walk away with a MASTERCHEF trophy and a check for $250,000.

After countless mystery box, team and skills challenges, it all comes down to this. The final three home cooks will each prepare a three-course meal with ingredients of their choosing. After evaluating the final dishes, the judges will reveal America's next MASTERCHEF, who will walk away with a MASTERCHEF trophy and a check for $250,000.