Plot Synopsis

Hosted by Ted Allen, CHOPPED: MILITARY SALUTE is a five-part CHOPPED tournament that features 16 chefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, who cook in preliminary heats while vying for the chance to compete in the final showdown. The chefs must bring their culinary arsenal as they showcase their cooking knowledge and techniques over three rounds -- appetizer, entree, and dessert -- while using the mandatory basket of mystery ingredients to create delicious dishes to impress a rotating panel of judges, including Air Force veteran Sunny Anderson, Scott Conant, Cliff Crooks, Alex Guarnaschelli and Marc Murphy. Then, it's a twist in the grand finale, as the finalists, each representing their branch of the military, join forces as a team to cook against a different CHOPPED judge in every round including, Eric Adjepong, Tiffani Faison and Amanda Freitag, for a chance to win up to $75,000 for a charitable cause and the title of Chopped Champion. Over the course of the tournament, the chefs bring their fighting spirit and elite cooking techniques they have learned from traveling the world. During the Marines preliminary battle, the competitors must figure out how to make something that's normally, "ready to eat," ready for the judges. Other episodes feature the Air Force chefs attempting to make delicious meals with a tangy sauce and a snappy vegetable, Navy chefs getting creative to make French fries work with pineapple, and Army competitors incorporating festive shakes into hopefully winning desserts. Episodes include:

"Navy" (Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 8pm): On choppy Chopped seas, U.S. Navy chefs can expect anything but smooth sailing. In the appetizer round, they'll have to create spectacular apps using a soup and an aged meat product. Then in the entree round, the chefs ponder how to make French fries work with pineapple, while the dessert round features a tropical fruit and a patriotic cake. Only one chef can move on to the finale, where $75,000 for a charitable cause will be on the line!

"Air Force" (Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 8pm): 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.

"Marines" (Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 8pm): 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 entree 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.

"Army" (Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 8pm): 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 entree 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!

"Finale" (Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 8pm): Joining forces for the finale, the four military finalists cook as a team against a different CHOPPED judge -- Eric Adjepong, Tiffani Faison and Amanda Freitag -- 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. Commemorating this spectacular final showdown, a special VIP guest visits the CHOPPED kitchen to surprise and celebrate the competitors.