Plot Synopsis

CHOPPED hosts a second Casino Royale tournament with even more ways for the chefs to take their fate into their own hands. The competitors don't have to keep the basket they've been dealt, and they can take a risk on an unknown replacement ingredient. CHOPPED CASINO ROYALE XL is a five-episode event featuring 16 chefs. Four different chefs compete in each of the first four episodes, with the winner of each battle moving on to the finale with their sights set on the $25,000 jackpot!

"Battle One" (Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8pm): In this preliminary battle, the chefs open their first baskets to find some cookies that look good, but not as part of an appetizer. In the entree basket, it seems like a no-brainer to ditch a particularly strange ingredient, so everyone is shocked when one chef stubbornly decides to keep it. In the dessert round, a wild turn of events leaves one competitor with an ingredient that nobody saw coming. Chefs: Day Joseph, Sami Rodriguez, Andy Knudson & Kat Turner. Judges: Chris, Maneet & Tiffani.

"Battle Two" (Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 8pm): Four more culinary gamblers have high hopes as they arrive for this preliminary battle of an extraordinary tournament event. Before the appetizer round, the chefs unanimously agree that a certain basket item is the pits and needs to go. In the entree round, a strange cotton candy creation seems like an obvious clunker. The dessert round brings trouble and two very different experiences as one chef works frantically while the other seems much more relaxed. Chefs: Alex Lira, Alexandra Jones, Kirsten Shaw Schmitt & Terri Allen. Judges: Chris, Maneet & Tiffani.

"Battle Three" (Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 8pm): Four new bold chefs compete in a preliminary battle, where competitors are permitted to gamble ingredients away if they don't like them. In the first basket, something super-sweet seems super problematic, so more than one chef decides to ditch it. Once the cooking gets started, some of the chefs find it difficult to stay focused while the clock ticks down. The chefs open the entree basket to find a cured piece of seafood that doesn't seem like a piece of cake. When two passionate chefs make it to the third round, their fate in the casino has major ramifications in their desserts. Chefs: Josh Blum, Sam Quintero, Jim Armstrong & Brittany Allen. Judges: Chris, Tiffani & Nilou.

"Battle Four" (Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 8pm): 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. Chefs: Ann Kim, Jorge Gomez, Natascha Hess & Ashley Sweeten. Judges: Tiffani, Christian & Nilou.

"Finale" (Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 8pm): 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 entree 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. Judges: Tiffani, Christian & Nilou.