Plot Synopsis

Hosted by Ted Allen, CHOPPED: PLAYING WITH FIRE is a five-part, live-fire CHOPPED tournament. Each episode features four chefs showcasing their live-fire skills across three rounds -- appetizer, entree and dessert -- while using the mandatory mystery ingredients to impress a rotating panel of judges that includes Eric Adjepong, Tiffani Faison, Eduardo Garcia, Alex Guarnaschelli and Chris Santos. In each of the first four episodes, the winner earns a spot in the grand finale for the title of Chopped Grand Champion and a $25,000 prize. Chefs include: Larissa Da Costa (Los Angeles), Kimberly Plafke (Brooklyn), Joseph Quellar (Houston) & Justin Robinson (Atlanta); Dominique Leach (Chicago), Shane Nasby (Nashville), Zuri Resendiz (Denver) & Joe Yim (Chicago); Stacy Bareng (Los Angeles), Nicole Hicks (Atlanta), Bret Lunsford (New York City) & Franco Vlasic (New York City); and Annisha Garcia (New York City), John Hanlon (Newton, MA), Aubrey Johansen (Tampa) & Samir Mogannam (San Francisco).

"Wild Things" (Tuesday, August 10, 2021): In the appetizer basket, a crispy Korean snack food is a creepy-crawly shocker. The judges wonder what to expect when they chomp down on alligator entrees, and in the dessert round, the two chefs left fighting for a spot in the finale wrestle with a basket that includes wild sandwiches and daring dairy.

"Hog Heaven" (Tuesday, August 17, 2021): Four phenomenal live-fire cooks stand tall, ready to claim the last remaining spot in the tournament's finale. They get lucky with a promise of perfectly porky baskets, but only one chef will take the judges to hog heaven. One of nature's sweetest gifts is a part of the appetizer basket, but it may not be a treat to the competitors. A prized piece of pork seems like a gimme in the entree basket, and as the last two competitors race the clock in the dessert round, the $25,000 grand prize begins to feel within reach. But only one chef will still be in the running after the last cloche is lifted.

"High Stakes" (Tuesday, August 24, 2021): Playing with fire is serious business in this "high-steaks" preliminary battle of Chopped's thrilling, flame-filled tournament. The four competitors are excited about the delicious possibilities of a steak-centric meal, but a weird watermelon adds to the challenge in round one. The entree round finds the chefs wondering what to do with a giant slab of meat in just 30 minutes, and the two chefs who make it to the dessert round compete with humility, passion and grilled pizza as they face off for a spot in the finale.

"Surf and Turf" (Tuesday, August 31, 2021): Four talented chefs push themselves to the limit in order to impress the judges and win a spot in the $25,000 live-fire tournament finale. They must make flame-kissed dishes that celebrate the treasures of both land and sea, and the judges want to see them modernize an old concept. In the first basket, strange sushi requires raw talent, and a bowl of cheese could be an unwelcome addition to the entree basket. The two finalists discover what's lurking inside the surf-and-turf dessert basket.

"Finale" (Tuesday, September 7, 2021): In this fiery tournament finale, four winners return with their sights set on taking the title of Chopped Grand Champion. The baskets contain ingredients reminiscent of the preliminary battle themes: wild game, steaks, surf and turf and pork. The appetizer round has the chefs working with a meat not found in the grocery store. A bucket of something frozen is part of the entree basket puzzle, and the two finalists who make it to the dessert round endeavor to give it their all with corn on the cob and an unconventional cheesecake. Only one chef can score the life-changing grand prize and walk away knowing they triumphed while 15 other skilled chefs went down in flames.