The chefs will be channeling their inner cowboys on “Next Level Chef” 2026 tonight. The mentors — Chef Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais — will be in place, as they will have the chefs take rustic ranch cooking to the next level during tonight’s challenge on “Next Level Chef” season 5. The cowboys will be coming out, but who gets eliminated on “Next Level Chef” tonight? Find out with us during our “Next Level Chef” 2026 live recap below.
Cowboy Cooking on ‘Next Level Chef’
Last time on “Next Level Chef” 2026, it was all about beer. The chefs had to create dishes with beer as a focus. They paired it with a protein, but then had to play some beer pong to get more ingredients for their dish. The best dish of the night went to Connor for the second week in a row, securing immunity for Team Arrington again. In the Elimination Cook-Off, it was Amber (again) for Team Ramsay and Darian for Team Blais. Amber couldn’t repeat as the winner, so she was eliminated from the competition.
For tonight, the cowboys are coming out. This challenge is going to separate the range wranglers from the campfire cooks. The fight to be named the winner of “Next Level Chef” season 5 continues tonight, so follow along with our Live Recap below!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD: THIS LIVE RECAP WILL BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE EPISODE, SO DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ SPOILERS.
April 9 Live Recap – Week 10
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Yeehaw, Cowboy!
The chefs have arrived in the Great Room. After tonight’s challenge, the team aspect will be done. This is the last team cook, as they will fight as individuals starting next week!
For tonight’s challenge, they will be creating rustic ranch-style dishes. They will be tasked with turning cowboy cooking into culinary gold and have 30 minutes to do it. Team Arrington is on the Top Level. The teams head to their floors, as the fun has begun. Team Blais on Middle Kitchen, and Team Ramsay is in the Basement.
Cooking Time
The platform comes, and the chefs grab their ingredients. Darien forgets a starch. Meanwhile, Cole is in the basement and is loving her grab of catfish and cornbread. Gabrielle got trout in the basement. Cole got wild turkey, which is hard to cook. She slices it in half to make it more manageable.
Machete is making a country-friend venison steak. He feels this is the perfect challenge for him, and he’s feeling confident. Danielle has elk, so she’s looking to Nyesha for some tips. Oscar is struggling, thinking this is his worst grab ever. Jared is cooking bison. Darian is struggling with his dough.
Darian gets the dough figured out. Machete seems to be stressed out and running out of time. He is not taking advice from Nyesha, as he said he cooks venison every day. Cole is worried about her cornbread, as she is in the basement and the oven sucks.
The time is running down on “Next Level Chef” season 5. We see the chefs plating their dishes, and now the platform is on the move. Yeah, the outside is cooked for Cole, but it’s raw inside. She uses crumble around the plate. All of the chefs get their dishes on the platform, so tasting is coming soon.
Tasting & Results
The mentors are in place. It’s now time to taste these dishes:
- Basement Kitchen – For Cole, Nyesha said this is ranch cooking. Richard said the cornbread was moist. He wanted coleslaw. For Andy, Nyesha said the bottom is a bit rich for a light protein. Richard just wanted the butter topping with the protein. For Gabrielle, Richard said he loves the presentation, but joked about the hummus for ranch cooking.
- Middle Kitchen – For Jared, the buffalo is a tad overcooked. Nyesha said the potato is between mashed and smashed. For Darian, Gordon said it doesn’t feel like a ranch dish, but it tastes good. Nyesha said it feels like two concepts on one plate. For Oscar, it’s one of the hardest combinations of the night. It’s done beautifully.
- Top Kitchen – For Machete, the gravy is delicious, but the venison is dry. For Danielle, the elk is cooked beautifully. For Connor, the ribeye is cooked beautifully. The cake is beautiful. Nyesha said this is how you cook on a ranch.
Results – The judges start to discuss the dishes, but drama between them. They move past it and make a decision. The winning dish tonight was cooked by Gabrielle, which means Team Ramsay is safe tonight on “Next Level Chef” 2026.
Elimination Cook-Off on ‘Next Level Chef’
Now Richard and Nyesha have to choose one chef to go into the Elimination Cook-Off. It’s Jared for Team Blais and Machete for Team Arrington. For the challenge, they are going to Oregon. They will be cooking king salmon for this dish, which they have 25 minutes to do.
The platform comes down, and both chefs get their ingredients. Machete is told by Gordon about the timing of his salmon, and it barely needs to be cooked, but he keeps it in the pan and seems to be burning it! He thinks it’s the perfect char. The time runs out, and both chefs have their dishes plated, so time for tasting:
- Machete – Nyesha said the salmon is a tiny bit overcharred. Richard wanted it less charred.
- Jared – Richard said it’s a basic dish, but everything on it is executed well. Nyesha said it’s simple cooking. She wanted to see more refinement, but the flavors work well together.
Results: Richard votes to eliminate Machete’s dish. Nyesha votes to eliminate Machete’s dish, which means he has been eliminated tonight on “Next Level Chef” 2026!
FOXWhat did you think of tonight’s episode and results?
