There are no more teams on “Next Level Chef” 2026. The chefs on “Next Level Chef” season 5 will be competing as individuals for the first time this season. The mentors — Chef Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais — will be in place, as they will help the chefs take part in an in-season tournament. The pressure is on, as one chef will be sent home. Who gets eliminated on “Next Level Chef” tonight? Find out with us during our “Next Level Chef” 2026 live recap below.
The In-Season Tournament on ‘Next Level Chef’
Last time on “Next Level Chef” 2026, the cowboys came out. The chefs were tasked with creating rustic ranch-style dishes. They had to turn cowboy cooking into culinary gold and had 30 minutes to do it. The best dish of the night went to Gabrielle, which meant Team Ramsay was safe for the night. In the Elimination Cook-Off, it was Jared from Team Blais and Machete from Team Arrington having to cook king salmon. Machete fell short, so he was eliminated from the competition.
For tonight, the chefs will be taking part in an in-season tournament. They will be cooking dishes at each level of the platform. The best dishes are safe, but the other chefs will head down to the next floor to cook again. The losing dish in the basement will be sent home. 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 16 Live Recap – Week 11
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Week 11 Begins
The chefs arrive in the Great Room. The team part of the competition, so from here on out, they are cooking on their own. Today’s competition will determine where they start on their individual journey. This will be a Next Level In-Season Tournament. It will start with all eight of the chefs starting on the Top Level. It will be an intense, 30-minute cook-off. The best dishes will start next week’s challenge on the Top Level and will be done cooking for tonight.
The remaining chefs will then go down to the Middle Level for another cook-off. This time, they will only have 25 minutes. The best dishes will cook on that level next week and be done for the night. The remaining chefs will then head down to the Basement for another cook-off, but this time for only 20 minutes. One of them will be leaving the competition today.
Top Level Challenge
For this first part, they have 30 minutes to create their best Next Level dish. Two of them will stay on the Top Level. The others will continue to the Middle Kitchen. Andy has to turn in her Star Immunity, so she can no longer use it to stay immune. She can go home tonight on “Next Level Chef” season 5.
The platform comes down, and these chefs are fighting for ingredients. The pressure is on, and they are fighting to stay in the competition. We see the chefs get started on their dishes. We see Andy and Danielle stressing and needing to calm down and focus. Connor is serving pasta with N.Y. Strip, which the judges seem to question. Danielle has John Dory, which she’s never cooked before.
We have a lot of chefs stressing over their protein and overcooking it. They are all talking themselves up. The time is running out, as they start plating. Richard has been working with them on this level as the time runs out.
Tasting & Results on ‘Next Level Chef’
The judges are in place, and time to taste these dishes:
- Darian – Gordon said the couscous is delicious. The lobster needs 60 seconds.
- Cole – Gordon said simple and elegant, Scallops cooked beautifully.
- Gabrielle – Gordon said delicious. Nyesha said the protein is cooked beautifully.
- Connor – Richard said it feels like two different dishes that might not belong together, but the steak is cooked beautifully.
- Danielle – This is quite delicious. The puree is in between.
- Jared – The prawn is delicious. Rice needs another 30 seconds.
- Christian – The veal is cooked beautifully. It doesn’t need the truffle, so narrow it down.
- Andy – The duck is cooked beautifully. This is a great expression of how you make a puree. This is a well-executed plate.
Results – The judges discuss the dishes before making a final decision. After their discussion, the two chefs staying in the Top Level Kitchen are Gabrielle and Andy. They are both done cooking for tonight, as the other chefs head down to the Middle Kitchen for another cook-off on “Next Level Chef” 2026.
Middle Level Kitchen
Nyesha meets the chefs on the Middle Level. They have 25 minutes to take average grocery store ingredients and turn them into something amazing. For this round, another two chefs will have the best plates and stay on this level. The platform comes down, they fight over ingredients, and now the cooking begins.
The chefs are cooking. Nyesha said if Christian hadn’t done the truffle, then he would be on the Top Level. He said he needs to make better choices this time. Cole had so much going on in her head that she forgot to make a sauce. The time is running out, so she can’t fix it. The time is up, and the plates are ready.
Tasting & Results
The plates are complete. It’s time for the judges to taste them:
- Cole – They said the pork is cooked beautifully. It needs more sauce. It needs a glaze to finish the plate.
- Jared – It’s a good pasta dish and a good steak dish, but it doesn’t come together as one dish. It’s not a cohesive dish.
- Christian – Beautifully done. Every item on that plate is done perfectly. It’s smart and balanced and cohesive.
- Danielle – The swordfish is cooked beautifully, but it’s missing a sauce. Richard said it’s a little imbalanced.
- Darian – Delicious cod, glistening. This is the best-looking dish he’s done in this competition.
- Connor – They like all the individual aspects of this plate, but need another ingredient. The apricot works beautifully.
Results – The judges discuss these Middle Level dishes. The three dishes earning safety tonight and starting their individual journey on the Middle Level next week are Christian, Darian, and Connor. The remaining three chefs will head to the Basement Level, with one of them being eliminated tonight on “Next Level Chef” season 5.
Basement Level Kitchen
Gordon joins Jared, Cole, and Danielle in the Basement. They will have 20 minutes to elevate the dishes that come down the platform. Gordon said they are limited in ingredients and plateware.
The platform comes down, and they get their ingredients. Danielle has chicken, but is not sure if she can get it cooked in time. Cole got frog legs and thinks she got her best pull of the night. She is definitely feeling more confident right now.
The time is moving fast here. We have five minutes left, and Jared has undercooked pasta, so he has to put it back in. Time is running out, and the chefs start plating. The plates are ready, and the tasting is coming soon.
Tasting & Results on ‘Next Level Chef’
The plates are in place, and time for the judges to taste them:
- Cole – Really smart. Frog legs are cooked well. Nyesha said she is tasting joy. Every part of the dish is spot on.
- Jared – Another soundly executed dish. It’s creamy and salty and delicious. Clever dish playing to your strengths.
- Danielle – The chicken is delicious. Gordon is shocked that it’s cooked beautifully in just 20 minutes. Richard said the sauce tastes magical.
Results – The chefs discussed the dishes. The chef leaving tonight is Jared. Gordon said there was nothing he did wrong, but it was just the plates he was up against tonight. Danielle and Cole will start their individual journey in the Basement next week.
FOXWhat do you think of the results on “Next Level Chef” tonight?
