The teams are set, and now it’s time for another challenge on “Next Level Chef” 2026. The mentors — Chef Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais — picked their teams on “Next Level Chef” season 5. Now we have “sea monsters” taking over the kitchens, so find out who gets eliminated on “Next Level Chef” tonight with us during our “Next Level Chef” 2026 live recap below.
Sea Monsters on ‘Next Level Chef’
We had the draft last week on “Next Level Chef” 2026, as Gordon, Nyesha, and Richard all got a chance to pick their teams. Which mentor picked the winner of “Next Level Chef” 2026?
For tonight, three enormous fish find their way onto the platform. Now the teams must work together to slice and fillet their catch of the day. The pressure is on as 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.
February 26 Live Recap – Week 5
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Week 5 Begins
The chefs are in place. Team Blais won last week, so they’re on Top Level. Team Arrington won the Cook-Off Challenge, so they are in the Middle Kitchen. For losing, Team Ramsay will be in the Basement Kitchen.
For tonight’s challenge, the platform will be dropping three big fish, and that’s it. The teams will each grab one fish and be tasked with filleting it and cooking it. The chef with the best dish will not only win immunity for their team, but they will also win the Next Level Immunity Pin. If they are ever in the Cook-Off Elimination and have the pin, they can use it to remain safe. Then their mentor has to choose someone else from their team to cook. Unlike other seasons, this is the only pin that will be handed out on “Next Level Chef” 2026!
Slicing & Dicing
The teams all head to their kitchens. They work to figure out who will be cutting up these fish. The platform comes with the fish, and they are huge. The options are halibut, monkfish, and swordfish. Team Blais takes the swordfish, Team Arrington takes the halibut, which means Team Ramsay gets the monkfish.
They now have 40 minutes to filet this fish and then create their dishes. Gabrielle is cutting the fish for Team Ramsay and cuts herself, as medics are being called in. She is okay and keeps on trucking. Matt is killing it at filleting the fish for Team Arrington.
Time for the platform to come down again, as the chefs need other ingredients for their dishes. Andy is making her dish to honor her dad. Connor is making a curry to give his fish some juiciness since halibut is dry. Emerson was planning to use the fish bones for his dish, but Danielle used them for her broth. Emerson is now freaking out and all over the place. Nyesha takes a moment to calm him down.
Richard is worried about Christian’s dish, which seems to just be fish, mushrooms, and broth. They come up with a new game plan, which both are happy about. More issues opening jars, as Chef Ramsay is to the rescue.
Elise is late putting the fish down to cook, so she is nervous. Christian seems to have saved his dish. Down to the last two minutes, so time to plate and get it on the platform! Elise’s fish is undercooked, and she’s not sure what to do, as time is running out.
The platform has arrived at each level. All of the chefs get it on there this time, so here we go!
Tasting & Results
The mentors are in place, and the dishes have arrived, so time to taste these dishes:
- Team Ramsay – For Cole, the fish and grits need some sauce. They said it’s soul-hugging. For Gabrielle, another good cook of monkfish. For Amber, it’s cooked nicely, but it needed more seasoning on the fish. For Andy, they said it’s visually appealing and has great execution.
- Team Arrington – For Machete, they love the confidence, and the halibut is cooked beautifully, but the couscous is undercooked. For Danielle, the broth is delicious, and the fish inside is perfect. Super tasty. For Emerson, the fish eats dry and leaves an opportunity for flavor. For Connor, to bury it in a curry sauce is great. The spices tie it together. For Matt, the fish is cooked beautifully. It needs some citrus notes.
- Team Blais – For Jared, definitely a showcase of less is more. For Darian, the cook on the fish is beautiful. It’s restaurant quality. For Tim, it’s delicate, and the fish is cooked beautifully. Elegant dish. For Christian, the broth is delicious. It’s a really good dish, one of the best of the night. For Elise, the fish is seasoned beautifully, and the right kind of garnish, but the fish is raw inside.
Results – The judges discuss the dishes, and yet again, it’s drama between them on picking the winning dish. They finally come up with a decision. The winning dish tonight comes from Andy, so she wins safety for Team Ramsay and also wins the Immunity Pin on “Next Level Chef” 2026. They will be cooking on the Top Level next week.
Cook-Off Elimination Challenge
Now both Richard and Nyesha have to choose a chef to represent them in this challenge. Richard picks Elise, and Nyesha picks Emerson, who is going back to this elimination challenge for the second week in a row.
For this challenge, they have 25 minutes to make an exceptional steak dish. The steak must be the star of the dish. The platform comes down, and Emerson grabs the ribeye, and Elise grabs the N.Y. Strip. All of the ingredients are in place, so time to cook these dishes.
The steaks are key, they have to get them cooked and give them enough time to rest. Emerson was so focused on the steak he forgot to start his potatoes, so now 10 minutes left and nothing started yet!
Tasting – For Emerson, they said impressive for ribeye. They like the bone marrow broth. The potatoes were rubbery. For Elise, love that it’s a classic combination. The steak is delicious and has beautiful carmelization. The steak is cooked to perfection. The chimichurri is so good.
Results – The mentors pick their favorite dishes, and the chef eliminated tonight on “Next Level Chef” season 5 is Elise, so Emerson survives the elimination challenge again!
FOXWhat do you think of the results on tonight’s episode?
