It’s time to watch the 12 remaining chefs on “Top Chef” season 23 take on a new challenge on “Top Chef” tonight. We are going to be taking some classic Southern side dishes and turning them into main dishes. We have some appealing side dishes to work with, but can these chefs on “Top Chef Carolinas” transition them to main dishes with ease? Watch it all go down with us during our “Top Chef” 2026 live recap and see who got eliminated on “Top Chef” tonight with us.
Pick a Side on ‘Top Chef’
For tonight’s episode, we will also see the return of season 22 winner Tristen Epps-Long, as he is helping judge the Quickfire Challenge and then the Elimination Challenge. The Quickfire Challenge features the chefs working in teams of three to create food flights that pair well with wine.
From there, the Elimination Challenge has them turning classic side dishes into the main entree. We have $250,000 on the line for the winner of “Top Chef” season 23. Who stays and who goes home on “Top Chef” tonight? 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.
March 30 Live Recap – Week 4
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Quickfire Challenge
Time to start a new week, as the chefs head to the kitchen and meet Kristen Kish, who is joined by Tristen Epps-Long, the winner of “Top Chef: Destination Canada.” North Carolina is known for the first flight by an airplane.
For this Quickfire Challenge, the chefs will be working in teams of three. They must create a food flight (a trio of dishes) that pairs with Josh Wines.
The chefs draw knives (which have white, red, and rose written on them). The chefs then need to split into teams of three with one of each knife in the trio. They have 30 minutes to create their dishes, and the winning team gets $15,000.
The teams have to have a common connector (like all egg dishes or cheese dishes), but then each dish has to be unique. The chefs pick their focus and start working on their dishes.
The chefs work to get their dishes done. Jennifer is still struggling with pain in her shoulder. The time does run out, and all the dishes are plated.
Tasting & Results
Kristen and Tristen come back to the kitchen, and time for tasting. The teams and their focus:
- Green Team: Seafood Flight – Oscar, Brittany, and Brandon
- Red Team: Cheese Flight – Jonathan, Duyen, and Anthony
- Blue Team: Egg Flight – Justin, Jennifer, and Sieger
- Cream Team: Mochi Flight – Rhoda, Sherry, and Laurence
After tasting the dishes, Tristen said they can cook. The results:
- Least Successful Dishes: Green Team, as the theme was too broad, with seafood and everything being different. Cream Team, as the mochi dough was a little undercooked.
- Successful Dishes: Red Team did a great job with their pairings, which was Duyen’s doing. Blue Team had great continuity with the dishes and great progression.
The winning team is the Blue Team, for which each chef wins $5,000 on “Top Chef” season 23.
Elimination Challenge on ‘Top Chef’ Season 23
The chefs will be tasked with taking some classic Southern side dishes and turning them into a standout main dish. The dishes to choose from are introduced, and each side dish will have two chefs cooking it.
The chefs will head to Deep Roots Farm for inspiration and to get some fresh ingredients for their dishes. The next day, they will have 90 minutes to prep and cook before their first service.
In addition to serving the judges, the chefs will have to cook for 40 diners! They will have an additional 90 minutes after their first service to serve the diners.
The chefs enjoy their time at the farm. Sieger picked fried okra, which no one wanted. He is feeling some pressure, since Tom Colicchio and Tristen both don’t enjoy it.
It’s now time to do some shopping at Whole Foods to help create these dishes. A little morning time before heading to make this food.
Cook Time
The chefs head to Fine & Fettle, a restaurant for James Beard-nominated chef Greg Collier. He is serving as one of the judges for this challenge.
Time to prep and cook these dishes. The chefs are stressed with time. Jennifer said she is using Justin as her inspiration for her dish. Justin is sporting his short shorts.
Meanwhile, Brittany has collard greens. She put them in the steamer with the sausage. She checks them later, and they are raw. The steamer wasn’t on.
She decides to pivot and get her protein cooked, as she can’t serve raw pork. Now the judges have arrived. The chefs are finishing up their dishes for service.
Tasting & Results
The first 90 minutes run out on “Top Chef” 2026. The chefs continue to cook for the diners, but the judges will be served now:
- Potato Salad (Sherry & Justin): For Sherry, they said it was cookout worthy. They said it felt like a main dish. For Justin, they liked it, but it still felt like a side. They wanted protein in it.
- Hoppin’ John (Oscar & Laurence): For Laurence, they said it hits on every level. It’s fatty, salty, and delicious. For Oscar, they said it feels like Hoppin’ Johns and I’ve eaten it before. He did it correctly. The rice was underseasoned, but it was a great dish.
- Collard Greens (Anthony & Brittany): For Anthony, the texture of the greens was good. It didn’t eat like an entree, though. For Brittany, they don’t understand what they are eating and feel for her. They said the texture is sharp and mushy.
- Smothered Cabbage (Duyen & Brandon): For Brandon, they said it checks the box for an entree. Cabbage isn’t cooked well. They loved the cabbage on Duyen’s dish; it was really seasoned well. It felt like a main dish; it felt elevated and personal.
- Hoe Cake (Jonathan & Jennifer): For Jonathan, they said it’s a hangover-fighting dish. After too much tequila, they will go for this dish. For Jennifer, they liked the idea of the dish, but too salty. Still a side dish.
- Fried Okra and Red Rice (Sieger & Rhoda): For Sieger’s okra dish, Tom said he liked it, and he is a hater of okra. Tristen also liked it. They said he cooked it right. For Rhoda, they loved the rice. No texture though.
Judges’ Table on ‘Top Chef Carolinas’
The chefs step back in front of the judges. Tom said this was a great challenge, definitely better than the last challenge. Time for the results:
- Best Dishes: The best dishes for tonight on “Top Chef” season 23 come from Sieger, Laurence, and Sherry.
While the judges enjoyed them all, the winning chef tonight is Sieger. He took on the fried okra when no one else wanted it, and it paid off. He wins immunity for next week.
- Least Favorite Dishes: The least favorite dishes for tonight come from Anthony, Jennifer, and Brittany.
The judges discuss all of the least favorite dishes. Brittany couldn’t execute her original dish. The others didn’t seem like main dishes and were too salty.
After going over all of the dishes, the chefs return. The chef eliminated tonight on “Top Chef” 2026 is Brittany. She now heads to “Last Chance Kitchen” to take on Nana.
BravoWhat do you think of tonight’s results?
