MasterChef Australia 2025 returned with 24 former contestants battling it out on Back to Win for another chance at the winner’s trophy.
The stakes were high, as the returning contestants included former competitors who’ve built successful food businesses. Some are making multiple attempts at the title, though none of the cast had secured a win.
Ahead of the new season, judge Andy Allen told Chattr that he was impressed by the calibre of the contestants, saying, “The standard is the highest I’ve ever seen it.”
Join us as we recap each episode to update you on everything that happened on MasterChef Australia Back to Win 2025.
Episode 60 recap
That’s a wrap! The mammoth season of MasterChef Australia 2025: Back to Win is over and Laura was crowned the winner after beating out Callum by seven points in the grand finale.
The finale came down to two intense rounds. Round one saw Callum and Laura faced with five classic flavour pairings, but they could only cook with one. They took turns knocking out options they thought the other would nail, leaving just potato and rosemary. Laura made a potato risotto with rosemary, while Callum whipped up oyster and potato noodles. Both dishes wowed the judges, ending in a tie at 38/40.
Round two featured Filipino pastry chef Miko Aspiras’s brutal pressure test. The contestants were tasked with making his insanely complex Botanical Garden cake. The time limit had them both scrambling. Laura’s chocolate pebbles came out too small, Callum’s were rushed, and he ended up ignoring parts of the instructions and going rogue, which cost him in the end.
Laura pulled ahead with a final score of 80/90, beating Callum’s 73, and took home the trophy.
“This is the most surreal feeling in the whole entire world, I’m just truly so proud of myself for coming back for a third time and completely setting myself up for heartbreak, and pulling off what I never really thought I could do,” Laura said through tears.
Episode 59 Recap
The semi-final is here, and it’s a mammoth, three-course service challenge. Only two will make it to the Grand Finale, so there’s a lot on the line. Jamie, Callum and Laura are tasked with designing a three-course menu for 20 diners and the judges. They’re given just four hours until the entrées leave the pass and service starts.
Jamie is gifted a 15-minute head start thanks to an advantage won in a previous challenge. He decides on a menu filled with difficulty and technique, with a focus on a colour for each dish. His entrée is ‘Gold’, and he serves up a golden beetroot in different ways — rolled into a pie, smoked and roasted beets, pickled beets, and topped with grated fresh horseradish, vinaigrette and a smoked créme fraiche. For his main, he chooses the colour ‘Ruby’. This dish features quince and duck, and he even minces the duck to create his own sausage. His dessert is ‘Tawny’, and he chooses to plate up a roasted cauliflower ice cream, stewed apples with a whiskey caramel.
Laura chooses to celebrate native Australian food, and wants to avoid making any mistakes. She serves up an entrée of Western Australian pan-seared marron with lemon myrtle butter, a sorrel sauce, green ants and a native citrus gel. For her main, she cooks wagyu with eucalyptus-smoked potato purée, and finishes off with a yoghurt sorbet along with native fruits, strawberry granita and Davidson Plum.
Callum decides to use local produce and cook from the heart. He doesn’t want to get too ambitious or complicated — the opposite strategy to Jamie. For his starter, he plates up a barbecued South Australian kangaroo in a carpaccio style, along with a black garlic aioli and bush tomato condiment. He tops it off with pickled shallots, watermelon radish, sea blight and Jerusalem artichoke chips. For the main, he cooks a roasted lobster tail with saltbush butter, calamari noodles, potato, saltbush and fennel, with a pipi and lobster sauce. Finally, he rounds off the dinner service with a blood orange olive oil parfait paired with Geraldton wax oil and a Campari granita.
The judges are speechless when tasting Laura’s dishes, and agree she has executed all three courses perfectly. Laura’s outstanding cooks have secured her a place in the Grand Finale, but who will join her?
When tasting Jamie’s dishes, the judges find some textural flaws, although they loved his sophisticated flavours. Callum’s dishes also had errors, with his kangaroo slices being inconsistent and making it lack finesse.
The decision comes down to the dessert — comparing Jamie’s cauliflower ice cream to Callum’s blood orange olive oil parfait. With Jean-Christophe declaring that Callum’s dessert is the best he’s had in a long time, and Poh saying it’s perfection, Callum makes it through to the Grand Finale and Jamie must hang up his apron.
Episode 58 Recap
Laura, Jamie and Callum switched spots with Poh, Andy and Jean-Christophe for the judges vs contestants episode.
Laura informed the regular judges that they were required to make a dish that made them first fall in love with cooking. All three of the professional Chefs struggled with the time limit, but managed to finish their dish just in time.
Jean Christophe made a lamb cutlet with rock for mousse, which was the first dish he made for his parents as a professional chef. His lamb was cooked perfectly, with Callum announcing that it was “bloody delicious”.
Poh made a Rempah Udang and Laura said that it was so good that it made her emotional. Sofia added that MasterChef has made her bloom more into herself than anyone she’d ever met.
Lastly, Andy presented the temporary judges with a blood cake. Despite not usually being a fan of the delicacy, Laura loved the dish, calling it a “banger”. Ultimately, the temporary judges were most impressed by Andy’s dish.
For the second round, the contestants faced off against the judges and were tasked with a relay-style challenge. The OG judges presented a pan-roasted duck breast with a radish and wakame salad, and the contestants served a Native Neopolitan ice cream
Stand in judges Rue and Theo thought the judge’s dish was really well-rounded. While they were similarly blown away by the contestants’ dish, it didn’t have enough of the core ingredient of ginger, and the OG judges won round two.
Episode 57 Recap
The top three competed in time auction, with the winner earning a crucial 15 minute head start in the semi final.
Laura traded in the most amount of time to get the ingredients she wanted, leaving her with just 50 minutes. Callum had 60 minutes for his cook, while Jamie had the most at 75 minutes, but his main ingredient was tofu, compared to Laura’s ribeye steak.
Callum served a coral trout with a burnt mandarin and fish head curry sauce, served with brown butter mandarin roti and Laura dished up a hiachi seared rib eye with Jerusalem artichoke fondants and a vibrant green sauce.
Regardless of Jamie’s lesser desired ingredients, he impressed the judges the most with his charred shallots, caramelised leek purée, burnt onion dashi, and silken tofu in a miso-tofu foam, and won the challenge.
Episode 56 recap
Episdoe 56’s elimination saw Depinder, Callum Jamie and Laura presented with two black cloches. After the ingredient beneath the first cloche was revealed, they had to choose to cook either a sweet or savoury dish with the ingredient they can see, or swap it for the one they can’t see.
On top of that, If they are one of the bottom two in the first round, they will have to cook in round two with use the other ingredient, to cook the opposite style of dish.
It was Laura, with a yuzu dessert, and Callum, who made a calamari and potato noodle dish, who won immunity from the second round.
Depinder took a risk in round two by making a dish rich in Indian flavours with a chilli cinnamon gravy, cinnamon rice and apple and caramelised onion chutney, topping it with a scotch egg, with cinnamon throughout its layers. Unfortunately for her, when the judges cut through the egg it was undercooked.
Meanwhile, Jamie made a technique-heavy ‘Negroni’ dessert that featured an olive oil and pine nut cake, a blood orange and Campari sorbet, basil and gin granita, and mascarpone flavoured with pine nuts soaked in walnut liqueur, plus some pine nut brittle.
The judges were thrilled with Jamie’s dessert, but they couldn’t get past Depinder’s undercooked egg, and she was eliminated from the competition.
Episode 55 recap
Depinder, Callum, Jamie and Laura were set a mystery ingredient task, with a $10,000 travel prize voucher on the line.
Each contestant stood in front of a door with a travel photograph on display and an ingredient hidden by a cloche. The contestants selected a cloche each and received their mystery ingredient.
Callum got a preserved turnip and chose to make a kangaroo and preserved turnip pho. Depinder’s ingredient was a sea urchin, which she’d never cooked with before, and she opted to make a Japanese-inspired pasta.
Jamie was delighted to score squid ink, and he made a simple dish of Charred Octopus with Squid ink Lentils. Lastly, Laura unveiled Spanish olives and made an olive oil cake dessert.
The judges loved Jamie’s dish the most, especially the way he’d used the squid ink, and he took home the $10,000 prize.
Episode 54 recap
Laura, Callum, Ben and Jamie faced a high-stakes immunity challenge set by New Zealand chef Vaughan Mabee and the contestants were asked to make ‘one bite’ wonders that represent who they are.
From Callum’s highly intricate mushroom and chicken tart to Jamie’s futuristic take on anchovies on toast, the judges found it hard to fault the contestants.
However, with one person needing to be eliminated, it was Ben’s stuffed chicken wings with whitebait mousse that sent him home, with Sofia stating that “up against perfection,” his dish “just fell short”.
Episode 53 recap
MasterChef Australia 2025 is coming to an end and the contestants competed in the final Immunity Challenge of the season. Their tast was to cook with a Mystery Box of ingredients that they hand picked themselves earlier in the season.
Callum’s smoked milo ice cream, pine mushroom Chantilly and persimmons, with Jerusalem artichoke-stuffed choux was fairly well received by the judges, but he received rare criticism from Andy, who said his ice cream was a little too smoky.
Ben made a one-bite oyster dish, which the judges said was lacking in acidity. Jamie’s razor clams, bacalao al pil pil, jamón, roasted potatoes, and tomato were deemed off balance because the salt cod was too salty (?).
Andy, Sofia, and Jean-Christophe loved Laura’s smoked whiting with salt-baked turnips and a turnip broth, but it was Depinder’s incredibly creative use of her ingredients in her curry leaf ice cream, a pumpkin and peanut butter purée, caramelised pineapple slices and a kokum granita that scored her immunity.
Episode 52 recap
Julie Goodwin and Nat Thaipun returned to the kitchen as judges, and Sarah, Jamie, Ben and Depinder had to choose between ingredients that each of the former MasterChef Australia winners used in their final dishes.
The first round saw Depinder and Ben — who both chose Nat’s ingredients — win immunity. Depinder made a curry roti dessert, which the judges raved about, while Ben opted for a pork-filled tortellini with a pork broth.
Sarah and Jamie were sent through to the second round, and the maker of the dish that the judges deemed the weakest would be sent home.
Sarah cooked with Nat’s ingredients and made a pork assiette, while Jamie used Julie’s ingredients and prepared an elevated version of elevated roast chicken and vegetables.
Unfortunately for Sarah, the judges found the pork belly slightly undercooked, and she was eliminated from the competition.
Episode 51 recap
It was the last chance for Immunity from Sunday’s elimination, and it was an emotional episode. Sarah, Depinder, Ben and Jamie received letters from their loved ones at home, and were asked to cook something that offered the judges a glimpse into their lives beyond the kitchen.
Sarah received a letter from her son Phoenix, and chose to make a fusion of two of his favourite dishes;
yakitori skewers and the classic sausage in bread.
Depinder’s was from her husband, and she decided to revisit a trip her family took to Kerala by making a sadya, a traditional Indian feast served on a banana leaf.
Ben got a note from his partner Sandy, and their daughters. His dish inspiration came from his own childhood in New Zealand and the values his parents instilled by both fishing and growing their own food in the garden, things he is also passing onto his girls. He made a kingfish, clams, mussels, and herb gnocchi with a vermouth cream sauce.
Jamie read a letter from his partner Clare, and their three children. Focussing on the classic family BBQ, he opted for an elegant yet nostalgic take on Wagyu beef cooked to perfection on the hibachi, paired with turnips, a miso and eggplant purée and a rich jus.
Laura got a letter from her husband Max and drew inspiration from a recent trip to the Northern Territory with them. She made a a dish called Native Australian Summer, consisting of wattleseed rough puff pastry, cinnamon myrtle crème pâtissière, muntries cooked in an apple caramel, a smoked paperbark- flavoured ice cream and topped with green ants.
The judges shortlisted Depinder, Sarah and Laura’s dish as the best, but it was Laura that received immunity and was sent through to the top 5.
Episode 50 recap
The winners from Episode 49’s Everything Mystery Box were Callum, Laura, Ben and Depinder and they cooked for Immunity in Episode 50.
It was a Service Challenge set by chef Hugh Allen and each contestant was allocated one course in which they had to use a specific ingredient.
Callum was on starter and required to use a Tasmanian wasabi leaf. Ben got the entree and was allocated kelp. Lauara cooked the main, and the highlight ingredient was golden beetroot. Depinder received the dessert, and her course had to include green ants.
Callum, Laura, and Depinder all received glowing praise from the judges, but the judges said that Ben’s dish lacked a prominent enough kelp flavour.
Ultimately, Callum won immunity for his wasabi leaf, shitake leaf and Jerusalem artichoke, and he was sent through to the top five.
Episode 49 recap
It’s crunch time for the final six, and Andy has organised a mammoth Mystery Box challenge for the group. The top four dishes will progress to an Immunity Cook tomorrow, so there’s a lot at stake.
The ingredients in the Everything Mystery Box are revealed, as bay lobster, bone marrow, purple daikon, honeynut squash, spent kumquat jam, seaweed tapenade, shiso leaf and Farmers Union Greek-style yoghurt. Unlike regular Mystery Box challenges, contestants must use every ingredient in the box, and there will be no garden or pantry — only under-bench staples.
Contestants have 75 minutes to create an innovative and unique dish, marrying together some strong and bold ingredients.
Ben attempts to put together a restaurant-quality dish, and presents a stuffed braised daikon with a lobster mousse and daikon top velouté. The judges are impressed, and commend his innovative plating and technical skills in the kitchen.
Sarah puts together a dish inspired by an image of Andy smoking a cigar — made from seaweed tapenade and filled with the other ingredients. Sadly, the judges say her ratios are unbalanced.
Laura changes her mind partway through the cook and simplifies her dish, ending up with a glazed bay bug tail, a green emulsion, a salad and roasted baby squash. Her MasterChef No. 5 perfume vinaigrette made from daikon pickling liquid and yoghurt whey delights the judges.
Depinder makes dumplings filled with lobster, daikon tops and bone marrow. She uses the seaweed tapenade and yoghurt to create a delicious sauce.
Jamie serves his dish in the lobster shell, making a hibachi-cooked lobster with bone marrow, pickled radish, roasted and pickled honeynut squash and shiso oil.
Callum’s pasta dish is a big hit, combining a shiso leaf sopressini with a tapenade dashi broth.
The judges choose Depinder, Laura, Callum and Ben to go through to the Immunity Cook tomorrow.
Episode 48 recap
Last night’s MasterChef Australia was a pressure-cooker showdown as seven contestants faced the brutal “Race Against the Clock” elimination challenge. With 90 minutes split across two rounds, they had to gamble: go big early or save time for a last-chance cook-off.
Each dish was judged instantly, and the bottom three had to return to the kitchen – using only the time they had left from round one.
Snez went bold with wagyu and lardo skewers, banking time by finishing in under 49 minutes. Ben played it safe with a refined King George Whiting dish in just 23:48, hoping his massive time buffer would pay off. Callum impressed with creative moules frites, earning instant praise and safety.
Depinder brought the heat with a speedy street-style curry, wowing Jean-Christophe. Sarah delivered a cheeky twist on eggs and soldiers using lamb skewers and pomegranate hollandaise.
In the end, Depinder and Callum were safe – Ben, Sarah, and Snez had to fight to survive.
With a whopping 60 minutes left, Ben delivered a show-stopping scallop cappellacci with prawn bisque. Sarah used her 49 minutes to craft a scallop pie with leek vichyssoise that screamed finesse. Snez, left with just 41 minutes, served a comforting mushroom ragù, but in a challenge this tight, “nice” didn’t cut it.
After an emotional deliberation, Snez was sent home, with Andy calling her “a fighter, a survivor” – and the one and only Snez.
Episode 47 recap
Snez, Callum, Sarah, Laura, Ben and Depinder are fighting for Immunity tonight. Each contestant has a chance to choose a cloche which contains a mystery ingredient — and the only clue is a letter. If they aren’t happy with their ingredient, they can swap it for another.
Snez steps up first and picks M, which is revealed to be miso, which she keeps.
Callum chooses K, and it ends up being kimchi. He swaps it for Q, which is quince.
Sarah picks P as her son’s name Phoenix also starts with the same letter. The ingredient is pandan, and although she doesn’t have much experience with it, she keeps it.
Laura chooses F, which stands for fish sauce. She’s not keen on cooking with this so swaps it for A, which ends up being anchovies.
Ben grabs V, and it’s revealed to be Vegemite. He decides to keep the controversial ingredient.
Depinder picks C, and finds coffee beans under her cloche. Although she’s tempted to swap her ingredient, she decides not to risk it.
The judges are disappointed by Sarah’s pandan pani puri with scarlet prawns, with Andy noting the balance of pandan wasn’t great.
Snez’s miso and chocolate ganache with miso and chocolate cake is a hit, with Andy describing it as a “stunner”.
Depinder’s coffee and raspberry baked Alaska stuns the judges, with Jean-Christophe declaring his “love” for the dish.
Jean-Christophe also loves Ben’s mushroom ricotta angliote with oyster cream and Vegemite velouté — even though he isn’t a fan of the yeast spread.
Callum produces a “knock-out” poached quince with passionfruit syrup and a potato panna cotta, but it was Laura’s dish that really stood out. She created a hand-cut tagliarini with yuzu kosho, anchovy dashi and green ants.
Andy declared it her “best pasta” he’s eaten so far, and labels it “unbelievable”. It’s no surprise that Laura takes home Immunity, securing a spot in the final six.
Episode 46 recap
MasterChef Australia Episode 46 saw the return of the Lucky Dip round, and the 2025 version involved the remaining contestants picking a letter of the alphabet, which had an ingredient behind it that started with the same letter. If they weren’t happy with their first choice, they had the opportunity to pick again, but if they did that, they had to stick with their second choice.
Snez picked miso, Sarah chose pandan, Callum switched kimchi for quince, Ben got vegemite, Laura switched fish sauce for anchovies and Depinder stuck with coffee beans.
Sarah had never cooked with pandan before, and took a brave approach by deciding to make a Black Squid Ink Pani Puri with Scarlet Prawns and South East Asian spices. The judges liked her final dish, but said the pandan overpowered the flavour of the prawns.
Depinder’s Baked Alaska was a standout dish, and she recreated the classic by including a coffee ice cream, a raspberry sorbet and a coffee caramel. Judge Jean-Christophe said he “loved it” and Poh congratulated her for pulling off such a technically challenging dish.
But Depinder was pipped at the post by Laura’s Italian pasta dish, with Japanese flavours and native Australian ingredients. The judges said it was the best pasta dish they’d tried from her and there was an emotional moment in the MasterChef kitchen when Poh noted that Laura had channelled her mentor in the late Jock Zonfrillo.
Laura was awarded immunity and will be safe on the gantry next to Jamie come Sunday’s elimination challenge.
Episode 45 recap
It’s getting down to the pointy end of MasterChef Australia, as there are only seven cooks left in the competition. The judges serve up a Mystery Box challenge with a twist: contestants open the first box to reveal garlic, but are informed there’s a second mystery box which will be revealed 30 minutes after they start cooking. There’s a lot at stake, as the top three contestants will fight for immunity tomorrow in an intense pressure test — giving the winner a guaranteed spot in the final six.
Jamie’s second mystery ingredient is revealed to be coriander, and he makes a pan-seared flathead with mussel and nduja sauce. Andy appears to love his sauce and describes his dish as a “banger”.
Sarah takes a risk again and uses her mystery ingredient dill to serve up a savoury vanilla slice with chicken dill, cucumber gel and garlic cream. Although Andy seems to be on the fence about this one, Sofia seems to love it.
Callum is given thyme as his mystery ingredient, so he makes garlic and thyme the star. He serves up a garlic and thyme-stuffed chicken with pine mushroom and kohlrabi dumplings, along with a thyme and garlic velouté. As one of the front-runners, it’s no surprise that his dish wows the judges, and even gets a round of applause. He’s one to watch!
Depinder is gifted lemongrass as her second ingredient, and she creates a flavourful garlic and chicken curry. However, the judges say the chilli overpowers the lemongrass, so the cook didn’t quite serve up a winning dish today.
Ben’s second mystery ingredient is revealed to be mint, so he uses this to create a dish of pan-roasted scallops along with curried cauliflower puree. The judges are delighted by his use of mint, but the scallops were undercooked by a couple of minutes.
Laura — who some fans believe will win the show — opens her second mystery box to find chives. She puts together a dish of stuffed and rolled lamb saddle, and her meat ends up being cooked perfectly. However, while the flavours are solid, it just misses the mark of a top-three dish.
Snez is given rosemary as her second ingredient, and she embraces garlic to create a confit squid and garlic along with some garlic oil and rosemary bread. She really makes the garlic shine, and includes it in every part of her cook, which Poh was impressed by.
The top three dishes were produced by Snez, Jamie and Callum, so the trio will have a chance to fight for immunity tomorrow night.
Episode 44 recap
Back from Doha, Sarah, Snez, Alana and Laura faced off in a high-stakes elimination challenge, featuring a dramatic ‘dual duel’ format.
In Round 1, Sarah battled Alana with horseradish, while Laura and Snez took on hazelnuts, each aiming to avoid the bottom two.
Laura’s gelato disaster saw her in tears, though she salvaged her dish with a last-minute mascarpone whip, while Snez’s hazelnut-crusted cod impressed the judges. Meanwhile, Sarah’s horseradish cream-filled doughnuts and wagyu were well-received, while Alana’s bold dessert of Horseradish Ice Cream with White Chocolate, a Soaked Almond Biscuit, Goat’s Curd and Celery Oil had the flavour but pushed the savoury notes too far. As a result, Laura and Alana were sent into Round 2, where fennel seeds were the hero ingredient.
Laura delivered a refined Chilled Squid and Fennel Noodle dish that showcased deep, roasted fennel seed flavour and blew the judges away. Although Alana’s Fennel Seed Pavlova was impressive, Poh, Andy, Sofia and Jean-Christophe said that the fennel seed flavour in her dish battled to shine through against all the other elements, and she was eliminated.
Episode 43 recap
It’s the final day of International Week, and five contestants are going head-to-head for Immunity. The judges ask Alana, Sarah, Depinder, Snez and Laura to create a dish for Qatar Airways’ Business Class menu in 75 minutes. The winner will also walk away with a Business Class ticket for the flight home, so there’s plenty at stake.
Laura creates a luxury pasta dish: ricotta and mushroom tortelloni, paired with white asparagus, truffles and hazelnuts.
Depinder serves up fine-dining Indian cuisine and plays to her strengths. Her prawn sukka is a dry prawn curry, with mango pachadi, tempered rice and a savoury banana bread.
Sarah hopes to make up for her disaster during the previous episode, and creates an Arabic-styled beef tartare with beetroot ice cream and lavosh bread. After the judges point out it may be too complicated to be served in flight, she changes her mind. In the end, she plates up a seared wagyu eye fillet, oysters, cauliflower puree, pickled cauliflower and lavosh bread.
Snez works on a seafood dish and presents a sheri fish after discarding her original idea of scallops with stuffed peppers.
Alana goes rogue and cooks up a feast of… bugs. She pairs the controversial ingredient with a saffron buttermilk sauce, cous cous, caviar and a salad.
The judges declare that Depinder’s dish deserves Immunity. It’s thoughtful, flavoursome, and rich, which the posh Business Class passengers would love. She makes it into the Top 7 MasterChef Australia contestants, leaving Laura, Snez, Alana, and Sarah at risk of elimination on Sunday.
Episode 42 recap
The six contestants still vying for immunity are tasked with cooking in the Michelin-starred restaurant Idam. They are given 90 minutes each to create a degustation-style menu to celebrate Doha, with each cook given a separate course.
Snez, Alana, Depinder and Ben are given a savoury course, while Sarah and Laura are given a sweet course.
Snez is the first to present, and serves up a course based on the fish market, with sea bass, squid and consommé. The judges are impressed, with Poh saying it was “an elegant dish”.
Alana’s second course was inspired by the amphitheatre, with a smoked eel cream, muhammara, and a bay leaf za’atar chicken skin. Andy says the muhammara was “powerful”, but the smoked eel cream “didn’t stand a chance”.
Ben’s serves up a third course of charred octopus with red pepper jus, camel lardo and potato. The judges are impressed and Andy praises the way Ben cooked the octopus.
Depinder was inspired by the spice stalls and serves up a chicken biriyani along with a mint and pomegranate raita for the fourth course. Andy calls it “delicious” but doesn’t think it’s right for a degustation fine-dining setting.
Sarah serves a dish she isn’t proud of after a disastrous cook. Inspired by the National Museum, she attempted to make a bridging course, with a chutney on the base, topped with blue cheese and sheep’s cheese chocolate, and topped with a tuille. Poh says the cook “pushed it way too far”, and the flavours were too intense.
Laura’s final course was inspired by the Golden Mosque, so she attempted to recreate the building on a plate. It’s a pistachio financier with blood orange and karak tea gelato surrounded by gold tiles. Poh declares it’s “exquisite” and says she “loves it”.
Laura’s and Ben’s dishes were the top two of the day, and Andy calls them “unbelievable.” In the end, Ben walks away with Immunity.
Episode 41 recap
The top eight are whisked away to Doha for the start of International Week. The contestants are given a spread of ingredients celebrated in this region of the world, including pistachios, lamb, cinnamon sticks, Medjool dates, kefir, black limes, pickled green plums, and more. They are asked to use one ingredient from the box to create a “cracker of a dish.” The top two will win Immunity for the rest of the week, so there’s a lot a stake.
Jamie is first to present his dish, and serves up a spice cured hamour with saffron, date, loomi tea and a kishk emulsion. His dish is called complex and sophisticated.
Fan-favourite Callum presents a black lime hamour with zucchini and kefir sulud with flatbread, which really impressed the judges. His dish was praised as “top-tier cooking” and the cook was called “a star”.
Both Jamie and Callum walk away with Immunity for the week, and Jamie is told his dish is “the kind of food that wins this competition”. Could Jamie be the winner of MasterChef Australia 2025?
Episode 40 recap
The contestants arrive to find crates with different country names on them, with each tasked with picking a crate and “taking the judges to that place”. Metaphorically speaking of course, they don’t literally have to fly the judges to Europe.
A very special prize is teased for the top four chefs, which heightens the competition, with most of our seasoned chefs picking European delicacies from Italy, Spain, and France.
Laura blows Andy away with her Sicilian rabbit ragu, a dish that she and her husband fell in love with on their honeymoon to Mt Etna, while Jamie also impressed the judges with his Spanish seafood dish, despite describing it as a “wet, soupy rice”.
It was Audra and Snez on the chopping block, with Audra electing to cook the seafood from her paella separately, meaning the flavours of her dish didn’t combine. Snez made a Turkish dish with stuffed apples, but Poh and Sofia were left confused by the dish, with Sofia even dubbing it an “interesting texture”.
Unfortunately for Audra, she was eliminated before making it to *dramatic drumroll please* international week. The top four chefs, Laura, Jamie, Sarah and Ben won business tickets to head to Doha.
Episode 39 recap
This episode’s two-round Immunity Challenge was super creative, and some of the dishes that appeared were truly drool-worthy. For the first round, the remaining nine contestants were split up into three teams and asked to nominate a champ to whip up a dish on the MasterChef Australia barbeque in just 45 minutes.
The Purple Team (Depinder, Audra and Laura) nominate Laura as their champ, and she serves up a coral trout with native salad and a Warrigal greens emulsion.
The Grey Team (Jamie, Callum and Alana) nominate Jamie as their champ, and he creates a delicious Japanese pancake, okonomiyaki, along with charred squid, prawns and a herb salad.
The Green Team (Ben, Snez and Sarah) nominate Sarah as their champ, and she gets creative with a BBQ cabbage and duck bolognese.
The judges praise all three dishes, but Jamie’s okonomiyaki comes out on top, giving the Grey Team a chance to fight for immunity.
In the second round, Jamie, Alana and Callum have a chance to win immunity. Each contestant is given a chance to pick a mysterious portrait of a historical figure who has made their mark on the culinary world.
Alana picks Dame Nellie Melba, and serves up a peach melba with a tonka bean and salted honey parfait, a strawberry and raspberry sauce, poached and pickled peaches, and Thai basil oil to finish. The judges love the textures and flavours.
Jamie gets the Duke of Wellington, and creates a lamb wellington with parsnip instead of pastry, comparing it to a spring roll. While Andy is concerned about the cook, considering Jamie sears it in the pan twice, and then deep fries it, the dish actually presents beautifully.
Callum picks Anna Pavlova and decides to make a Russian Babushka doll-themed pavlova. Yum! He fills his meringues with strawberry and lemon coulis, a strawberry and fig sorbet, fresh figs, a fig leaf oil, fig leaf sherbert and a crème fraiche mousse. The judges are so impressed with his take on the pavlova, that Callum ends up walking away with immunity.
Episode 38 recap
Episode 38’s Elimination Pressure Test has been set by award-winning pastry chef Philip Khoury. He asks Alana, Snez and Andre to recreate an intricate dessert called Dawn of a Tropical New Day in just two hours and 15 minutes. It’s a plant-based dessert, with coconut, white chocolate, fresh mango compote and coconut chantilly.
Snez is determined to avoid elimination, and stays relatively calm and focused through the challenge. While she struggles with tempering the coconut chocolate at first, she ends up mastering the dessert. Andy calls it “crazy good” and says it’s almost identical to Philip’s creation. Wow!
Alana previously went home after struggling in a Pressure Test, so she doesn’t want to make the same mistake this time. However, a mistake during the first part of the recipe leaves her rushing to catch up, and she accidentally dips her hemisphere in chocolate. The judges believe it’s a good effort, although not as precise as Snez’s.
Andre isn’t a dessert guy, so it’s no surprise he struggles with Philip’s plant-based delight. In the end, his ratios were all wrong, with his chocolate shell and sponge ending up being too thick. This results in Andre being sent home.
Episode 37 recap
We love a Monday Mystery Box episode! This challenge is one you can recreate at home using your trusty airfryer. The 10 remaining contestants have to use an airfryer to whip up a tasty dish, using the airfryer for one or more of their elements. They’re not allowed to use the oven, and the bottom three will be sent to fight for their lives in an elimination challenge.
In an odd move, Sarah decides to make a completely carrot-themed dish, which Jean-Christophe says is “risky”. After presenting a carrot medallion, carrot puree and carrot gel to the judges, she’s deemed the winner of the night and takes home a $5000 Harvey Norman prize voucher. Declan will be proud!
However, Alana, Snez and Andre struggled with their airfryer elements and are deemed the worst cooks of the evening. They’ll have to face each other in the elimination challenge during the next episode.
Episode 36 recap
Aussie icon Maggie Beer popped into the MasterChef kitchen to say hello and set the remaining 11 contestants a fun new activity, with the challenge being a “decreasing time versus increasing ingredients” task. Basically, this means that the contestants must create a dish from a certain pantry haul within a shrinking time limit.
Callum had previously done this challenge and decided not to go with his prior decision of waiting for the final pantry reveal, and instead picked the 75-minute time frame, wanting to create “a celebration” of verjuice. While the rest of us Googled what verjuice even is (a highly acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes, crab-apples or other sour fruit, according to Wikipedia!), Depinder and Ben waited until crunch time, waiting to see what final ingredients would be revealed, leaving themselves only 55 minutes for the cook.
While the risk paid off for Depinder, with the judges loving her curry, Ben wasn’t quite as lucky with his pan-roasted ocean trout, with Andy thinking the dish was too heavy. However, it was Declan who missed out on the chance of making the top 10, with the judges not sold on his skewers and slaw dish.
Episode 35 recap
Aussie legend Curtis Stone is back again to set his second challenge for the remaining chefs in an Immunity Cook. The chefs must create their own ice cream flavour, with Winter as their inspiration. The winner’s icecream will be sold for a limited time in Coles around the country!
With 90 minutes on the clock, the chefs have not time to waste. Callum plans a boysenberry blast, and serves the judges Boysenberry Ripple Ice Cream with chocolate-covered honeycomb, served with boysenberry meringue, boysenberry jelly, honeycomb, blackberries and violet gin granita. Also, going with a single dessert theme is Laura, with Sticky date pudding with a Sticky Date inspired Date and Cinnamon ice cream.
Audra and Depinder find inspiration in Chai flavours. Depinder’s Masala Chai Ice Cream Sandwiches are a “triumph” according to Curtis. The judges also loved Audra’s Chai tea Ice Cream, but Sofial thinks the tea flavouring is a little strong.
The winner by miles is Laura’s Sticky Date inpired ice cream, and she wins immunity for the week. Better run to Coles to grab her signature Date and Cinnamon ice cream before it runs out.
Episode 34 recap
It’s an Elimination Cook day. Afler placing in the bottom four last episode, Sarah, Ben, Theo, and Jamie are on the chopping block. And it’s none other than Aussie celebrity chef, Curtis Stone setting a Cook Along challenge.
That challenge? Our four chefs have an hour to produce a Slow-cooked Lamb Raviolo alongside Curtis. It’s a dish that, according to Curtis, usually takes up to 3 hours to cook and serve.
But the timer is set, and Sarah, Ben, Theo, and Jamie get to work. But keeping up with one of Australia’s top professional chef is a tall order for some. Sarah pulls ahead of Curtis throughout the challenge, and so does Ben. But Theo almost immediately falls behind.
Despite a valliant effort throughout the competition, Theo’s serves up last. Ultimately, his undercooked pasta and bad timing gets him sent home. Sarah, Ben, and Jamie hold onto their aprons.
Episode 33 recap
Torres Strait Islander entrepreneur, author and chef Nornie Bero was the guest judge for today’s Mystery Box challenge. Inside the Mystery Box are all Native Australian ingredients: emu fillet, yabbies, mackrel, pepperberry, Warrigul greens, strawberry gum, saltbush, pearl onions, yams, sunrise limes, and ooray plums. Chefs have 75 minutes to cook up a dish with only their under-bench essentials and Nornie’s Native ingredients.
Many of the chefs have never cooked with Native ingredients. But Snez is excited by the ooray plums and attempts to cook a version of her favourite Serbian potato-based dumpling dessert, Knedle. Meanwhile, Laura is passionate about cooking with Native ingredients and opts to make Yabbies and Yams, which uses all the ingredients except for the wild tamarinds and emu fillet.
The bottom four for the Elimination Cook must be chosen, however. With his impressive Emu Carpaccio, Callum is safe. But Ben, Theo, Sarah and Jamie’s lack of experience with Native ingredients let them down and landed them in next episode’s Elimination Cook.
Episode 32 recap
Sweet Week comes to a cracker of a close with an Elimination Cook. Upon entering the Masterchef Australia kitchen, the remaining chefs were greeted with 4 adorable children dressed as mini-me versions of the judges. The kids were the ultimate clue for the theme of the day’s challenge: serve up a dish in 75 minutes inspired by their own childhood memories. Whoever’s dish failed to impress the judges would hang up their apron.
Everyone digs deep for this challenge. Depinder opts to make a Tropical Lamington with Mango and Passionfruit. A dish inspired by the first time she tried a Lamington as a kid after her family arrived in Australia. Also, looking to memories of family for inspiration, Theo makes Fried Baklava with Liquid Nitrogen Thyme and honey ice cream -inspired by his grandmother’s own baklava recipe.
But the judges are most impressed by Sarah’s Cereal, a cross between her mother’s cookie jugs and, well, cereal. Andy is delighted, “I couldn’t’ve felt more childlike.” Likewise, Snez’s Honey Cake with Crème Fraiche and Lemon Honey Syrup boasts over 10 layers of deliciousness. Poh can’t believe the layering Snez achieved in just 75 minutes.
Unfortunately, Theo’s innovative Bklava and Beau’s discombobulating Spider Splice dessert placed them in the bottom two. While his Baklava had perfect crunch, it was among the least impressive dishes of the night. In the end, despite his pure love and joy for the competition, Beau’s “confused” Spider Splice with homemade Cola Granita and Vanilla Ice Cream got him sent home.
The remaining 12 chefs have officially made it to the halfway point of Masterchef Australia: Back To Win. We can’t wait for what’s in store for the second half of the competition.
Episode 31 recap
The end of Sweet Week draws closer and closer, but not before the judges set an immunity challenge and a taste test with a jiggly twist. The chefs are greeted with a table full of bright jelly cubes on small plates. Each cube is infused with the flavour of a single ingredient without the real texture of that ingredient to help the chefs guess.
First ones out in the taste test were Snez, followed by Alana, Beau, Jame and Andre. Depinder and Ben don’t make the cut either, leaving Theo, Declan, Sarah, Callum and Audra to fight it out in the Immunity Cook.
Round 2 is a sequel to the first challenge, where each chef has 90 minutes to create a dessert using the ingredients from the cubes. Declan serves an Almond and Mango Tart with Pandan Coconut Ice Cream. Unfortunately, he’s let down, according to both Poh and Jean-Christophe, by his undercooked tart.
Ultimately, it’s Callum who cooks up an “elite” dessert, according to Andy. His Gin and Tonic: gin and grapefruit mousse, rhubarb granita, roasted rhubarb, and basil snow earns him immunity to the surprise of no one.
Episode 30 recap
Poh set a Pressure Test in Episode 30, and surprise, surprise, it was another dessert! But, it wasn’t just one dessert — Beau, Callum, Andre, and Laura were tasked with recreating three of Poh’s sweet dishes: her Milly Filly, Rhubarb Tart, and Chiffon Cake.
Callum struggled with the task, and Andy pointed out some flaws in his dishes during judging, declaring, “I think Callum is human after all”. Poh added that he could have been in trouble if this were an Elimination Challenge. Andre did an acceptable job, but the judges weren’t blown away by his dishes.
Meanwhile, Poh, Sofia, Andy and Jean-Christophe were seriously impressed with both Beau and Laura’s creations. But, in the end, it was Laura who won Immunity.
“I am so thrilled with the result. I think everything tastes spot on,” Poh said of Laura’s desserts.
Episode 29 recap
It’s Sweet Week on Masterchef, and a Mystery Box challenge will decide who competes in the next immunity round. So, what’s in the box? Goo! Our chefs must dish up a gooey creation for the judges and the top 4 dishes go through to Tuesday’s Pressure Cook.
Despite being grossed out at first, Callum’s Chocolate and Macadamia Cremeux with Parsnip and Salt, and Vinegar, blows the judges away. Judge Jean-Christophe even praises the dish as Michelin Star worthy.
Not so lucky, Sarah has a “bad day at the office” according to Jean-Christophe. Her Chocolate and Caramel Fondant disappoints all the Masterchef judges.
Andre sticks to his roots and opts for a sweet twist on an Italian staple. His sweet Gnocchi with Amaro Caramel and Almond Ice Cream gets him through to the immunity cook-off with nothing but praise from the judges.
Joining Callum and Andre in the Pressure Cook next episode will be Laura and Beau. Laura’s indulgent Amaretto Affogato with almond Semifreddo and Amaretto Caramel is a clear favourite – and even though desserts aren’t his strong suit, Beau wows the judges with his gooey caramel Tiramisu, aka his “Tiramigoo”.
Episode 28 recap
Episode 28 featured another elimination. This time, the contestants participated in two rounds. In the first, they took part in a challenging laksa taste test set by one of Australia’s most renowned Malaysian chefs, Junda Khoo of Ho Jiak. The four contestants who guessed the wrong ingredients landed in round two: Samira, Jamie, Theo, and Beau.
In Round Two, the four contestants cooked a MasterChef-worthy dish using a selection of the 40+ ingredients that made up Junda’s laksa bomb dish from Round One.
The judges loved Theo’s Murtabak and said Jamie’s Khao Sio was cooked perfectly but lacked fish sauce. They were impressed with Beau’s peanutless Chicken Satay but were unsure about Samira’s Turkish Chicken and Eggplant Kofta.
Poh, Andy, Sofia and Jean-Christophe pointed out that Samira’s chicken patties were dry due to the amount of lean meat she used, and she was eliminated from the competition.
Episode 27 recap
It’s a Dough-Fest in the MasterChef Australia garden! Twelve contestants were given a Service Challenge, which saw them tasked with cooking a dough-based savoury dish and sweet dish in teams within four hours.
The teams were:
- The Orange Team: Theo, Andre and Beau.
- The Turquoise Team: Declan, Laura and Sarah.
- The Pink Team: Samira, Alana and Ben.
- The Yellow Team: Jamie, Audra and Snez.
The Orange Team served Gnocchi with Porcini Bolognese Ragu for savoury, and Sourdough Lemon Meringue Doughnuts for sweet. The Turquoise Team, a dish of Choux Buns with Craquelin, Fried Pizza with Stracciatella, Sugo and Salumi XO sauce. The Pink Team opted for a Slow-Cooked Lamb Pita dish and Chinese Doughnuts and The Yellow Team went with an Asian Cold Noodle dish with [rawns and a Cream-Filled Brioche Bun for their sweet.
When it came to judging, Poh, Andy, Sofia and Jean-Christophe said that the Yellow Team’s rush to finish was evident in their noodle dish, with the sauce tasting bitter. However, they were wowed by the Turquoise Team’s creation and Declan, Laura and Sarah scored immunity from the next elimination.
Episode 26 recap
Episode 26 was another Pressure Test, but this time no one would be eliminated. Instead, the cooks behind the best two dishes would score Immunity.
Depinder, Callum, Theo, Audra, Andre, Beau, and Alana battled it out for the prize. Unlike normal Pressure Tests, which are set by esteemed chefs, the contestants were asked to create their own Pressure-Test-Worthy dish.
The standout dishes were Depinder’s Matcha Cake and Callum’s Cafe Grande dessert that left Poh, Andy, Sofia and Jean-Christophe in shock.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Poh told Callum.
Upon tasting it, all four judges agreed that his dish was highly technical and perfectly executed.
It was Depinder and Callum who scored Immunity from the next elimination challenge.
Episode 25 recap
Today’s Mystery Box was also an epic head-to-head challenge as each pair of contestants was matched with the same Lee Kum Kee sauce. The winner in every pair would earn a spot in this week’s immunity challenge.
Stand out pair Laura and Depinder battled it out with Chiu Chow Style Chilli Oil, and both opted for desserts. Depinder creates a chilli oil ice cream with a coconut sago pudding and a lychee and lime granita. Meanwhile, Laura makes a chilli caramel with pineapple, coconut and lime sorbet and
Koreon chilli crisps. The judges gobble up both, but ultimately Depinder takes the win.
Audra and Ben battle it out with Hoisin sauce as their weapon of choice. Playing to her strengths Audra whips up duck pancakes, while Ben opts for a creative rice pudding dessert with coconut, blackberries, dark chocolate and a hoisin caramel. But Audra’s duck pancakes took the win.
Depinder, Callum, Theo, Audra, Andre, Beau and Alana are the seven who will go on to battle it out for this week’s Immunity Cook.
Episode 24 recap
Viral week was still in full swing on this week’s MasterChef, with viral food influencer chef Andy Cooks setting the challenges. Round one challenged our cooks to pull off an epic cheese-pull, while second round pushed chefs to create a ‘satisfying slice’.
Round one is a tight 45-minute turnaround. At the final tasting, Depinder’s samosas are off the charts, and Jamie’s Korean cheese corn with bulgogi beef super impresses the judges.
Sadly, Andre’s 4-cheese Zeppole with anchovy and onion isn’t fully cooked, as was Sofia’s bread. Darrsh’s blue cheese fails to yield an epic cheese-pull, placing them at the bottom for round two.
Round two offers the contestants 75 minutes to create the ‘perfect slice’. Callum tops the cohort with a strawberries and cream dessert with a chocolate disk. Meanwhile, Samira claws her way from the bottom in round one to judge favourite in round two with Lamb maqluba.
With his blue-cheese being an epic-pull fail and his choux pastry totally burned in round two, Darrsh bids farewell to the MasterChef kitchen.
Episode 23 recap
It’s viral week on MasterChef and our cooks are dealing with deli meats and fast fusions. Who will be granted immunity?
Before round one, the chefs are greeted with a smorgasbord of deli meats. The challenge? Serve up the ultimate deli sandwich featuring at least one of the meats on the counter.
Jamie, Declan and Andre top the class for this round. Jamie plates up a Croque Madame sandwich with béchamel, ham and gooey hot honey. After frying his taste buds and mistaking capsicum for scotch bonnet pepper, Declan powered through with a classic ham and cheese combo with homemade crisps and pickles. Andre also opted for classic deli delish with a Sicilian caponata and ricotta cream sandwich.
Inspired by the viral cronut, the challenge of creating one perfect mash-up dish stood between one of our chefs and immunity. Jamie opted for Korean fried chicken tacos, Declan created a ‘lobby-lair’ lobster eclaire, and Andre concocted a caprese salad with ravioli and a sweet custard filling, which he called a ‘caprese dolce’.
Ultimately, the judges awarded Declan immunity.
Episode 22 recap
Dessert Masters winner John Demetrios returned to the MasterChef Australia kitchen to set a Pressure Test for Snez, Andre, Ben and Laura. They were tasked with recreating his Chocolate Meteor.
Andre faced some troubles when he overheated his chocolate, which put him behind. Then, he overcooked his biscuit. To make matters work, the balloon remained stuck inside his dish. Unsurprisingly, the judges had some pretty harsh criticism for his dessert.
Ben had a similar problem; while he was happy with his dish, he too was unable to remove a piece of balloon from the chocolate shell at the end, which meant the judges were unable to flambe his chocolate egg. However, they were impressed with the other elements.
On the other side of things, the judges were blown away by Laura’s creation, with John calling it “absolutely delicious”. Snez also produced a near-perfect-looking replication, and the inside was just as good.
In the end, the judges deemed Snez’s dish the best, and she won Immunity for the next challenge.
Episode 21 recap
Social media sensation Mango Sooshi joined the MasterChef judges for an Italian-themed Mystery Box challenge.
However, the home cooks weren’t told who had set the challenge, and Joe, Carlo and Andrew watched them make their creations from a private room with a TV screen.
During the cook, Sooshi Mango weighed in on the happenings in their typical “Italian nonna” characters, which they broadcast online. Once the dishes were ready, they entered the MasterChef kitchen and gave feedback to the contestants.
The trio and MasterChef Australia 2025 judges loved Laura, Snez, Ben, and Andre’s dishes. Laura made Chestnut Garganelli with Osso Bucco and Peas, Snez served a Fregola Soup with Baccala and Pipis , Ben whipped up Salt Cod Croquettes with Sugo and Basil Mayonnaise while Andre presented the judges with Buttermilk Ricotta Gnocchi with Charred Cucumber Consommé and Borage Oil.
Those four contestants were sent through to the next Pressure Test, which will be another Viral Week challenge.
Episode 20 recap
The teams that didn’t win Episode 19’s Team Relay were sent through to an Elimination Challenge set by Jean-Christophe Novelli and were tasked with creating a dish that celebrated butter.
The judges loved Samira’s Fateh Jaj with Andy raving about it and saying that it’s likely the best thing he will eat all month. The judges also loved Alana’s dessert, which Sofia called a “love letter to butter”, and Audra’s Frangipane Tart impressed Jean-Christophe to no end.
On the other side of things, Ben’s dish of Lamb Filet in Beurre Noisette, with Freekeh Tabbouleh, Anchovy Butter and Parsnip Purée is not all he hoped it would be, and the judges agreed. It looked like there was a chance Ben would be sent home wearing his Immunity Pin. Tim was also in trouble – his duck dish was undercooked and the fat hadn’t rendered down.
The judges said that Beau, Jamie, and Samira had the best dishes of the day, and Ben and Tim were the bottom two. Ultimately, Tim was sent home.
“Obviously, getting eliminated is never fun, and as I’m watching it, I’m coming up with, like, 10 other dishes I could have cooked instead of the damn attempt at doing a confit duck in 75 minutes,” Tim told Chattr in a post-elimination interview.
Episode 19 recap
The contestants geared up for a high-stakes Team Relay challenge, where they were split into four teams.
Each member is responsible for one part of the dish, then passes the baton to the next, with just thirty seconds to communicate before the handoff. They were asked to include potatoes in more than one component on their plate.
The teams were:
- Purple Team – Depinder, Laura, Andre and Callum
- Yellow Team – Darrsh, Audra, Theo and Beau
- Red Team – Sarah, Samira, Jamie and Alana
- Green team – Snez, Declan, Tim and Ben
The judges loved the Yellow Team’s dish, with Poh Ling Yeow calling the pork “perfect” and Sofia adding that it was a “solid dish”. The Purple Team also got rave reviews from the judges.
The Green Team were given positive feedback about their cooking of their pan-fried whiting. However, they failed to include more than one variation of the potatoes and were disqualified. The Red Team also struggled with communication, and Jean-Christophe Novelli wasn’t impressed with the dish.
It was the Purple Team who took out the win, with Sofia saying she could have “devoured the whole thing” on her own.
Episode 18 recap
Episode 18 saw Tim, Audra, Sarah, and Rue compete against one another for another Pressure Test—which, unsurprisingly, was a dessert again. They were asked to recreate five plates of guest chef Blayne Bertoncello’s Sourdough and Strawberry with Elderflower and Balsamic.
The judges were impressed with Audra and Sarah’s creations, but thought Rue and Tim’s were lacking. Ultimately, Rue was sent home, with the judges saying that her pastry cream was overcooked and her strawberry gum emulsion was almost entirely lacking.
“I knew I was gonna go home. I didn’t think I I deserved to stay more than [Tim],” Rue told Chattr in a post elimination interview.
“He also worked really hard in that Pressure Test, and he did have a few flaws, but I feel like a bad pastry cream is, like, you know, you’re gonna go home, because that was pretty much the base of the dessert.”
Episode 17 recap
In Episode 17, the MasterChef Australia contestants geared up for a Mystery Box challenge with Ixta Belfrage. The box contained prawns, bonito, masa flour, coconut milk, mango, basil, okra, pineapple, limes, dried hibiscus, and cinnamon sticks.
Of course, there was a twist — there was an extra small Mystery Box and contestants wouldn’t know the ingredient inside it until 30 minutes into the challenge. The contestants were required to use at least one item from the main Mystery Box, as well as whatever was in the second box, and the bottom four dishes would be sent through to the next Pressure Test.
There were chillies inside the second box, which most of the contestants integrated well into their dishes. However, Tim, Audra, Sarah, and Rue struggled with their cook, and they will compete against each other in the elimination round.
Episode 16 recap
The two teams that failed to impress the judges the most in episode 15 headed into the elimination round, which meant that Alana, Darrsh, Jamie, Laura, Rhiannon, Audra, Rue, Samira, Sarah, Snez and Tim were all cooking for their lives in the competition.
They were set a task by Josh Niland to create a dish with a spin on the classic Surf and Turf.
The judges were unsure about Rhiannon’s dish — Lobster Wontons in Beef Broth — and Darrsh’s creation of Beef Bone Marrow Sticky Date Pudding with Fish Sauce Butterscotch. However, Darrsh scraped through and Rhiannon was sent home because the judges weren’t impressed with the skin on her dumplings.
“I was actually really upset because this was not how I wanted to go out,” she told Chattr in a post-elimination interview.
“But I also know that I did push myself beyond my limits. So, I was just really proud of what I did this season. I definitely didn’t want to go at that particular time, and I would have fought as long as I could. But, it just wasn’t my day.”
Episode 15 recap
The scene was set for an impressive challenge, with Episode 15 taking place underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the iconic Opera House as a backdrop. The contestants were divided into teams, and asked to elevate a classic pub feed.
- Blue: Alana, Darrsh, Jamie, Laura and Rhiannon
- Orange: Andre, Beau, Ben, Callum, Depinder
- Green: Audra, Rue, Samira, Sarah, Snez and Tim
Like most MasterChef challenges, this one had a twist. Three of the contestants started the meal, and the other three teammates stepped in halfway through to finish it.
The green team was sent straight through to the Immunity Challenge as their starter contained scales, and the main was overcooked.
While the judges were impressed by both the Orange and Blue teams, the Orange team took the win, meaning that Andre, Beau, Ben, Callum, and Depinder were safe from the upcoming elimination round.
Episode 14 recap
After Monday’s creative Mystery Box challenge, the four contestants facing the Pressure Test were Tim, Rue, Ben and Jimmy. Ben had an immunity pin, but decided not to use it this time.
For this pressure test the challenge is set by two-time World Pastry Champion Steven He. The challenge? Oh, just create a literal balloon puppy out of chocolate sponge, shortbread, sour cherry compote and a white chocolate black tea ganache. Can’t be too hard right?
Unfortunately, Tim and Jimmy had never tempered white chocolate — so creating a balloon animal out of it wasn’t an easy feat.
After a long and grueling three hours, the balloon puppy closest to Steven’s was from Ben. While it resembled more of a rabbit than a puppy, it was pretty spectacular.
Sadly, it was Jimmy’s puppy that was the furthest from Steven’s. Andy even called it a “potato ready to sprout”. Jimmy was then eliminated from the competition.
Episode 13 recap
Episode 13 saw another Mystery Box challenge, with a twist. Unlike the normal mystery box where you open the lid to see what’s inside, this mystery box needed to be unwrapped.
Made from paperbark, vine leaf, lotus lead, pandan, corn husk, cabbage, betel leaf, banana leaf and parchment paper — the challenge this week was to cook a dish wrapped in one these ingredients. The catch? They will only know if their dish is properly cooked once the judges unwrap it.
Highlights from this week’s mystery box challenges were Laura’s “incredible” paper bark and lemon myrtle wrapped coral trout with arrigal greens, Snez’ melt-in-your-mouth cabbage rolls, and Jamie’s tamales with banana leaf.
Unfortunately, the bottom four for this challenge were Rue, Ben, Jimmy and Tim. So who will be going home?
Episode 12 recap
Episode 12 kicked off with Showstoppers Week. This week contestants were cooking to save themselves, with a pesky challenge all about “tableside theatre”. What does that mean, you might ask? Well, it’s all about adding flair to a dish, it’s that va va voom dining experience. Think: fire and liquid nitrogen.
Facing off this challenge were Rue, Theo, Andre, Depinder, Beau, Snez, Tim, Matt and Jamie. Stand out dishes this week were Depinder’s flavour explosion with dish ‘Raj Kachori’, Beau’s theatrical ‘Home among the Gumtrees’ dessert with black tea ice cream and Anzac biscuit, and Jamie’s “well-executed” comte custard, macadamia and pear sorbet with flavoured cloud.
This left Matt, Rue and Snez’ heads on the chopping block. Ultimately, it was Matt’s “wet” Bombe Alaska that sent him home.
Episode 11 recap
In Episode 11, the MasterChef Australia contestants were divided up into four teams for a Service Challenge run by judge Jean Christophe Novelli.
The teams were as follows:
- Brown: Andre, Depinder, Rue, Theo and Ben.
- Green: Laura, Jimmy, Samira, Alana and Rhiannon.
- Blue: Darrsh, Declan, Audra, Callum and Sarah.
- Grey: Snez, Matt, Tim, Beau and Jamie.
They were asked to cook a dessert and a main. One dish had to be a classic French dish, and the other should have a French twist.
Two teams were awarded Immunity — the green team and the blue team. Meaning that Andre, Depinder, Rue, Theo, Ben, Snez, Matt, Tim, Beau and Jamie were sent through to the upcoming Elimination Challenge.
Episode 10 recap
Episode 10 of MasterChef Australia Back to Win 2025 saw celebrity chef Curtis Stone return to the show as a guest judge for the Immunity Challenge.
Up for the cook were Snez, Ben, Andre and Jimmy, who were tasked with recreating Curtis’ Pork Loin with Beurre Monté, Braised Fennel, Pistachio Dukkah, and Carrot Puree. However, they’d had to use their initiative as they weren’t given a recipe.
Ben and Snez impressed the judges the most. Snez for her perfectly cooked pork, and Ben for practically making a carbon copy of Curtis’ creation. But it was Ben who scored the win, giving him Immunity (again!) for the next elimination round.
Episode 9 recap
During Episode 9, the cast was set the task of cooking with kitchen leftovers provided by the judges.
Andy’s group consisted of Jamie, Beau, Callum, Rhiannon, and Tim and was given Herb stalks. Jean-Christophe’s team consisted of Snezana, Laura, Samira, Andre, Rue, Alana, Ben, and Matt, and they got rinds.
Meanwhile, Poh Ling Yeow‘s group of Audra, Darrsh, and Depinder had pastry offcuts and Sofia Levin‘s group of Declan, Jimmy, Sarah, and Theo were given leftover pickle juice.
It was Andre, Jimmy, Snez, and Ben who impressed the judges the most, and they were sent through to the Episode 10 Pressure Test, where they will face off in the hope of winning Immunity.
However, the fun didn’t end there; the judges crowned Andre’s dish the winner, and he scored a $5000 LG voucher to help stock his dream kitchen.
Episode 8 recap
Episode 8 saw the return of the Cube Taste Challenge, which involves blindfolded contestants tasting small cubes of food that they had to correctly identify to avoid elimination.
However, the challenge had a twist this year: contestants were divided into three teams of six, and only one person per team participated in the challenge. The first contestant to guess wrong in the Cube Taste Test would send their entire team to the Elimination Challenge.
Jamie made the first blunder by incorrectly identifying a strawberry cube, and he, Steph, Andre, Snezana, Tim, and Matt were sent through to round two. They were told that they could cook anything they liked, but only the ingredients from the Cube Taste Challenge would be available.
Jamie struggled after overcooking his duck but managed to get a fresh piece cooked and served right before the time ran out.
Meanwhile, Steph was happy with her Pork Belly dish. However, the judges said the fat on the pork hadn’t rendered, and the bechamel in her sauce was too strong, and she was eliminated from the competition.
Episode 7 recap
Guest judge Shannon Bennett handed the MasterChef 2025 contestants a 20-minute Challenge. It was pretty self-explanatory—they could cook whatever they wanted as long as it was done within 20 minutes.
The judges were impressed by most of the dishes served to them, though there were some criticisms. Poh told Rhiannon her prawns were undercooked, and Andy said Audra should have used more acid in her seafood dish.
“It was so tough to choose a winner,” Sofia told the group. “But there was one dish that had us fighting over the last morsel.”
That person was Theo for his Loukoumades with Mandarin, Lemon, Thyme and Honey Syrup and Mahlab Glaze. As a result, he was granted immunity from the next Elimination Challenge, the Cube Taste Test, which will air on Sunday.
Episode 6 recap
Episode 6 of MasterChef Australia was the first Pressure Test of the season, and Sarah, Darrsh, Ben, and Sav battled it out to remain in the competition.
The queen of Chocolate and Dessert Masters alumni, Kirsten Tibballs, set the task, which involved recreating a chocolate tin filled with ‘caviar’ — made of coffee on chocolate mousse and cake.
Kristin was impressed with Ben and Sarah’s final dish, but thought Darrsh’s chocolate tin was too thick.
However, the judges deemed Sav’s dish to look the most different from Kristen’s, and she was eliminated from the competition.
Episode 5 recap
Episode 5 was the first Mystery Box Challenge of the season.
The episode saw guest judge Peter Gilmore reveal a box of ingredients including chicken, baby squid, lemon, eggplant, cherries, spring onion, vanilla, oloroso cherry, prunes, dark chocolate, leeks, kombu, and gochujang.
The contestants had 75 minutes to make their dish, and were required to use at least one of the ingredients from the box. The three dishes that impressed the judges the least were sent to the next Elimination Cook, where they’d be joined by Sarah, who was still off sick. Those chefs were Darrsh, Sav and Ben.
Episode 4 recap
In Episode 4 of MasterChef Australia the contestants were asked to cook dishes that represented how far they have come since their first appearance on the show.
Audra was safe after winning the challenge in Episode 3 and watched on from the galley. Sarah, who was unwell and missed the challenge, was automatically sent through to the next Elimination Cook.
It was Tim, Samira and Cath who landed in the bottom three. Samira for dulling the flavour on her Shakirya, Tim for choosing to cook a sub-par Toastie and Cath for burning the mushrooms on her hibachi grilled Japanese dish.
However, Cath’s dish ultimately impressed the judges the least, and she was the first person eliminated from the competition.
In a post-elimination interview, Cath told Chattr that she was “devastated”, but tried to stay positive by reminding herself how lucky she was to be invited onto the show in the first place.
“Someone has to go first, you know, and that’s me. Reflecting afterwards, I’m just so proud and just really grateful,” she said.
“I did have a little bit of a laugh about myself thinking, ‘Well, you know what, someone has to go out first’. I remember saying to Rue, ‘I’m a sacrificial lamb’. But I tell you what, I’m a beautiful, slow-cooked lamb, that is so delicious,” Cath added.
Episode 3 recap
MasterChef Australia Episode 3 kicked off on a sombre note, after judge Andy informed the contestants that Pete Campbell had withdrawn from the competition.
A Network 10 spokesperson told Chattr that Pete left the show due to a medical diagnosis.
“During production of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, Pete Campbell received a diagnosis that required him to step away from the competition to focus on his health,” they began.
“The MasterChef family supports Pete in his recovery and hopes to see him back doing what he loves in the kitchen very soon.”
The contestant later revealed it was due to his cancer diagnosis, and thanked fans for the support.
After receiving the news from Andy, the cooks pulled themselves together and battled it out to serve up a delicious late-night snack. There was a lot at steak, because not only did the winner win immunity, their creation would be a new menu addition in one of Gordon Ramsay‘s London restaurants.
In the end, Audra’s fusion dish of Indian Spiced Prawn Takoyaki took out the top spot.
“I call this The Magic to a Happy Marriage,” Audra told the judges. “It’s when a half-Indian woman, a very clever one, marries a half-Japanese man… and it looks so much like a takoyaki, but it’s fully South Indian on the inside.”
Andy declared it was “perfection”, before Audra started to tear up from the judges’ feedback. She’s definitely one to watch!
Episode 2 recap
MasterChef Australia Episode 2 saw Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay put eight contestants to the test in a Keep Up Challenge, which involved recreating two of his dishes, with an Immunity Pin on the line.
Ahead of the episode, MasterChef Australia 2025 judge Poh told Chattr that Gordon “takes no prisoners”, which was clearly demonstrated in the episode.
The Hell’s Kitchen star dished out his instructions at a speedy pace as Rue, Cath, Darrsh, Callum, Ben, Rhiannon, Audra and Matt barely managed to keep up.
In the end, it was Ben who impressed the five judges the most and was awarded the only Immunity Pin of the season.
Episode 1 recap
The MasterChef Australia 2025 premiere kicked off with an appearance from Gordon as a Celebrity Judge, who told the contestants they’d be split into three teams and competing in a Service Challenge.
The Blue Team consisted of Samira, Depinder, Theo, Jamie, Alana, Jimmy, Laura. The Red Team had Steph, Andrew, Sav, Pete, Declan, Beau, Tim, while the Green team was made up of Rue, Rhiannon, Matt, Audra, Darrsh, Ben, Cath.
The judges announced that three more contestants who’ve competed on MasterChef multiple times would return: Sarah for the Blue Team, Laura for the Red Team, and Callum for the Green Team.
“You’ve got people like Laura, Callum and Sarah who are obviously there for a third time. And I feel like that goes to show how much this competition means to people,” judge Andy told Chattr of the veterans’ return.
But the Green Team impressed Gordon and the judges Poh, Andy, Sofia, and Jean-Christophe the most, and they were sent through to the Immunity Pin challenge in the next episode.
MasterChef Australia airs on Sunday at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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