S03:E01 - Auditions #1
The hopefuls prepare their signature dishes for the judges.
S03:E02 - Auditions #2
The judges critique the food and eliminate contestants.
S03:E03 - Auditions #3/Top 36 Bootcamp
The contestants compete in a ground beef challenge.
S03:E04 - Top 18 Compete
The top 18 contestants must create a dish using duck and bananas; the judges challenge the cooks to use unusual ingredients.
S03:E05 - Top 16 Compete
The contestants travel to Camp Pendleton, Calif., where they work in teams to prepare a meal for 200 servicemen and women.
S03:E06 - Top 15 Compete
The cooks must create a unique dish using unconventional cuts of meat.
S03:E07 - Top 14 Compete
The judges split the cooks into teams to prepare breakfast for hotel guests; the members of the losing team must prove they deserve to stay in the competition.
S03:E08 - Top 13 Compete
The cooks must prepare a high quality dish using $20 worth of ingredients; during the elimination round the cooks try to recreate their favorite desserts.
S03:E09 - Top 12 Compete
The contestants are divided into three teams for a food truck challenge; the challenge losers face a pressure test.
S03:E10 - Top 11 Compete
Graham Elliot joins the amateur cooks in a mystery box challenge; two contestants are eliminated.
S03:E11 - Top 9 Compete
The cooks must incorporate sea urchin into their creations; the winner of the mystery box challenge assigns the others one of eight different types of fish.
S03:E12 - Top 8 Compete
The eight finalists must prepare, cook and serve a hearty meal to 101 cowboys; the challenge losers must prepare six eggs four different ways in only 20 minutes.
S03:E13 - Top 7 Compete
Chef Paula Deen selects items for the mystery box challenge, which includes Southern staples and a surprise for the contestants.
S03:E14 - Top 6 Compete (Pt. 1)
Eight previously eliminated contestants return to compete for a chance to rejoin the competition.
S03:E15 - Top 6 Compete (Pt. 2)
The cooks face a mystery box challenge featuring shrimp, with the winner choosing a savory item the hopefuls will have to use in a dessert dish.
S03:E16 - Top 6 Compete (Pt. 3)
The cooks split into two teams to replicate signature dishes at an award-winning restaurant; the contestants must prepare steak three ways.
S03:E17 - Top 5 Compete
The cooks select mystery box ingredients that represent who they are; judges surprise the cooks with a twist; the cooks re-create a dish that Graham Elliot served to the president.
S03:E18 - Top 4 Compete
The final four home cooks will split into two teams to prepare an exquisite three-course meal for the judges and three world-renowned chefs.
S03:E19 - Top 3 Compete
The final three contestants are asked to reflect on their culinary experiences and create a dish that embodies their personality and passion; the top two contestants are chosen.
S03:E20 - Winner Chosen
The Top Two finalists have one last chance to prove to the judges that they have the passion, skill and drive worthy of the MASTERCHEF title.