Pack your knives and clear your plates, because Top Chef is back for Season 23 with bold flavors and a heaping portion of Carolina charm.
Bravo’s award-winning culinary series returns this spring with a set of 15 new cheftestants who are venturing South to put their skills to the ultimate test as they compete for the coveted “Top Chef” title. For the first time in the show’s history, the cheftestants include life partners who co-own and operate a restaurant, as well as a pair of highly competitive identical twin brothers.
Watch the Top Chef Season 23 trailer above and get all of the details on what to expect from the new season below.
When does Top Chef Season 23 premiere?
Top Chef returns Monday, March 9 from 9:00-10:15 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
Fans can get a head start on the new season with early access to the premiere episode, available beginning Tuesday, March 3 on Peacock, Bravo’s YouTube channel, and VOD.
Beginning Monday, March 16, the series will move to its regular timeslot at 9:30 p.m. with episodes available the next day on Peacock. All episodes of Season 23 will be supersized to 75 minutes.
Who is the host for Top Chef Season 23?
Top Chef host Kristen Kish is back to oversee the chefs facing off in pressure-filled challenges that showcase the regional history, diverse cultural flavors, and rich agricultural bounty across the Carolinas.
Who are the Top Chef Season 23 judges?
Head judge Tom Colicchio and perennial judge Gail Simmons are both returning to their longstanding roles on Top Chef Season 23.
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Where does Top Chef Season 23 take place?
Top Chef Season 23 will be centered in the emerging and eclectic culinary hub of Charlotte, N.C., with several episodes in Greenville, S.C.
What is the prize on Top Chef Season 23?
Aside from earning the ultimate title, the Top Chef Season 23 winner will also take home the $250,000 grand prize, along with some other major perks.
They include a feature in Food & Wine magazine, an appearance at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, a chance to headline their own exclusive dinner at the historic James Beard House in New York, and the opportunity to present at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago, IL.
What’s more, throughout the competition, the competing chefs will have the chance to win immunity, advantages in the competition, or cash prizes, with more than $150,000 in total up for grabs.
Who are the Top Chef Season 23 cheftestants?
Sieger Bayer – Chicago, IL
Jassi Bindra – Houston, TX
Sherry Cardoso – Brooklyn, NY
Brittany Cochran – Charlotte, NC
Oscar Diaz – Durham, NC
Brandon Dearden – Hamilton, MT
Jonathan Dearden – Alexandria, VA
Duyen Ha – Los Angeles, CA
Jennifer Lee Jackson – Suttons Bay, MI/Detroit, MI
Anthony Jones – Alexandria, VA
Day Anaїs Joseph – Atlanta, GA
Laurence Louie – Quincy, MA
Rhoda Magbitang – Kailua-Kona, HI
Justin Tootla – Suttons Bay, MI/Detroit, MI
Nana Araba Wilmot – Cherry Hill, NJ
Who are the Top Chef Season 23 guest judges?
The esteemed culinary panel of guest judges and notable diners include Brent Bookwalter, Sean Brock, Jamie Brown, Val Cantú, Noah Chaimberg, Adam Cooke, Greg & Subrina Collier, Ed Currie, William Dissen, Eric Ferguson, Meherwan Irani, Brandon Jew, Chayil Johnson, Amirah Kassem, Joe & Katy Kindred, Cheetie Kumar, Emeril Lagasse, Hunter Lewis, James London, Camari Mick, Michael Mina, Niki Nakayama, Clare Reichenbach, Carl Sobocinski, Nok Suntaranon, Jeff Tonidandel and Jon Yao.
For the BBQ challenge, Sam Jones, Lewis Donald and the Monk family lend a hand to the cheftestants along with a crew of additional pitmasters.
Top Chef alums with cameos on Season 23
Throughout the competition, Top Chef winners, finalists and fan favorites return to inspire and share their expertise, including Sara Bradley, Tristen Epps-Long, Joe Flamm, Stephanie Izard, Jamie Lynch, Mei Lin, Savannah Miller, Ashleigh Shanti, Michelle Wallace, and Shuai Wang.
What to expect on Top Chef Season 23
Top Chef Season 23 kicks off at full throttle with the first Quickfire Challenge at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, featuring NASCAR legends Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, setting the pace for a high-octane race toward the finish. With challenges crafted to honor all the Carolinas have to offer, the chefs will draw on their own culinary roots with North Carolina’s state vegetable, sweet potatoes, and craft a progressively spicier menu featuring some of the world’s hottest peppers, go head-to-head in a whole hog BBQ cookout, and test their ingenuity by creating a dish featuring dehydrated components.
Charlotte-raised comedian Fortune Feimster brings some Comic Relief by putting the chefs’ improv skills to the test, while Southern Charm-ers Madison LeCroy and Craig Conover challenge the chefs to put their own spin on new southern comfort dishes. Actress Melissa Benoist joins a regal celebration in honor of Queen Charlotte’s birthday and the 20th anniversary of Top Chef, and Liza Koshy tasks the chefs to think outside the box with their presentation, pushing creativity and competition to new heights.
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In Greenville, the chefs are joined by actress Danielle Brooks as they cast their lines in the inaugural Top Chef Fishing Derby, before hopping on the Swamp Rabbit Trail for a Quickfire Challenge crafted by fans through social media with special guest judge “Try Guys” Keith Habersberger and Rachel Ann Cole. Before heading back to Charlotte for the finale, the cheftestants visit Asheville to witness the community’s resilience and rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene and return to Charlotte to host a fundraiser spotlighting Appalachian ingredients.
Details on Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen Season 15
Beginning March 30, Bravo’s Emmy-winning digital companion series, Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen, hosted by Tom Colicchio, returns for its 15th season.
This season, the stakes are at an all-time high when LCK starts with the third eliminated chef, leaving the first two eliminated chefs out of the competition. With only one chef able to rejoin the competition, there’s no margin for error.
Each week’s episode will be available on Peacock or wherever you stream Bravo’s Top Chef.
As you await the premiere, don’t miss a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Top Chef Season 23.
