MasterChef Australia Season 18, Episode 52: Mystery Box Challenge: One Ingredient

Auditions: Group 1

MasterChef Australia returns with auditions and 40 of the country's best home cooks are ready. Tonight 20 cooks have 90 minutes to cook their dream dish in order to win one of the 10 aprons on offer.

79 min

Auditions: Group 2

Another 20 home cooks enter the MasterChef kitchen to compete for 10 aprons on offer. For those who miss out, they learn there will be one final chance to cook for the last four aprons tomorrow.

58 min

Auditions: Second Chance

Tonight, the 20 remaining hopefuls have a second and final chance to cook their way into the competition. Just who will score themselves one of the final four places?

53 min

Mystery Box: Jimmy Barnes

Aussie Rock legend Jimmy Barnes set this season's first mystery box, inspiring the Top 24 with seasonal ingredients they love to cook with. Dish of the day will see its maker safe from elimination.

75 min

Elimination Challenge: Family Favourites

In the first elimination of the competition, 23 cooks will show the judges a window into their homelife, through a favourite dish that they cook at home for their loved ones.

50 min

Invention Test: Cereal

It's the return of a MasterChef classic with an Invention Test challenging cooks to create an inventive dish using cereal.

48 min

Pressure Test: Maggie Beer

The bottom five cooks from the Invention Test face off in a Pressure Test set by MasterChef favourite Maggie Beer, tasked with mastering her signature sour cream pastry in a high-stakes pie challenge.

52 min

Immunity Challenge: Andy Cooks

It's Family Favourites week and social media sensation Andy Cooks (chef Andy Hearnden) is on the hunt for the ultimate breakfast, in an immunity challenge cook with 60 minutes on the clock.

63 min

Elimination Challenge: Reinventing Carbs

In an elimination challenge centred on reinventing the judges' quick carb midweek dinner recipes, mistakes and time pressure sends one cook home.

49 min

Team Challenge: Family Feast

It is the first team challenge of the series, and the contestants are all eager to see how well they can work together. The bottom two teams will find themselves in the elimination the following day.

49 min

Elimination Challenge: Family Traditions

Six contestants face elimination as they must create a dish that represent their family food traditions to fight for their place in the competition.

46 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Catherine Zhang

The Top 20 compete for Immunity from tomorrow's Elimination in a fruity Mystery Box challenge set by Catherine Zhang, marking the start of Viral Wonders Week

59 min

Elimination Challenge: Viral Ingredients

Viral sensation Victoria Minell (aka @recipesbyvictoria) sets a challenge to use one of her five viral ingredients in a 75-minute cook to save their place in the competition

49 min

Team Service Challenge: Viral-worthy Dish

Six teams will compete in their first service challenge, tasked with creating one perfect viral-worthy dish to serve to hundreds of diners, and impress a mystery social media-star critic

49 min

Immunity Pin Challenge: Khanh Ong

MasterChef alum and social media star Khanh Ong sets an epic challenge to create a bold, out-there sandwich with a banging cross section, to win the first immunity pin of the season

52 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Rick Stein

It's the start of Around the World Week, and global food icon Rick Stein joins the MasterChef Kitchen to set an extra spicy Mystery Box challenge

59 min

Elimination Challenge: Cuisines from Around the World

In an Around the World elimination challenge, MasterChef contestants must create a dish inspired by a chosen cuisine, featuring a surprise hero ingredient revealed only after they commit

49 min

Invention Test: Fusion

It's a fusion invention test today with the contestants having to make dish featuring cuisines from two countries

49 min

Pressure Test: Rosheen Kaul

Chef Rosheen Kaul sets the first full Pressure Test for the season, with an intense, three-hour challenge

51 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Dim Sim Lim

Kicking off nostalgia-themed week in the MasterChef kitchen, social media sensation chef Dim Sim Lim sets a 60-minute mystery box challenge requiring a steamed element. English

62 min

Elimination Challenge: Heritage

The MasterChef contestants must cook something connected to their heritage to avoid being eliminated.

49 min

Team Challenge: Team Relay

In MasterChef's most notorious team challenge, four teams will navigate the chaos of the Team Relay to compete for a chance to cook for Immunity.

49 min

Immunity Pin Challenge: French Techniques

Guided by MasterChef Alumna Justine Schofield, four contestants put their French techniques to the test for a chance to win a coveted immunity pin.

50 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Matt Sinclair & Daniel Dobra

62 min

Classic Pairs Elimination Challenge

50 min

Invention Test: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

47 min

Elimination Challenge: Time or Ingredients?

50 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Curtis Stone

Curtis Stone kicks off Aussie Classics week, with a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the cooks to have their dish stocked in Coles, as they are challenged to whip up nostalgic Pie and Ice-cream flavours.

62 min

Elimination Challenge: Pork

With Curtis Stone back in the kitchen, the MasterChef contestants are challenged with cooking a dish that features pork to save their place in the competition.

48 min

Comeback Challenge

It's Aussie Classics Week, and there's nothing Aussies love more than a great comeback story. Today, the previously eliminated contestants return for a chance to earn their place back in the competition.

50 min

Elimination Challenge: Aussie Native Ingredients

Aussie Classics week draws to a close with an exciting day in the MasterChef Kitchen as guest judge and Aussie icon Robert Irwin sets an Aussie Native Ingredients Elimination Challenge.

58 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Adriano Zumbo

It's the start of Sweet Week, and confectionery king Adriano Zumbo challenges the cooks to hero a mystery ingredient in a dessert. The top three dishes will win immunity from tomorrow's elimination.

61 min

Elimination Challenge: Ice Cream Taste Test

As Sweet Week continues, the contestants take part in an Ice Cream Taste Test. The first four who guess incorrectly will land in the Round Two cook, after which someone will be sent home.

48 min

Invention Test: Air Fryer

It's Sweet Week, and today's challenge is an Air Fryer Invention Test, with the top four dishes going into tomorrow's Immunity Challenge. Dish of the day will claim a $5,000 Harvey Norman voucher!

48 min

Immunity Pin Challenge: Beat the Chef

On Sweet Week's final day, four contestants face dessert powerhouse Jess Lemon in a 'Beat the Chef' Immunity Pin challenge, attempting to outcook one of the MasterChef kitchen's pastry prodigies.

51 min

Skills Challenge: Fish Butchery

To kick off Masters Week, industry icon Josh Niland gives a fish butchery masterclass, and the contestants must use one of his signature butchery techniques to prepare flathead in 75 minutes.

61 min

Elimination Challenge: Flat Iron Steak

Masters Week continues with Michelin-starred chef Curtis Stone returning to the MasterChef kitchen for a high-stakes elimination where contestants must hero a flat iron steak.

49 min

Immunity Challenge: Tom Sarafian

Masters Week continues as hatted Melbourne chef Tom Sarafian joins to showcase his famous hummus dish, inspiring contestants to make an immunity-worthy dish to get one step closer to the Top 10.

50 min

Pressure Test: Kirsten Tibballs

In the final Masters Week challenge, four contestants compete in a pressure test set by Kirsten Tibballs to avoid elimination and secure their place in the Top 10.

59 min

Twins Challenge

It's Knockout Week, and our 10 cooks face the iconic twins challenge inspired by MasterChef couple Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary and their identical twin girls, Charlotte and Claudia.

60 min

Mystery Box Challenge: The Judge's Fridge

As Knockout Week continues, the MasterChef judges have each filled a fridge with ingredients. Eight contestants must choose a fridge, without looking inside, and use its contents to make a dish.

49 min

Team Challenge: Fine Dining

It's Knockout Week, and two teams of three, led by Andy and Jean-Christophe, must deliver a two-course fine dining menu for 16 Coles Farmers. The losing team will head into tomorrow's elimination.

50 min

Elimination Challenge: Ingredient Choice

It's Knockout week and the first elimination for the Top 10. The seven contestants cooking must feature an ingredient chosen by one of their fellow cooks to keep their place in the competition.

48 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Sanjeev Kapoor

Our Top 9 contestants welcome one of the most famous chefs in India, with over 150 cookbooks and 20 million social media followers, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who is here to set a Mystery Box.

63 min

Elimination Challenge: International Ingredients

Contestants must produce a dish featuring one of five internationally sourced ingredients that they have never used before, in an elimination cook-off. For one cook, it will be their final dish.

49 min

Immunity Challenge: Ice Cream Flavours

The top eight of MasterChef Australia get to select a Connoisseur ice cream to start the day. Cooking for immunity, they must cook a dessert inspired by their ice cream flavour.

48 min

Pressure Test: Sam Aisbett

In a high-stakes pressure test featuring Michelin-starred Chef Sam Aisbett's 'Crab Salad', four contestants must navigate complex technical components and personal errors to avoid elimination.

55 min

Mystery Box Challenge: Marion Grasby

To mark the start of Heat Week, food and media mogul Marion Grasby returns to MasterChef for the first time in 16 years with a spicy mystery box challenge.

59 min

Elimination Challenge: Hot New Chilli Dish

Heat Week continues with a looming elimination as six of the seven remaining cooks are challenged to create a hot new chilli dish in just 60 minutes.

48 min

Immunity Challenge: Hibachi

Five cooks must prove their skill and creativity using only a hibachi, with the winner earning immunity and a spot in the Top 6.

49 min

Elimination Challenge: Head-to-Head Duels

It's the final day of HEAT WEEK, and four cooks face off in head-to-head duals in an elimination challenge. After two rounds of battle, the bottom dish in the final duel will send its maker home.

52 min

Elimination Challenge: French Sauces

With a coveted place in the Top 5 of MasterChef 2026 at stake, contestants must personalise a classic French sauce, as demonstrated by Jean-Christophe. For one cook, it will be the end of the line.

49 min

Immunity Challenge: Keeping Up With Andy

It's an immunity challenge today for the Top 5 to 'Keep up with Andy' as he cooks his delicious BBQ Lamb, Burnt Eggplant Cream, and Braised Borlotti Beans dish. The top cook will go directly into the Top 4.

47 min

Pressure Test: Malaysian Snacks

Four of the Top 5 contestants battle it out to stay in the competition, taking on an epic pressure test set by judge Poh Ling Yeow to recreate three of her beautiful and delicious Malaysian snacks.

56 min

Immunity Challenge: Meghan Markle

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, joins the MasterChef Australia kitchen today, offering some of her favourite seasonal produce to feature in a heartfelt dish, with immunity on the line.

63 min

Elimination Challenge: Letters From Home

It's elimination day, and there are two spots up for grabs in the semi-final. Emotions run high when letters and ingredients from home inspire our cooks to make a dish to keep them in the competition.

49 min

Episode 58

Today's challenge is a MasterChef classic. First, the tables are turned, and the judges cook off head-to-head before teaming up to take on the Top 3 contestants, with bragging rights on the line.

Episode 59

In today's Semi-Final, the Top 3 contestants will battle it out in a two-course service challenge, each cooking for more than 20 diners. By the end of the day, we will have our two Grand Finalists.