Sixteen astonishingly skilled young winners return to compete for a grand prize of $25,000. In the first battle of this five-part tournament, the champs get a French delicacy and a crunchy snack for the appetizer round. One competitor has never cooked pork tenderloin before, but finds it in the second basket. Finally, the champs' pantry picks in the dessert impact the judges' critiques.

A new group of four champs compete to see who will advance to the $25,000 grand finale. An infamous “Chopped” ingredient appears in the appetizer basket, then steak could be a gift or a challenge for the kid cooks who make it to the entree round. Finally, the two young cooks who get to make dessert must use a tangy fruit and a deep-fried treat.

In this third preliminary battle, the youngest group of champions yet gets a delicate seafood and a tasty pork product in the appetizer round. Chocolates in disguise cause the junior chefs to do a double take when they open the entree basket. Then, coffee with dessert makes sense, but where will the competitors use chili flakes in their final, sweet dishes?

Four outstanding young cooks compete to see who will earn the last spot in the grand finale. Some slender peppers and some scrumptious rolls are part of the puzzle in the appetizer round. The junior chefs must figure out a way to make a guilty pleasure snack work in their venison entrees. Then, some serious mistakes in the dessert round leave the judges with much to consider.

Four of the most talented Chopped Junior competitors have made their way to the finale to compete for a third win, the title and $25,000! The basket powers-that-be throw them a whopper of a first basket that includes a rather wild jerky and a protein that most Americans have never eaten. The second basket is a doozy as well, with cream puffs and a strange ketchup. Then, the final round of the tournament calls for some kid-friendly bubbly.