10 Shows Like Chopped (2009) for Culinary Competition Fans

Description: 'Top Chef' shares with 'Chopped' a focus on culinary excellence and competition, but it spans over a season with multiple challenges, including quickfires similar to 'Chopped's' timed rounds. Both shows test chefs' versatility and creativity under time constraints.

Fact: 'Top Chef' has won multiple Emmy Awards. The show has spawned international versions in countries like Canada and France. Contestants often go on to have successful culinary careers post-show.

Description: This show, like 'Chopped', involves cooking under time constraints with unexpected twists. The unique setting of a grocery store adds a layer of complexity, similar to how 'Chopped' chefs must work with mystery basket ingredients.

Fact: Hosted by Guy Fieri, known for his energetic personality. Contestants must shop for ingredients within a set budget. The show often features themed episodes, like cooking with only frozen foods.

Description: Similar to 'Chopped', 'Beat Bobby Flay' is a cooking competition where chefs face off in timed challenges. The final round always involves trying to out-cook celebrity chef Bobby Flay, adding a high-stakes element akin to 'Chopped's' judging panel.

Fact: Bobby Flay has a reputation for being a tough competitor. The show often features guest judges from the culinary world. Contestants must win a preliminary round to face Flay.

Description: While 'Hell's Kitchen' is more about the intense pressure and high standards in a professional kitchen, it shares with 'Chopped' the element of timed cooking challenges and the need for quick thinking. Both shows highlight the drama and stress of culinary competitions.

Fact: Hosted by Gordon Ramsay, known for his fiery temper. The show is filmed in a replica of a high-end restaurant kitchen. Winners often get a head chef position at a prestigious restaurant.

Description: Similar to 'Chopped', 'Iron Chef America' is a high-stakes cooking competition where chefs must think on their feet and showcase their culinary skills under pressure. Both shows emphasize creativity, speed, and the ability to work with mystery ingredients, though 'Iron Chef America' has a more structured format with themed battles.

Fact: The show is based on the Japanese series 'Iron Chef', which aired in the 1990s. The Chairman, played by Mark Dacascos, is a nod to the original Japanese host. The show features a secret ingredient revealed at the start of each battle.

Description: 'Food Network Star' is about finding the next great cooking show personality, but like 'Chopped', it involves cooking challenges that test creativity and skill under pressure. Both shows are about proving oneself in the culinary world.

Fact: Winners get their own show on Food Network. The competition includes not just cooking but also presentation and personality. Past winners include Guy Fieri and Melissa d'Arabian.

Description: While 'Worst Cooks in America' focuses on improving terrible cooks rather than showcasing top talent like 'Chopped', both shows involve timed cooking challenges and the pressure to perform under scrutiny. The transformation aspect adds a unique twist.

Fact: The show is hosted by Anne Burrell and other celebrity chefs. Contestants are often comically bad at cooking at the start. The finale involves cooking a meal for a panel of judges.

Description: 'Cutthroat Kitchen' takes the 'Chopped' concept further by adding sabotage elements where chefs can bid to hinder their competitors. Both shows revolve around mystery ingredients and the challenge of creating dishes under less-than-ideal circumstances.

Fact: Hosted by Alton Brown, who also provides witty commentary. The show's sabotages can range from taking away utensils to forcing chefs to cook blindfolded. It emphasizes strategy as much as cooking skill.

Description: A direct spin-off of 'Chopped', 'Chopped Junior' features young chefs competing in the same high-pressure, mystery ingredient format. The show maintains the essence of the original while showcasing the talents of kids.

Fact: Contestants are between the ages of 9 and

Description: This series is a companion to 'Chopped', featuring the judges from the main show cooking with the mystery basket ingredients themselves. It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the judges' culinary skills and thought processes.

Fact: The judges often cook in a more relaxed, informal setting. The show reveals how the judges might have approached the challenges they critique. It adds depth to the 'Chopped' universe by humanizing the judges.