Auditions: Group 1

S18 E01 • Sunday, Apr 19, 2026 • Apr 19 • 1h 19m

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.

Auditions: Group 2

S18 E02 • Monday, Apr 20, 2026 • Apr 20 • 58m

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.

Auditions: Second Chance

S18 E03 • Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026 • Apr 21 • 53m

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?

Mystery Box: Jimmy Barnes

S18 E04 • Sunday, Apr 26, 2026 • Apr 26 • 1h 15m

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.

Elimination Challenge: Family Favourites

S18 E05 • Monday, Apr 27, 2026 • Apr 27 • 50m

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.

Invention Test: Cereal

S18 E06 • Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026 • Apr 28 • 48m

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

Pressure Test: Maggie Beer

S18 E07 • Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026 • Apr 29 • 52m

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.

Immunity Challenge: Andy Cooks

S18 E08 • Sunday, May 3, 2026 • May 3 • 1h 3m

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.

Elimination Challenge: Reinventing Carbs

S18 E09 • Monday, May 4, 2026 • May 4 • 49m

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

Team Challenge: Family Feast

S18 E10 • Tuesday, May 5, 2026 • May 5 • 49m

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.

Elimination Challenge: Family Traditions

S18 E11 • Wednesday, May 6, 2026 • May 6

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

Mystery Box Challenge: Catherine Zhang

S18 E12 • Sunday, May 10, 2026 • May 10

Unreleased

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

Elimination Challenge: Viral Ingredients

S18 E13 • Monday, May 11, 2026 • May 11

Unreleased

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

Team Service Challenge: Viral-worthy Dish

S18 E14 • Tuesday, May 12, 2026 • May 12

Unreleased

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

Immunity Pin Challenge: Khanh Ong

S18 E15 • Wednesday, May 13, 2026 • May 13

Unreleased

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