19 Suuuper Awkward Moments From Cooking Competition Shows That Will Have You Cringing For Eternity

Step away from the grill pan!

If you don't spend your time watching cooking competition shows on Food Network and beyond, are you really living? The wonderful ridiculousness of reality competitions mixed in with the passion for culinary art makes it all must-see TV.

NBC

Don't believe me? These 19 food contest moments managed to entertain me and make me cringe all at once:

1. The raw (onion) hilarity from this Chopped episode makes me understand why people adore the absurdity of reality show competitions.

Food Network

One contestant on Chopped used raw onions in his first course, which led judge Scott Conant to tell the contestant that he hated raw onions in his food. Despite the judgment, the contestant added raw onions to the next course, which infuriated Conant.

The contestant even trolled the judges, saying he would make an "onion jam" for dessert. Needless to say, the contestant didn't become Chopped Champion but was also part of another awkward moment...

2. Controversy in the dessert round leads to a heated argument.

Food Network

After failing to plate his dessert fully, the judges asked the contestant's opponent (the red onion chef) if he would allow them to taste his un-plated dish. The opponent awkwardly refused, and it led the other chef to trash talk, implying he would win because his first two dishes were still far superior.

And he was right. He became Chopped Champion thanks to his first two dishes.

3. A special surprise in Crazy Delicious had me in tears.

Netflix

In this cooking competition, one contestant made a pizza with a "special surprise." Now, if you're like me, you assume a secret ingredient is hidden in the pizza. The judges took a slice, and as each took their first bite, the contestant began belting some operatic notes.

It was so left-field, and — despite her lovely vocals — it was awkward watching three people try to eat a pizza during her performance. It caught the judges (and myself) off guard.

4. A fight for a grill pan on Chopped made me turn away from the TV.

Food Network

You can't stop social awkwardness from happening on reality TV. In this episode of Chopped, a tug-of-war over a grill pan broke out between two contestants.

Despite who ended up with the pan, there were no winners. Only an uncomfortable clip of grown adults refusing to let go of cookware.

5. Fire in the Chopped kitchen!

Food Network

One Chopped contestant started a grease fire and went to the sink to put water on it (a colossal no-no). The fire was put out, but the judges watched like their life flashed before their eyes.

I don't blame the contestant because we don't make the best decisions in stressful situations, but I was embarrassed by the show's effort. If this turned into a hazardous situation, I hope they would have done more than keep the cameras rolling. I've watched plenty of reality shows where they step in to prevent something dangerous before it happens. (Maybe we missed it via the magic of editing, but why make your TV show look careless?)

6. Alex fumbles the competition away on Chopped.

Food Network

Those blasted ice cream machines! Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli got a little too comfortable with the handling of her sorbet, proceeding to drop it on the floor.

Even the great ones make mistakes. To have a competition end with one contestant dropping their dish sucks the air out of the room and is a nightmare for people who just watched an entire episode only for it to end with a splat.

7. How hard can one palm their face?

Food Network

On the show Worst Cooks in America, when asked where the "Chinese" elements are in her dish, one contestant responds by saying, "Isn't, like, fish kind of Chinese?"

Alex's reaction says it all.

8. A hot mic makes things painfully awkward for the other contestants.

Bravo

After being eliminated from Top Chef: All-Stars, the defeated contestant held her head high and hugged the other contestants as she departed. She, unfortunately, forgot she was still mic'd and went on a profanity-laced speech backstage while everyone could still hear.

You can see the discomfort on everyone's faces, and the second-hand embarrassment is unbearable. 

9. An error (times two) by the most relatable person ever on Kids Baking Championship.

Food Network

With time against him, a young contestant needed to put the icing on the cake (pun intended) using his stencil. Not once, but twice he tried to stencil the wrong way.

Most people would fold in moments as awkward as this, but the kid laughed it off by saying, "You didn't see that."

10. A fan-favorite contestant quits Spring Baking Championship.

Food Network

After being told to compete in a sudden death round that involved making sprinkles, one of the best contestants in the 2022 season of the Spring Baking Championship walked out. He felt it was unfair for his position in the competition to be in jeopardy after not being the worst dish in the previous round.

It was a controversial moment, and the fans were up in arms after the commercial break proceeded on to the next round as if one of the best bakers didn't just quit.

11. A crowded deep fryer led to a contestant losing on Chopped and left Martha Stewart stunned.

Food Network

With just five minutes left to the round, all four competitors needed the fryer. One chef removed another chef's food, another fried their food over another competitor's, and one competitor didn't get their food in the fryer until two minutes left.

It was a sloppy mess and affected all the plates, but it hurt the eliminated contestant the most, who was the last one to use the fryer.

12. Chopped contestant serves empty plates to the judges.

Food Network

Imagine making all that food and not having the time to plate it.

The contestant had the chance to offer what didn't make the plate to the judges, and they liked it. But, no plating, no next round.

13. Bobby Flay's last Iron Chef was so awkward that producers hated it.

Food Network

According to Variety, on an episode of Iron Chef: America, Flay ripped off his apron with a shirt that read, "THIS IS MY LAST IRON CHEF BATTLE EVER." He later told People, "The network was not thrilled. I thought it would be good TV. They didn't think of it that way, and that's obviously their prerogative."

14. Some toxic eel is served to the Chopped judges.

Food Network

One contestant on a Halloween edition of Chopped served raw eel (one of the mystery ingredients), and because eel blood is toxic, the dish was not able to be judged appropriately.

The question is, why would anyone want to consume anything with toxic blood?

15. One of the funniest (and most destructive) bloopers you'll see on MasterChef Canada.

CTV

This awkward moment is so relatable. A contestant rushed to grab his cast iron plate but dropped it. Instead of letting it hit the floor, he tried to wedge it between his body and the oven, which led to the oven glass shattering and the handle snapping off. Talk about "from bad to worse."

It's hard to cook chicken without an oven. Luckily, a fellow contestant offered for him to use hers.

16. A contestant reached her hand into boiling water on Worst Cooks in America:

Food Network

Luckily, it wasn't a rolling boil, but the fact that she kept reaching in despite it hurting was a hilarious moment that is so painfully awkward. What's worse about moments like this is that no one offered to help by yelling, "GRAB TONGS!"

17. Whatever this boiled chicken monstrosity is from Worst Cooks in America:

Food Network

18. Or this:

Food Network

19. And lastly, one more for the road...MEAT my friend Teddy:

Food Network

What's the most awkward thing to happen to you in a kitchen? Share your mishaps in the comments below!