Hell’s Kitchen season 24 episode 1 recap: Contestants clash over state pride to impress Gordon Ramsay

Hell’s Kitchen: Battle of the States! is back with season 24 set up at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, and premiered on September 25, 2025, on Fox at 8:00 pm ET with a bold new twist.

The theme for the episode, titled Making a State-ment, is clear: the chefs represent each state of the US. 

Gordon Ramsay and his team handpicked 50 chefs from all over the country and then later selected the top 20 representing their states who entered the kitchens in the premiere.

These top 20 chefs compete to win the title of being the champion of Hell's Kitchen, a prize of  $250,000, and a life-changing opportunity of being the head chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

The Battle of the States theme builds tension among the contestants as well as the audience as this season of Hell's Kitchen has become less about cooking and more about representing identity and state pride.

The top 20 contestants who live in the casino and compete moving forward to make their unique signature dishes in 45 minutes to put their state on the map are:

Anaiya from Delaware, Cydni from North Carolina, Chase from Montana, Carlos from Alaska, Chris from New Jersey, Paul from Colorado, Jada from Florida, Cara Marie from Rhode Island, Anthony from Iowa, Lisa from California, Bradley from Louisiana, Alexandra from Oregon, Henry from Texas, Cat from Maryland, Antonio from New Hampshire, Elaina from South Carolina, Maddy from New York, Jayden from Massachusetts, Ellie from Nevada, Jon from Georgia.

Hell's Kitchen season 24 premiere featured a signature dish showdown

Gordon Ramsay introduces his two sous chefs, who will be joining him, and each looks over the contestants, divided into two teams, with all the women in the red team and the men in the blue team. 

Restaurant owner and executive chef James Avery watches over the men's blue team and Hell Kitchen season 17 winner, Michelle Tribble, looks over the women's red team. 

After everyone finished their dishes, Ramsay called forward a member from each team in pairs and then tasted and scored each dish on a scale of 1 to 5, and the team with the highest total score was set to win the challenge. The results after the tastings were:

Ellie and Paul: 3-2

Jada and Anthony: 5-5

Jayden and Cara Marie: 4-2

Antonio and Elaina: 4-3

Cat and Chris: 4-4

Anaiya and Chase: 4-4

Jon and Maddy: 4-4

Cydni and Carlos: 4-2

Bradley and Alexandra: 5-4

Lisa and Henry: 5-4

Both teams ended up in a tie with a score of 38-38 each, so Gordon decided to break the tie based on the outstanding dishes in both teams, which, according to him, were of Lisa and Bradley.

Finally, Gordon announces Lisa's dish as better, making the red team the winner of the challenge, as he found it exceptional.

After the intense signature dish challenge, Gordon Ramsay announces that the red team will enjoy a luxurious day aboard a 120-foot yacht while the blue team must prepare the Hell’s Kitchen dining room for their first dinner service the next night.

As the men head to the lounge to unpack truckloads of tables, chairs, dishes, and linens, Gordon joins the women on the yacht, offering advice along the way.

He emphasised that they should take up jobs that would help them gain experience because money comes along eventually, and also reminded them that as soon as they feel they are the best chef, they are in the wrong kitchen.

In the dorms, Jayden is disappointed over two low scores from Paul and Carlos, while Carlos hopes to redeem himself as a strong competitor.

Gordon shares an interesting history about Connecticut on the following day in the kitchen.

He tells them that Connecticut, as its past name, The Provision Store, signifies, supplied food for George Washington’s forces during the Revolutionary War. 

Therefore, in Hell’s Kitchen, chefs will have access to some of the freshest ingredients.

Stay tuned for more updates.