Season 3 begins with the introduction of 19 new cooks, who tackle their first mystery box challenge by making a dish with only the ingredients they are given. The winner gets to pick the pasta the other contestants prepare for the judges.

Three of the junior cooks race to be the first to top their pies with whipped meringue; the cooks pair up to create sausage dishes.

Twelve cooks remain for a mystery box challenge using ingredients that get better with age. Later, the contestants work with the most dangerous protein in the show's history.

A pantry hunt pits the winners from the previous challenge against one another to match the most ingredients in the time allotted. Later, the 10 remaining contestants team up in pairs to complete an elaborate sushi dish.

In the next mystery box challenge, the eight remaining junior home cooks create unique banana dishes. The junior home cook who most impresses the judges wins a significant advantage in the next elimination challenge. Later, special guest and Gordon Ramsay's daughter, Matilda Ramsay, introduces the home cooks to their next elimination challenge dish, a Ramsay family favorite, Salmon en Croute.

In one of the toughest challenges of the season, the six remaining junior home cooks face the restaurant takeover challenge. The contestants split into two teams and take over a real Los Angeles restaurant. Find out which team is victorious and who advances to the Top 4.

The competition heats up as the 4 remaining junior home cooks must prepare 20 crème brulees. The home cook who successfully brulees the most cremes in the allotted time earns a significant advantage in the next elimination challenge. Next, the junior home cooks has to each make a complex raspberry dessert dish. The two contestants who impress the judges the most earns their spot in the finale and be one step closer to the title.

In the exciting season finale, the two finalists competes head-to-head and prepare the most important menu of their young lives. Find out which talented junior home cook earns the MasterChef trophy and a $100,000 prize.