‘MasterChef’ recap: Sweet vs. spicy sparks drama in double Mystery Box showdown – ‘We can’t digest it’

Tonight on MasterChef, the competition heats up and rivalries ignite as the chef-testants battle it out in hopes of impressing judges Gordon Ramsay, Tiffany Derry, and Joe Bastianich.

In the first Mystery Box challenge of the season, the Top 11 duos enter the kitchen to find not one, but two boxes at their station. They lift them to discover one box contains sweet ingredients and the other, spicy ingredients. Each pair of cooks must combine the two boxes of ingredients to make a harmonious, MasterChef-worthy dish. The duo with the winning dish will get an advantage in the next challenge, while the duo with the worst dish will be out of the competition in the all-new "Mister-y & Mrs. Box" episode of MasterChef: Dynamic Duos airing Wednesday, June 18 (8 p.m. ET/PT) on Fox.

The Contestants

See the full list of Season 15 contestants below (with previously eliminated chefs crossed out).

The Challenge

The chef-testants are in for a surprise — and a challenge — when they discover two Mystery Boxes at each station. One box brims with sweet ingredients, including maple syrup, fresh cherries, and chocolate, while the other contains spicy elements like horseradish, mustard greens, and peppers. The task? Combine at least two ingredients from each box and make them work together as "natural partners" in a cohesive dish.

Adding to the pressure, neither Mystery Box includes any protein. The judges bring the contestants forward to unveil 11 available protein options, setting the stage for the twist: last week's challenge winners, Zach and Michelle, will decide which team cooks with each protein. With no vegan options in play, Darce and Courtney face an extra hurdle — they'll have to cook meat for the first time in the competition. Zach and Michelle strategically assign them chicken, banking on the possibility that they'll struggle with mastering one of the most straightforward proteins.

Once all teams receive their protein assignments, the timer begins, and the chefs have just 60 minutes to craft their dishes and prove their creativity under pressure.

Top 3

Jessica & Jesse
Dish: Seared Prawns with Sweet Carrot & Ginger Puree, Spicy Shrimp & 'Nduja Jus, and Mustard Greens
Gordon: "Visually, you deliver with such finesse."
Tiffany: "I am loving that carrot puree. It is so gorgeous and delicious!"
Joe: "We asked you to execute a combination of sweet and spicy. You went beyond that."

Rachel & Julio
Dish: Seared Octopus with Patatas Bravas, Spicy Salsa Roja, and Sweet Chambord Pickled Apples & Radishes
Gordon: "It is delicious, however, I want more sauce!"
Tiffany: "My goodness — y'all brought it today! The octopus is tender. This is a delicious plate of food."
Joe: "This dish is a perfect example of what a balanced dish should taste like. This is better than the octopus in some of my restaurants."

Tina & Aivan
Dish: Korean Style BBQ Short Rib with Radish Kimchi and Garlic Rice
Gordon: "Those short ribs melt in your mouth."
Tiffany: "I love the beef. It is tender, but you could have benefited from a sauce."
Joe: "The flavors are pronounced and the dish is unified in its theme."

Winner

The winner of this challenge is Rachel & Julio. They will receive a "huge" advantage in the next challenge.

Photo credit: Kelly Gardner/Fox

Bottom 3

Azu & Javier
Dish: Spiced Venison with Sweet Beurre Rouge Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Salad
Gordon: "I want to make one thing clear — that's not a beurre rouge. And these three pieces of fruit look like they've come out of my son's lunchbox."
Tiffany: "I'm not sure you actually communicated on what you should make as a duo. It's not a dish that I'm enjoying."
Joe: "You certainly didn't do what we asked you to do — create a cohesive dish that is balanced and unified."

Ashley & Ricky
Dish: Spiced-Rubbed Filet Mignon with Dirty Rice, Sweet Chambord Sauce and Radish, Mango & Pineapple Slaw
Gordon: "You can see how [the filet] has gone gray because you threw it back in the oven twice. It's the worst thing you could ever do to a filet."
Tiffany: "It just didn't come together. It doesn't work."
Joe: "This dish is a series of errors. The filet is over-seared."

Zach & Michelle
Dish: Crispy Skin Duck Breast with Sweet Cherry Red Wine Sauce, Duck Fat Mashed Potatoes, and Spicy Mustard Greens
Gordon: "When there's that much duck fat, we can't digest it. I'd never send out a plate like that at my restaurant."
Tiffany: "Everything is sweet. There is no balance."
Joe: "Your advantage backfired in more ways than one. The sauce doesn't even have the right consistency ... I've never seen such a fall."

Elimination

The second duo eliminated from Season 15 of MasterChef is Ashley & Ricky. The siblings remarked, "We can cook a lot better than what we showed today. Being eliminated definitely sucks."

Photo credit: Kelly Gardner/Fox

Next Week

It's sink or swim as the Top 10 duos face their first team challenge of the season — making seafood for 101 fisherman and their families.