Mia Malkova and Lexi Luna kick off season five with a deceptively difficult classic: gourmet burgers and fries. Chef Jojo makes it clear there are no shortcuts this time, forcing both contestants to grind their own meat from scratch.

Lexi moves quickly but runs into trouble after overloading her burger mixture with egg, sending her into recovery mode midway through prep. 

Mia takes a slower, more methodical approach, though Chef Jojo worries she’s spending too much time perfecting her patties while the rest of the plate falls behind.

As burgers hit the griddle and toppings start coming together, Mia scrambles to rescue her watery mixture while Lexi pushes ahead with mushrooms and onions.

Lexi’s burger earns praise for its flavor despite being slightly overcooked, while Mia impresses Chef Jojo with a juicy burger and crispy fries that only lack seasoning. 

In a surprisingly close call, Mia Malkova takes the win and advances to the semifinals.

As the pressure builds, both contestants race to get noodles, protein, and toppings plated before time runs out.

Chef Jojo praises the balance of Elly’s pad thai along with the flavor and cook on both her chicken and tofu. Adria’s chicken lands well too, but her noodles end up overwhelmed by soy sauce.

In the end, Elly’s steady approach pays off and sends her into the semifinals.

Hayley Davies and Adam22 take on Mexican street food with the freedom to choose both their protein and final dish. 

Despite the open-ended challenge, both contestants land on quesadillas, setting up an unexpected head-to-head battle. As a vegetarian, Hayley feels out of her element cooking chicken for the first time, while Adam bets heavily on his steak knowledge.

Hayley focuses on balancing her filling with beans and onions while refining her salsa and presentation. Across the kitchen, Adam sticks to a more classic steak-and-cheese approach.

Chef Jojo responds well to Hayley’s chicken quesadilla and guacamole, even if his poker face keeps her nervous throughout the tasting. 

Adam’s dish, meanwhile, suffers from heavy seasoning and a guacamole texture that never fully comes together.

Ultimately, Hayley kept things cleaner and calmer in the kitchen, and the results were good enough to secure a spot in the semifinals.

Alexis Fawx and Vanna Bardot take on shrimp scampi in one of the cleanest and most organized kitchen battles Chef Jojo has seen on This Is Fire. 

The calm doesn’t last forever, though, especially after Vanna accidentally dumps an entire container of red pepper flakes into her sauce.

Both contestants run into trouble with their pasta choices. Vanna sticks with dry linguine while Alexis gambles on fresh pasta in hopes of saving time, but neither fully nails the texture they’re after.

Vanna manages to finish early enough to add caviar to her final plate, while Alexis barely beats the clock after scrambling through the final moments of prep.

Chef Jojo praises Alexis’ shrimp and overall flavors despite her messy presentation. Vanna’s herbs, seasoning, and polished plate ultimately give her the edge.

Vanna earns a semifinal spot and high praise from Chef Jojo, who calls both dishes some of the best ever on This Is Fire.

The semifinals begin with Hayley Davies and Elly Clutch facing one of the most intimidating dishes of the season: Wagyu Katsu Sando with a perfect ruby-red center.

 Elly enters feeling confident after learning Hayley has never cooked red meat before, but that confidence quickly unravels once her grill bursts into flames mid-challenge.

Things only get messier when Elly accidentally places her panko-coated wagyu back onto the grill instead of into the fryer. Across the kitchen, Hayley quietly finds momentum as Chef Jojo praises the golden crust developing on her sandwich.

By the tasting, neither competitor looks fully confident in their final plates despite Chef Jojo’s excitement to dig in.

Hayley’s sandwich earns strong marks for presentation, cook, and slaw, especially considering how many firsts she tackled during the challenge. Elly’s dish shows flashes of potential too, but inconsistent seasoning ultimately holds her back.

Hayley Davies moves on to the finals, with her beginner’s luck still very much alive.

Fresh off their first-round wins, Mia Malkova and Vanna Bardot enter the semifinals with plenty of confidence and a shot at the season five finale on the line. 

Chef Jojo tasks them with chicken wings and beer-battered onion rings, a challenge that quickly becomes more difficult once both realize they have almost no frying experience.

Mia works quickly but constantly questions her own decisions, while Vanna stays focused on seasoning and presentation. Timing issues and inconsistent batter force both contestants to improvise.

With only minutes remaining, Mia and Vanna scramble to finish frying, plate their dishes, and avoid leaving any final details behind.

Chef Jojo loves the flavor of Vanna’s wings, though her onion rings need more time in the fryer. Mia’s plating stands out immediately, and while her onion rings could use more seasoning, the overall dish gives her the edge.

Mia Malkova advances to the finals for a chance at the $20,000 prize.

Mia Malkova and Hayley Davies battle for the season five crown with one of the most technical dishes yet: grilled octopus paired with creamy risotto. 

Hayley leans into rich mushroom flavors while Mia builds a more herb-forward plate with basil, thyme, and rosemary.

As the risottos slowly come together, Hayley gains confidence while sautéing mushrooms in butter. 

Meanwhile, Mia starts spiraling after accidentally over-seasoning her sauce.

Both competitors race to finish grilling their octopus and bring every component together before time expires.

Chef Jojo praises Mia’s risotto for its texture and balance despite the slightly overcooked octopus. Hayley earns similar praise for the deep umami flavors in her mushroom risotto, and while her octopus also misses perfection, the overall dish feels more complete.

Hayley Davies secures the win and advances to the Grand Championship against season four’s Luna Star.

Season Four Champion Luna Star returns to defend her title against newly crowned champion Hayley Davies. Their challenge? Jambalaya, a Creole classic neither of them has ever cooked before.

Rice will take the longest, both chefs start there before splitting into very different rhythms. Luna focuses heavily on vegetables and seasoning while Hayley works through her meat and crawfish prep. 

The pressure peaks late in the challenge when Luna burns her hand on a cast-iron skillet and accidentally shatters a glass while racing to finish plating.

Despite the commotion, both contestants manage to get their jambalaya dishes to the table before time runs out.

Hayley’s jambalaya earns praise for its flavor, though Chef Jojo finds the dish slightly heavy and the chicken a bit dry. Luna counters with bold seasoning, balanced flavors, and the kind of confidence that’s defined her entire run in the competition.

In the end, Luna Star successfully defends her crown, taking home another $10,000 as the undefeated This Is Fire Grand Champion.