The recruits begin by embarking on a treasure hunt fit for a pirate when their teams are tasked with discovering clues left for them by pirate captains Anne Burrell and Tyler Florence. Then, the recruits are asked to make poke bowls fit for a swashbuckler before the main dish challenge that converts boot camp into a Hawaiian luau complete with fire dancers. Those who can summon the spirit of the islands with their Hawaiian-inspired dishes will sail toward the finale while the rest must say "aloha" to boot camp.

The final two recruits begin with one last Skill Drill before Anne Burrell and Tyler Florence give them the opportunity to pick any dish they'd like to learn in a private lesson. The recruits then learn a three-course, restaurant-quality meal before the Main Dish Challenge where all their newly learned culinary skills are put to the test. Judges Debi Mazar, Michael Psilakis and Jessica Tom take the recruits' dishes into a blind taste test to determine who will win the $25,000 grand prize.