MasterChef Season 16 Finale Date: Part 2 Aired Sept. 16, 2026 and Jake Kelley Won
Quick answer — The MasterChef season 16 finale aired Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and Jake Kelley won. Fox split the ending across two Wednesdays: Part 1 on September 9 eliminated nobody, and Part 2 — episode 18, the dessert round — decided the $250,000 prize.
The final three were Heidi Muston, Jake Kelley and Peter Egede. Kelley, a 24-year-old pharmacy technician from Alma, Michigan, took the trophy. The full result and his three-course menu are in Who Won MasterChef Season 16.
When was the MasterChef season 16 finale?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Finale Part 1 | Season 16, Episode 17 — Wednesday, September 9, 2026, no elimination |
| Finale Part 2 | Season 16, Episode 18 — Wednesday, September 16, 2026 |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT |
| Network | Fox (streaming on Hulu the next day) |
| Winner | Jake Kelley |
| Runners-up | Heidi Muston, Peter Egede |
| Prize | Trophy and $250,000 |
Who judged the MasterChef finale?
- Gordon Ramsay
- Joe Bastianich
- Tiffany Derry
All three judged both halves. Part 1 put the finalists through an appetizer and an entrée course; the dessert course on September 16 is what separated them.
How did the season get here?
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Restaurant Takeover | August 26, 2026 |
| 16 | Keeping Up With Gordon and Tiffany | September 2, 2026 |
| 17 | Finale Part 1 | September 9, 2026 |
| 18 | Finale Part 2 — Jake Kelley wins | September 16, 2026 |
What comes next for MasterChef?
Season 16 is finished, so there is nothing new on Fox on Wednesdays in this slot for now. Every MasterChef post from the season is collected in the show hub, and our sister site tracks the rest of the autumn's cooking competitions in the fall 2026 cooking-show schedule.
Where can you stream the MasterChef finale?
Fox aired the season weekly and episodes moved to Hulu the next day, so both finale halves are streaming now. If you are coming in cold, the Global Gauntlet framing — cooks grouped by region — is the one piece of context worth knowing before you watch the dessert round.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MasterChef season 16 finale date? Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Fox split the ending in two: Part 1 aired September 9, Part 2 on September 16.
What time did the MasterChef finale start? 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on Fox.
Who won MasterChef season 16? Jake Kelley, 24, of Alma, Michigan. He beat Heidi Muston and Peter Egede and took $250,000 and the trophy.
Who was in the MasterChef season 16 final three? Heidi Muston, Jake Kelley and Peter Egede. Part 1 ended without an elimination, so all three cooked in Part 2.
What does the winner get? The MasterChef trophy and $250,000.
Can you stream the finale now? Yes — MasterChef is a Fox show, so episodes land on Hulu the day after they air. Our streaming guide covers the rest of the cooking-show services.
Why did Part 1 not crown a winner? Only the appetizer and entrée courses aired September 9. The dessert course — and the result — came on September 16.
Schedule data in part from TVmaze.