MasterChef season 12, episode 20 winner: Who won MasterChef: Back to Win?

What an exciting season of MasterChef this has been! The cooking challenges were bigger and a lot tougher than previous installments, but we weren’t expecting anything less from this season’s batch of contestants.

Why? Because MasterChef season 12 brought back some of our favorite chef contestants from previous seasons for another change to win the title. Needless to say, this wasn’t their first rodeo, so Gordon Ramsay and the others were not going to go easy on them.

The second part of the final episode of the season aired on Sept. 14 on FOX. If you missed the big finale, please note there are spoilers ahead.

The grand finale welcomed special guest Christina Tosi to motivate the three finalists to cook their best, and last meal ever in the MasterChef kitchen. FOX promised the most competitive finale they have had, and they were not joking! Now, let’s see who took the crown this season!

Once again — final spoiler warning if you missed the big finale! Before we dive in, here’s a look back at one of the many intense moments from season 12 finale Part 1: 

Who won the first season of MasterChef: Back to Win?

It was an exciting and close finale competition, but at the end of it all, it was Dara who walked away victorious as the season’s winner! Honestly, we couldn’t think of a more deserving winner and loved seeing Dara walk away victorious.

Did you enjoy this season of MasterChef? I love the fun spin of featuring contestants from previous seasons. I really hope they do another season like it and we get to see many more chefs return for another chance at the Master Chef title — I would particularly love to see contestants from the Junior seasons!

Is MasterChef season 13 happening?

Another season of MasterChef is indeed on the way! Ahead of the season 12 finale, FOX announced it had renewed MasterChef for a thirteenth season which wasn’t too surprising given the show remains a favorite among viewers and a consistent performer!  We don’t yet know when the new season will arrive but anticipate it will likely arrive sometime in Summer 2023.

Enjoy episodes of MasterChef on FOX, or stream season 12 (and previous seasons) on Hulu.