In the season three premiere, twelve Hell's Kitchen chefs begin their journey for the final prize: becoming head chef at the Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa in Henderson, Nevada.
After a disastrous opening night, both teams prepare for the next challenge; a contestant starts to succumb to the pressure; a challenge tests food-preparation skills; another chef must leave.
The teams prepare breakfast for men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces dining in the kitchen; one contestant falls seriously ill; another chef must leave.
The remaining seven chefs must present a meal for a wedding reception at the restaurant; the teams race to make sure they do not disappoint the newlyweds or the hungry bridal party.
The remaining six chefs must turn leftovers into meals in 30 minutes; the winning team gets a chance for revenge on chef Ramsay; poor communication may signal the end for one contestant.
Chef Ramsay combines the remaining five chefs into one team; the chefs must compete head-to-head with individual dishes to impress trendsetters; two contestants have a heated power-struggle; chef Ramsay makes a heartfelt offer.
The remaining three chefs must transform classic American dishes into entrées worthy of fine dining; the contestants' mothers vote on their favorite entrées without knowing who made them; chef Ramsay chooses the two finalists.
Chef Ramsay brings in helping hands to staff the dinner service in the final challenge; tempers flare between competitors; the winner becomes the new head chef of one of Ramsay's Las Vegas restaurants.
Fifteen vie for the position of executive chef at Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant, scheduled to open in the summer of 2008; Gordon gets physically sick from a contestant's concoction; one contestant goes missing.
Each team must accurately slice a halibut into six-ounce fillets; one member of each team must work as the maître d' while the others staff the kitchen; one chef is eliminated.
On family night, the team that makes the most fresh pasta for that night's dinner service wins a day of fun at the Santa Monica Pier; an accident sends one contestant to the hospital.
The aspiring chefs compete to create the best gourmet pizza, after which the winning team will enjoy a gourmet meal in Santa Barbara and the losing team will take and deliver pizza orders.
The teams must prepare dishes in a relay race; the winning team gets a day of fun in the sun; the losing team must clean the entire restaurant; one chef is eliminated.
The chefs are challenged to teach cooking-impaired housewives how to make a gourmet meal; chefs Mark Peel and Ben Ford treat the challenge winner to a one-on-one course; the chefs struggle to balance a dozen appetizers, entrées and desserts.