Diego Sanchez went home on Hell's Kitchen Season 25 Episode 3, eliminated after the Blue Team's second dinner service fell apart and he would not tell Gordon Ramsay who he thought was the team's weakest cook. The episode, titled "Sliding Into Hell," sent both teams to a water park for a reward-and-punishment slider challenge before that night's service. Here is the full recap of the October 8, 2026 episode: the challenge, the service, the standout dish, and where the two teams stand now.
New here? The Hell's Kitchen Season 25 guide has the premiere date, the all-under-25 cast, and the Foxwoods prize. Catch up on Episode 2's recap, where Serenity "Reni" Lee was sent home after raw salmon sank the Red Team's first service.
Who Went Home on Hell's Kitchen Season 25 Episode 3?
Diego Sanchez was eliminated, the Blue Team's first chef sent home this season. Per Gold Derby's episode 3 recap and Moviedelic's recap, the Blue Team nominated Miguel Soliz first, then Diego after Gabe Cerease said Diego gave "too much crossing over" and didn't adequately back up the fish station. Aiden Ricklef also drew votes from his teammates, and Ramsay called all three men forward.
Ramsay asked Diego directly who he thought was the weakest cook on the Blue Team. Diego wouldn't answer and insisted no one on the team was weak, a non-answer Filmifeed's recap frames as the moment that cost him. Ramsay ruled Aiden safe outright and kept Miguel in the competition but on "thin ice," then sent Diego home.
The Challenge: Water-Park Sliders
Both teams spent the morning at a water park, racing down the slides for their ingredients before a slider cook-off. Two chefs from each team worked the same protein, with four proteins in play (bison, beef, lamb and venison), 30 minutes on the clock and a wild card ingredient to fit in. Ramsay judged alongside Paul Wahlberg, executive chef and co-founder of Wahlburgers, according to Moviedelic.
The Blue Team won 4 to 2. Points went to Gabe Cerease and Nadia Philips on beef, Miles Anderson and Kylie Budich on venison, Aiden Ricklef on lamb and Valentín Royo on bison. The men's reward was an afternoon of go-kart racing. The women's punishment was grinding several pounds of beef for the next night's tableside sliders, plus peeling, slicing, blanching and frying the potatoes. Mya Gonsalves held a Punishment Pass but chose to stay and work with her team.
Dinner Service: Celebrity Tables and a Blue Team Collapse
The Red Team won the second dinner service, and the Blue Team, fresh off its challenge win, came apart. Comedian Jay Pharoah ate at the blue side, radio host Bobby Bones at the red side, and Paralympic swimmer and sportscaster Victoria Arlen was also among the VIP guests.
The women got their food out without a major breakdown. Jeyda Brooks overcooked a batch of scallops and a lobster skewer had to be redone, but Mya Gonsalves and Nadia Philips were singled out for praise. On the blue side the problems ran through the whole menu: bland polenta, a pork chop that came up dry, another that was still undercooked even after it was re-fired, and lamb that went to the pass nearly raw. Miguel Soliz got overwhelmed on garnish, communication on the line broke down, and Ramsay called the service a disaster. Gabe pinned the fish-station trouble on Diego Sanchez "crossing over" instead of backing the station up, which set up the nominations.
Where the Teams Stand
16 chefs remain after Episode 3, out of the original 18-chef all-under-25 cast. The Blue Team is down to eight after Diego Sanchez's elimination; the Red Team is unchanged at eight, still without a second loss since Serenity "Reni" Lee went home in Episode 2.
| Team | Chefs remaining after Episode 3 |
|---|---|
| Blue Team (Men) | Aiden Ricklef, Dylan Duffy, Gabriel "Gabe" Cerease, Jonathan "Jonny G" Gudino, Michael "Mike" Catuosco, Miguel Soliz, Miles Anderson, Valentín Royo |
| Red Team (Women) | Georgiana Pahon, Haley Moss, Jeyda Brooks, Joy Shi, Kylie Budich, Mya Gonsalves, Nadia Philips, Sandra Leclerc |
| Eliminated | Serenity "Reni" Lee (Episode 2), Diego Sanchez (Episode 3) |
This Week's Standout Dish: Bison Slider
Valentín Royo's bison slider earned the Blue Team one of its four points in the water-park challenge. Bison is far leaner than beef, so a bison patty dries out quickly if it goes past medium; a small slider patty cooks through in a couple of minutes a side, which is why a hot pan and a short cook matter more here than with a fattier blend. For a home template, our Gordon Ramsay signature burgers cover seasoning and building the patty, and the same method works with ground bison as long as you pull it earlier. The USDA's safe minimum for ground meat is 160°F, so check the center with a thermometer.
Cook the Episode 3 Dishes at Home
The slider challenge ran through two other proteins we already cover at home. Aiden Ricklef's winning lamb slider has a direct match in our Gordon Ramsay lamb burger recipe, built on the same well-seasoned ground lamb patty. For the beef sliders the rest of the field cooked, our Gordon Ramsay burger recipe covers the hot-pan sear and the rest that keep a small patty juicy. And for the Red Team's side of the service, the pan-seared scallops guide shows how not to overcook them. For more of the show's dishes, see the best Hell's Kitchen recipes.
What to Expect Next Week
Episode 4, "Hell's Kitchen University," airs Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 8/7c on FOX (streaming on Hulu the next day). According to the episode listing, the chefs get a taste of college life in a beer pong-themed challenge that tests who can best pair a drink with their protein.
Hell's Kitchen Season 25 Episode 3 FAQs
The questions that come up most: who went home, what happened, who won the challenge, who is still in the competition, and when the next episode airs.
Who went home on Hell's Kitchen Season 25 Episode 3?
Diego Sanchez was eliminated after the Blue Team's second dinner service fell apart and he declined to name the team's weakest cook when Ramsay asked him directly.
What happened on Hell's Kitchen Season 25 Episode 3?
Both teams ran a water-park slider challenge judged by Gordon Ramsay and Wahlburgers co-founder Paul Wahlberg, and the Blue Team won 4 to 2. That night, with Jay Pharoah, Bobby Bones and Victoria Arlen among the VIP guests, the Red Team won service and the Blue Team's broke down, and Ramsay eliminated Diego Sanchez after weighing him against Miguel Soliz and Aiden Ricklef.
Who won the slider challenge on Episode 3?
The Blue Team won 4 to 2 and went go-kart racing. The Red Team's punishment was grinding beef for the tableside sliders and prepping the potatoes for frying.
Who is still on Hell's Kitchen Season 25 after Episode 3?
The Blue Team is down to eight: Aiden Ricklef, Dylan Duffy, Gabriel "Gabe" Cerease, Jonathan "Jonny G" Gudino, Michael "Mike" Catuosco, Miguel Soliz, Miles Anderson, and Valentín Royo. The Red Team remains at eight: Georgiana Pahon, Haley Moss, Jeyda Brooks, Joy Shi, Kylie Budich, Mya Gonsalves, Nadia Philips, and Sandra Leclerc.
When is the next episode of Hell's Kitchen Season 25?
Episode 4, "Hell's Kitchen University," airs Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 8/7c on FOX, streaming on Hulu the following day.
About the Author
John Siracusa is the founder of Hell’s Kitchen Recipes. He focuses on technique-first, reproducible home cooking and researches recipes & kitchen equipment from published food science and professional chef methods since 2016.