The teams competing in My Kitchen Rules 2026 have revealed the signature dishes they hope will help them impress judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge when the new series begins.
The returning co-hosts and judges will preside over a contest featuring home cooks from across Australia, with menus shaped by family traditions, cultural heritage and a love of comforting food.
Feildel has described the season as “exciting, fiery and spicy”, while advising contestants not to become distracted by the countdown clock.
“I know it’s easier said than done but try not to focus on the clock,” he said. “The clock is your enemy. The more you watch it, the more stressed you become – and the slower you work.”
Fassnidge said the strongest teams would be those prepared for problems in the kitchen, urging them to have alternatives ready.
“The biggest skill a team can have is a plan B and a plan C,” he said. “Expect things to go wrong and have something in your back pocket to fix them.”
My Kitchen Rules 2026 teams reveal their signature dishes
Queensland mother and daughter Krysten and Lucy bring a combination of fresh cooking, baking and Indonesian flavours to the competition.
Krysten is self-taught and makes food from scratch, while Lucy said her approach was “very pretty, well-thought-out and delicious”. She said her experience as a self-taught baker had taught her that “the eyes eat first”.
Their signature dish is chilli crab shio pan, which Krysten said combines Lucy’s baking with seafood and Indonesian flavours. Lucy also singled out their pain au chocolat as “simple, elegant, delicious, beautiful – just absolute perfection”.
South Australian friends Angus and Simon describe their partnership as “fun and fiery”. Angus, a funeral director, said they joke around in the kitchen but become serious when their dishes begin to unravel.
Angus’s signature dish is based on his grandmother’s mini sausage rolls. He said she “wasn’t the greatest cook in the world”, but made them with love, making the recipe a cherished memory.
Simon’s choice is Hainanese chicken rice, a dish he values for its heritage and for bringing together ingredients he enjoys.
Best friends Alisha and Deanne, also from South Australia, said cooking for their children was central to their lives as young mothers.
Alisha said there had been times while growing up when her family did not always have food on the table, making the ability to cook and provide for her own family particularly meaningful.
Alisha’s signature dish is her grandmother’s sticky date pudding, while Deanne favours birria tacos. Their advice to other mothers is to take a chance, back themselves and not be afraid to put themselves forward.
Victorian couple Tiffany and Giancarlo are drawing on their Italian heritage and family traditions. Tiffany listed spaghetti pomodoro, zozzona, fresh pasta, oven-roasted lemon potatoes and roast chicken among her specialities.
Giancarlo chose melanzane alla parmigiana, or eggplant parmigiana, which he described as his favourite dish while growing up. His version combines Sicilian and Neapolitan styles, with every member of his family having their own variation.
Tiffany said the pair were passionate, supportive and competitive, adding that they balanced each other when pressure mounted in the kitchen.
“We trust each other completely and genuinely enjoy cooking and working together,” she said.
New South Wales teammates Jane and Shane also believe their contrasting skills work well together. Jane, a food stylist, said their time in the kitchen involved “no drama” and “no confusion”, while Shane, a builder, described himself as the person who helped turn her ideas into reality.
Jane’s signature dish is a Sri Lankan prawn curry cooked over coals in a pizza oven. She said it represented the different skills they brought to the competition.
Shane’s speciality is handmade pasta, including hand-rolled and hand-cut prawn, chilli and lemon spaghetti, inspired by their shared love of Italy.
Victorian nurses Mary and Golden are entering the competition with Filipino food at the heart of their cooking.
Mary said Filipino cuisine was central to her identity and that she hoped her daughters would grow up appreciating it as much as she did. Golden said her palate had been shaped by Filipino food, but she had also spent years exploring other cuisines and recreating dishes she encountered while eating out or travelling.
My Kitchen Rules 2026 premieres on Seven and 7plus on Monday, September 28.
