The 26-year-old American triumphed over Sara Danesin and Tom Whitaker in tonight's final and was awarded the coveted title by judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode.
Anderson grew up in Racine, Wisconsin with his parents and brother, before moving to LA to attend college aged 18. He has been married to his wife Laura for three years and lives in North London, where he is currently working at a craft beer bar near Euston Station.
In this evening's final three-course meal challenge, Anderson dished up a starter of Tri-City Sliders (The Los Angeles Slider of wagyu tartare, smoky lime and jalapeño marmalade, avocado and butter bean mousse, The Tokyo slider of monkfish liver, umeboshi ketchup, jellied ponzu, matcha mayonnaise and The London Slider of curried lamb cheeseburger, apple and ale chutney, raita mayonnaise), followed by a main of kyushu-style pork ramen with truffled lobster, gyoza and aromatic oils, and a trio of British desserts consisting of sticky toffee crème brulee with blackcurrant stout sauce, rhubarb crumble with custard and cheddar cheesecake with whiskey jelly.
"Tom and Sara are outstanding cooks and I never really thought I had a chance to beat either of them," said Anderson afterwards. "Looking back on all the amazing cooks that left before me, it is really quite humbling to have come out on top. Humbling but super awesome at the same time.
"Really, it is such a good feeling. I'm very proud of the accomplishment and I'm just so glad that John and Gregg liked my food."
Torode said: "I think all three were amazing but Tim was in a different world altogether. He had influences from Norway, Japan, America, Australia and the UK. That all coming together gave us the best culinary explosion that we've ever seen in MasterChef."
Challenges in the final week for the Top 3 included catering for a wedding in 35C heat in Australia, preparing a three-course lunch for Torode's mentors, serving up dinner for Michelin-starred chefs and working in three of New York's finest restaurants.
The Wisconsin-native admitted that he thought his MasterChef dream was over in the early stages of the competition when he had his first night of professional service at Suka. "I walked out of that hotel thinking I just might not have what it takes to be a professional cook," he said.
However, from his first dish of cod tempura and candied purple sweet potato chips at the auditions, Anderson always impressed the judges.
"The big, silly, long-term goal is to have an empire, hopefully including several regional Japanese restaurants and an American-style brewpub," he said. "But for the moment I'm really anxious to get into some professional kitchens and work in whatever capacity I can.
"I still have so much to learn about how a kitchen and a restaurant operates, from nuts and bolts things like butchery and knife skills and sauces up to ordering, accounting and staffing. Then I'll be ready to open a restaurant that focuses on the cuisine of southern Japan while still allowing a few creative, personal dishes."
Anderson will appear at the MasterChef Experience at the Summer Good Food
Show in Birmingham on June 15 to June 19.
