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Can You Freeze Chilli Con Carne?

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By Ross Young

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Chilli con carne does lend itself to being cooked in bulk. You can knock up a huge batch in a large casserole pot in an hour or two over the weekend to give yourself 4+ meals, but how do you then store it?

Can You Freeze Chilli Con Carne?

Yes, you can freeze chilli con carne for up to 3 months. To freeze chilli con carne, cool it, portion into bags, seal them up and then freeze. When you’re ready to eat it, defrost it in the fridge overnight for the following day.

Does Chilli Con Carne Freeze Well? Yes

Can You Refreeze Chilli Con Carne? No

How To Freeze Chilli Con Carne

But first, you need to know how to freeze your chilli, so here goes:

  1. Cool: Make your batch of chilli and then allow it to cool to room temperature as quickly as possible. You want it to have cooled down within 2 hours of cooking.
  2. Portion into Bags: Once cooled, portion the chilli into bags. Try to portion it into servings so it’s easier to manage when defrosting. Generally, one serving for an adult is around 250g of chilli con carne.
  3. Seal: Seal the bags up, trying to remove as much as possible. The best way to do this is to seal the bag up 90% before squeezing the air from the bottom to the top before finally sealing.
  4. Freeze: Label the bags and then place in the freezer.

How to Freeze Vegetarian Chilli

Whether a vegetarian, vegan or meat-eater, vegetarian chilli is still full of flavour and nutrients, making for a great midweek meal without loading up the calories.

But can you freeze a vegetarian chilli?

Well, yes, you can! Unsurprisingly, you can use the same method for freezing vegetarian chilli as you would when freezing chilli con carne.

These instructions are identical to the instructions above, so we’ve summarised them a little:

  1. Cool: Make your vegetarian chilli and then allow it to cool to room temperature.
  2. Bag Up: Portion into freezer bags. We would advise 250g servings per person so use this as a guide for the amount to freeze in each bag.
  3. Seal: Seal the bag up, removing as much air as possible, then seal.
  4. Freeze: Place in the freezer.
Vegetarian Chilli

3 Tips for Freezing Chilli Con Carne

Now you know how to freeze chilli con carne, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing them to have the best results:

Portion It
Make sure you freeze chilli in portions to make it far easier to grab a suitable amount every time you fancy chilli for dinner.

Use Bags
Chilli con carne tends to be full of bright, strong colours. Those colours can easily stain Tupperware containers. Instead, use freezer bags.

Thaw then Reheat
You’ll need to give chilli con carne ample time to thaw overnight. The following day, tip the contents into a large pan and warm over a low heat until piping hot. It’s ready to serve without any faff and very little washing up.

How Long Can You Freeze Chilli Con Carne?

Because chilli con carne (and vegetarian chilli) contains various ingredients and spices, we recommend freezing for up to 3 months.

Beyond this point, there is a chance that the flavours will become a little more subdued, and it might not pack the punch it once did.

Beyond the 3 months, it should remain safe to eat, but it might not be as tasty. As you probably know, the longer you leave anything in the freezer, the greater the risk that the texture changes, so this is worth bearing in mind.

How Long Does Chilli Con Carne Last in the Fridge?

You can keep a cooked then cooled chilli con carne in the fridge for between 3 and 4 days. It will need to be kept in an airtight container to avoid any contamination.

How Do You Defrost Chilli Con Carne?

Unfortunately, there aren’t any shortcuts or tricks for defrosting chilli con carne. Instead, you need to take the planned, slow and steady approach.

That means getting it out of the freezer the night before and placing it in a bowl in the fridge to thaw overnight slowly.

Once it has thawed overnight, you need to warm it up over a low heat in a pan until it is piping hot through. Don’t use a high heat as you risk burning the outside of the meat and vegetables before the inside has had time to warm through.

Taking the slow and steady approach to defrosting and reheating your chilli con carne will pay dividends when you come to eat it.

Can You Cook Chilli Con Carne From Frozen?

We would avoid cooking chilli from frozen. You want to meat to thaw fully before reheating it so that you can be confident the meat has hot completely.

Can You Refreeze Chilli Con Carne?

Refreezing most food is advised against, which is no different for chilli con carne. Unfortunately, you’re likely to change the texture dramatically when refreezing it.

Instead, try to only defrost a portion at a time when you know you will consume it.

It’s imperative to avoid refreezing chilli because of its meat content which can quickly spoil if left at room temperature for extended periods.

Does Chilli Con Carne Freeze Well?

Chilli con carne freezes remarkably well – that’s why it makes for one of the best batch-cooked meals you can make.

Provided that you freeze it as soon after making it as possible (once cooled, of course), you freeze it for a maximum of 3 months, and you thaw then reheat it slowly, you’ll be hard pushed to tell the difference between a chilli con carne from the freezer and one you have knocked together fresh.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing chilli con carne or chilli in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Chilli With Kidney Beans?

Yes, chilli con carne that contains kidney beans can be frozen for around 3 months. Once cooled, portion it into freezer bags, seal them up, and freeze. Try to freeze it in individual portions.Chilli With Kidney Beans

Can You Freeze Chilli Con Carne and Rice?

Yes, both chilli con carne and rice can be frozen but you should freeze the two elements individually.

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