Throwing together a stir fry is a quick and easy meal to serve up to the family. Whether you buy a supermarket stir fry pack or include various fresh vegetables of your own selection, you often have some leftovers. So, what do you do with it?
Can You Freeze Stir Fry?
Yes, you can freeze stir fry for up to 2 months. It’s best to freeze stir fry that hasn’t yet been cooked, but it’s also possible to freeze leftover stir fry from the pan.
Does Stir Fry Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze Stir Fry? No
How to Freeze Stir Fry
If you think you have too much stir fry mixture to eat in one sitting, it’s a good idea to set aside a portion for freezing before you cook it.
As stir fry only takes a few minutes to prepare on the stove, you don’t need to cook it before freezing to save yourself time, as is the case with many other dishes. Below are the following steps required to freeze stir fry.
- Allow to Cool: If you’re freezing cooked leftovers of your stir fry, you will need to allow it to cool before freezing it, which should take around one hour.
- Separate Into Portions: Split your stir fry mixture into relevant portion sizes. It’s better to do this before you freeze it, so you can easily remove the required amount of stir fry from the freezer when you come to prepare it.
- Place in Freezer Bags: Place each portion of stir fry into freezer-safe bags. Be sure to press out as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.
- Label and Freeze: Make a note of the date that you purchased (or cooked) the stir fry, as well as the use-by date. Remember, you can freeze stir fry for around two months.
This method will work for stir fry made with various vegetables including bean sprouts, peppers, onions and mushrooms.
How to Freeze Stir Fry With Meat
If you’re freezing stir fry with meat, you can follow precisely the same steps that are listed above. Just be mindful that when separating your stir fry into portion sizes, add an appropriate amount of meat to each serving.
You also have to take care when it comes to defrosting and reheating stir fry with meat, which must be thawed in the fridge. Make sure any meat that you reheat is piping hot before you eat it.
Yes, stir fry that contains chicken can be frozen for up to 2 months. It must be completely cool before it is frozen. When you want to eat it, defrost fully then heat through until the chicken is piping hot.
Yes, cooked beef stir fry can be frozen but you may find that the beef overcooks when you come to reheating it.
3 Tips for Freezing Stir Fry
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing stir fry to have the best results:
Undercook It
Should you decide to cook your stir fry before freezing it, we’d recommend undercooking it slightly. Veg that is firm will freeze a lot better than when it’s soft, and this will prevent your stir fry mixture from going mushy in the freezer.
Keep Sauce Separate
Again, to prevent your stir fry mixture from going mushy, it’s best to freeze your stir fry sauce separately. Covering your vegetables in sauce won’t help its texture, so it’s best to add it after you’ve reheated your veg.
Opt for Reheating in a Pan
While you can heat your stir fry in the microwave or in a frying pan, the latter is a much better option. The most delicious stir-fries are nice and crunchy, so it’s best to allow your stir fry to sizzle in oil in the pan for a few minutes, as opposed to warming it through in the microwave.
How Long Can You Freeze Stir Fry?
You can freeze stir fry for around two months.
If you have some leftovers that you will use within 48 hours, you can cover them and place them in the fridge; there’s no need to freeze them.
But if you plan to freeze a stir fry mixture, it’s best to get it in the freezer as quickly as you can, so the vegetables are nice and fresh when they’re frozen.
Leftover stir fry can be kept in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Stir Fry?
The best way to defrost stir fry is to remove the desired portion from the freezer the night before you plan to use it, placing it in the fridge.
You should avoid reheating or cooking stir fry straight from frozen, as the moisture content will potentially make the mixture soggy once it has been cooked.
If your stir fry contains meat, you must defrost it in the fridge – don’t be tempted to save time by defrosting it at room temperature.
Can You Refreeze Stir Fry?
Although it’s possible to refreeze stir fry that has been defrosted in the fridge, we wouldn’t recommend it. Once cooked and/or defrosted, vegetables will soften and will lose the crunch that makes a stir fry what it is.
It’s much better to split your stir fry into portion sizes before you cook or freeze it, so you can remove only what you need from the freezer at any given time.
Does Stir Fry Freeze Well?
Stir fry that hasn’t been cooked freezes really well. However, if you’re freezing cooked leftovers of your stir fry, you might find that it’s a little too soft for your liking once you’ve reheated it.
So, for best results, split your stir fry mixture into portion sizes before you cook it and transfer what you don’t need directly to the freezer.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing stir fry or stir fry in general, then these may help:
Yes, noodle stir fry can be frozen but you may find that the noodles become a little mushy and overcooked when you reheat it in the future. Stir fry with vegetables only will freeze better.
Yes, you can freeze a sauce that you normally mix with the stir fry. Find a suitable container and decant the sauce into this. You could also freeze it into an ice cube tray if it’s easier. Try to avoid freezing stir fry sauce already mixed with the veggies as it can make them mushy.
