Freezer Chili

Don't Make These Mistakes

Cool the chili quickly before freezing.

Freeze flat so portions stack and thaw fast.

Add fresh lime and coriander when reheating.

How to Make Freezer Chili

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1. Heat the oil in a very large pot. Brown the beef in 2 batches for 8 minutes each. Remove.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Cook the onions and peppers for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and paprika and stir for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

3. Return the beef. Add the tomatoes, beans, stock and salt and bring to a boil.

   Mark done

4. Simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Stir in the lime juice.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

5. Cool in shallow dishes for 30 minutes, chill, then divide into 8 freezer bags. Freeze flat.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Why It Works

A big pot, a few freezer bags, and eight dinners ready when you need them: that is the logic of batch cooking, and chili is perhaps the best dish for it. The flavours deepen as it sits, the texture holds up beautifully to freezing, and a portion reheats from frozen in 10 minutes.

The recipe is a double batch, with a kilo of beef mince, two kinds of beans and plenty of spice. Brown the beef in two batches so that it caramelises rather than steams, then cook the onions and peppers in the same pot. Bloom the chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika in the oil for a minute before adding tomatoes and stock.

Cool it fast before freezing. Hot chili in a sealed bag creates steam and takes hours to chill, which allows bacteria to multiply. Spread it in a wide dish or divide into shallow containers, cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until cold before freezing. Label the bags with the date.

Freeze flat in zip-lock bags, so that they stack neatly and thaw quickly. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or reheat directly from frozen in a pan over low heat with a splash of water. Add fresh lime juice and coriander when you serve, to bring the flavours back to life.

Storage and Reheating

Freezes for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot.

If You're Missing Something

• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Freezer Chili

• Rice
• Cornbread
• Soured cream
• Grated cheese

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Buttermilk Biscuits, New York Bagels, Creamy Coleslaw.

Still Wondering?

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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