Can You Freeze White Chicken Chili?
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Yes, there are two effective methods for how to freeze white chicken chili. Use our expert tips for freezing and reheating this comfort food dish.
How to Freeze White Chicken Chili
As authors of two popular freezer meal cookbooks, we’ve done our fair share of testing freezer meals of all kinds and have become experts at the best methods for freezing.
This cozy dinner happens to be one of my personal favorites, especially our Crock Pot White Chicken Chili or our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili. We’ve frozen this recipe many times, so you can be assured our directions are correct.
You have two options for freezing this chili–before fully cooking it and after it’s fully cooked.
Method #1: Freeze Before Fully Cooking
If you like to prep freezer meals in bulk (which is our specialty!), this is a great freezing method. The chili will turn out tasting just like a fresh meal when you use this technique. I recommend making a double batch to use your time in the kitchen efficiently. Here’s how to use this method…
- Saute the aromatics in the recipe, if directed to. Then, add all the ingredients to a gallon-size freezer bag or freezer container and seal. (Here are our favorite freezer containers.)
- Label the package with the date and contents, and freeze in the back of the freezer for up to 3 months for best quality. (Our printable Freezer Labels can be helpful.)
- To prepare the chili from frozen, it’s best to thaw it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours first or use one of these other safe thawing methods. Then, cook according to recipe instructions.
Method #2: Freeze Chili After Cooking
If you have leftovers of the chili, you can freeze those after cooking. Even white chicken chili with cream cheese or dairy in it will freeze and rewarm just fine. Here’s how…
- Fully cook and then fully cool the soup. It’s really important that the soup is entirely cooled down before freezing to avoid ice crystals forming on the top. It can sit at room temp up to 2 hours but then you will need to refrigerate it after that.
- Ladle the soup into individual containers like Souper Cubes or 2-cup Pyrex glass containers OR into a gallon-size freezer bag and seal.
- Label the container(s) with the date and contents. (Our printable Freezer Labels can be helpful.)
- Place the meal in the back of the freezer where it’s coldest. It’s best to use this freezer meal within 3 months.
- To prepare the chili from frozen, either thaw it in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on the microwave. Then, warm in the microwave, in a pot on the stove, or in the slow cooker.
Make Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
Our healthy Crockpot White Chicken Chili recipe is a little lighter than others yet still so comforting and packed with flavor! It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and freezer-friendly.
P.S. We have an Instant Pot White Chicken Chili version, too.
White Chicken Chili FAQs
Our version is healthy! We’ve created a chili that’s filled with high-quality protein and packed with veggies. It’s relatively low in fat and carbs, too. If you’re watching your salt intake, be sure to use low-sodium broth and “no salt” canned ingredients.
Lastly, to kick up the nutritional value, add in some healthy toppings such as diced avocado, plain Greek yogurt, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, diced green or red onion, and fresh cilantro.
Our version is because we use smashed beans to thicken the chili instead of flour. Our recipe is also dairy-free.
In this recipe, we use smashed beans to help thicken the chili. The soup will thicken some as it sits, so give it some time after cooking.
If you’d like it even thicker, you can make a cornstarch slurry to stir into the chili at the end. To do this, mix a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir into the soup. I’d suggest starting with 1 or 2 tablespoons of each. Slow cook the soup for 30 minutes after adding it.
You can use a few different types of white beans in white chicken chili–cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or even pinto beans work.
Either refrigerate or freeze leftovers for later. The USDA says that most leftovers if refrigerated properly, are safe to eat within 3-4 days. You can also freeze the chili and it will be safe indefinitely, although it will taste best if eaten within about 3 months.
Tips & Tricks for Freezing Chicken
Learn how long you can freeze raw and cooked chicken, best methods for different cuts, the benefits, and the best chicken freezer meals.
What Else Can You Freeze?
Wondering what else you can stock up on and freeze? Here are more well-researched and well-tested articles we wrote from our experience.
- How to Freeze Tortillas
- How to Freeze Butter
- How to Freeze Muffins
- How to Freeze Bananas
- How to Freeze Zucchini
- How to Freeze Rice
- How to Freeze Avocados
- How to Freeze Cheese
- How to Freeze Pesto
- How to Freeze Quiche
- How to Freeze Chicken Pot Pie
- How to Freeze Chicken and Dumplings
- How to Freeze White Chicken Chili
- How Long Steak Is Good in the Freezer
Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour!
- Shopping & equipment lists
- Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
- Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more
Thanks for the directions for freezing the chili. I live alone so when I cook it’s always enough for a football team 🤣 however after a couple of days of enjoying there’s always more still available. So since I love chili this is very helpful 😋
Hi Lars! So glad you found this post so you could save up all that yummy chili. My family doesn’t love chili, but I do, so I often freeze the leftovers individually for myself later. 🙂