Chili con carne and other meat based chilis can be kept for three to four days in the fridge Meatless chili can last a little longer and be stored for up to five days.
In college, I worked for a restaurant that was renowned for its chili – it was the best selling item on the menu. Little did everyone know, though, that the chili was actually frozen – the restaurant made up a batch every few days and stored it in the freezer until needed. This taught me everything I needed to know about storing chili!
So, how long does chili last in the fridge? Well, I will tackle this question in the post below and give you lots of tips and tricks on storing chili too!
For meat based chilis like chili con carne or turkey chili, you can store chili in the fridge for three to four days. In case you have prepared homemade chili without meat, then it can last in the fridge for four to five days at a time.
If you aren’t planning on reheating and eating your homemade chili before this time frame, it is best to freeze the chili. This way, it will last much longer.
If you are using canned chili, the same rules apply. You can keep store bought chili in the refrigerator for up to five days. It has the same shelf life as home cooked chili.
However, you need to transfer the chili from the can to an airtight container. The chili will not last long in an open can.
Now, I know the storage guidelines that I mentioned above can be a bit frustrating. After all, the best homemade chili can take a couple of hours to make from scratch. So, the last thing that you want to do is to throw the cooked chili before the week is out.
This is why you may want to know:
Can you eat leftover chili after 7 days? Can you eat chili after 8 days?
Now, there are some people who do feel that chili can last in the fridge for up to a week but I would not recommend doing this. It just isn’t worth the risk.
There are two main reasons why people imagine that homemade chili has a longer shelf life in the fridge. The first is that the cold of the fridge prevents bacterial growth.
In reality, food can go bad in the refrigerator – much faster than most people realize. This is because the cold temperature in the refrigerator just slows down the spoilage and decomposition process, it doesn’t prevent it.
All this means is that your food, home cooked chili included will spoil just at a slower rate. After the chili con carne has been in the fridge for more than four days and meatless chili has been stored for more than five days, the risk of food poisoning increases.
Now, the second reason that many people believe that leftover homemade chili should have a longer shelf life is because of the spices. They believe that the chili powder, cumin, and other ingredients preserve the spicy stew and keep chili fresh.
While this is true to a certain extent, there is a limit to how much these ingredients can preserve the chili, even in the refrigerator.
Well, there is a good chance that you will get sick. Once enough bacteria has grown on your chili, it can cause food poisoning.
And, this is true even if you reheat your chili well before eating it. See, bacteria produce toxins in your food that are resistant to heat.
You should also bear in mind that it isn’t always to know when your chili has gone off or spoiled. Yes, sometimes there may be a bad odor or you may notice white or greenish discoloration in your food.
However, if you are only a few days over the recommended timeframe, then these things may not be noticeable to you.
Here are the top tips to follow when you store leftover chili:
The first thing to remember is that you should try to put chili in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Once the chili has gone from hot to warm, it can be transferred from the slow cooker to the fridge.
In general, you shouldn’t keep cooked chili on the counter for more than two hours. If it is a warm day – over 90 F – then the chili should be put away in the refrigerator within an hour.
This is something to keep in mind if you make chili in large amounts. If you are only going to eat a small portion of the chili today, make sure to store the rest in the refrigerator.
Always dole out the chili into an airtight container. This is true if you eat canned chili as well. Make sure to first put it in an airtight container.
Since you use a fair amount of spices in homemade chili, it is a good idea to put the food in a glass container.
The back of the fridge is the closest place in the chamber. So, if you want your chili to last as long as possible, this is where you should store it.
It is a good idea to label the date of refrigeration on the container so that you know when to use it.
If you aren’t planning on eating or using your leftover chili in the next three to five days, you will need to freeze your chili.
Once again, it is a good idea to use airtight shallow containers for this purpose. However, if you are trying to save space in the freezer, you can use Ziploc or freezer bags.
Now, if you have made a large quantity of home cooked chili, then it is a good idea to freeze the chili in smaller batches. This way, you will not need to defrost all of the chili at once – you can thaw batch by batch as needed.
If you are spooning the chili into a freezer bag, make sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag before sealing it. This can help to prevent freezer burn.
In the freezer, chili can last up to three months. Just make sure to mention the date of freezing on the packaging. This way, you know when to use it up by.
The best way to do this is to take the container of chili from the refrigerator and place it in the fridge. It is a good idea to place a plate or a baking tray beneath the container as moisture will drip down.
Depending on the size of the batch, the chili may take anywhere from a few hours to a day to defrost.
Now, if you do want to speed things up, you can use the cold water method. However, this involves submerging the bag or container of chili in cold water. So, make sure that it is completely airtight.
Place the container of chili in a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Wait for 30 minutes and throw away the water. Refill with fresh cold water. Do this every 30 minutes until the chili is completely defrosted.
So there you go – you now know the shelf life of home cooked chili in the fridge. This information will allow you to store your chili more safely in the future and keep you and your family safe!
