Curry has become a popular dish worldwide. With so many recipes out there and a whole host of variations, itās little surprise that people enjoy preparing curries from home based on their favourite dishes. But what happens when you have some curry leftover?
Can You Freeze Curry?
Yes, you can freeze curry for up to 3 months. Regardless of whether or not your curry contains meat, it will freeze well, providing it has been well-wrapped and protected from freezer burn. Both homemade and takeaway curries freeze well.
Do Does Curry freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Curry? No
How to Freeze Curry
With so many different types of curry, you might be worried that your homemade dish wonāt freeze overly well. But you donāt need to worry!
The vast majority of curries, including popular ingredients like chicken, lamb, and vegetables, tend to freeze really well and will retain all of their delicious and complex flavours.
Below are the steps you need to follow to freeze curry:
- Cool: You will need to allow sufficient time for your curry to cool to room temperature before freezing it. You should never freeze curry that is still warm, as this can increase the temperature within your freezer.Ā
- Portion: If youāve made a batch of curry and have considerable amounts leftover, itās a good idea to portion it up before you freeze it, as this makes your life a lot easier when you come to defrost it.Ā
- Pour Into Airtight Containers: Pour your portions of curry into airtight containers and seal the lids.Ā
- Label and Freeze:Write the date you prepared your curry, as well as the use-by date on the lid of each container, before placing it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze curry for around three months.Ā Ā
Yes, chicken curry can be frozen for around 3 months. Once cooled, portion it out into Tupperware containers which can then be popped into the freezer. 
Lamb curry can be frozen for between 2 and 3 months. It must be fully cooled before it is portioned into airtight containers and then frozen.
Most vegetable curries can be frozen. They should not contain potato, however, as this can ruin the texture of the curry once it has been frozen and then thawed.
4 Tips for Freezing Curry
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 4 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing curry to have the best results:
Donāt Use Freezer Bags
You should freeze it in airtight containers as opposed to freezer-safe bags. If your bag splits as you place it in the freezer, you donāt want spilt curry all over the other food youāre storing in the freezer! Equally, curry is particularly fragrant, and its odours can affect other foods if you freeze it in a bag.Ā
Be Mindful that the Taste Might Change
When curry has been frozen, its flavours become even more intense. If youāve prepared a particularly hot curry dish, this can make the curry exceptionally spicy, so make sure youāre prepared for the extra kick!
Avoid Freezing Potato Curry
Curry that contains potato shouldnāt be frozen. In most instances, potato curry becomes mushy in the freezer, and your dish will lose its consistency.
Be Careful when Reheating Meat Curry
When youāre reheating chicken, lamb, or any other type of meat curry, you need to ensure the meat is at least 70C or 165F before serving it.
How Long Can You Freeze Curry?
You can freeze curry for around three months. However, the more time that a curry spends in the freezer, the more intense its flavours will become.
As mentioned, if youāre freezing a particularly hot curry like Madras or Vindaloo, the spice will become even more intense, so you should try and keep freezing time to a minimum.Ā
Leftover curry will last for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Once cooled, it should be portioned into airtight containers which are then sealed and popped into the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Curry?
If your curry contains meat, you need to defrost it in the fridge. Frankly, this is the best way to defrost any type of curry, but it can take up to twelve hours, so itās best to take your curry out of the freezer the night before you plan to eat it.
Once your curry has thawed completely, you can then reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. Make sure you check the meat is at least 70C or 165F before serving your curry.
Can You Refreeze Curry?
You can only freeze curry once.
If youāre concerned about wastage, split it into smaller portion sizes before you freeze it. This way, you can easily remove the required serving at any given time and shouldnāt have any curry leftover.Ā
Does Curry Freeze Well?
Curry, whether chicken, lamb, or vegetable, freezes really well.
You should just be mindful of the fact that curry intensifies in flavour during the freezing process, which often discourages people from using excessive amounts of spice in curries that they plan to freeze.
Vegetable curries freeze really well, but those containing potatoes should not be frozen, as they are likely to become mushy in the freezer and will ruin the curryās overall texture and consistency.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing curry or curry in general, then these may help:
Generally speaking, you can freeze takeaway curries with no issue. The method remains the same as the one outlined above. Once cooled, act fast and get it stored in the freezer.
Although you can freeze it, it is one of the worst curries to freeze. The potatoes will turn to mush which can ruin the texture of your curry entirely.
do you have recipes for curry?
You suggested not to use freezer bags, use containers. it took a while to fiind this information and a lot of reading of your article.
Thank you for your wisdom in freezing roasted chicken.