Aussie chefs share their favourite way to use a bag of frozen peas

Stumped over what to have for dinner? It’s time for those peas languishing at the bottom of your freezer to shine.

Costing as little as $2.50 for a 1kg bag, frozen peas are one of the most budget-friendly cooking staples you can get, but they tend to be overlooked – let’s be real, some of us would sooner use them to treat a rolled ankle than to bulk out a dish.

But it’s time for a rethink. Not only are frozen peas affordable, they’re also healthy, offering a source of protein, fibre and vitamins A and K to name a few.

Chef Andrew Ballard points out they’re also one of the few veggies that are often better frozen than fresh – “unless you’re growing them yourself and wandering out into the garden like a smug little homesteader.”

“Most are snap-frozen on the farm only a few hours after harvest. Fresh peas, on the other hand, start turning starchy within about 24 hours of being picked,” he tells nine.com.au.

“That’s why a bag of frozen peas can be sweeter, juicier and more reliable than the so-called fresh ones sitting around in the supermarket pretending they’re still at their peak.

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“They’re cheap, cheerful, always there, and exactly the sort of thing you find while freezer-diving for inspiration with absolutely no culinary work ethic left in the tank.”

Still not convinced after reading that?

Allow Ballard and fellow Aussie chefs Brendan Pang and Vincent Yeow Lim – who you can catch at the 2026 Good Food & Wine Show – to sell you on the freezer staple.

Andrew Ballard

Chef, event leader and culinary strategist Ballard has a simple but effective pitch: “Frozen peas don’t need a TED Talk. They just need butter.”

(Consider us sold.)

He says a handful of cooking staples are all you need to elevate your peas into something incredible.

“Melt butter in a pan with a teaspoon of sugar and a good pinch of salt. Add a splash of chicken stock and let it reduce until it starts to go sticky and glossy,” he explains. 

“Then plunge the frozen peas into boiling water and drain them almost immediately – about five seconds.

“Toss them through the glaze and serve them with a roast.”

What you get is a “sweet, buttery, bright green” side dish that “quietly disappears before anything else.”

Brendan Pang

Cook, author, content creator and Masterchef alum Brendan Pang says frozen peas are more versatile than many home cooks realise.

“You can add them to fried rice, curries, soups, pasta or even mash them into a quick dip,” he says.

“They’re one of those ingredients that make a meal feel more complete (and healthier) with almost no effort.”

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Added bonus: “They last for months [and] there’s no prep involved.”

In Pang’s kitchen, frozen peas inevitably end up in fried rice.

“They add sweetness, colour and texture, and because they cook in just a minute or two, you can throw them straight into the pan from frozen,” he says.

Easy pea-sy.

Vincent Yeow Lim

Chef and restaurateur Vincent Yeow Lim, aka Dimsimlim or ‘The Wolf of Wok Street’, declares frozen peas “the easiest way to add vegetables to a meal.”

Like Pang, he loves to use them for fried rice.

“They add sweetness, colour and texture, and they’re always sitting in the freezer ready to go,” he says.

The Good Food & Wine Show (GFWS) will be held at the PCEC in Perth from July 17-19, with more events to follow later in the year.