How to Reheat Fried Chicken: 4 Tested Methods for A Tasty Meal
Do you want to learn how to reheat fried chicken without losing its wonderful texture and flavor? You’ve come to the right place!
Everybody likes chicken, but I think we can all agree that something truly magical happens to it when it is battered and fried. Like putting on a fancy party dress, chicken becomes a special treat when it is enrobed in a golden coating and fried to crispy, juicy deliciousness. Whether we make it ourselves or opt for convenient, tasty options like KFC or Popeye’s, it’s a meal we all crave and enjoy.
However, with most fried chicken meals, we often have pieces left over. And let’s face it—some people just don’t know how to reheat fried chicken and still have it come out well so they give up. While it is true that it is not easy to resurrect the perfection of that crispy coating when you reheat it, I’m here to tell you that it can be done! Today, I’m sharing a few tricks for turning your leftover fried chicken into another tasty meal with that coating intact.
So, are you ready to learn how to reheat fried chicken properly?
The Best Methods for Reheating Fried Chicken
When it comes to learning how to reheat fried chicken, you have multiple options. You can use your conventional or toaster oven, an air fryer, or a microwave. You can achieve crispiness with each of these methods, but you’ll find that some are better than others. An air fryer is great. An oven (conventional or toaster) works well also. The microwave is the most problematic, but it is also the most convenient, and it can work, too—although it may not come out as crispy as other methods. But no matter which method you decide on, there is some minor prep to do first.
Preparing Your Leftover Fried Chicken for Reheating
Take your leftover chicken pieces out of the refrigerator and place them on a paper towel. Separate the pieces so they all have some space and let them warm up to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. (But no longer than that for food safety reasons. After 30 minutes, excess bacterial growth could make you sick.)
Why do we do this? The paper towel absorbs excess moisture and grease. And letting the chicken warm up helps ensure that it reheats evenly (regardless of the reheating method you chose).
How to Reheat Fried Chicken in an Air Fryer
If you want to know how to reheat fried chicken the absolute best way, this is it! Reheating fried chicken in air fryers is my favorite method. But, of course, you need an air fryer. If you don’t have one yet, you should know that they are great for many things, not just reheating KFC chicken to glorious perfection. Check out this excellent one, the Instant Vortex Plus.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF.
- Next, arrange the chicken (which should be at room temperature) in a single layer in the bottom of your fryer basket. Do not crowd the chicken or it will not receive the proper heat circulation it needs. (You can do multiple batches if necessary.)
- Once your air fryer has reached temperature, place your basket inside and time it for 5 minutes.
Some important tips on how to reheat fried chicken: Never put the chicken in a cold air fryer; always preheat! You need that initial blast of high heat to re-crisp the coating. Also, do not turn the chicken over mid-way through.
This is where many people go wrong! Oil is going to drain off the bottom of your chicken pieces as it heats up. If you turn the chicken over, that oil will stay in the chicken and it will be soggier than if you had left it alone.
- After 5 minutes, check your chicken’s internal temperature with a food thermometer. Ideally, you want it between 150ºF and 165ºF. Less than that, and your chicken may not be as crispy as you want it. More than that, and your chicken will become dry. If you haven’t reached the ideal temperature range yet, put it back in for a couple of minutes and check again.
- Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, your chicken is ready to serve and enjoy!
How to Reheat Fried Chicken in Toaster Oven or Conventional Oven
- Set your oven to the “bake” setting (conventional or toaster) and preheat to 400ºF.
- Next, you’ll need a sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. That rack is critical because it allows hot air to circulate all the way around the chicken. (If your chicken is sitting on the bottom of the pan you are going to end up with a soggy bottom. If you don’t have a wire rack, I recommend this great multi-piece set by P&P Chef.)
- Once your oven has reached temperature, place your chicken (which should be at room temperature) on the wire rack so that no piece touches the other.
- Pop the pan in the center of your oven and time it for 15 minutes.
Some important tips on how to reheat fried chicken: Never put the chicken in a cold oven; always preheat! You need that initial blast of high heat to recrisp the coating. Also, do not turn the chicken over mid-way through its heating time.
This is where many people go wrong! Oil is going to drain off the bottom of your chicken pieces and drip into the pan beneath it as it heats up. If you turn the chicken over, that oil will stay in the chicken and it will be soggier than if you had left it alone.
- After 15 minutes, check your chicken’s temperature with a food thermometer. Ideally, you want it between 150ºF and 165ºF. Less than that, and your chicken may not be as crispy as you want it. More than that, and your chicken will become dry. If you haven’t reached the ideal temperature yet, put it back in for a few minutes and check again.
- Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, your chicken is ready to serve and enjoy!
How to Reheat Fried Chicken in Microwave
How to reheat fried chicken in microwaves and get crispy results is a challenge. Microwaves are fast, easy, and convenient, but because the microwave method holds more moisture, some of that wetness ends up in the coating, making it softer. Despite that, you can still get good results. One smart thing you can do is to use a crisper pan. Here’s a nice microwave crisper pan by Maconee that works well for this.
- If you’re using a microwave crisper tray, preheat the tray in the microwave for three minutes.
If you aren’t using a crisper tray, use a microwave-safe plate. Lay a paper towel on the bottom of the plate to absorb moisture but don’t preheat the plate. (That’s not how to reheat fried chicken—that’s how to break your plate!!)
- Arrange your chicken pieces (which should be room temperature) in a single layer on top of your pan or plate. Do not crowd them—do multiple batches if necessary.
- Microwave in 30-second intervals and check the chicken’s temperature with a food thermometer. It should be between 150ºF and 165ºF. This should not take more than two minutes.
- Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, your chicken is ready!
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store leftover fried chicken?
Let the chicken cool to room temperature and then put it in an air-tight container or plastic bag in your refrigerator. (Ditch the bucket, folks! It’s not air-tight and your chicken will dry out.)
How long can I keep leftover fried chicken in the fridge?
It is safe to keep leftover fried chicken for up to three days in your fridge. After that, it should be thrown away for food safety reasons—even if it smells and looks okay. Why? Because dangerous bacteria are present and growing. Your refrigerator will slow down bacterial growth but it will not stop it. After three days, bacteria may accumulate to unsafe levels, at which point it could give you food poisoning. If you want to keep it longer, bag it up and freeze it for up to six months.
Can you reheat fried chicken more than once?
No, it’s not safe for the same food safety reasons mentioned above. And on top of that, it will be overdone, dry, and chewy.
How to reheat fried chicken that has not been batter-coated?
That method is different. Please see this great article on how to reheat chicken and rice instead.
How to keep fried chicken warm?
Place it on a sheet pan in a 200ºF oven. But be warned, the longer you wait, the drier it will become. I would not recommend holding it for more than one hour.
What else can I do with leftover fried chicken? Hey, cold fried chicken isn’t the end of the world! (I know you’ve stood at the fridge and snacked on a cold leg! We’ve all done it. Admit it!) But you can peel off that coating and use the meat for many other dishes. From soup to salad to tacos, it never has to go to waste. But now that you know how to reheat fried chicken the right way, we bet that will always be your favorite option!
