Best Way to Reheat Fried Chicken

As one of the most popular comfort foods in America, it’s not surprising to see that many people are eager to find out the best way to reheat fried chicken. People from the South especially love the juicy and palatable meat and the explosion of flavor in every bite. Indeed, fried chicken is one of the most amazing culinary delights out there, especially when eaten along with a savory side dish.

But what happens if you got some leftover chicken? How can you make the meat still taste as appetizing on the following day? Although it’s true that foods will no longer taste as appealing as when it was first cooked, there are ways on how you can still make your fried chicken taste as good.

Learning how to reheat fried chicken the right way is the key to making your favorite food taste great even if it’s been kept in the cold for several days.
Here are some tips when it comes to reheating your leftover chicken.

Reheat Fried Chicken in Oven

There’s actually no golden rule that you need to follow when it comes to refrying or reheating your leftover chicken. However, reheating it in the oven is usually the best method to follow.

Thing You Need:

• Oven
• Wire rack
• Baking pan
• Instant read thermometer

Instructions:

1. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and make sure it’s back to room temperature before reheating. Leave it in the counter for about half an hour after taking out of the fridge. This can help to make the chicken cook evenly and a lot faster.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Place a wire rack above the sheet pan so the chicken is raised and will not become soggy at the bottom.
4. Cook for up to 15 minutes or until the meat’s internal temperature is at 150°F.
   Increase the oven’s temperature to 400°F and cook for 5 to 8 minutes more or until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F.
5. Serve it with your favorite sauce and dig in! Don’t forget to reheat the leftover sides as well.

How to Reheat Fried Chicken in Microwave

For a faster and more convenient way to reheat your leftover chicken, consider using the microwave. But when it comes to using the microwave, you cannot expect the same texture as it was when you first cook it. Reheating chicken and other meat in the microwave is not usually the best method but is definitely faster and more convenient.

The microwave has the tendency to dry the chicken and make the skin even soggier. If you want the skin to be crispy and the meat to be juicier, the microwave method is not the best way to go. But if you don’t have the luxury of time, here’s how to reheat fried chicken in the microwave.

Thing You Need:

• Microwave
• A microwave safe dish
• Paper towel or damp paper

Instructions:

1. Remove your chicken from the refrigerator and leave it for around 10 minutes. That way, the meat will reach room temperature, which is the ideal temperature for reheating. This can also help to prevent the meat from losing taste.
2. Get a microwave-safe plate with a paper towel. This helps to retain the moisture of the meat and keep it from becoming too dry.
3. Put the chicken in the microwave and reheat in a 30-second interval. Don’t overdo it or you will make your chicken extremely dry.

How to Reheat Frozen Fried Chicken

Freezing a leftover chicken is one way to ensure that it will not get spoiled even after several days or weeks. But when the time comes that you need to eat the chicken, it’s important that you reheat it properly so it will still taste good.

So how do you reheat a frozen fried chicken?

Thing You Need:

• Microwave
• Oven
• Baking pan
• Aluminum foil

Instructions:

1. Thaw the frozen chicken using the microwave. Leave it in the microwave until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
2. Then refer to the steps above on how to reheat fried chicken in the oven.
3. Put the leftover chicken in a baking sheet that’s oven safe. Line the sheet with foil before placing the chicken.
4. Put the pan inside the oven right in the center rack and cook for up to 10 minutes.
5. Check the chicken from time to time.

How to Reheat Fried Chicken without Drying It Out

In order to maintain the crispiness of the skin of your fried chicken,

Thing You Need:

• Oven
• Aluminum foil
• Olive oil
• Instant read thermometer

Instructions:

1. brush it lightly with olive oil before wrapping it with foil and placing inside the oven.
2. After wrapping with foil, put the chicken in the oven and start reheating.
3. Wait until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F before taking the chicken out.

Reheat Fried Chicken in Air Fryer

An air fryer is definitely one of the best cooking tools to invest in this modern day and age. This device allows you to cook fried foods without the need to use a deep fryer and deal with boiling oil.
If you’ve got an air fryer in your kitchen, you’d be glad to know that you can use this device to reheat your chicken leftover. Plus, it’s so easy to do.

Thing You Need:

• Air fryer

Instructions:

1. First, leave the chicken to sit for around 10 minutes so it will reach a room temperature level.
2. Next, put the chicken pieces in the air fryer’s basket. Turn the air fryer on and set it between 350°F and 400°F. Also put some veggies(your choice)
3. Cook for up to 3-4 minutes, and that’s it! You now have a perfectly crispy fried chicken!

What is the best way to reheat fried chicken?

Let the leftover chicken rest and achieve a room temperature level as you preheat the oven to 400°F. Place an aluminum foil on the baking sheet and arrange the leftover chicken. Cover the chicken with another foil and bake for up to 20 minutes.

How long to reheat fried chicken in oven?

Reheat the leftover chicken for 15-20 minutes until the meat’s internal temperature reaches 150-165°F.

Can you freeze fried chicken

Yes, you can freeze your leftover fried chicken in the fridge for 3-4 month make sure that to store them below 0°F. The thing to keep in mind that fried chicken frozen can lose moistly and flavor if you kept them longer times in the fridge

Related: Best Way to Reheat a Burger Without Losing Their Taste

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Lakeside Smokers is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with BBQ Smoking (& Japanese food!) at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.