Best Way To Reheat Fried Chicken: Guide To Make It Crispy And Hot

If you are wondering about the best way to reheat fried chicken, I will let you know in the rest of this post. I will share with you not only one, but several ways of reheating chicken, making sure that it will end up crispy outside, juicy inside, and hot all around.

Eating chicken straight from the fridge, for sure, is not one thing that you want. It is not only obviously cold, but it can end up being chewy. The texture and taste will be different. To make sure that it will be a treat for the appetite, reheat it first.​

Eating chicken straight from the fridge, for sure, is not one thing that you want. It is not only obviously cold, but it can end up being chewy. The texture and taste will be different. To make sure that it will be a treat for the appetite, reheat it first.​

Reheating Fried Chicken In The Oven

This is perhaps the best way to reheat fried chicken. This will make your chicken crispy and heavenly like it has been newly cooked. At all times, you should get rid of the microwave. The latter will most probably make your chicken soggy and rubbery. It will be hard to chew.

If you want to reheat your fried chicken in the oven, here are the materials that you will need:​

  • Oven
  • Aluminum foil
  • Baking sheet

Meanwhile, here’s how you can do this:


  • Start by preheating the oven to at least 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • While the oven is being preheated, prepare your chicken. Take it out from the fridge and place it on a clean plate. Allow it to cool at room temperature. Let it sit for half an hour, or longer if it was frozen.
  • Cover your baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. Make sure that the chicken will be evenly spaced and should never be stacked on the top of each other. This will make sure that they will be heated consistently
  • It will also be a good idea to brush the aluminum foil with a nonstick coating. This will make sure that the chicken will not stick to the foil after heating.
  • Place the pan in the oven. Wait for at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the chicken. If it still does not seem to be hot, heat it for another five minutes.
  • Generally, the thicker the chicken is, the longer it should stay in the oven. This will also depend on the specific part of the chicken. For wings and legs, heat it for 15 to 20 minutes. On the other hand, for thighs and breasts, heating it should be done for at least 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Once you are sure that the chicken is hot, take it out of the oven. Place it on a clean plate and let it cool down for a few minutes before you enjoy it.

Reheating Chicken In The Pan

If you do not have an oven at home, you can also consider refrying the chicken. In this case, here are the materials that you will need.

  • Stove
  • Frying pan
  • Oil

Here are the easy steps to reheat fried chicken in a pan:


  • The first thing you have to do is take out the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature. This will make sure that the inside is not frozen, and hence, it will be cooked evenly. There will be no cold spots.
  • Place the frying pan on the stovetop and heat oil. Do this only when you are sure that the chicken has been thawed and cooled. If not, this will not only result in uneven heating, but this may also cause oil to splatter.
  • Put the chicken in the pan slowly once oil is already hot enough. You should use tongs so that your hand will be far from possible oil splashes. Two to three minutes of frying will be enough. Turn it occasionally to be assured that it will be heated consistently.
  • Take the chicken out of the pan and allow the excess oil to drain. You can do this on a wire rack. Letting excess oil dry out will make the skin crispier. Let it sit for about five minutes before eating.

Pro Tips

Here are some of the tips that you have to keep in mind to have a delicious and crispy fried chicken after it is reheated:

  • Know first if you can still reheat it. If it has been sitting in the fridge for a long time and if it is already showing signs of spoilage, throw it away. Eating it when it has gone bad can lead to stomach problems. At its worst, it can even lead to food poisoning.
  • Especially if you will choose the oven method, it is important to let chicken cool down at room temperature first. If it is placed immediately in the oven, you might end up with chicken that is crispy on the outside and rubbery inside.
  • There is a tendency for fried chicken to lose its moisture when it is heated. With this, one good thing that you can do is to sprinkle it with a little amount of water on the top to retain its moisture.
  • When refrying, make sure that it has already cooled before dipping it in oil. If it is still cold, the temperature of the oil will drop down and this will also cause the level of heat to immediately become lower.
  • Fresh oil is always the best. If not, this can make the chicken taste disgusting!
  • If you are using a pan, cast iron is an excellent choice because of its excellent ability to retain heat.
  • Your choice of oil will also be a significant concern. Olive oil is not recommended because of its low smoke point. This means that the smoke from the oil can make the chicken taste bitter and burnt.
  • When cooling fried chicken that has been reheated in oil, do not do it on paper towels. This will soak the chicken and it may end up being soggy.
  • It is also important to remember that fried chicken should only be reheated once. Reheating it more than once will affect its taste and moisture. Worst, this can also increase the possibility of food contamination.
  • Do you want to add flavor and moist to fried chicken when it is reheated? It may be a good idea to cover it with buffalo sauce or any other type of sauce that is preferred. This will enhance its taste.
  • The toaster oven is not a good place to reheat fried chicken. This can lead to uneven heating.
  • Another ingenious way of reheating leftover fried chicken is to make another dish out of it. You can take the chicken out of the bone. With shredded chicken, you can add it in other recipes, such as in fried rice or even for pasta.

Conclusion

Now that you have reached the end of this post, I hope that you already know the best way to reheat fried chicken. Personally, I would do it in the oven. Follow the steps mentioned above to enjoy your chicken crispy and hot.

Have you tried reheating fried chicken? What method did you use? Feel free to leave a comment below.

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