5 Must Know Tips to Reheat Chicken in Air Fryer
The best way to reheat chicken used to be in the oven. Unfortunately, that feels like a lot of work, so we usually just toss it in the microwave and call it a day. Those of us with air fryers have a better option; we just need some must-know tips to reheat chicken in air fryer. These are the best tips to reheat chicken in air fryer for everything from leftover fried chicken to chicken thighs with perfectly crispy skin.
5 Must Know Tips to Reheat Chicken in Air Fryer
Start Chicken with No Chill
The standard rules apply when reheating chicken in an air fryer. That means a single layer in the air fryer basket. However, we want to keep the cooking time low, and we can’t forget that this chicken has already been cooked. This means it is perfectly safe to let the chicken sit out on the counter for about ten minutes to let it come up to room temperature first. This is how you get that crispy texture to remain on the outside of the chicken.
Where Temperature Matters
There is no need to fuss with what temp to set the air fryer to during the reheating process. Instead, just go with 350 degrees for the best results. The temperature that matters is the chicken. We want to bring the chicken back up to optimal eating temp, which is 165 degrees. A great way to make sure is with a meat thermometer. Your chicken leftovers will taste almost brand new using these tips to reheat chicken in air fryer, whether it’s your first time or hundredth.
Skip the Preheat
We brought the chicken to room temp, set the air fryer to 350 degrees, now we usually would wait for the air fryer to preheat. However, we can skip that part here. Again, reheating means the chicken has already been cooked. There is no need to wait for preheating, the hot air circulation will do fine. We can skip it whether we’re reheating chicken nuggets or a whole chicken. This is a favorite way of reheating leftover wings as well. Simple steps go a long way.
Easy Way for Even Cooking
We want crispy chicken skin and moist meat. The trusty air fryer can get this done, but we want it to be done evenly. The best approach is to flip the chicken after 3-5 minutes for smaller pieces and 5-6 minutes for bigger pieces. Check the internal temperature of the reheated chicken just before the second flip. This is an important step, as we don’t want to bite into the chicken only to get a bite of cold fried chicken. Add a little cooking spray or a spritz of a little bit of oil for optimum crisp.
How to Reheat Saucy Chicken
Leftover chicken breasts might be covered in sauce. The sauce is always a good idea until it is time to reheat those leftover chicken wings. The best method for this process is to use a liner. Some people use parchment paper, and that is fine, too. However, we will want to adjust the reheating time by a minute or two if we use a liner. We can even use aluminum foil, just be sure to check the internal temperature before eating. The goal is still 165.
